We mentioned a few weeks ago that the Pro Bowl was going to be moving from Hawaii to the mainland starting next year, with the 2010 game being played in Miami. At the time, we speculated that the players would be thrilled with moving the game to Miami as part of the expected rotation of sites for a variety of reasons, including the South Beach nightlife, easier travel and better facilities.

(This guy is the voice of reason. Seriously.)

But the factor we didn’t consider was that having the game in Hawaii protects the players from their own worst enemy: themselves. At least that’s the opinion of Redskins Pro Bowler Clinton Portis, who told the ASSOCIATED PRESS that moving the game to Miami is apparently a recipe for disaster:

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While we know that for the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers that Sunday was a great day and both teams were celebrating deep into the night, the feelings had to be the exact opposite for members of the Philadelphia Eagles and Baltimore Ravens.  Of course, how they responded to their heartbreak, we can’t be sure. For the Ravens, a lot of their postgame thoughts were probably devoted to Willis McGahee and whether or not he was still alive, but not defensive coordinator Rex Ryan’s.

Most of the Ravens probably hadn’t even finished showering or toweling themselves off when the New York Jets called Rex, and as Ray Lewis was no doubt still beating Joe Flacco in the corner of the locker room, Ryan was accepting an offer to become the next head coach of the Jets.

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Did you enjoy your Sunday night? Good, because it was the final eve before your inevitable onslaught of storylines involving the unlikely Arizona Cardinals and the storied Pittsburgh Steelers. Ken Whisenhunt meets his old employer. Larry Fitzgerald gets to show off his skills against his alma mater’s city. Um .. the Steelers punter played for the Cardinals last … year … zzzzzzzz. So while you stock up on hardtack and duct tape as you hunker in your bunker, just pretend how fun it would be had Sunday’s losers have actually won.

It’s a battle of redemption versus repetition. Donovan McNabb, having been benched earlier in the year, is now 2-1 in NFC Championship games and getting to start his second Super Bowl. Meanwhile, Joe Flacco became the first-ever rookie quarterback to even be in a Super Bowl. And John Harbaugh, the first-year head coach, can follow in the footsteps of Baltimore coaching icon Don McCafferty in trying to win a Super Bowl as a rookie head coach. Home teams are now a stunning 3-7 in the NFL playoffs, and the Super Bowl will finally see two Wild Card teams face off. And, of course, what are the odds? The last time the Ravens were in the Super Bowl, the site of the game was … Tampa.

And what of beleaguered head coach Andy Reid and his sudden stubble? We’ve only known of the portly Philly coach as having a clean chin and a scraggly mustache. Now his playoff beard, a trend among hockey players and some basketballers, could now catch on when it comes to the head of NFL teams. Especially if the Eagles can win their first Super Bowl in franchise history, giving the City of Brudderly Love two championships in as many pro sports finals. Does this mean the 76ers have a chance this year? (Spoiler: No, it does not.)

But the most gripping storyline is probably Ray Lewis. Yes, he was a Super Bowl MVP the year after being charged with murder stemming from being in the wrong place at the wrong time, but at the time he wasn’t wholly embraced as a household figure. All he’s done since being acquitted of murder is play tremendous football and be the face of an NFL team — as a linebacker. That’s no small feat, and maybe Brian Urlacher of the Bears can say the same thing, but quarterbacks are supposed to be synonymous with a franchise. Now he can play for the Super Bowl ring with the stigma of his checkered past mostly gone … and maybe this time, American can embrace him.

Er, anyways, back to reality.

• Thanks, ST. PETE TIMES, for putting out all the story lines for the Cardinals and the Steelers in digestible, organized fashion. Now turn off your laptop and TV, go out, and jog off some extra pounds.
• THE 700 LEVEL is understandably crestfallen over the Eagles loss…
• …while THE EBONY BIRD is equally scatterbrained and searching for answers.
• An astute FLICKR user (Flickerer?) caught one Steelers sign whose author knows the history of the NFL dating back to at least the mid-90s:

  

• ESPN seems like it’s a little early for another contrived feature meant to generate useless discussions … but here it is. “Mt. Rushmore of Sports” has fans figure out who the best four sports figures from each state are. For once, the South Dakota version will look extremely boring.
• Avalanche teammates Ryan Smyth and Milan Hejduk had a lot in common after Sunday’s game … “You scored your 300th goal today? OMG me too!“
• Oh, hell. I knew I had January 17th marked on my calendar for a reason, but I forgot about Curtis Granderson’s charity basketball game featuring Kid Rock getting fazed by one of his hallucinations … oh, wait, that actually is a large fluffy tiger.
• The unemployment rate in MLB is over 50 percent … well, if you only count the players that wanted to sign for another team.
• Arkansas freshman basketball player Brandon Moore wins the traffic infraction bingo game: DWI, reckless driving, no insurance, no registration, and fake ID. He didn’t even need to use the free space!
• And finally … Jim Rice blames Big Stein for never winning a World Series. Steinbrenner, if you recall, let a ground ball go through his legs in Game 6 of the 1986 World Series.

Haven’t we all bought into the wonderful concept that is cyber monday? Yes, this is the day you and I surf the web from our claustrocubes, searching out the best holiday gift deals that the web has to offer. Fun!

One of my favorite stops is NFLShop.com, which, as you can see, has a really neat customizable jersey feature. Read more…

Attention, citizens of Baltimore. Tired of living in Baltimore? Sure you are. The city is a dull, dingy mess, ripe for the portrayal The Wire gave it (the show wouldn’t have made much sense in, say, Topeka). Why, I’ll bet you haven’t been to any good parties lately. And Terrell Suggs wants to change that.

(No, he will seriously have white tigers there. No word on if they’ll be mauling Siegfried or Roy.)

Courtesy of the inimitable YOU BEEN BLINDED, we have Terrell Suggs’ video invitation to “the livest party of the year.” Seriously. That one kegger back in October where the guy set off the firecracker in the toilet was nowhere near as live. That invitation and the details are after the break.

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The Baltimore Ravens defense has become a shell of its former fearsome self. Rod Woodson has retired, Adalius Thomas has moved onto choking with the rest of the Patriots, and Ray Lewis is rapidly aging. And it only gets worse today as news comes out that their hard-hitting safety Ed Reed might have a career-threatening injury.

Reed, already expected to miss the first few weeks of the year because of nerve damage to his shoulder, told reporters on Friday that if he has to undergo surgery for the injury, his career might be done. Over. Kaput.

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It’s not that unusual for basketball players to make the jump to football. (See: Gonzalez, Tony, and Gates, Antonio.) People may also argue for Julius Peppers as well, but I see him more as a football player who happened to have dabbled in basketball.

And now the CARROLL COUNTY (MD) TIMES shoots up news of the latest hoopster trying to make the same transition to the gridiron: Joe Reitz (not seen to the left).

The difference between Jonathan Ogden, a sure-fire Hall of Fame mauling road-grader of a left tackle, and Reitz, a guy who hasn’t played football since high school? Likely negligible. Read more…

• If you let Natalie Gulbis know the secret of your success, you can win a chance to spend the day with the gorgeous golfer.

• TMZ learns that Ray Lewis is a cheapskate when it comes to paying for women.

• BIG LEAGUE STEW wants to know which Jason has the mightier mustache - the Yanks’ Giambi or the Cards’ LaRue?

• ESPN’s HASHMARKS spots Brett Favre at a Virginia football camp, where the ex-Packers QB says he’s not in a hurry to do anything.

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Like Shaq in the Champagne Room last night, SbB limps to the finish …

• ESPN has apparently now embargoed any Dana Jacobson news.

• Al Davis wants to derail Lane Kiffin’s Raiders coaching career.

• Jim Spanarkel used to be a sexy (Blue) Devil - now he’s a sexy Pirate.

• If a Ray Lewis lie detector test falls in the woods…

• Tony Romo ended his relationship with Jessica Simpson - to marry his college sweetheart?

• The latest LaDainian Tomlinson action figure features the Chargers RB with his end on the bench.

• A college basketball coach goes barefoot to end the agony of poor kids without shoes.

• The Pistons brawl starter ends his freedom with another drunk driving charge.

Can this be true? We finally get to know the truth from Ray Lewis?

Ben Maller of FoxSports.com reports today that “Ravens LB Ray Lewis took a lie detector test as part of a segment called ‘Best Damn Moment of Truth,’ a play off of Fox’s new popular reality show.”

“In the segment, which will air during Best Damn on Friday night (check local listings), Lewis is asked numerous questions.”

Wow, that’s pretty amazing, that Lewis would submit to a lie detector test on national television. Read more…