First things first.  I don't hate the Pittsburgh Steelers.  Honest.

And I don't have any particular loyalties to the Seattle Seahawks, Indianapolis Colts or Cincinnati Bengals.  I know a few people are going to find that hard to believe when I say what I'm about to say.  They might call me a crybaby or a whiner; just someone still a little sore over some sour grapes.  Or maybe they'll say that I'm just jealous because my team embarrassed themselves instead of living up to expectations.  Really, I sort of expect that reaction.  But honest to goodness, that just isn't the case.

The fact is that here we are, just a few weeks removed from the opening of training camp 2006 and I still can't shake the feeling that the Steelers just didn't deserve to be crowned champions.

I know, I know, it sounds stupid.  After all, the Steelers played the cards they were dealt just like everyone else did.  But to me something just still doesn't seem right.  I feel like the Super Bowl was handed to them. 

That's right, for once in my life I'll utter the motto of the crybaby fan: They got lucky.

Not that every champion doesn't have a little luck on their side at some point or another, but I don't ever remember any champion that I've ever seen get quite that much.

Their fortuitous playoff run began in Cincinnati.  There was just something in the air that day.  An energy filled Paul Brown Stadium.  It seemed that this was simply the Bengals’ time.  Frankly, it probably should have been.

It’s understandable that that energy was sucked out of the Bengals and their fans when they had to watch quarterback Carson Palmer writhing in pain after having his knee rolled over.  A Bengals team that moments before had looked ready to take on the world then looked a bit lost, like a ship without a captain.  Not that Steelers defensive lineman Kimo von Oelhoffen was trying to hurt Palmer, but the deflating injury clearly worked in Pittsburgh's favor.  That was big break number one.

In the divisional round of the playoffs the Steelers had to visit AFC powerhouse Indianapolis.  The Steelers kept the game close, and in all fairness suffered a bad break or two of their own, including the fumble-that-wasn’t against Troy Polamalu in the fourth quarter.

However, the wheels fell off in the game’s closing minutes.  Jerome Bettis fumbled the ball on a goal line stand that would have ended the game had it been successful.  Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger made a heads up play to keep the Colts from scoring after the turnover, but it shouldn’t have been enough.  With the field position the Colts had, the game should have been over after a brief possession. 

That was, of course, until Mike Vanderjagt booted an infamously bad game winning field goal attempt that was so far wide it made Doug Brien look like Mr. Accuracy.

The Steelers blew it in the waning minutes of the game.  Fortunately for them, the Colts blew it just a little bit more.  Big break number two. 

In the conference championship game the Steelers traveled to Denver to face the Broncos.  Frankly, I have no gripes with this one.  Pittsburgh dominated the Broncos fair and square.

The Super Bowl, however, is a much different story. 

You know, people blame officials for a lot of things in sports.  Generally, my feeling on bad officiating is that it is just part of the game and a good team will learn to battle their way through it.

However, the officiating in Super Bowl XV was so bad that it was inexcusable.  The calls were so one-sided, poorly timed and worst of all, borderline, that it was unbelievable that this could be the “best officiating crew in the league.”  A number of significant opportunities were taking away from the Seahawks because of questionable calls by the officials.  Whether it was a borderline offensive pass interference in the end zone or a phantom holding call on a touchdown pass, it seemed like the Seahawks were playing two teams at once, one in black and gold and one in black and white.  Officiating like that should never happen in a championship game.  Big break number three.

At this point, regardless of how I started this article, I’m sure I just sound like a hater.  Honestly, I’m not.  I think the Steelers are a very good team and I’m willing to give credit where credit is due.  I just feel like the Steelers got some significantly bigger breaks than most other Super Bowl champions did in the past.

But anything I write here really means nothing in the long run.  The Steelers accomplished what 31 other teams didn’t, regardless of whether or not they deserved it.  The talking heads on ESPN and Sports Illustrated commercials will still act as if the 2005 Steelers really were some underdog that achieved despite great odds when they were really a fairly good team all along.

Or then again, maybe I was wrong.  Perhaps I am just a bit jealous.  The City of Brotherly Love sure could use a little of that luck.  After all, we’re up to 23 years and counting without a parade.  The right state got lucky, just on the wrong side.