Conference Championship Games

Welcome back to The Sports Ace, where we play a full 60 minutes every time out and advance no matter what seed we are.

A few angles on today's NFL Championship Sunday that I haven't heard much about this week:

--This has got to be the first time ever that both #6 seeds have advanced to their respective title games. Both Philadelphia and Baltimore deserve huge kudos for that, and they follow in line with the Steelers of a couple of years ago who won it all from the #6 seed. Could you imagine if both win today? Take your seed and throw it out the window, baby. But seriously, there's a reason that more #6 seeds don't go to the Big One: it's one tough road to the top, and I would argue that both Philly and Baltimore have their toughest games yet today.

--Kurt Warner might seriously be a Hall of Famer. He's won his ring(s). He's put up the numbers. He's got the story to go with it all. And this season, he's taken a team that he wasn't at the helm of in September to a place it's never been before. I said before the playoffs that if he takes them to the Promised Land, I think he's a lock. Let's see if he can get it done.

My Picks:
Arizona 35, Philadelphia 24
Yes, I'm siding with the home team. The Cards are red hot, and they're led by the afore-mentioned Kurt Warner and one of the greatest WR teams since the 1998 Vikings. At home, for the right to go someplace the franchise has never been, why not? Story to follow...Donovan McNabb, ostracized by Philly fans, packs up and moves to Minnesota to QB the Vikings. It could happen.

Pittsburgh 10, Baltimore 9
If you're a fan of smash-mouth football, this is your Super Bowl. These teams feature the top two defenses in the NFL, competent offenses, underdog coaches and rabid fans. And - if you forgot - they're archrivals. This one's got the potential to be one of the all-time classics, and it very well could come down to the final seconds.

I'm out like Leslie Frazier from every head coaching competition he's ever been in.