Flip a coin, Steelers or Seahawks?

With just a day and a half remaining before the opening kickoff to Super Bowl XL in balmy Detroit, Michigan, people across the country and throughout the islands are still somewhat unsure of whom to pick for the National Football League’s next champion.

Even here on sunny Saipan there is still some debate as to the future Lombardi Trophy holder, but our local prognosticators have put their doubts aside and cast their ballots for this week’s Super Bowl edition of Miller Lite’s Pigskin Picks.

After a season of ups and downs, John Blanco emerged with the top overall record at 182-74. For his season-long efforts, he and four of his friends will be treated to all the food he can eat and all the beverages he can drink at the Pacific Islands Club on Monday morning thanks to the folks at Miller Lite.

Blanco and all of the other partygoers will also have a chance to win a free trip to the Pro Bowl in Hawaii just for walking in the door, but the real excitement will come from between the sidelines of Ford Field when the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Seattle Seahawks don the gear and man the gridiron.

Both teams posses a potent offense, but it remains to be seen if their defensive units will rise to the challenge on football’s biggest stage.

The Steelers by far have taken the more difficult road to Michigan. With a string of injuries at the quarterback position, the black and gold banded together to get wins for three passers.

Even their running backs suffered a number of bumps and bruises, but veteran tailback Jerome Bettis stepped up to take on a featured role when Willie Parker went down early on.

After completing the season 11-5, the Steelers first had to travel to Cincinnati to dethrone the Bengals—which they did with a thrilling 31-17 win. Next on the list was mission impossible in Indianapolis where they survived a fumble and interception late in the game to knock off the Colts, 21-18.

Then they had to pull off the hat trick by going to Mile High in Denver and beat the team that sent the defending champs packing. The Steelers managed to double up on the Broncos, 34-17, to earn their bid to the championship, and continue the search for their fifth ring.

Now they are looking to rally around The Bus to get the big guy his ring that has evaded him since the Steelers last reached the Super Bowl a decade ago when they were thwarted by the Dallas Cowboys.

The Seahawks were a little better off. After finishing the season with the NFL’s best record (13-3), Seattle enjoyed the luxury of a first round bye as the league’s top seed in the playoffs.

Their first postseason test came at home when they sent the Redskins back to the other Washington empty handed, 20-10. Their next challenge was a little more difficult, but quarterback Matt Hasselbeck and the all-caffeine team de-clawed the Carolina Panthers, 34-14 to earn their first Super Bowl bid in team history.