OK, here’s the deal. I’m not a Browns fan. I’m not a Bengals fan. And I do respect the Steelers.

Their organization is terrific. I like Mike Tomlin, their head coach. A lot. And I do respect their players.

But there was no way I was going to sit down with my family and my sister’s family Sunday night and spend one second rooting for Sixburgh. Unt-ah.

I’m an NFC guy and the Packers don’t offend me in any way. Plus, I’ve seen the Steelers win enough big games and will never get over Super Bowl XIV when they broke my heart and came back against my upstart Rams in Pasadena. (Teenagers don’t get over things like that very easily and I’m still coping.)

And with all the black and gold I have to endure here in Columbus – this is Ohio, right? – and the incessant media hype machine informing me about Pittsburgh’s dominance, I was ready to see Ben Roethlisberger get knocked on his ass. Aaron Rodgers’ coming-out party? Fine with me, and overdue as far as I was concerned.

And when I took emotion out of it and tried to handicap the game as an objective analyst I went on my website, SportsRappUp.com, stuck my neck out and predicted Green Bay would win the game by six points.

So for the second straight year I decided to log my observations from start to finish, thereby documenting either my genius or my misery.

Here goes:

6:25 p.m. – Two full weeks and an entire day of worthless bluster are over. Now it’s time to take our eyes off of the gleam and spectacle surrounding the game and just concentrate on foot … check that, Christina Aguilera is singing the National Anthem. Oh, God, does she know she should not strip during this song? OK, not bad – if you don’t mind the words getting screwed up. “O’er the ramparts … ” or “What so proudly … ” What’s the difference?

6:28 p.m. – Barbecued beef, mac and cheese, cole slaw, weiner wraps, chip and dip, veggie tray, cheese and crackers, spinach dip, beer, pop and … MORE BEER. Let’s get this party started.

6:30 p.m. – The newest members of the Hall of Fame are introduced at midfield. Among them is Marshall Faulk, an all-time fave and perhaps the most deserving of the seven. One question: Where the hell is Cris Carter?

6:31 p.m. – The Steelers call tails and it’s … heads. The Packers win the Super Bowl.

6:32 p.m. – The first of 412 car commercials is underway. Whee.

6:36 p.m. – The Steelers go three-and-out and don’t gain a yard. Pretty good decision by the Packers to defer.

6:38 p.m. – Near disaster to start things off as the Pack muffs the punt but luckily recovers the loose pig in the ensuing scrum. Who knows what goes on under those flesh piles.

6:40 p.m. – Our first penalty and first big play occur as Aaron Rodgers throws an absolute BB for a first down. You may have heard that this guy is pretty good.

6:42 p.m. – Rodgers throws another strike but it flies right through the hands of receiver Jordy Nelson. Rodgers is a star but he’s going to need some help – even from a guy named Jordy.

6:44 p.m. – Big laughs for Dorito’s commercial No. 1, the dog running over the dork who is teasing it behind the door.

6:50 p.m. – Big laughs for Dorito’s ad No. 2, but also a groan as dude licked co-worker dude’s fingers. Eww.

6:54 p.m. – My brother-in-law, per my suggestion, discovers that there is an HD version of the game. “Wow!” we all say in response to the selection of the channel. Is anything more enhanced by HD than football?

7:00 p.m. – Third-and-1 and Rodgers eschews a quick dump off for a first down and dials up our man Jordy from 29 yards out with 3:42 left in the first half. Touchdown! The extra point makes it 7-0 Packers and my neck doesn’t feel so stuck out now. We’ll see if it’s a good omen or not.

7:08 p.m. – Ben Roethlisberger’s appointment as a national deity is put on hold as he chucks one deep and it’s picked off and returned for a TD. Oops. The Packers are flagged for excessive celebration. Really? If they were in Green Bay, safety Nick Collins would have leaped into the railing and had a massive hugfest with fans – and there would have been no penalty. Come on, zebras.

7:09 p.m. – The long-awaited, much-discussed Eminem ad runs. Yawn. Yawn again.

7:21 p.m. – Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk gets reacquainted with Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall. That was a fairly fierce Big Ten reunion.

7:23 p.m. – The Steelers are on the board with a field goal but since everyone at our gathering is rooting for the Packers we are not too concerned about a 14-3 lead. The bigger worry at the moment is that we’ve run out of Helluva Good French onion dip. My niece is calling her boyfriend to secure reinforcements.

7:35 p.m. – The camera shows us announcers Joe Buck and Troy Aikman, who is seriously skinny. As Dennis Miller would say, “Mix in a Cinnabon, babe.”'

7:39 p.m. – Our first closeup view of Packers LB Clay Matthews Jr., who was a stunt double in the movie, “Tangled” – little-known fun fact.

7:40 p.m. – Speaking of films, we see an ad for the new Steven Spielberg movie, “Super 8.” You would think a high-class guy like Spielberg would focus on Hilton or at least Embassy Suites instead.

7:47 p.m. – Greg Jennings catches a touchdown and we now have a 21-3 blowout. Rodgers’ pass was Kurt Warner-like – right into a tight window and right on the money. Not even the Steelers defense is going to be able to deal with this if Rodgers keeps making plays like that. Wow.

7:58 p.m. – The Steelers get back into it and gain some momentum as Roethlisberger connects with the ageless Hines Ward for a must-have TD just before halftime. It’s no coincidence that Charles Woodson had to make an early exit to the locker room just before the drive and reserve corner Jarrett Bush was absolutely lost on the play. “Which way did he go? Which way did he go?” Moments later, GB corner Tramon Williams heads to the locker room early. This could be an issue. It’s 21-10 but the Packers still have a two-score lead and will get the ball first.

8:06 p.m. – My niece’s boyfriend arrives. I announce that the dip is here – and Cody.

Halftime – There’s some “Boom, Boom, Pow” in the air as Black Eyed Peas take to perhaps the coolest makeshift stage on record. The quality of the singing – a bit too fast and strained – doesn’t keep up with the magnificent choreography and production, but it still has a high entertainment value. Fergie doesn’t seem to find her voice until she blares out “Sweet Child of Mine” with Slash wailing away right next to her. Who knew? The show picks up a notch when Usher materializes and shows off some sweet dance moves. That was good fun – and for once the entire third quarter won’t be played in a smoke fog because of overdone pyrotechnics.

8:33 p.m. – The Packers start the second half with a holding penalty and a false start. I’m guessing that wasn’t what was discussed over the long halftime.

8:40 p.m. – The Steelers are moving on the ground and threatening to draw closer but Mendenhall appears to hurt himself after running right into a cameraman. That guy is always looking for the spotlight. Seriously, Pittsburgh’s attack is going to be limited without him.

8:42 p.m. – Scratch that. Mendenhall is in the end zone. 21-17.

9:03 p.m. – After the Pack dodges a bullet – and Steelers kicker Shaun Suisham sprays a 52-yard field-goal attempt – Rodgers finds our man Jordy again and moves his team into enemy territory. Green Bay needs to get something going NOW.

9:10 p.m. – The stupidest play of the game so far: A Packer scrub doesn’t field the punt, dances around the ball for some reason and then cracks a Steeler in the facemask for a ridiculous 15-yard penalty. Dumb-da-dumb-dumb.

9:14 p.m. – Amazingly, we have our first challenge of the entire game. By the way, I’ve watched several Packers games this season and I can honestly say I’ve never seen some of these guys who are out there trying to win a Super Bowl championship. The injuries are mounting.

9:19 p.m. – Ineligible man downfield on Green Bay, a call I haven’t seen in like 15 weeks. Every single call going Pittsburgh’s way this half.

9:23 p.m. – Safe Auto outdoes Pepsi Max in the use of violence as they show the same guy take about 15 shots to the giblets in one 30-second spot. I know the economy sucks but are we really this angry?

9:25 p.m. – And we have a major momentum shift. Mendenhall is crunched between two tacklers and fumbles. Green Bay football. Woodson wants to celebrate but can’t even raise his left arm. Too bad they can’t put his mouth in a sling.

9:31 p.m. – And the Pack makes it hurt by scoring a TD and upping the lead to 28-17. After a sack that moved the line of scrimmage from the 2 to the 8, the extra room allows Rodgers to hit an open Greg Jennings. Troy Polamalu guessed wrong on the play. That doesn’t happen very often.

9:43 p.m. – Well, of course Green Bay does what every NFL team does in every single game when they possesses a two-score lead in the fourth quarter – sit back and play soft, burn-me zone defense. Roethlisberger proceeds to burn it. Shocker. It’s 28-25 with the two-point conversion.

9:44 p.m. – Two of the best commercials of the night involve a beaver and a dung beetle. I’m not making this up. By the way, last year’s Super Bowl was already over at this time. We still have half a quarter and lots of drama left.

9:57 p.m. – The Packers just miss a chance to put this baby away and kick the chip-shot field goal. Time to hold our collective breath now.

10:07 p.m. – Finally, confetti and a Steeler loss in the Super Bowl! Big Ben generates nothing of note and throws an incompletion on fourth down. He ends up with two picks and fairly pedestrian numbers. Rodgers is the clear-cut winner of game MVP honors. He finishes 24 of 39 for 304 yards, three TDs and no interceptions. Yeah, that will get it done.

10:20 p.m. – I gather up exhausted kids, load the car and come back inside for another swath of cheese and a bit of candy. Isn’t the Super Bowl great? American commercialism and gluttony at its best. Still, I get to drive home with a contented smile on my face.

Packers in six. I’m so brilliant. (Burp.)

For more sports articles by Jeff please visit his website www.sportsrappup.com.