Manning shakes Marino comparisons… fact!

1. The Steelers made the right decision by naming Mike Tomlin their new head coach.… 1. The Steelers made the right decision by naming Mike Tomlin their new head coach.

Andrew Chikes: Fiction. The Steelers missed out on a terrific opportunity to hire Russ Grimm. Grimm had been with the team for years and understood Cowher’s scheme. He likely would not have deviated far from the offensive and defensive philosophies that the Steelers have employed so successfully over the past 15 seasons. To make matters worse, after losing out on the job, Grimm bolted to join Ken Whisenhunt in Arizona. It will inevitably take Tomlin a couple seasons to figure out the head-coaching gig at the NFL level. The players must learn an entirely new system, too, which usually leads to a poor first season.

Dave Thomas: Fact. But I have to admit I think I’m putting an asterisk by that. While I think Tomlin will do a good job, and I think he has impressed everyone with his presentation of himself (which the Rooneys have admitted was a big reason they picked him), I don’t think he was the best available candidate when all this started. Both of the Steelers’ in-house options, Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm, seemed to be more qualified and the front-runners for the position. I think what it came down to was money, and that’s where I question this process. The Steelers went for a 34-year-old coordinator of one year as opposed to those other two who clearly, just for seniority’s sake, would command a higher price. So once they were eliminated as candidates, I guess Tomlin was the best for the job.

2. Peyton Manning and the Colts will finally get over the hump and win Super Bowl XLI.

AC: Fact. Manning should have an easy time picking the Bears’ secondary apart. Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne are much faster than the corners who will cover them and should find plenty of cushion with Mike Brown probably out for the game. I am a big believer that defense wins championships, but with injuries to Brown and Tommie Harris, and the offensive juggernaut that is the Colts, my nod goes to Indy.

DT: Fact. Well I think they already did, because in my opinion the Super Bowl was played last weekend in the AFC championship game. The NFC has been weak all year, and although the Bears have been the best team in the conference, I still don’t think they are as good as their hype. They have some glaring weaknesses, and I think Peyton and the offense will be able to expose them on defense, and the Colts’ revived defense will play well enough to shake up young QB Rex Grossman. Colts by two touchdowns, fact.

3. Evgeni Malkin, who played in the Youngstars game Tuesday, should have been named to the Eastern Conference All-Star Team and played in the big game last night.

AC: Fiction. Malkin has proven that he will be a stud – down the road. In terms of this season, however, he’s just a very good player who is a terrific complement to teammate and true all-star Sidney Crosby. While he is 17th in the league in points, there were six centers in the Eastern Conference who had more than his 52. If he were on a Western Conference team, I would certainly agree that he got snubbed, but in a deep and talented Eastern Conference, Malkin simply didn’t stack up to the competition.

DT: Fact. And don’t take this as a homer call, but just look at the numbers. There were 21 players who were making their first all-star appearance (there hasn’t been a game since 2004, mainly because of Olympics and a lockout). All that number means is that there were a ton of young stars in the game, and when it comes to young superstars, Malkin is up there with teammate Sidney Crosby and fellow Russian and 2004 draftee Alex Ovechkin as cream of the crop in the NHL. Malkin has put up 52 points (24 goals, 28 assists), good enough for 17th in the NHL and tops among rookies. In my opinion, Malkin should have been with the big boys, but as it turned out, he was the only player to not record a point in the rookie game Tuesday, so what do I know?

4. After the disappointing loss at home to Marquette, the Pitt men’s basketball team will not lose again at the Petersen Events Center.

AC: Fiction. While the remaining schedule isn’t very strong, the Panthers have the unfortunate task of playing several teams that will be on the tournament bubble. As we get closer to March, these teams (West Virginia, Louisville, Washington) will be desperate for a high-profile win against a team like