There are a few sports fans consuming large amounts of Haterade. After the sinful indulgence,… There are a few sports fans consuming large amounts of Haterade. After the sinful indulgence, these followers of the National Football League have the audacity to doubt the fact that the Pittsburgh Steelers are the best team in the league right now.

It’s actually quite simple. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ record is now 7-1 — which is the best record in the league. The Steelers just happened to have beaten the two teams who share that 7-1 record: the New England Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. No one in the NFL is undefeated. Put down the Haterade. These are the facts.

While the Steelers have lost some players, the bench has stepped up. Jerome Bettis is a Hall of Fame runner-up and a heck of a running back. He is reaching his boiling point in second-string anger and explodes on the field to perform whenever needed. Willie Williams has come out of the shadows of the Superbowl in ’95 to make a tackle. Another Steeler playmaker is Ben Roethlisberger. This area hero — from Ohio — is all of 22 years old and is not only a great athlete, but is also a good sportsman. He encourages his teammates and shakes the fans’ hands. He’s a humble guy with a lot of talent. Roethlisberger was able to step in for Tommy Maddox as quarterback for the Steelers, but if the New England Patriots lose quarterback Tom Brady to injury, they will have to rely on Rohan Davey, otherwise known as lose-a-lot-of-games-in-a-Row-han Davey. So don’t doubt the possibility of a Steagles Superbowl.

We are only halfway through the season, but thinking all roads point to the Super Bowl coming through Pittsburgh is not a premature notion. It’s as if the team that never let Donovan McNabb leave the pocket is a totally different team of Steelers than the guys who lost to the Baltimore Ravens.

It would be great for Pennsylvania. Imagine the two polarities of the state coming together to cheer for the better team (cough: Steelers) to win. Rather than filling the 70,000 seats at AllTel Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida, Super Bowl XXXIX should be hosted at Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, which boosts capacity to 107,282.

If the void you feel from losing isn’t filled by facing the truth, sink your teeth into a Roethlis-burger from Peppi’s. It’s an all-beef patty with sausage, topped with a fried egg — no sesame seed bun, but it tastes better than that bitter Haterade.