When it comes to the NHL all-star, I really couldn’t care less. Even with their dynamite idea to have the stars themselves divide up the teams, I still wasn’t interested in watching their mid-season spectacle. I did thoroughly enjoy watch Phil Kessel be picked last a year ago in Carolina, but that’s something else.

There’s maybe one all-star that is ever worth watching and that’s the MLB’s mid-summer classic — and even that’s not very good. The NBA’s version is dreadful thanks to a complete willingness by everyone involved to play zero defence. As the NFL’s Pro Bowl — also going on Sunday — don’t even get me started.

But Alex Ovechkin did something completely admirable this year by voluntarily sitting it out. It’s not very often you see a player give up the chance to soak in his stardom for an entire weekend.

You see, Ovie is currently suspended for a launching himself into a hit on Penguins defenceman Zbynek Michalek and is banned for three games. That period of time happens to run over the all-star break. So his logic is that he shouldn’t even be eligible to play, even though he is.

So now some other lucky player will get the chance to strut his stuff in this showcase. I don’t know even who, but congrats to them. And really, with the Great Eight currently ranking only tied fir 36th in the league with 39 points, did he even deserve to go? But that’s a question for someone else to answer.

Now, here’s the main thing: If Ovechkin had been voted to play in the game by the fans, then I’d have a problem with him skipping it for a weekend off.

Then, he would be depriving the fans of a player they really wanted to see in this spectacle; a guy that always puts on a great show in the game and especially in the Skills Competition.

It’s a good thing that those fans in Ottawa stuffed the ballot boxes to see four of their own start the game, eh?

PS. Speaking about him taking a weekend off, wouldn’t it be something if that’s all that he really wanted? Or how about if this was his way of protesting his suspension? Telling the league how he really felt about his three-game ban by sitting out their money-making exhibition is not something I’d put past him.

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My uneducated guess is that late on Sunday afternoon, in the Baltimore area and in the living rooms of Ravens fans everywhere, the name Billy Cundiff was probably shortened into a very similar sounding swear.

Later in the evening, across the country, San Francisco residents and 49ers fans were probably attaching a few nasty adjectives to the name of backup return man Kyle Williams.

Those, right there were the two goats that essentially cost their teams a chance at playing in the Super Bowl.

Granted, those plays cost their teams their respective conference championships, but there is one thing that few are bringing up: Cundiff’s kick would only have taken their game to overtime. There was no guarantee that A) the Ravens would even get the ball or B) that Joe Flacco could do anything with it if he did.

On the drive that led to Cundiff’s terrible shank left, Flacco and Co. had several chances to punch it into the endzone and couldn’t do it. Including a ball caught by Lee Evans and then batted out of his hands just in time – great defensive play by the way. This game could have played out like it should have, Tom Brady could have marched down the field in overtime and scored, then who would be to blame?

At least in this scenario, the Ravens now have a scapegoat and Cowboys fans (Cundiff used to kick for Dallas) get a little I-told-you-so redemption.

Williams, on the other hand, should just be hanging his head. First, he booted a punt that was recovered by the Giants in the fourth quarter, leading to score. Then, in overtime, he fumbled a return that would lead to the game-winning field goal.

Niners fans have to playing the what-if game in their heads right now, wondering if they’d be booking a trip to Indianapolis if Ted Ginn was in the lineup instead of injured on the sidelines.

So, prepare for two weeks full of rematch and redemption talk. It’s the Patriots facing the Giants, who ruined their perfect season in the Super Bowl a mere four years ago.

This week: 0-2
The playoffs: 5-5

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It’s the second biggest day on the football calendar this Sunday, so let’s not mince words and just get to the picks.

NEW ENGLAND -7 over Baltimore
Let’s face it; there is no team that can cover the Patriots two amazing tight ends. If there was one, it could have been the Ravens of a few years ago, when Ray Lewis was a few years younger and Ed Reed wasn’t as consistently banged up. In fact, it’s almost a certainty that Reed will not be 100% for Sunday.

If there’s one thing to worry about, it’s that the Patriots have not beaten a winning team all season. That is unless you include the Broncos last week, who were technically 9-8, but 8-8 in the regular season.

But then you have to figure how bad the Ravens were away from Baltimore. They went 8-0 at home, but were a weak 4-4 on the road, including a loss at Jacksonville of all places.

The Pats defence was terrible in the regular season, but looked to have really come together last week. It’s not like the Ravens offence is very tough to contain either. Just keep Ray Rice in check, stop Torrey Smith when he goes deep and watch for screens. That seems like the only ways they can move the ball.

And if you’re picking the Ravens to win on Sunday, all you have to remember is that you’re betting against Tom Brady at home. That should be enough said.

SAN FRANCISCO -2.5 over New York Giants
Think about the how the playoffs work and how the Super Bowl usually turns out. How many times do we really get that perfect matchup? The one with all the season-long storylines that come together or a possible rematch of a classic past game usually never happens. So that’s why the 49ers will win on Sunday.

That would deny of us of two potential Super Bowl rematches involving the Giants, including the one that everyone wants to see: New York taking on New England.

But this isn’t just a pick because of that storyline; the Niners are talented enough to win this game. They’ve already beaten the Giants at Candlestick once this season and they’re defence is among the best in football.

The Giants are in peak form, but I don’t see them being able to break huge plays thanks to sloppy tackling. That is the huge reason why Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks were able to make those massive gains was because their opponents had terrible form when trying to take them down.

The Niners’ offensive line is also strong enough to contain New York’s vaunted pass rush. They’ll have to bring some blitzes in order to get consistent pressure on Alex Smith.

And don’t think that John Harbaugh isn’t playing the ‘Nobody believes in us’ card. This game is tailor-made for it and the Giants should be coming in overconfident after beating Green Bay last week.

Last week: 2-2
The playoffs: 5-3

Follow me on Twitter @danbilicki

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