Welcome to another edition of The Chat House, where Post columnist Michael Wilbon was online Monday, Jan. 12 at 1:15 p.m. ET to take your questions about the world of sports and his recent columns.

The transcript follows.

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washingtonpost.com: Michael will begin answering questions around 1:35 ET.

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DC: Is it true that the Steelers/Ravens game will be moved to the Roman Coliseum?

Michael Wilbon: Ha Ha! I might steal that line, so expect to see it again...Hi everybody. What a weekend. I'm back from The Meadowlands and the worst game of the weekend, but a very compelling game that had its element of theatre...Let's jump right into the NFL playoff games...The Steelers vs. Ravens game is the REAL NFL...No West Coast offense junk...Just hitting and defense and running...I can't wait to see it, which I will because I'm going to cover that game this Sunday...

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Annapolis, Md.: MW, How come nobody takes McNabb to task for his sideline behavior? Last week toward the end of the game vs Minny, he caught an errant throw by Jackson and pretended to be a running back (with some lame moves) and this week it was the phone thing on the NYG sideline. If Ocho Cinco or, God help us, TO do this, the press rip them. For some reason McNabb, whether it's his behavior or his outbursts ("we are a better team than the team that just whipped us") gets a pass.

Michael Wilbon: McNabb took himself to task, which always lessens the criticism. And McNabb's penalty didn't actually do real harm to his team...And McNabb's behavior was subtle...It wasn't over the top stupid...If that 15-yard penalty had cost his team then he'd be ripped, justifiably. But everything, and I do mean everything, has context.

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Dodgeville, Wisc.: Michael, hope you and yours are well.

Is there a field leader more powerful than Ray Lewis right now? Has there been one in the recent past?

I do recall seeing Brett at Lambeau a few years back (pre-decline)and seeing the other guys more or less come to attention whenever he walked into the huddle. But Ray - he believes! - and you'd better believe as strongly as he does to go onto the field with him. And teams that are bonded with that kind of attitude seem to get the breaks - as the Ravens did last weekend. It also helps that he made that early hit on Hall that set the tone for a rough afternoon for the Titans.

Michael Wilbon: Ray Lewis is a commanding presence, no question. And yes, he's a leader on the field and in the locker room. He's an original Ravens player and he's the face of that organization...plus the heartbeat of the football team. And he's got quite the tag team partner in Ed Reed, who is an even better player right now than Ray Lewis is. If Lewis is having a 9 kind of season, Reed is 9.75. Together, they can beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh. I'm not saying they will, but they can. He practices, I'm told, harder and smarter and longer than anybody on the team so they all fall in line. When he delivered that hit early in the Titans game...oooooooooh. Your whole team knows Ray Lewis has just announced himself at the door.

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McLean, Va,: Michael, Big fan of your work.. Would love to hear your views on the Arizona Cardinals.. Is there a harder team to dislike than the Cardinals in the NFL? In the era of me-first athletes (TO, Favre), what Warner, Larry Fitzgerald, Boldin and the rejuvenated defense is doing in the desert is heart-warming...

Michael Wilbon: I'm totally biased because since I spend a decent amount of time in Arizona I've come to know several Cardinals personally and I REALLY like a lot of their players. Starting with Larry Fitzgerald, who I've known his entire life because I'm friends with his dad, Big Larry, a sportswriter and talking head like me...and Bertrand Berry, one of my favorite people in or out of sports, the veteran defensive end from Notre Dame who is smart and humble and embodies all you're talking about. Warner fits the same description...There's nothing to not like about the Cardinals, and I'm tremendously happy they've had this playoff success because we're talking about a franchise that's been awful forever. I hardly ever say anything kind about Bill Bidwill, who has run the franchise for decades. His son Michael, who now runs the club, went to Georgetown Prep, I do believe. Let me say now, to both of them, congrats on a wonderful season that could get better...A home game for the NFC Championship? Who would have guessed?

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Boston: Really? The Eagles-Giants game was the worst of the weekend? Did you catch the Cardinals-Panthers game?

Michael Wilbon: Well, at least that had some "wow" factor to it. The Panthers were bad but the Cardinals were great. Neither the Giants nor Eagles were great. The Eagles D was resourceful and Donovan McNabb was great on third downs and in some specialty situations, but that game wasn't very artistic. Didn't you find Warner to Fitzgerald a little like Bradshaw to Swann...By the way, I'm told now that Bill Bidwill went to Georgetown Prep.

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Washington: Have you heard of this kid LeBron James? It's absolutely amazing what he's doing with the Cavs when he doesn't have near the talent the other top teams have. What I can't figure out is how Cleveland is so much better this year, when James's stats are about the same?

Michael Wilbon: James's stats are the same, but he's better...Yes, better. Michael Jordan's stats went down from 1988-1991 when they started winning, but he got better. Same with LeBron. He's smarter, he's more demanding of his teammates. The acquisition of Mo Williams helps greatly. The guys who came over in the 2008 trade-deadline deal are more comfortable playing with a superstar, which is difficult. Cleveland's the best team in the league right now. And LeBron is the MVP.

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Maryland: What do you think about the upset of Maryland last week ? Bad UMD performance, Morgan (which has a decent roster and good coach) playing to the best of their ability or both.

Michael Wilbon: Congratulations to Todd Bozeman and Morgan State for the Big Upset of Maryland. Wow. I must admit, I'm not yet tuned into college hoops. It's too early, what with the NFL in the playoffs and my NBA duties (and passion). I'll get into the college game in a couple of weeks and keep my head buried in it until the first Monday of April...This is my fear with college hoops every year now; I don't see it long enough. I see it from the 5th of February until the fist Monday in April, which is two months tops...

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Cleveland Park, Washington, DC: Michael -

Jim Rice has been elected to the Hall of Fame. Thoughts?

Michael Wilbon: Way past due. Should have happened earlier. Look, Ricky Henderson is one of the 25-50 greatest players of all-time. Rice isn't that high on the list, but he's a Hall of Famer to me and should have been years ago...One of the three or four best power hitters of his generation. He put up numbers guys recently have needed steroids to reach. Henderson, by the way, got 94.8 percent of the vote, which is appropriate. Rice got 76.4 percent, with 75 percent necessary for election. Good.

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Fairfax, Va.: Not using the NFC title game as an excuse to go back to Arizona?

Michael Wilbon: No, actually. The Ravens, my editors and I figure, are a bigger story here than the Cardinals or Eagles or both. So, no 70 degree days with cloudless sunshine for me...So, it's off to Pittsburgh to see Manhood Football.

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Reston, Va.: I think McNabb's sideline phone thing was nothing on nothing. It was just a little silliness - he was probably in a good mood because they knew they were going to win at that point. He was just happy, that's all, and thought he was being cute. Nothing malicious or obnoxious. Just unnecessary and not appropriate.

I wish the commentators would stop feigning outrage at every little thing. This is football, not the military.

Michael Wilbon: Exactly. And he said afterward he got caught up in a celebratory mood and shouldn't have done it. Over and done with.

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Chicago,: How about some DAP for the Pittsburgh Steelers organization? They field tough, competitive teams year after year without signing flashy free agents and despite having to let good, home grown talent (Plaxico, Randal El, Joey Porter) cash in big paychecks elsewhere. Their last two coaches - Mike Tomlin and Bill Cower - were totally under the radar when the Steelers hired them. The Patriots and Colts seem to get all the credit for running smart organizations, but the Steelers have scouted, drafted, hired and developed their talent as well as any other team in the NFL.

Michael Wilbon: Very, very well said. Thanks.

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Washington, D.C.: Mike: A non-sports question. Are you going to the Inauguration? And do you know of many sports stars, particularly African Americans, that were so moved by this moment in history that they'll be here next week?

Thanks, as always, for your time.

Michael Wilbon: Yes, I've talked to a great many who are coming...I'm going to an event Monday Night with my wife and brother who were invited, an Illinois event. Lots of my people coming, from Chicago, as is obviously the case...I don't want to come downtown for any reason on Tuesday, and don't know how I would do that to tape PTI...But my house will have more people coming than I have bedrooms. And a waiting list. I know that's a familiar story throughout the area.

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New York City: How could a writer not vote for Rickey Henderson???

Michael Wilbon: No baseball player, not even Babe Ruth and not even Hank Aaron and Cy Young and Ty Cobb...none of them were unanimous. It's typical of the baseball writers who vote on the Hall of Fame.

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Rockville, Md.: Which Super Bowl would be more interesting for you to cover: Cardinals vs. Steelers, Cardinals vs. Ravens, Eagles vs. Steelers or Eagles vs. Ravens?

Michael Wilbon: Probably Eagles vs. Ravens. Although, I picked Eagles vs. Steelers at the start of the season...I had Eagles and Saints in the NFC and Steelers vs. Jaguars in the AFC...so I only got 50 percent...I would be fine with the Cardinals vs. Steelers or Cards vs. Ravens...Any of the combinations would work for me. I think Eagles vs. Ravens, for Redskins fans and therefore a lot of Washington Post consumers, would be of the greatest interest.

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Arlington, Va.: Michael, What are your thoughts on Tony Dungy? On the sidelines, in interviews, etc, he always has seemed like a great guy. Have you had much interaction with him? Wishing him the best. Thanks.

Michael Wilbon: Thanks for bringing up this topic. I've known Tony Dungy pretty much my own career and have come, a long time ago actually, to admire him as a man and a coach. It boils down to that for me. He should have been hired 10 years earlier as a head coach, and when he got there he was great, first in Tampa and then in Indy...I'm terribly sad about this, even though he isn't being forced out and even though he's moving on to other things that he's passionate about. I just feel pro football is reduced in his absence. I hope he loves his life after football, but for many of us Tony Dungy was a pioneering figure like few others. And there's a void today, for those of us who seem him in that light.

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Washington: What do you think of Tim Tebow going back for his final year? Is it a smart move?

Michael Wilbon: I think it's fine for Tebow, given the way he has played at Florida, to do whatever he wants, whether that was to come back or not. I'm sure the people in Gator Nation are thrilled, as they should be.

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Rockville, Md.: Bill Bidwill did go to Prep. His son, Tim, graduated with me from Prep in 1990. I don't know if his older brother, Mike, attended Prep, but I think he did. Tim is a nice guy, but I believe the Jesuits have disavowed taking any responsibility for the fortunes of the Cardinals franchise for the past 60 years.

Michael Wilbon: Thanks for that...

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DC: So you're a GM and you get to start a club with either Matt Ryan or Joe Flacco. Who do you pick?

Michael Wilbon: Matt Ryan...But that's just me. And in three weeks I might change my mind completely...But I think Ryan is a more polished offensive player, no question, at this point of their careers.

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McNabb, Pa.: Wow!! So much outrage for playfully picking a phone on the sidelines when the game was all but won. What if Brett Favre had done the same? The same guys would be fawning about how much Favre loves the game and that he's still a child inside.

Michael Wilbon: Yes, they would have...

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San Jose, Costa Rica: Hi Mike,

Everybody keeps talking about Baltimore QB Joe Flacco's coolness under fire, and that being a rookie playing in the playoffs doesn't seem to have fazed him at all.

Is it possible that the reason for this coolness-under-fire is that Flacco -- unlike many of his fellow rookies -- played for Delaware which reached the Division 1-AA Championship Game in 2007?

I mean, wotta concept -- a former college player with experience in multiple MEANINGFUL postseason games!!

Michael Wilbon: Ha! Very well said. And another point in favor, of course, of a college playoff system.

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Washington, DC: I gotta say, Mr. Wilbon, that the way Sir Charles has handled his recent problems has been very encouraging. He's taken responsibility, is very remorseful, and I think he's genuine in saying he'll be taking a long hard look at himself and will change his behavior. I've talked to my sports-crazed teenaged son about this and we both agree that Charles is being more of a man than many sorry examples of former athletes that have been in the news lately.

Knowing how close the two of you are, how's Sir Charles doing? Please let him know that this long-time DC sports fan is pulling for him.

Michael Wilbon: Thanks for bringing this up. Charles is doing pretty well, and is approaching it just as you suggest. Obviously, my best wishes are with Charles and his family, both his wife and daughter in Arizona and his mom and grandma in Alabama...I hope to see him soon, and hope when everyone is ready he's back in his perch on Turner and a guest here on PTI. The industry needs him...

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Reston, Va.: Since CBS is promoting it more than 3 months in advance of the actual event, will Tiger be ready for the Masters?

Michael Wilbon: I would hope so and think so...He's playing again, so I would hope he'll play before The Masters.

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Washington, DC: The Ravens are essentially the same team as last year, except with a new coach and a new quarterback. Can it really be that simple to turn a franchise around after a disasterous year? If so, and the Ravens win the Super Bowl, should a lot of current coaches and quarterbacks be worried?

Michael Wilbon: Well, as much as I like and respect Brian Billick as a coach (and the man does wear a Super Bowl) this makes you wonder what kind of job he did the last couple of seasons. Now, the QB situation did undermine Billick, but he was a QB coach and offensive guy, so the QB situation never should have been as bad as it was...I'm saying this, though I would hire Billick in a second.

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Baltimore: Is Marbury to the Celtics what Randy Moss was to the Patriots? Seemed like a terrible idea but...

Michael Wilbon: Marbury isn't that good. He hasn't been that good in a long time, though the Celtics considering him is intriguing. Can he play? Will he fit in? Will he accept 15 minutes a night instead of 35? Lots of questions. Big risk. But the Celtics need a boost.

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Eli Manning: Last year after the Super Bowl win, people were talking about how many Super Bowls he'd win. His performance yesterday makes me want to ask whether he might be Trent Dilfer. Or is Plaxico Burress that important ?

Michael Wilbon: Both things could be true...Plaxico does mean that much. Eagles Coach Jim Johnson said that after the game. It changes what a defense has to do, and it gives the Giants so much less to work with in the red zone...

Okay, gotta run and prepare for PTI...We'll chat next week the day before the Inauguration...Everybody have a great week...MW

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DC: Any chance the Colts hire Shannahan as their coach?

Michael Wilbon: Well, Jim Cladwell is supposed to be the coach in waiting there, but what about Shanny? I think there will be some interesting days ahead for the Colts. MW

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Silver Spring, Md.: We are coming up on a great day for African Americans. No, not that day. But this Sunday the NFL will present the country with a great example of how diversity can lead to success. African Americans have played different but important leadership positions with all four teams in the NFL final four. Ozzie Newsome has built and the re-built the Ravens. Mike Tomlin has continued Cowher's success as head coach of the Steelers. Donovan McNabb has had an almost unprecedented success as the Eagles quarterback. The Cardinals have a diverse coaching staff and Dennis Green was the previous head coach of the team. The NFL really should be commended for the commitment to diversity that will on display this weekend and in the Super Bowl regardless of who wins this Sunday.

Michael Wilbon: Great point, thank you. And Rod Graves, an African-American, is the GM of the Cardinals...Don't forget him.

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Arlington, Va.: As a lifelong Celtics fan, if they sign Marbury I am seriously considering rooting for the Lakers.

Michael Wilbon: No you won't.

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