Superbowl Reflections, Pt. 1.

Pregame:

I don’t know who to root for. I’m not a fan of Da Bearss, but I swore to good friends from Baltimore to always hate the Colts since Irsay slunk out of town in the dead of night. And then Balto ripped our Browns, sorely testing those loyalties.

I could follow the AmericaBlog lead and root against the Colts due to Tony Dungee’s embrace of intolerant wingnuts. But listening to the Weekend America "Good News/Bad News" panel this weekend I heard Nancy French, Republican who does a mean Ainsley Hayes imitation, crowing about how Tony Dungee and Lovie Smith are both “men of faith.” Given her general appraisal of what makes a good Christian, I’m not optimistic about Lovie Smith’s politics.

Besides, if I based football rooting on politics, I wouldn't be a fan of the game at all.

I once actually liked the music of Billy Joel. That fact causes me great personal anguish.

I’ve never experienced an F-15 flyover. I’m sure it’s impressive. Over the summer I did experience a C-5 flyover which is really amazing. If it were up to me, that’s how we would start football games. Kind of fits the game better, anyway.

First Half:

Holy crap, what a return. If the BCS game is any guide, the Bears are doomed.

This Third and ten is the sort of stop Chicago has to make routinely if they are to win. Um, that wasn’t a stop.

Three blooper reel plays later, safe to say the rain is a factor.

Whoa, that Chicago run is much more like the porous Indy run defense we were used to seeing this season.

Chi 14
Indy 6

And another fumble. You’d think these guys never played in weather before.

Another Indy drive stalls, this time in FG range

Chi 14
Indy 9

It’s starting to look like the Colts can move the ball well, Bears not so much. Basically, the Bears have scored on two busted plays – on a run, one on special teams. Otherwise, Chicago isn’t in this game.

Chi 14
Indy 16


Mm, another TO. This could be a real chance for Chi to turn this around. FUMBLE! Maybe not.

Vinatieri misses from point blank? Don’t see that every day.

Halftime:

Chi 14
Indy 16

Halftime:

Prince is a guy who has spent his entire career confounding expectations. Just when you think he’s lapsed into irredeemable self-parody, he steps up with a great album or tour. If ever there is an occasion for phoning it in, it’s the Superbowl halftime show. This is a venue more comfortable with and Up With People show than actual rock. But that show was intense.

I especially liked the few bars of “All Along the Watchtower.” I once read Dylan say he liked Hendrix’s reinterpretation better than his own original, and in fact started performing the song with more of Hendrix’s phrasing. You can hear it on the live with the Band album Before the Flood. This was Prince doing Hendrix doing Dylan, and it sizzled.