The Super Bowl Holiday

Originally posted to AtlantaMagazine.com on February 2, 2007

People have been asking me this for two weeks. All I hear are variations on, “Who ya got?” So, what’s better to talk about on the day that Brett Favre announces that he will return for his 48th season of professional football than just that – professional football. Plus, it’s the Super Bowl. It’s a national holiday for crying out loud.

I don’t care what people say – in America, Super Bowl Sunday is probably one of the most celebrated days of the year. Besides Christmas, Thanksgiving and sometimes New Year’s Eve, there isn’t another day on my calendar that I look at and know exactly what I am doing. I spend my Super Sundays at my buddy Bodner’s house. He has been throwing his annual Super Bowl Party for 14 years (he’s only 30 years old) which just goes to show how serious people, kids included, take this day.

The game starts at 6:25 p.m. this year – which means that I will start stuffing myself with seven-layer dip and chicken wings sometime around five o’clock. I should be on my third cocktail by 6:00, out $20 on the game’s pool by 6:15 and ready for a nap by the end of the first quarter. If this doesn’t scream holiday fun, then I don’t know what does.

As far as the game goes: It might actually be a good one. Both teams are good. The Colts are a little better on offense but the Bears are little better on defense. If you look at the way they have been treated, the Bears really have nothing to lose. They are a seven-point underdog with Brian Urlacher, arguably the best defensive player in the NFL, suiting up for them at linebacker. However, the Colts have Peyton Manning – the prodigal son and golden boy of the NFL, as well as one of the most talented quarterbacks the league has ever seen. It’s like all these factors just cancel each other out.

As far as routing interest: I’m pulling for the Colts. I like Peyton Manning, Marvin Harrison and Tony Dungy. I don’t have a problem with the Bears but I’d like to see the Colts hoist the Lombardi Trophy. I think that they are also a nice story. It’s refreshing to look at two stars in the league (in Manning and Harrison) and see two guys that work hard, stay out of trouble and genuinely respect their fellow competitors like they do.

As far as my pick: Colts 27 - Bears 21. I think that Manning puts together a nice outing. He’ll throw for 278 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Joseph Addai rushes for just under 100 yards but gets a score. Adam Vinatieri, the greatest clutch kicker in NFL history, will drive home a pair of field goals. The Bears will only have one offensive touchdown, the other two will come via a Devin Hester special teams moment and a return off of some sort of turnover (maybe that Peyton interception).

I think that there will be a light drizzle late in the game but that it won’t affect anything. I think that the blockbuster commercial of the day will be produced by Pepsi. I think that my buddy Billy will be able to fit eight pigs-in-blankets in his mouth at once and that half of the people who go to the Super Bowl in person will leave feeling like they just wasted a LOT of money. All in all, it should be a fine day.

Have a Happy Super Bowl everyone!