Super Bowl XLI - Chicago Bears vs Indianapolis Colts, February 4th

In My Humble Opinion
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I think it’s important that we have a single thread as the SDMB’s contribution to the ongoing Super Bowl hype machine. This is that thread. Considering it’s the Bears who will be the champs it seems appropriate that I start said thread.

Step on in, make predictions. Make criticisms and talk trash. Analyze match-ups. Make enemies of your fellow posters. Bring it.

First this little nugget: Count On Losing The Superbowl.

For your listening pleasure.

For the record, I will be shuffling to the city of Miami on the weekend of the fourth to enjoy the sights and good people of said fair city.

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[Da Super Fan]
Da Bears 142, Colts negative 3.
[/DSF]

3

Ditka will find a way…

4

Well, the Colts. Stolen team. Sissy dome stadium. Play a finesse game.

Chicago. Old school franchise. Outdoor, cold weather team. Plays defense and runs the ball.

Everything I like and dislike about football and franchises points to me wanting the bears to win.

And yet I’ll be rooting for the Colts. Not sure why. Have had a soft spot for them even before they became good in recent years.

5

Thank you, SenorBeef…you’ve summed up my feeling in the words that have been evading me. I have no goodly reason to be rooting for the Colts over the Bears, but I just…am.

I’m guessing it’s a QB thing. Hard work and total dedication to the craft vs. complete mediocrity and laughably undeserved cockiness.

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I think neither team deserves to be in the Super Bowl. However, none of the 30 other teams deserve it, either. The NFL and its employees ought to be ashamed for making so much money for such mediocrity. They’re about as bad as the movie industry. I, for one, am already going to hork the next time I hear about how good the Bears defense or Colts offense is (lately, that’s simply untrue).

I also am thoroughly sick of hearing about the two black coaches being the first to coach in a Super Bowl. They’re both swell fellows and coaches, but this really isn’t something to crow about. It should have happend many, many years ago. It’s tantmount to Boston bragging about finally integrating their schools in the 70s.

I can’t make any sort of prediction because both teams have un-chamionship team-like fundamental flaws that throw all bets off. Whomever fucks up the least wins, wow, that’s scintillating. The only consolation is that I don’t have to see the poorly dressed, constipated-looking Bill Belichick on the sidelines for the umpteenth time.

Whew, that felt good.

7

Methinks somebody is a sucker for TV ads. Cut that meat! Cut that meat!

8

My team had a good run, but lost to the Bears last week. However, Archie Manning is loved by Karana, and so are his children, therefore this Druid will be rooting for Peyton Manning to shut up all the naysayers and bring home the trophy.

GEAUX COLTS!

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I’d rather see these particular “firsts” occuring within two generations of widespread integration than waiting for it to happen in my children’s lifetimes.

10

I have very little interest in this match-up, and may not even watch the game. Both the Bears and the Colts are blah.

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I root for the first ever Super Bowl game going to OT.

Maybe that would press the NFL to change this silly coin-flip thing.

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I don’t personally think the two back head coaches angle is very meaningful. While it is a first, it doesn’t feel like it’s breaking any barriers. Back when Doug Williams became the first black QB in a Super Bowl there was a fair number of moderate people who didn’t think a black QB could play the QB position. It was important when he won that game. Now, I don’t think there are very many people, blatant racists aside, who doubt that a black head coach can do the job. Everyone accepts that they are equals. So in that way, having a black head coach in the big game is just a matter of bookkeeping at this point. It was a foregone conclusion that it’s happen eventually.

Seems like a non-story beyond simple trivia.

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I wish they had just lost. The Saints received a royal ass kicking. Oh well, I can’t wait till the next season after they make adjustments and Horn is back in.

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I don’t know the first thing about armored rugby other than having received a female football fan’s confirmation that yes, armored rugby is pretty much what it is and I was understanding things right.

But I hope the Bears win cos it will make MrBusGuy happy and I hope the Colts lose cos an ex-boss of mine I still kind of hate is from Indiana.

Not much more shallow than most people’s reasons for choosing a team, what the heck :smiley:

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Absolutely. Heck, I’d rather just have this be old hat by now.

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What would get you excited then?

A Pittsburgh-Seattle rematch? If nothing else, this Superbowl will finally get the taste of that dog out of our mouths.

Admittedly, this game isn’t as interesting as any of the last 3 AFC games, but it still features the best offense from the last 5 years of football, an offense that has never made it to the Superbowl, with one of the top 5 QBs OF ALL TIME leading the helm.

Indy’s defense, while weak by Superbowl standards, has one of the best defensive ends in the game.

Chicago’s defense (which I’ve trashed elsewhere, and still stand by that) is at least interesting. They have a GREAT middle linebacker. They run the cover-2 (tampa 2) better than anyone else in the game, and they’re going to be testing it out against the best adjusting quarterback in the league.

Wow. If Colts-Chicago doesn’t rev your engine, I don’t know what does.

Anyway, as long as Manning’s thumb lets him be at 90% or better, I still like the Colts to pick apart Chicago, and put up 27-34 points.

The question is what is Chicago going to do to Indy. On that point, I just don’t know. If they get any kind of return for a touchdown, and “Good Rex” shows up, they could put up 28 points themselves. But, if they don’t get the turnovers, and “Bad Rex” shows up, they could be lucky to score 13.

I’ll middle it, and go with Colts 28, Bears 21 and since that’s right on the line. . .I’ll say “take the Colts and lay the 7”. And, I like the over 48.5, but not a lot.

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People forget that Good Rex isn’t just decent, he’s really, really good. He posted seven Passer Ratings over 100 this season (and another 98.6 game) which is the same number that Manning posted. Each are tied for most in the NFL this season. Of course Bad Rex is equally bad, if not worse, but if Good Rex shows up the disparity between the two isn’t very wide. The Bears have been running the ball better than anyone this post-season and they have a big edge in the return game.

I think this match-up is a hell of a lot more compelling than people have been giving it credit for in the media.

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Yes, and for the reason you state, alone. Just having to wonder for 2 weeks which Rex is going to show up is enough to give me an ulcer. If Good Rex shows up, we could have a serious game on our hands. If Bad Rex shows up, it will be major trouble for us Bears fans.

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Speaking of which, if anyone has an X’s and O’s jones, check out this article at footballoutsiders.

They break down the drive from the Bears-Saints game in which the Bears handed the ball to Jones 8 times in a row, comprising the entire drive.

FO looks at what they did, and reflects on how the personnel from the Colts will handle a similar attack.

Good stuff. I’m getting more and more intrigued.

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I say a prayer for Good Rex every night before I go to bed.