Superbowl

[Liam Jinn]

Indy vs. Chicago

I'm gonna take Chicago on this one.

[Miranda Tarkin]

Chicago :D

[Nathanial K'cansce]

You're gunna kill me.


Indy!

[Miranda Tarkin]

You saying that is a death wish!!!! :mad

[Liam Jinn]

Or wishful thinking :)

[Lilaena De'Ville]

Indianapolis. :mneh

[Rutabaga]

Gotta be Indy :)

[jjwr]

Da' Bears!

[sirdizzy]

Da Bears

and manning will throw 3 ints

[Jedi Master Carr]

Chicago, I think Defense will win out.

[Figrin D'an]

Indy

Manning is due for a big game. The Colts defense won't be as good as it has been thus far in the playoffs, but I think the Bears D is going to get exposed. Grossman will turn the ball over at least once, and unless the Indy coughs it up about 3-4 times themselves, the Colts will win.

[Ryan Pode]

Bears, by four.

[JMK]

I'm taking Indy, only because I believe they will score the first touchdown. And when they do, they'll force Grossman to try and play catchup which probably won't work. He'll make mistakes and Peyton will make the Bears pay.

[TheHolo.Net]

I would like to see the Bears win, but think Indy will in the end.

[Jedieb]

Indy
This game could end up being a blowout. The Bears defense is a good one, but NOT a dominant one. They're not nearly as good as they were at the beginning of the year because of injuries. If Grossman is off he could give have one of the worst games in the history of the Superbowl. If he starts 5 for 20 like he did against the Saints then the game could be over before halftime. Let's not forget the whole AFC v. NFC thing. The NFC has just been putrid. When the playoffs started the top 4 AFC teams were a safe bet to all be favored over the best the NFC had to offer. In getting by the Ravens and the Pats the Colts played much tougher teams than Chicago did.

Colts 38
Bears 17

The Bears will win if...
The rain gets nasty.
Benson and Jones establish their running game, pile up yards, and keep Manning on the bench.
The Bears force turnovers, INTs, fumbles, it doesn't matter what kind but they need at least 3 of them.
Devin Hester has a big game. He doesn't have to score a TD, he just has to have solid returns that shorten the field for Grossman.
Sexy Rex shows up. I believe Grossman had the most games with a rating of over 100 this season, he needs one today.
Urlacher has the same kind of game he did against Arizona earlier this season.

Most or all of these have to happen for the Bears to have a chance. The AFC has been that much better than the NFC this year. Don't be surprised if this game turns out to be an 80's/90's style blowout.

[Yog]

Indy

I think Colts will win this one in a convincing manner. My worry is if this will make for a dull game. I hope for a tight game where Indy wins in the end.

[Jedi Master Carr]

The game conditions might be bad, the weather forcast is rain all night. That means more rushing carries.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I'm not really interested either way, but I'll probably end up pulling for the Bears because I wish only horrible things upon Tennessee alumni. My only interest is to hope and pray that a Goodyear blimp crashes on Peyton Manning or maybe he gets eaten by wolves or something.

[Jaime Tomahawk]

I couldnt give a damn but because I know someone in Indiana and she'll hit me if I didnt say Colts.... Colts it is

[Liam Jinn]

The Bears are eating the Colts alive, and it's only been what? 2 minutes since kickoff? A TD on the opening kickoff, and an INT on the Colts first drive. Bears are gonna win, but lets hope Indy tries to make a game outta this one :)

[jjwr]

Hester brings back the opening kick for a TD! Talk about stealing the momentum.

Then Manning comes out and throws an INT and we see an early appearance of the Manning face.

[Miranda Tarkin]

and who said the Colts were going to score first? :D

[Figrin D'an]

Anyone else think that CBS came up with the worst player intro graphic in the history of sports?

[Saladin]

It's still a toss-up between that and the NFL Network, which sucks in general.

Goodness, people proclaiming the end of the game already? Plenty of football left to play, people. :rolleyes

[Figrin D'an]

Worst pass coverage ever by the Bears. How do you leave Reggie Wayne wide open deep like that?

Heh... then Indy can't even tie it up. This is gonna be a sloppy game.

[Saladin]

Committed so much to the blitz that they had fewer men in coverage than the Colts had receivers. Still, that was unbelievable.

Holy cow, and now the Bears fumble it away on the kickoff. This is why special teams is important, ladies and gentlemen.

Okay, now Joseph Addai got tackled before he could take a handoff, and Thomas Jones runs it all the way to the 5. I'll give up pretending I can predict anything in this game now.

[Figrin D'an]

Yup... sloppy sloppy.

So, when does halftime start?

[Jedi Master Carr]

This is going to be a sloppy game, 3 turnovers allready.

[Figrin D'an]

Now 4 turnovers... in the first quarter.

[Jedi Master Carr]

ANybody think we will set the record for Turnovers in a SB game?

[Saladin]

They'll settle down. This still has the potential to be a great game, or at least better than last year's. I like the intensity both teams are playing with, especially on defense.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Settling down is not the problem to me the weather can really cause havok.

[Saladin]

You can play great football in horrid weather. It's just a little harder.

I think both these teams have the sort of players that can step it up and overcome the rain. The second half will be much more solid than the first.

Cedric Benson is out for the rest of the game following a knee injury from running into one of his own blockers. A real shame. :(

EDIT: Another pair of back-to-back fumbles. Dang it guys, stop trying to prove me wrong! :mad:

[Figrin D'an]

Another set of back-to-back turnovers.

What a crap fest of a game.

[Jedieb]

The weather is going to make this game a turnover fest. Guys are dropping the ball without even getting hit hard. Two turnovers on the other side of the 2 minute warning and the Colts are already set up for another FG. Whoever does a better job of protecting the ball in the second half wins. Lord help the Bears and Grossman if Indy opens up any kind of lead.

[Jedi Master Carr]

Vineteri missed which is a shocked. Could the rain have effected that I don't know. The record for most turnovers in a SB is 11 that was done twice once was in one of those Buffalo-Dalas game, where Buffalo turned the ball over 9 times. Back in superbowl five Dallas and Baltimore had 11, I think that was the one that ended 9-6 or something.

[Jedieb]

The weather is going to end up being the MVP, which really, really sucks.

[Jedi Master Carr]

I knew that was going to happen when I heard about rain all night earlier. It is very unfortunate. Although the SB has always been lucky in terms of weather. The only poor weather game before this was back in the 70's when they played outdoors in Lousiana and the temps I think I read was in the 50's and 40's.

[CMJ]

There was also an early SB played in Houston's Rice Stadium I believe that had pretty lousy weather.

[Zem-El Vymes]

Good. I actually love games like this.

[Jedi Master Carr]

There was also an early SB played in Houston's Rice Stadium I believe that had pretty lousy weather.

Is that the one am I thinking of? Or did the one in Louisiana have bad weather too? I might be confusing the games.

[Ryan Pode]

Why is Prince famous again?

[CMJ]

No, you were right too. In one Pittsburgh beat Minnesota and the other Miami beat the Vikings(wierd that that they were a in both...and a cold weather team and still lost).

[Jedi Master Carr]

Well the Vikings couldn't win anywhere :p

[Jedieb]

The second half is under way. The Colts special teams have cost them 11 points so far. If you'd told me that before the game I would have expected the Bears to be ahead at least 10 points. The Colts are running the ball well and are already past the 50 on this first drive. Big 3rd down here for Chicago. If they can force a punt they would have escaped back to back Colts possessions without giving up any points.

[Jedieb]

Big 3rd down conversion and now a 10 yard run on first down. The Colts are dominating the clock. Chicago better get a stop or a turnover or they're going to get worn down. The Colts did this to NE and they look ready to do it again.

[Zem-El Vymes]

Why is Prince famous again?

For having more talent in his toenail clippings than most stars have in their entire careers.

[Jedieb]

For having more talent in his toenail clippings than most stars have in their entire careers.

When I was a kid one of the great debates of our time was Michael Jackson v. Prince. I always took Prince. History has proved me a wise, wise, wise man.

[Saladin]

Prince made my corgi bark.

But then, the animatronic reindeer lawn ornaments across the street made my corgi bark.

[Jedieb]

Who's the MVP so far? I mean, besides the rain.

[Jedieb]

Another big play by the rain!!!!!!! Ughh.

[Zem-El Vymes]

When I was a kid one of the great debates of our time was Michael Jackson v. Prince. I always took Prince. History has proved me a wise, wise, wise man.

Even if he didn't write awesome songs, and didn't become the quintessential master of "get your groove on" music in the 80's, his vocal range alone is enough to make me a fan.

[Jedieb]

Even if he didn't write awesome songs, and didn't become the quintessential master of "get your groove on" music in the 80's, his vocal range alone is enough to make me a fan.

And he can play awesome guitar and can dance his CENSORED off. Meanwhile, in the rain bowl...

The Bears defense looks like it's already spent. Indy is running it down their throats now. That face mask has them knocking on the door again. Right now it looks like Addai has the lead in the MVP race. Wow, great effort by Wayne on that catch.

[Saladin]

Another big play by the rain!!!!!!! Ughh.

As a run-heavy defensive team, the Bears ought to be rolling in these conditions. The Colts have gotten things under control, and the Bears have yet to do so. Part of that is Rex's inexperience, part of it is a Colts defense that is really starting to bully their opponents. Rain is part of the game.

[Jedieb]

The rain is even effecting their running game. Fumbles and snaps. And losing Benson hasn't helped that running game either. Gould punches it through and despite being dominated the Bears are hanging in there. The Colts killed that last drive by throwing on first and second instead of continuing to pound the ball. Now the Bears get a bit of a lift by finally scoring again and the defense got a blow.

[Figrin D'an]

I'd say Joseph Addai is the game MVP, simply for allowing the Colts to dominate the time of possession. However, Manning's numbers are decent, so he's probably the leader for it at this point.

[Jedieb]

I'd say Joseph Addai is the game MVP, simply for allowing the Colts to dominate the time of possession. However, Manning's numbers are decent, so he's probably the leader for it at this point.

If Addai catches a few more screens and sets the reception record he'd get my vote. If he does that and gets a rushing TD it's his for the taking. 4th quarter and if Indy keeps pounding it on that tired Bears D they could put this game away. Even when they get long 3rd downs Manning is able to pick them apart in the middle of the field.

[Saladin]

The rain is even effecting their running game. Fumbles and snaps.

My point: that's the Bears' fault. When conditions are bad, you have to work all the harder to secure the football, especially as a possession-oriented team.

Both these teams have made their share of mistakes, but the Colts are winning because they're starting to eliminate those mistakes. You can't expect the Super Bowl to be a perfect game - it's only one out of 267 games played all season, and it's played by the same rules under the same conditions, aside from the extended halftime. The weather is part of the game.

Fig, I have to agree about Addai at this point, though I suspect Peyton will be voted in if he makes another touchdown pass and otherwise doesn't mess anything up.

Amazingly, we're still within a single score of a Chicago lead.

[Jedieb]

Just when that run by Jones looks like it could start a big drive, the Bears hold. The Bears are one freak play away from taking the lead. Man, if Indy loses this game it'll be their special teams that will have cost them. Grossman can get hot at any moment. Right there, a big throw to Mohammed and the Bears are in business.

[Jedieb]

And the Evil Rex seals the deal.

[Jedieb]

This challenge is the game. I just don't see his foot touch anything white.

[Jedieb]

Another Rex INT. Game over.

[jjwr]

Unless the bears can get a big turnover here real soon the game is over.

I still say the Colts are overrated, reminds me of the Steelers last year, getting lucky with the right matchups and getting the breaks when they needed them. No doubt they went out and played the games and won, you can't argue with that but they got some really lucky breaks along the way. When the best offense you face is the Patriots then your D has it easy.

[Jedieb]

Unless the bears can get a big turnover here real soon the game is over.

I still say the Colts are overrated, reminds me of the Steelers last year, getting lucky with the right matchups and getting the breaks when they needed them. No doubt they went out and played the games and won, you can't argue with that but they got some really lucky breaks along the way. When the best offense you face is the Patriots then your D has it easy.

Could say the same thing about how the Pats won all of their 3 pt Superbowls. ;)

[jjwr]

Agreed 100%, we haven't seen a really dominant playoff/SB team since the Ravens in '00 and then the Bronco's before them. The recent SB winners seem to be very mediocre in the playoffs, maybe thats the parity though.

I just know how we're going to hear non stop about how great this D is when they really took advantage of the matchups and didn't play a good balanced team.

[Figrin D'an]

I still say the Colts are overrated, reminds me of the Steelers last year, getting lucky with the right matchups and getting the breaks when they needed them. No doubt they went out and played the games and won, you can't argue with that but they got some really lucky breaks along the way. When the best offense you face is the Patriots then your D has it easy.


Yes and no. Dungy made the conscious effort to simplify their defense down to the things that he knew they could do well. He knows that he doesn't have the personnel he did with Tampa Bay to be really creative with blitz packages and multiple coverages. So, he adjusted. They shut down Larry Johnson in the first round, stopped Jamal Lewis in the divisional round, and managed to slow down New England enough in the second half of the AFC title game to give their offense a chance to win. Outside of San Diego, that's a decent amount of offensive ability that they got passed to get to Miami.

Every team that gets to the Super Bowl gets lucky breaks. It's pretty much a requirement. Even the Pats, in their three recent trips/wins, got their share of favorable bounces along the way each time.

[jjwr]

The Pats lived off lucky breaks during their stretch, it was ridiculous for a while. My favorite was still when David patten was knocked unconscious and fumbled the ball but his limp leg was touching the sideline so the ball was out. Classic.

Trent Green, Steve McNair, Rex Grossman....not tough to focus on the run against this group :) Pats...I don't know what they were doing, they gave up on the run and were trying passes when they shouldn't have. I still don't understand their playcalling in that game. Very strange, course the O-Cordinator is in his 1st year on the job and may have been a bit overwhelmed with the situation.

[Figrin D'an]

If Rhodes gets a TD to close this out, he'd have the most MVP-like stats for the game.

Otherwise... it'll probably be Manning.

[Saladin]

Hmm, the MVP picture grows muddy. Not so much because it's a bad game but because the Colts have really won with a team effort. Peyton Manning has done what he needed to, but just hasn't had to take the whole team on his shoulder; Joseph Addai provided the lion's share of the offensive production (rushing and receiving) through most of the game; Dominic Rhodes is icing the game right now and has a TD; and Bob Sanders has an INT and a forced fumble.

The defense has obviously been crucial, but it's been excellent play from everybody throughout most of the game. Seems to me it really ought to be either Rhodes or Addai.

[jjwr]

Manning doesn't deserve it but voters have a tendancy to give it to the star QB(like Brady when Rodney Harrison should have gotten it). Rhodes should get it, he's been churning the yards and the 1st downs all game.

[Ryan Pode]

How about that Kevin Federline commercial? That was hilarious.

[Figrin D'an]

Not the best game... but, I'm happy for Tony Dungy. He's probably the classiest guy in the the entire league, and he's gotten so close before, I'm glad to see him finally get a championship.

[Jedieb]

I didn't see anything tonight that made me think that good weather would have helped the Bears win, but the rain robbed us of a well played game. Even with the rain, this was still a better game than last year's. Late in the telecast Simms and Nance had it right when they talked about co-MVP's, Addai and Rhodes.

[jjwr]

Have they announced the MVP yet? I turned it, last thing I want to see is Manning and the traitor celebrating.

[Jedieb]

Not the best game... but, I'm happy for Tony Dungy. He's probably the classiest guy in the the entire league, and he's gotten so close before, I'm glad to see him finally get a championship.

I've been a huge fan and admired Dungy since he coached the Bucs. And I'm telling you, he doesn't get enough credit for turning that franchise around and making them respectable. The job that he and Rick Mckay did was nothing short of a miracle. You think the Cardinals and Lions are jokes, the Bucs were even worse. When I lived in Tampa I remember doing the math and figuring that the Bucs could have gone undefeated for something like 5 seasons and they still wouldn't have a winning record as a franchise.

CUT THAT MEAT! CUT THAT MEAT!

[jjwr]

Dungy should have gotten a ring after the Bucs won in '02.

[Jedieb]

One thing that Gruden did that I really liked was he made sure to give Dungy a lot of credit after winning that Superbowl. Some guys would have let it go to their head and taken all the credit, but Gruden on more than one occasion mentioned Dungy and the job that he did with that team.

No one noticed the QB was black a couple of years ago when McNab started and this will be the last time having a black coach in the Superbowl will be a big deal. And Dungy and Smith wouldn't have it any other way.

[Saladin]

Peyton Manning named MVP. Congratulations, Indy, especially Tony Dungy! Great to see such a good man succeed, especially after all the hardships he's been through recently.

The AFC dominance continues!

[Jedieb]

Manning won the MVP. I think Rhodes and Addai took votes away from each other. The QB that didn't screw up won the award. The position won the award more than Manning did. But he was still effective, even that INT was nothing more than a long punt. One thing the Colts did that impressed me was how they adjusted to Hester. After that punch in the mouth to open the game they kept the ball away from him and he was never a factor again.

[jjwr]

It would have taken another player having a massive game or Manning having a really bad game for him not to win the MVP. The media/fans/league have been fawning over him since they won the AFC Champ game, no way he doesn't win the award without a really bad game.

[Jedieb]

Rhodes and Addai rushed for almost 200 yards. I go back to what I said before the game, the NFC is clearly weak right now. That was not a great defense on the field for Chicago, just a good one from a weak conference. People were piling too much credit on that defense in large part because history, mainly the 85 Bears. Think about this, how one sided could this game have been without Hester's opening return? Time of possession, yards, Indy dominated all of them.

[jjwr]

Easily could have been a blowout, to be fair the Bears defense kept the Colts out of the endzone and kept the game close. They were close a lot and it could have been a 20pt lead if they didn't keep holding.

[Rutabaga]

Well, I'm a very happy camper indeed :).

My weekend got off to an unexpectedly somber and sad start, with my having to put my elderly kitty to sleep on Friday night. So seeing the Colts win the Super Bowl helped even some things out and make it much less bittersweet. Good game, good game! :thumbup

I didn't see one commercial that I think will go down as one of the greats...I got a giggle out of the Federjerk ad, just because it was so ironic, and I liked the Bud Light ad with the gorillas at the zoo. But the rest were all really, really average.

[CMJ]

NFC 21
AFC 20

Can't get much closer than that. Next year the AFC probably ties it up.

[Jedieb]

42 rushes for 191 yards, not by the Bears, but the Colts. That's one of the main reasons if not the biggest reason they won the game. Their running game came up big throughout the playoffs. I go back to that 4th quarter against the Ravens. They put that game away with a big 3rd down completion by Manning, but it was the running game that sealed the deal in the 4th quarter. You can't win Superbowls by yourself and the Colts finally put forth a total team effort during the playoffs.

I'm still pissed about the rain. I think it robbed us of a game that at least could have been played much better.

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Rhodes and Addai should have gotten co-MVP honors.

[Ryan Pode]

Can we finally all agree the Bears defense was overrated?!

[JMK]

Can we finally all agree the Bears defense was overrated?!

If it makes you feel better about your Ravens defense, then yes. :)

[Ryan Pode]

If it makes you feel better about your Ravens defense, then yes. :)

Yes. Yes it does. I hate everyone calling the Bears defense the "Best" defense in the league. For two friggin weeks.

[Zem-El Vymes]

I see that Manning didn't meet an untimely end this game.

Next year Manning...next year...

[Yog]

It might have been a sloppy game, but at least it was a close game and not a walkover by the Indy. All the more entertaining. Grats to the Colts and Manning for finally making it :)

[Nathanial K'cansce]

Actually, I thought it was more one sided than the score let on.

FIRST DOWNS
Indy - 24
Chi - 11

NET YARDS
Indy - 430
Chi - 265


And if I could get a stat for time of possession, I'd be willing to bet it'd show that Indy held the ball twice as long as Chicago. I know that by the end of the first half, Indy held the ball for 20 minutes, with chicago having it for 10. Only reason the score was 'close' was the opening kick return for a TD and the fact the Bears got 7 points off an Indy turn over.

As ugly a game as it was, Indy basically owned the field from the start of the second quarter.


EDIT: I just realized that Vinatieri has 4 superbowl rings in the span of 6 years. That's not right.

[JMK]

It was an embarassment, really. If you take away that spotted 7 point lead on the kickoff and factored in the fact that Vinatieri actually missed a playoff FG, and a botched extra point we'd be looking at a certified blowout.

The Bears really did lay an egg yesterday and the Colts deserve a huge amount of credit for overcoming a punch in the mouth on the kickoff and Peyton's INT on their first series. I'm sure there were a lot of people thinking that the Colts were already in choke mode. But they got it together, as they did against the Pats and steamrolled once they settled down.

[Ryan Pode]

If it doesn't work out for Rex Grossman as a quarterback in the NFL, then he should go into acting. He did an excellent impression of Kyle Boller Sunday. He tripped over his feet. He fumbled snaps. He threw several interceptions. If Grossman had fumbled on his way to a touchdown without anyone touching him, then I would have asked him for an I.D.

Is it Kyle Grossman or Rex Boller?


From the Baltimore Sun.

[jjwr]

Funny! Poor Boller

Agree 100% with this

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=keown/070205

[Yog]

Bad things will happen when you do a bet like this.. :lol

<a href=http://www.wgal.com/sports/10953016/detail.html>Bears Fan Changes Name To Peyton Manning</a>


DECATUR, Ill. -- He says he doesn't want to do it, but a die-hard Bears fan is changing his name to Peyton Manning. Scotte Wiese told friends that if his beloved team didn't win the Super Bowl, he'd take the name of the Indianapolis Colts quarterback. He even signed a petition in front of 200 people last week at Decatur's Katz Piano Bar promising that he'd do it.

After the Colts defeated the Bears 29-to-17 on Sunday, Wiese started the process. The 26-year-old Forsyth, Illinois, man trudged to the Macon County Courts Facility Tuesday and filed the paperwork. The change still has to be approved by a judge. Wiese said he really cares about the team and that his sacrifice represents the true passion of Bears fans.

[Rutabaga]

hahahahaha! :lol

[Jedi Master Carr]

I didn't comment because I turned the game off in the early fourth quarter and went to bed. It was a lousy game, IMO. About as bad as the game last year. The only game worse I can remember recently was the Tampa Bay blow out. Between the rain and the lousy play of the Beears it was embarrasing to watch. It is a shame the Super Bowl so often turns into lousy games.

[Ryan Pode]

A lot of championship games usually aren't good. In any sport. Sure basketball, hockey, and baseball get lucky because they play at least 4. One is bound to be semi-watchable.

[Yog]

The Superbowl commercials :D

http://www.youtube.com/superbowl

[Jedi Master Carr]

A lot of championship games usually aren't good. In any sport. Sure basketball, hockey, and baseball get lucky because they play at least 4. One is bound to be semi-watchable.

Yeah it sucks they can't live up to the hype.
If I had to say the best Super Bowls I would list them in this order (also I am very biased about one because it probably made me a fan of the NFL as a kid) And I am only going to list the ones in the last 20 some years as I didn't see the others live.

Super Bowl 23 49ers 20 Bengals 16
The Drive by Montana made me a fan of the game that and a fan of him. I think it was because the season before it looked like his career was over and the way he came back that season and the way he lead his team to the Super Bowl and beat the Bengals was incredible. He was so cool and collective, not even breaking a sweat which is why he is the greatest QB to ever play the game, IMO.

Super Bowl 36 Patriots 20 Rams 17
This was a heck of game that went back and forth the entire time and the final drive was amazing and reminded me of Super Bowl 23 a lot.

Super Bowl 34 Rams 23 Titans 16: The game went back and forth the entire time like the one a few years later. Also the last play was unbelievable, heck the entire last quarter had me on the edge of my seat.

Super Bowl 25 Giants 20 Bills 19 Another great wire burner and had probably the biggest miss kick in the history of the NFL.
Those 4 are probably the best, IMO
Although I have to say SB 32 Broncos 31 Packers 24; SB 38 and SB 39 both had the Patriots winning close games. Pretty most of the other games were either blow outs or lousy games.

[Ryan Pode]

Yeah. My first Superbowl memory (where I actually remember it being a superbowl/understanding the importance of it) is Steve Young blasting the Chargers away.

[Jedi Master Carr]

That is an awful first memory, actually mine is similar it was the Patriots got blasted by the bears, but I really didn't start following the NFL until the 88 season.

[Ryan Pode]

Yeah, I idolized Steve Young after that point. But really didn't take a following to any football until the '99 Season. And the Ravens got torched by a grocery bagger from Iowa named Kurt Warner in the season opener.