Indianapolis 29 Chicago 17

41 years from now, when this Super Bowl is smack in the middle of a long list of ultimate games, it won't stand out like the more score-appropriate shellackings that come about every few years.

Make no mistake, this was not a close football game.

On a night the rain never stopped, the Bears returned the opening kick for a touchdown. A couple of Indy turnovers and a botched extra point later and the consensus underdogs found themselves up 14-6 ten minutes in -- in stark contrast to the slow starting Super Bowls we've grown accustomed to.

With so much going on, XLI seemed like it could be one of those contests where the inferior team is able to scrap, claw and luck themselves to victory.

To protect their surprising lead, the big play fearing Bears began dropping their safeties -- and often a linebacker or two -- back, conceding the Colts' offense five yard passes on each play. It worked well enough and when Mr. Postseason Perfect himself, Indy kicker Adam Vinatieri, missed a 36 yard chip shot at the gun the Bears went into halftime only down two, despite being substantially outplayed and out gained from scrimmage.

Indy opened the second half with a 13 play 7:30 minute drive. While it only resulted in a field goal the message was clear: Continue to employ a tactic of strategic retreat on defense and you better do something on the offensive side of the ball, or else be bled to death by the clock and the three pointer.

That's about when much-maligned Bears' QB Rex Grossman, who had held it together fairly well in the first half, began to slip, and he began to fall, and when he remained upright he didn't appear to be putting much thought into his passes.

Slowly but emphatically the game slipped away from the challengers, and the better team was able to do what the better team should do.

In 41 years football fans might site this Super Bowl as the moment Peyton Manning -- who played well enough to win game MVP on a day no one else stood out -- began to separate himself from the pack of the other great quarterbacks of NFL history.

Of course predicting 41 years in the future is the height of conceit. One year -- that's only slightly ridiculous.

With that I will proffer my first prediction of the '07 NFL season: The Indianapolis Colts with Manning, his ever ready receiving corps, an emerging two-headed beast at running back and a defense that has finally found its way to average will repeat as NFL champions.

If they end up playing a team that comes at them aggressively, Indy might even get the blow out they deserved tonight.

The Super Bowl is upon us

Two weeks between the league championship and the Super Bowl is always too long. This is especially true when the Chicago Bears are playing the Indianapolis Colts.

When the Superbowl run up is dominated by what assistant coaches Jerry Jones might be talking to for the vacant Dallas Cowboys' head coaching job, you know you have a lack of Super Bowl star power.

What about Peyton Manning? Sure he's a star. Probably the biggest the NFL has. And he's as effective in a press conference as he is on the field. Yet, amazingly, this smart, funny, talented guy from a family of football royalty is a complete bore. When he gets behind the podium every ounce of his substantial wiles are directed towards not saying anything controversial. When he isn't in front of the podium, Manning is in a small dark room studying film.

It used to be the only interesting thing about Peyton Manning is he lost big games. Since he's not doing that these days you notice, more and more, he looks like a fetus. That's sort of interesting in its own way, but it's mostly just gross.

Then you have Brain Urlacher, the only Bear the casual football fan had heard of going into the season. He's done a few commercials and a couple starlets, but this modest, low
key media focal point is a defensive player on a fading defense and he's not that good when compared to past big name, big talking, Super Bowl linebackers like Lawrence Taylor or Ray Lewis, or even Mike Singletary.

Who else is there? Marvin Harrison? A future Hall of Famer, yes, but if someone had bet you a few years ago that Marvin Harrison was a mute, you would not have been unable to produce evidence to the contrary. I'm assuming he was forced to talk during media day. Given his years of silence it should have been a big deal. The fact that it wasn't probably means his previous talking policy was best for everyone.

The other big story line was the historic coaching match up of Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith. Two good friends, two African Americans, breaking the Super Bowl coach color barrier simultaneously. What are the chances of that? Not good, but substantially better than the chances the first two black coaches in Super Bowl history are also the two most boring black people alive today.

Not even South Beach can make up for this snooze fest. Last time the Super Bowl was held in Miami, Atlanta Falcons' safety Eugene Robinson was arrested for soliciting a prostitute -- the day before he was to receive the NFL's Bart Starr Award, which recognizes "high moral character."

You can't just blame the Colts and Bears for staying out of the kind of trouble the extra Super Bowl week was made for. The NFL invites all of its players to participate in the festivities. That means Miami is currently crawling with Cincinnati Bengals. If a gaggle of Bengals can make it through the week without being arrested, South Beach is not what I thought it was.

I guess we still have this weekend for something exciting to happen. Although it won't be to a Bear or a Colt because they're going to be tucked in early in their off-site hotels. Yeah, yeah, it's probably good football strategy. But the Super Bowl shouldn't be pushed into February so the two teams can display their prudence and restraint.

As for the game I'm going with my gut, the consensus, and a full year of hating on the Bears:
Indy 45 Chicago 14.

I hope the commercials are good.