Enough Already!

Just play the damn game already!

Finally, mercifully, the two weeks of endless, needless hype comes to a close today when the Indianapolis Colts will play the Chicago Bears in Miami for the NFL championship. Over the past two weeks I couldn't put on ESPN or ESPNews without some screwball angle that no one cares about. (Does anyone really care at all who celebrities are picking to win?) My remote control got a good workout these past two weeks. And honestly, do we really need a 6 1/2 hour pregame from CBS today? I am convinced that one of these years some network will begin the Super Bowl pregame show on Saturday night!

If you ask the players, coaches and fans, polls consistently say that one week between the conference title games and the Super Bowl is plenty. Some of the best Super Bowls (the Giants win over the Bills in 1991 comes to mind) have been played with just one week off. But the NFL has to mega-hype the event, and too many times it just doesn't live up to expectations.

I really don't care about the commercials that air during the game (most are never shown again once the game concludes), and I could care even less about the halftime show. I guess I'm more of an old-time football fan who cares about what's going on in between the lines.

I'll be taking in the game over at Professor Thom's, and they should have a good crowd there today (the cold weather and the lack of the New England Patriots in the game will keep many at home). And, oh yes, there is a football game today. I like the Colts to win, but not by the seven points they are favored to win by. I see a 24-20 Indy triumph.