It may be -6 degrees outside today with windchills dropping it to around 20 below, but we've got our hot Starbucks Expresso Blend coffee and dammit, we're ready to talk some football.
Since I didn't want to throw out the longest post in Veritas Lux Mea history today, I'm going to break down our Super Bowl coverage into two posts: What they said (aka, other journalists, sports sites) and what we said.
So get your morning cup of coffee and a couple healthy donuts and settle in for Veritas Lux Mea's Super Bowl Breakdown 2007.
First up...
What They Said about...
The Chicago Bears
In lieu of flowers, win the game
BY JAY MARIOTTI Sun-Times Columnist
MIAMI -- Now what would this be, a peace offering? I walked into my hotel room to find a large arrangement of flowers, adorned in orange and blue ribbons, with a nice note thanking me for my coverage of the Bears and hoping I enjoy my stay on South Beach.
It was signed: ''With respect and admiration, Dan Grossman.''
That would be the father of the quarterback, the maligned and irritated Rex, and when I contacted the hotel operator to make sure it wasn't some hoax, she informed me that Dan Grossman was staying in the hotel and indeed had sent me a floral bouquet. Dutifully, I sent a return note thanking Dr. Grossman, the ophthalmologist, for not knocking on my door and burning my retinas with blowtorches. After a quick check to make sure poison ivy wasn't in the batch, I reflected on an insane season in which I'd personally coined the Good Rex/Bad Rex paradox, compared his passer rating to John Belushi's ''Animal House'' grade-point average, pushed for Brian Griese on two occasions and openly questioned whether he could be trusted after the Green Bay debacle. I concluded Dan was a classy guy, assuming he wasn't tweaking me with the kind of bone-dry sarcasm that might accompany a longtime friend of Bob Knight.
Unfortunately, hours earlier, his son had pulled the news-conference equivalent of lining up behind the left tackle instead of the center. While dad was extending an olive branch, Rex was making enemies in the media -- or, at the very least, driving up the Super Bowl scrutiny meter more notches -- by referring to his critics as ''ignorant.'' Now why did he have to go and place more pressure on himself when he already carries the game's biggest burden? I'm not going to call Grossman a whiny lad who suffers from amnesia about his blunderous performances, not when others already have said as much. Check out America Online's news quiz asking readers to name the week's biggest baby:
(a) Kevin Federline.
(b) A 14.5-pound boy born in Mexico.
(c) Rex Grossman.
''To me, you're just trying to sell papers,'' said Grossman, dissecting media coverage for the third straight day. ''It's frustrating when some of you guys don't put too much thought into it and you're just trying to go off the fans' reaction or you don't know much about what we're doing on offense. Just realizing how ignorant some of you guys are -- and I don't mean that necessarily in a bad way. I mean, like, just understanding that you may not be correct and accepting that fact and not paying attention to it much.''
Bears against the world
This comes as Brian Urlacher, face of the franchise, admits to being weary of the long shadow of the 1985 Bears, telling Sports Illustrated's Michael Silver that the city's conquering, shuffling heroes might be rooting against this team. ''That's all anybody ever wants to talk about, what happened in '85,'' Urlacher said. ''We want our own identity, and now we're in the process of getting it. Oh, they hate this right now. They're putting food-poison in our room service.'' He also said several icons from that team, which would include Mike Ditka, ''run s--- in that town'' -- which sounds like a back-alley challenge.
The '85 legends, the media, the Pope ... anyone not rooting against the Bears?
..."Like Grossman, I would urge Urlacher to play the game of his life and hoist a trophy. You can't run your mouth and then choke on the exhaust when the world is watching." [READ MORE]
Indianapolis Colts
XLI reasons Why The Colts Will Win Sunday
MIAMI -- Oh, you mean there's a game, too? A football game, just to break up the monotony of all those celebrity-sponsored bashes on South Beach? What will become of all the Brazilian supermodels?
After tuning in to Tony Dungy and Lovie Smith breaking with tradition and posing together Friday morning with the Lombardi Trophy, I'm finished with this animosity-free, distraction-free Super Bowl buildup and ready for some action. And not the kind of action they're seeing on South Beach, either.
Here then, friends, are XLI reasons Why The Colts Will Win Sunday:
What? XLI reasons? Save it for the book. We've got to stick the ads in somewhere.
OK, X reasons:
I -- Peyton Manning vs. Rex Grossman.
Good kid, Grossman, even rates the Hoosier hometown criticism discount. But Peyton and Rex? C'mon. As soon as Manning gets over the early nerves -- and yeah, they'll be there -- he's going to carve up that familiar-looking Bears defense. Grossman will try to throw deep early, and he might even have a bit of success early, but it's hard to imagine Good Rex won't turn into Bad Rex once the pass rush starts coming. If the Colts' run defense can force its fair share of third-and-longs, it's going to be a party.
II -- This isn't 1985 anymore, no matter how badly the Chicago papers want to resurrect Mike Singletary, Dan Hampton and Steve "Mongo" McMichael. The Chicago defense hasn't been close to the same since it lost safety Mike Brown in October and, more recently, tackle Tommie Harris in December. (Which explains why wrong-headed scofflaw Tank Johnson is getting another last chance.) Granted, they played well in the NFC title game against New Orleans, but they were beneficiaries of a bout of Bears weather against a dome-bound team.
III -- The AFC has won seven of the past nine Super Bowls and went 40-24 against the NFC this season. Even more, the Colts won six games this season against teams that finished with a winning record, and got two more victories against teams that finished .500. The Bears won three against winning teams, and two more against .500 teams St. Louis and Green Bay.
Enough facts? Yes. Enough...[READ MORE]
Sports Illustrated's Positional Breakdown
Sports Illustrated's Dr. Z wrote up a great breakdown of each position, including the offensive and defensive lines.
As you may have guessed, the edge went to Manning, Wayne, and Harrison, but was split on the matchup between Addai and Jones. Personally I think Jones is a little tougher runner when he needs to be, but I can agree with the split.
What really fascinates me is the breakdown of the offensive lines. People often overlook the big guys who battle it out in the trenches, but in a game like this, they may be the deciding factor. And as an ex-lineman myself, it's always great to highlight those that would otherwise never see the spotlight. Here's what SI.com had to say about each position on the line for the respected teams:
LT
Colts: Tarik Glenn (78)
The best pass blocker. At 332 pounds, he's a massive, rather than sleek LT, but nifty-footed. A position drive blocker, rather than power guy. Pro Bowl choice.
Bears: John Tait (76)
Came into the league as pass-block specialist from Brigham Young. Now has rounded off his game so that he is one of the best Bear O-linemen.
SI Edge: Glenn
VLM Edge: Glenn. It's no coincidence that Manning usually has a lot of time to dance around in the pocket.
LG
Colts: Ryan Lilja (65)
Smallest Colt up front at 290 ... tough, strong and explosive. Plays with good technique and leverage.
Bears: Ruben Brown (74)
One of the NFL's premier pulling guards, who piles in on the right side in the Power-0, but can be beaten at the point.
SI Edge: Lilja
VLM Edge: Brown. He's more physical and Lilja, just not as quick, but playing inside he usually doesn't have to be.
Chicago Bears center Olin Kreutz
Center
Colts: Jeff Saturday (63)
A complete player. Not overpowering, but a fine competitor. Pro Bowl starter.
Bears: Olin Kreutz (57)
The other Pro Bowl starter. Seems smaller than his listed 292. Very fast. Great leverage.
SI Edge: Even
VLM Edge: Even. Great call here and maybe one of the best positions on the field for either team. Saturday is a completely underrated player and Kreutz is a perennial All-Pro.
RG
Colts: Jake Scott (73)
Athletic pass protector who plays well in space.
Bears: Roberto Garza (63)
Tough and explosive. Former shot putter. Veteran of the Atlanta stretch system.
SI Edge: Garza
VLM Edge: Garza, even though I think he's shown his weaknesses at points this season.
RT
Colts: Ryan Diem (71)
Hog type at 320. Power drive blocker, so-so as a pass protector.
Bears: Fred Miller (69)
Has become a dominant run blocker. Good in playoffs, as lead man at the point in the power-O.
SI Edge: Miller
VLM Edge: Miller. Will have a tough matchup against the Indy defensive ends.
Super Bowl Picks
Chicago's own Gale Sayers: "Peyton Manning is one of the best quarterbacks around so the Bears will have to score some points. I think Peyton will put up some points and if he does, we are in trouble. I just don't think we can put up as many points as he can. But I'm not betting with my heart. I hope the Bears win but I just can't see us beating Peyton Manning.
Joe Buck: "Rex Grossman has a monster game and wins the MVP...seriously."