Somehow I’ve managed to avoid most of the Super Bowl hype this week. It was S.’s week to work days, which helped. That meant I rarely had a chance to do more than glance at the paper, often in the evening, and when the local evening news is on, I’m generally finally taking a shower or hitting the books after a long day with the girls. So I’m actually looking forward to the game for the game itself, rather than as a break from the interminable hype leading up to it.

Oh, and I’m anxiously awaiting the rumored announcement that the Beatles catalog will show up on iTunes later this month. That could be a memorable commercial, if the rumors come true.

One piece of news I did follow this week was Indianapolis formally bidding on the 2011 Super Bowl. On the one hand, I think it would be cool to have a Super Bowl here. On the other, I don’t think it would be the windfall for the city proponents expect it to be. Indy is a nice city, but I shudder to think how thousands of people who will come for an entire week will keep themselves occupied. There are only so many nice restaurants and clubs in this city. It works for a weekend event, like the races at the Speedway or a Final Four, but I expect the columns slamming the city would start as early as Tuesday. Second, the forecast low this Sunday is 2. Monday, we’re expected to dip below zero. Sure, there’s always the chance we could get some balmy weather and have temps in the 50s, but chances are it will be cold in February 2011 just like it is most other Februarys. People will be stuck in their hotels and bored, and despite the city’s efforts to shine itself up, there will be few good things said by the out-of-towners.

Finally, according the the Indy Star, the NFL mandates that all hotel rooms the league reserves for the game have taxes normally levied upon them waived. So the league, which I’m guessing grosses in the billions each year, and makes hundreds of millions off of the Super Bowl alone, is too cheap to pay the room taxes that Joe and Judy Fan will have to pay if they follow their team to the title game. I’m not sure where Indy sends its hotel tax dollars, that’s a pretty good chunk of change that will not hit the city’s coffers. Yes, the city will experience increased sales tax revenues, but it will also be picking up a huge tab for extra security, lots of last-minute repairs and beautifications, etc. Every dollar counts. I’m not sure if it makes a huge difference in income for the week, but Indy isn’t exactly a city that is awash in money. Seems like a cheap move on the NFL’s part. Too bad no city ever called bullshit.

On to the game. My thoughts have not drifted much from my initial reaction when the match-up was set. I think the Colts are just too good offensively and the Bears too limited offensively. Interestingly enough, the Bears O has outperformed the Colts O in the playoffs, and the Colts D is playing slightly better than the Bears D. I’m not sure what to make of that. I think the Bears have to get an early lead, and I’m talking 10 or 14-0, no a field goal or single TD, to have a chance. If the Colts score early, I think the game is over early. The wildcard is what the Bears can do when they get a turnover or on kick returns. They need at least two take-aways and a return TD to win. They might get those and still lose.

I see Dallas Clark and Joe Addai catching a lot of short passes early in the game, moving the chains, setting up the running game. The Colts grab an early lead, take it into the locker room, and in the second half, Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison get into the act. Feeling pressure to catch up, the Bears start passing, which plays right into the Colts defensive strengths. Then, it gets ugly.

Colts 38 Bears 21

I won’t be surprised if the score is different. I will be surprised if the result is different.

Happy weekend. Stay warm.