Why the 2007 Super Bowl matters to me

Update (2:50pm)

OMG, remember the Super Bowl Shuffle from 1985?! Maybe the Bears will do a remake of that this year!



Video courtesy of youtube.com
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I have NEVER cared much about football. I will never, ever turn on a football game if I'm home by myself...I'm just not interested. Even during the Super Bowl, I only watch the singing of the national anthem, the 1st two quarters, and the halftime show. Of course, I also relish the commercials, but interest in the actual game itself has just never been there. Yet, in a few weeks when the Chicago Bears meet the Indianapolis Colts for the season-ending championship game, I will be front and center for all pre-game festivities, the entire game, and the post-game show as well. There are four reasons why this will be the first year that I care about the Super Bowl at all:

1) My husband is the biggest football fan I've ever seen, met, or been within 10 feet of in my life. Even more importantly, he is a die-hard Chicago Bears fan, and has been one since he was a little boy. His childhood was spent living in Chicago, and the fans there are loyal and true to their sports teams, even when the teams have losing records year after year. Thus, my son has had a Chicago Bears jacket, hat, and even a pennant in his room before he was even born.

2) This is the first year that a black coach is taking a team to the Super Bowl, let alone two black coaches!! Bears coach Lovie Smith, and Colts coach Tony Dungy are just all-around wonderful guys from every account I've ever heard. As I heard someone put it this morning, either way, a black coach will have a Super Bowl ring for the first time. This makes me proud. :-)

3) Both Tony Dungy and Peyton Manning have had this whole "Best player/coach to never win a Super Bowl" thing haunting them. Tony Dungy built an awesome Tampa Bay Buccaneers team a few years back, only to be fired when they didn't go to the Super Bowl. The following year, Joe Gruden becomes the Bucs coach and takes "Tony Dungy's team" to the Super Bowl. Also, did you see the look of horror on Peyton Manning's face during the last 2 minutes of the Colts-Patriots game? He had his head down the whole time; couldn't even watch, poor thing. He has already lived through an AFC championship loss 3 times in a row. He's an amazing player and this is finally his time!

4) Finally, after what Dungy has gone through recently, it would bring a smile to my face to see him smile due to a Super Bowl win.