The I-65 Superbowl

So this year, at least, I'm not at all conflicted. Last year, it was my home town (which bleeds black and gold) against my adopted city (which is proud of the fact that it is louder, and that part of the reason is engineering behind their stadium). This year, no prob. Da Bears over the Colts.

I was in Lake Geneva during the years of the Super Bowl Shuffle (the 'Hawks, by the way, never got a goofy themesong, which puts them behind Pittsburgh, where every freakin' radio station had its own "Go Steelers" song), so even though everything has changed (except the owner's family), there is still enough good will in my heart to root for them.

The Colts, on the other hand are not only from Indy. Indy is a city which has improved in the last twenty-five years remarkably, but alas, I have not lived near it for twenty-five years, so for the same reason I am positively disposed towards Chicago from great pizza, great museums, and a great lakefront, I am similarly disinclined to support Indy from the memories of a downtown closed at 8 PM Friday and a grimy, hostile environment. Even though Purdue, my Alma Mat, was poised between the two metropoli, my interests were always more northern than southern. But there is another reason from the past to root against the Colts.

It is a traitor team. Back in 1984, the Colt owners backed the truck up to the stadium in the dead of night, loaded everything up, and were across state lines before the loyal fans knew what hit them. That simple. They booked out. Cut and run. Now, I think Manning is a better quarterback than Grossman, but the taint of blue horseshoe remains. When I was growing up, there were old baseball fans who never forgave the Dodgers for moving to LA in '58, even if they weren't Brooklyn fans in the first place. It was the principle of the thing, and even with the passing years and changes of management, they would not forgive.

Yeah, I can understand that. Indy is a better place than it was 25 years ago, but I just can't let them off the hook. So I'll be rooting for Da Beloved Bears when the time comes.

More later,