Ahh Super Bowl Sunday, What a Pile of Smelly Smuff Here we are again at the competitive closure of another NFL Season as we get ready to watch the Colts finally land the big one, and lets face it unless the Bears’ defense of September to November turns up, they have no chance in this game. Super Bowl Sunday has become such a worldwide event these days that it literally has taken on a life of it’s own compared to those initial years in the UK in the mid-80’s. I can remember vividly telling one of my teachers that the reason I looked so tired was due to staying up most of the night watching the Super Bowl, and him looking at me like I was some sort of miscreant and a threat to society in general. Nowadays we’ve come a long way with both Sky and ITV covering the game live in the UK, though the ITV coverage is pitched at a level so degradingly low that the presenters must have to shower for an hour afterwards. What Super Bowl Sunday signifies the most is the onset of that dreadful seven month off-season which drags and drags, but also serves to restore all our enthusiasm for our own teams and the game in general. It also makes us quickly forget how bad we may have been the year previous year, and means virtually all teams and fans (Raiders aside of course) alike think their team can make the play-offs and have a good season ahead come training camp. We now await a February of draft/daft rumours and scouting combines, a March period of the free agency trolley dash, April brings the draft itself and the usual mystified looks at the Raiders top selection out of left field and then a way too long three months before training camp opens. Time to break open those Bucs DVD’s to get our NFL fix in these terrible lean months, and personally speaking I’ve got about five games ready and waiting, starting with my first ever visit to the Old Sombrero in 1986 and a victory over the Bills, very kindly provided to me by Paul some weeks ago. It's going be a long barren road ahead so lets at least try to enjoy this game on Sunday for its individual merits, though in my humble opinion we’ll be viewing a blow-out come the later stages of the third quarter. I await all the hoopla, the over the top pre-game introductions, national anthem and the odd wardrobe malfunction in the half-time show preferably involving one of the female dancers and not that little Prince troll. Enjoy people. A few things I think 1. Reasons I know I’m a Buc for life number 23. Listening to Gene’s call of the Joe Jurevicius catch in Philly in January 2003 still gives me goose bumps four years later .…you go Joe you go Joe! 2. I believe I did say Joey Galloway would get 95% of the vote for Offensive Player of the Year and he actually garnered 93%, so at least for once I’m accurate with a prediction. Just one thing though, who in the hell voted for Michael Clayton, Mike Alstott or Cadillac Williams? Why? Explain? 3. FFL Trading season is almost upon us. I bet the trade king Martin “Hollywood” Dodds can’t wait – he’s had to go almost three months since his last deal which for Martin is a lifetime. Are we still on for swapping our 20th round picks Martin? 4. Can anyone else understand why Donovan McNabb, his all too visible mother Wilma, and other members of his entourage appear to have gotten their Hummers in a complete twist over Jeff Garcia and how he took the Eagles to the play-offs after McNabb’s body collapsed on him again? Donovan my old china, it makes you look cheap and I think you’re a hell of a lot better than that. 5. Nice to see Carson Palmer finally say enough is enough with all the Bengals arrests. Some sort of action or input from the front office wouldn’t go amiss here too don’t you think – suggestion, the next guy who gets his collar felt and chucked in the slammer gets cut, or if he’s a star player at least shipped out in a trade. That might just make the penny drop. Knowing the Bengals they’ll probably sign Koren Robinson as a free agent for being a high character guy. One thing that did make me laugh this past week was the news that Green Bay may be looking at acquiring loveable Randy Moss this off-season, to team up with Brett Favre. Is this the same Randy Moss who, having scored against the Packers in the play-offs a couple of years ago, mimed dropping his trousers and wiping his ass on the goalpost? I await Moss’s routine during his first Lambeau Leap with great interest should this trade go through – maybe he’ll drop his pants and do a routine with a Bratwurst? Who knows. I think its time I took my tablets. 5 Things to Look out for this Super Bowl Sunday 1. SKY/ITV continually cutting to a British Super Bowl bash, covered for TV for a confused looking blonde woman with her knockers hanging out, who clearly has as much understanding of NFL football as she does of Chinese architecture 2. At least 46,000 references to the first all-black head coaches Super Bowl. 3. Group of C-List celebrities interviewed at the aforementioned British bash – think Alvin Stardust, Brian from Big Brother and Keith Harris and Orville. 4. The ITV crew spending more time advising you how much a 30 second commercial costs in America during the game, than actual constructive comment on the match-up itself. 5. Guaranteed access to that all important “idiots” or should I say “Randy Moss” guide to NFL rules explained in the tone and intellectual pitch of an episode of Bob the Builder. Super Bowl Prediction As sure as eggs is eggs, death, taxes and Jade Goody’s lack of any ability in any area asides being a fat ignorant oaf, the Colts will win this game. Take it to the bank, put your underpants on it, lock of the week etc etc. The real question is by how much – Colts 34-17 in my eyes. In simple terms it’s their game to lose and they only have themselves to blame if they don’t win as the Bears are over-matched all over the place, aside from Devin Hester and last time I checked he couldn’t play quarterback. Nod of Acknowledgement to - Gary Imlach I actually quite like the guy, though obviously not in a Bole and Tony Dungy type way (see Bucpower Messageboard), and have missed his presence in NFL circles. However in taking on the task of an ITV Broadcast on the super bowl I feel sorry for him and the material he will be given to work with this Sunday night. Good luck Gary, you’ll need it. Get in the Real World Award - Tank Johnson This guy is arrested for having a cache of weapons at his house that would make Hammas proud, then his bodyguard is murdered in a nightclub two days later whilst he is present and yet it’s the media’s fault for hyping the story! Why is this guy even allowed to play in this game? Sports News Story I No Longer Give a Toss About – Barry Bonds' contract. ill this guy not just do the honourable thing and go away? Nice to have the trust of your employers isn’t it – Bonds new contract apparently has a get-out clause if he gets indicted during the season with the chances of this around the 95% mark. What a relationship between player and employer this is! Predictably the Commissioners office has thrown the contract out anyway so the saga goes on ……yawn.