Sunday Truth, Super-Bowl style

Tripped around my neighborhood to get the feeling on the street for today's Super Bowl, well that and hoping for an invite to someone's party. You know, the free food and drink and to be able to break out my new touchdown celebration dance.

Oddly, no one budged from the doorway so I just gave it up and asked who's it going to be -- Indianapolis or Chicago?

In one corner, you have these guys, front-runners like me, thinking now is Indy's destiny:

I'll take the Colts, 38-20. To handle the Colts' offense, Chicago will have to play almost perfect on defense and enjoy a mistake-free game from its' offense. Those two requisites, especially the latter, are too much to expect.

Patrick Ridgell, Daily Times-Call


Indianapolis, 40, Chicago, 20. Between Peyton Manning and Adam Vinatieri making four field goals, the Colts will score six or seven times on offense alone; they're better in the trenches than the Bears, where the game is usually won.

David Plati, CU sports information director

Colts , 28 - 17. Peyton earns his due.

Dr. Eric McCarty, CU director of sports medicine, former Buff All-American


I'm a character guy and I like seeing guys who do it the right way, work hard, conduct themselves properly, play well every week and show up every week and put all the preparation into it. That's why you appreciate a guy like Peyton Manning. Tony Dungy is the same. I hope they finally get a chance to hoist that trophy Sunday. I thinking the Colts win that game, 28-21.

Mark Johnson, voice of the Buffs

I would go with the Colts if I were a betting man. I don't think their defense is for real like everyone thinks, but it doesn't have to be against Rex Grossman. If if you ask who I'm rooting for, I would say the Bears. I like Peyton's commercials and all but as a lifelong Broncos' fan, I would like to see Manning go the way of (Dan) Marino and put up great stats while failing to win a Super Bowl -- thus preserving John Elway's legacy as the greatest quarterback ever.

Erich Schubert, CU football graduate assistant sports information director


I grew up a NFC fan, for it to always win the Super Bowl, but I like Peyton and the Colts' offensive scheme. It's moment-to-moment, always at the line of scrimmage calling the plays or audibles. Indy, 34-20.

Andrew Green, CU basketball sports information director


Laughing uncontrollably, or is that mockingly on the other side of the street, however, are these people, you know, our friends who just want to believe so bad, they lead with their hearts and likely will get them broken:

Growing up in the Chicago area I'm definitely going with DA BEARS, 24-20. DA BEARS' defense is way too good and Manning won't be able to handle it. Everyone will see why Lovie Smith stuck with "Sexy" Rexy (Grossman) all season long.

Bobby Pesavento, quarterbacked the 2001 Buffs to the Fiesta Bowl


Chicago, 20, Indianapolis, 14. Defense wins championships.

Adam Munsterteiger, BuffStampede.com


I'll take the Bears.

I'm fresh out of powerful comments. I just love the Bears.

Kyle Ringo, Daily Camera


BGT: You know, there is some beauty in that last comment. So simple, so pure, so...well, I like Kyle so let's just leave it at that. While a big Indianapolis' victory is not out of the question, there is part of me that believes Chicago will find a way to make enough plays to stay in the game. It wouldn't shock me, however, if the Bears have to resort to Brian Griese to make a comeback, one that would, in the end, fall short, giving Peyton Manning, Tony Dungy and Indianapolis the victory. In the end, how about a plea for just two things -- four competitive quarters of football and no officials mucking things up.

Probable target

Denver Broncos' fan?

If so, here is the prototypical profile for their offensive line. Remember the name below as a possibility for the April NFL draft, courtesy of John Murphy of Yahoo Sports.

"Ryan Kalil, center, USC -- he's the premier technician at the pivot spot for this year's draft, but he lacks great bulk and can get shoved around at times if playing with a man lined up over him. Still, there are fewer and fewer of those huge, space-eaters in the league and this kid has all the intangibles to be a 10-year starter in the middle of the line."

Kalil and Hawkins

Speaking of Kalil, it brings back memories of a story shared with me by Bruce Feldman of ESPN.com, who relayed a tale given to him by current Ole Miss coach and current USC assistant, Ed Orgeron, on the topic of Kalil.

"One of the stories he's telling his staff (at Ole Miss)," Feldman said of Orgeron "is of Kalil at a USC camp, at 6-foot-1, 250 pounds. They look at him and say 'he's pretty quick and he's tough and we beat the (expletive) out of this kid, kept on pounding on him and he kept coming back, saying 'what else do you want me to do?' "

Kalil came back for another camp to play against the best defensive tackle recruit in the country and Kalil neutralized him, according to Orgeron's story to Feldman.

"He was undersized, no one else was recruiting him and USC offered him," Feldman said. "Look now, he became a two-time All American."

BGT: Nice, but what does it all mean to you? Think it possible that CU's Dan Hawkins might do something with some of those two-star guys and have a similar story to tell four or five years down the line?

Breaking down the courts

BGT Best of the Big 12: Texas A & M, KU, K-State, and Texas

BGT Best in the Land: Florida, North Carolina, Texas A & M and Ohio State.

Coach Hot List: O.K., let's give Ricardo Patton a break this week in this space so he can shake his head at us all. Beating Oklahoma State deserves a salute. It was also a much-needed moment in the sun for the players bustin' tail and heavy with all those losses on their mule backs. Kal Bay showed he can play Big-12 basketball despite contrarian opinions. Richard Roby, for his struggles this season, is still one fine player and capable of being an NBA name in a year and Dominique Coleman is an all-around difference maker, just not consistent. If he could just iron out his game, you might see him as a free-agent find for some pro team.

A little love Tom Kensler's way for his article on Jan. 31 in the Denver Post, in which he quoted some Colorado prep coaches on their dissatisfaction with CU's laziness and arrogance when it comes to establishing healthy interactions and relationships with them. In essence, the state's coaches conveyed that school in Boulder just doesn't get it, just doesn't make an effort to introduce themselves, help the local kids, and create a friendship, like say, a Mack Brown does in Texas for football or any smart coaching staff does in their state for any sport. And these coaches are not happy about it, almost resentful. Kensler's work made that pretty clear. Crystal.

BGT: CU is not so accomplished it can afford to be arrogant nor is it so deluged with requests to suit up and play by bluechip talent that it can turn up its' nose at players it feels beneath it when those same kids leave the state and blow up, like Nick Fazekas, look like they are going to be something solid (Matt Bouldin) or go to some outpost in Fort Collins (Jason Smith) and excel. No, none of those guys could have played and lifted this program. Or so we hear. Personally, I think many fans would have taken their chances on those "stiffs."

NuggetsTruth

For a look at the underachieving, broken-down, high-paid homeboys on the court, take a look here. Have to smile at the story about Vince Carter's mom. Love a mother who is proud of her children but wooooooooooooo we, can you imagine the locker room, the courts, the bars, the talk shows?

Sneak Preview

Coming this week, an interview with Mark Johnson, the voice of the Buffs and athletic director Mike Bohn. Might be able to even drop in some bonus munch for you.

Stupid Boy

Stupid is as stupid does and here goes, as I'm real good at stupid.

Check the resume.

Just can't stop myself from doing it again, reminding myself of all those bets on championship games with my late father, and losing all the time, even when I thought I had one on him.

My fatal flaw?

Making a prediction based on gut feeling alone.

Quarterbacks matter come the big game and Manning is something special. The defense has been tightened up, the running game just good enough. Dungy's resolve through all his years in football and, get this, after the loss of his son, somehow, some way, all mean something, whatever that could be.

The Bears are a great story -- tough, confident, talented, resourceful, and dangerous.

But this is the Colts' day.

Indy, 27, Chicago, 24.