End of quarter 1, and the Bears lead 14-6. If the game were to end now, Hester would be my MVP. Second place? The woman in the Wayne jersey below us.
After a Vinatieri field goal, fireworks go off. I’m not against fireworks displays, in fact, I enjoy July 4th a whole lot. But do we really need fireworks after a 29-yard chip shot field goal? Is that not a bit “Boy Cried Wolf”? If you’re going to light up a tremendous aerial display of magic and wonder for a gimme field goal—what do you have in store for the game-winner with no time left on the clock? Hey, just throwing that out there for the pyrotechnics crew. Then again, this is probably the same bunch that green-lighted a referee on an ostrich and called it “pre-game entertainment”.
Bears go three and out and you can feel the momentum shifting. The Colts answer with one of those no-huddle/not enough time to get a replay in/CBS misses the start of the play marches down the field. Is anyone better at these than Peyton Manning? Dominic Rhodes plunges into the end zone. Fireworks! Wow. They’ll give ‘em for anything these days. I just saw a guy take a sip out of his soda. Cue the works!
Meanwhile, the PA System plays “#### the Drum All Day”, and the Colts fans go wild. One guy, wearing an Addai jersey, has an actual drum. He’s ####ing it. All day. Hey, he doesn’t want to work. Just wants to #### that drum.
Bears go three and out.
If Indy drives, scores a touchdown, and gets the ball back at the start of the half—this can get out of control.
Of course, as I type that, the Colts fumble the ball. What a wacky game. Next play? Grossman fumbles the ball to the Colts.
In between all this madness, the PA guy—along with help from the scoreboard—is teaching the crowd how they can join in and help participate with the halftime show. They introduce Queen’s “We Will Rock You”, and urge the crowd to “Stomp”, “Stomp”, “Clap”, then sing the words “We Will, We Will Rock this joint till the wheels come off!”. Yes—“Rock this joint till the wheels fall off!”. There are flashlights and stuff too. After a test run, I realize that I want to rock this joint till the wheels fall off. I really do.
The NFL is so hip!
Vinatieri then misses a chippy field goal to end the half, finishing up officially the weirdest first half in Super Bowl history.
