*With the Bears and Colts set to meet in Super Bowl XLI, America is ramping up to watch just the 3rd All-Midwestern Super Bowl in NFL history. Believe it or not, two football teams from the Midwest area haven’t met in a Super Bowl since the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV (1970). The only other Midwestern Super Bowl in NFL history came when the Packers beat the Chiefs in Super Bowl I.

The Super Bowl is always a global force, but it will be interesting to see what the TV ratings end up looking like for the first all-Midwestern finale in 37 years.

For a recap of all 40 Super Bowls, click here.

*Coming into this season, both the Bears and Colts had each won 16 post-season football games in their respective franchise histories. Both teams have won 1 Super Bowl.

*Just a coincidence?
I’ve got to be honest, my column Big Men, Tight Pants has seen a huge spike in traffic since the Bears have invaded Miami Beach and perked-up the interest of the area's hip crowd. Judging from some of the propositions I’ve received via e-mail, I’m not sure that these new fans of Big Men, Tight Pants are interested in football at all.

*The Bears and Colts averaged the exact same amount of points per game during the regular season (26.7). When you take the post season into account, the Bears have actually outscored the high flying Colts on a per game basis.

*The AFC has won 7 of last 9 Super Bowls. Fortunately the Bears don’t have to play all of those guys. They don’t have to beat the Patriots, Chargers, or anyone else for that matter. They just have to beat the Indianapolis Colts.

*Peyton Manning has posted a lower QB rating (66.8) than Rex Grossman (75.4) in the 2006 playoffs. Then again, the Colts run-defense has been better in the playoffs than the Bears. The Colts are allowing only 3.6 yards per opponents rushing attempt; the Bears 4.3.

*Only two current Bears players have won Super Bowl rings. Fred Miller won one of them in 1999 (with the Rams) and Brian Griese has two (both with Denver while backing up Elway).

*I wonder if any Bears fans in Miami can outdo that obnoxious Hurricane Katrina sign that was on display in the NFC Championship game two weeks ago. Even if someone tries to take the low-road and attack Colts fans, they’re going to have a tough task ahead of them. Insulting Indiana packs about as much venom as… well, people from Indiana.

*The Indianapolis Colts beat the Patriots twice this season; the Chicago Bears did not.

*The Colts lost receiver Brandon Stokely to an Achilles injury this season. His absence has robbed Peyton Manning of a go-to 3^rd receiver… a guy like Ricky Proehl. The Colts tried to fill this absence with non other than Ricky Proehl… it didn’t really work out for the 17-year vet. Proehl made just 3 catches this year and will hang up his cleats after the game.

*The first three Super Bowl halftime shows featured college marching bands. The last two years have been headlined by Paul McCartney and The Rolling Stones, and this year, Prince. It goes without saying, but my how times have changed.

*Some other unforgettable Super Bowl halftime shows include performances by Carol Channing, Ella Fitzgerald, the New Kids on the Block, Brian Boitano, and Michael Jackson backed by 3,500 local California children (the Jackson halftime show has to be considered one of the sickest experiments in speed-dating in the history of mankind). The cheery and bizarre force known as Up With People has performed in a record four Super Bowls, including the Bears only other trip to the big dance back in Super Bowl XX. Super Bowl XX was Up With People’s last Super Bowl performance, and in my opinion, the world has not figured out how to fill the void left by their absence.

For a list of all of the Super Bowl's quirky halftime shows, click here.

*Lovie Smith has been praised for his calm demeanor all week long. It’s funny; that’s pretty much the reason that Dick Jauron was fired. Winning truly is everything in the world of sport.

*It’s no secret that the Bears are 7 point underdogs on Sunday. While the oddsmakers do have their moments (they did pick the Bears as favorites in 16 of 18 games this season), they certainly do not know everything. The only three times the Bears were double digit favorites this season, they played terribly. They were 10 ½ point favorites over the Cardinals, 13 ½ point favorites over Miami, and 13 ½ point favorites over Tampa Bay. The fact that no one is picking the Bears is a blessing to this team.

*As good as Peyton Manning is, he doesn’t necessarily throw the prettiest spiral in the NFL… but he sure knows how to put a wobbler on the money. Manning is dealing with a sprained thumb and may even toss up more ducks than usual against the Bears, but history says that those ducks will wind up in the arms of someone in a Colts jersey.

*Peyton Manning completed 20 or more passes in all but 3 games this season (including the playoffs). Rex Grossman completed 20 or more passes in a game just 6 times.

*Tank Johnson says he has a problem living in White America. Come on Tank, the village of Gurnee (a predominantly White suburb) has already tought you that loaded weapons and children should be kept in separate areas of the home... where's the love for that valuable lesson?

*There has never been a punt return for a TD in Super Bowl history. There’s a first time for everything… and Devin Hester is on our side.