Sundays with Grossman

Welcome to Miami. The sun. The sand. The nightlife. All the more reasons for Shaquille O'Neal to go under the knife each November. As a side note, Miami is also the home of Super Bowl XLI. Can you dig it?

It's been a bitter stretch. The Seahawks were ousted from a Super Bowl bid by a last-second field goal, of all things. Jeff Weaver was signed to "bolster" the Mariners' starting rotation. The Sonics have killed any hope of landing Greg Oden by finishing 4-3 during their latest homestand; I never thought I could condemn winning.

While fans across the country are busy obsessing over Rex Grossman's inconsistent play and weighing Peyton Manning's chances of finally capturing a ring, Seattle fans just want payback [HTML_REMOVED] payback in the form of both a Bears loss and a Grossman injury, Nancy Kerrigan-style.

Sure, I like to kick public figures when they're down as much as the next guy, but I can't really figure out why I dislike Rex Grossman or the Bears.

Maybe it's because Grossman doesn't seem to hunger after success like Manning. On New Year's Eve, he threw three interceptions en route to a quarterback rating of 0.0. He claimed to have been too distracted with the coming of 2007 to concentrate. He completed more passes to the opposition than to his own receivers.

Conversely, Peyton Manning is a guy that people can actually connect with. I still find myself snickering at his MasterCard commercials ("Shake it off Johnny, rub some dirt on it!") I appreciate the fact that his family is important to him, and I respect him for his work ethic.

While other players lounge around before each game, Manning and standout receiver Marvin Harrison have already broken a sweat on the field, polishing route after route. They are among the most proven duos in all of sports. Sorry A.I., 'Melo.

But if you're hoping the Super Bowl turns into some kind of a duel between Grossman and Manning, you'll probably be disappointed. More accurately, this game will be decided by whoever's defensive line shows up.

The Colts came into the playoffs with the worst run defense in the NFL, giving up an average of 173 yards per game. Yet their once-flimsy defensive core has abused opposing tailbacks [HTML_REMOVED] insert joke about Jason Kidd's wife. They're giving up 100 yards less per game and have manhandled both Jamal Lewis and Larry Johnson. Yippee!

If the Bears expect to score, they need to keep Jeff Saturday off of his feet. Expect to see plenty of the tag team duo of Thomas Jones and Cedric Benson, particularly in light of Indianapolis' stingy secondary. Jones leads the NFL with four touchdowns this postseason.

Switching sides, the Colts have scored four of their six postseason touchdowns via the run. Manning hasn't been as effective in the playoffs, producing a quarterback rating of 66.8 [HTML_REMOVED] a number lower than even Grossman's. The Colts will probably test Chicago's line early in order to set the stage for their 6-foot-5-inch, 230-pound quarterback with a laser rocket arm.

Oh, and if you're underage and want to kick-start your Super Bowl party, just call up Chris Henry. I hear he's pretty generous.

Reach columnist Maks Goldenshteyn at sports@thedaily.washington.edu.