AFC Championship Reactions

Trust me, it won't take more than three minutes on Super Bowl Sunday before CBS begins the first of at least five pre-game comparisons between Peyton and the legendary Johnny Unitas.

Our next stop is the loser's lockeroom. If you tell me this question isn't rhetorical, I'll tell you your nuts.  Who has more poise and greater presence - Jets freshman QB Mark Sanchez, or Bears QB Jay Cutler? If you answered Cutler, you probably think Mayor 2016 shouldn't title his memoirs, "My family and I never took a dime that wasn't on the square."
 
Look ahead to the Bears and the 2010 season.  Will the Chicago media burn the ridiculous concept that Cutler deserves to be called a "franchise quarterback."  Meanwhile, Sanchez may arrive in 2010 as a legitimate owner of that title.
 
Stay with me on this one. While you watch the upcoming Super Bowl, remind yourself of this ugly footnote every time there's a change of possession. So help me Papa Bear, Sid Luckman, Doug Atkins, Galloping Gale, Crunch Buktus, Walter Payton, Hamp and Mongo McMichael, the semi-feared Chicago Bears have won, count 'em, two NFL championships since 1946. Yah, it does kind of make you wonder why people insist on referring to the Lake Forest All-Stars as the "Monsters of the Midway."
 
A third-quarter realization. Jim Nantz is inch-for-inch, pound-for-pound, and word-for-word, the best pure TV sportscaster I have ever heard. Three yard gains, the Final Four, or The Masters -- it just doesn't matter.  Jim is simply a magnetic listen and an absolute wordsmith.
 
It's a shame that Jets coach Rex Ryan won't work the 44th main event. Rex is a trip to the fun house. Jim Caldwell, the Colts first year coach, has the kind of bubbly expression you'd expect to see on a process server. 
 
Be honest, before the Colts delivered the knockout punch did you have any idea what a "Pierre Garcon" was. Unofficially, Garcon, the Colts' breakout receiver, had more catches in the Lucas Oil steel mill on Sunday than Devin Hester had during the second half of the 2009 regular season.
 
I busted out my calculator about the time Garcon made his ninth grab. I'm told he closed with 11 catches for 151 yards. Yeah, you're right, Jerry Angelo would never find a spot for this guy.
 
I just can't wait for this Sunday's Pro Bowl brought to you by the folks at McDonald's. Why call the game the Pro Bowl when you could bill it as the "Golden arches, fat-gram after-thought that only degenerate gamblers give a darn about."  Tell me that isn't catchy.
 
Do you watch ESPN on a regular basis? Keep score on this one. I have the over/under at 475 on the number of times you will hear one of the boys from Bristol tell you that "turnovers will be the key" in this Super Bowl,  Over/under at 274.5 on "both coaches would like to establish the early lead," and over/under at 122 on "Peyton Manning and his long-time offensive coach Tom Moore have a very unique relationship."
 
Manning and the Colts win the Super 31-24. You heard it here first.
 
Did I mention the Bears are still looking for a pair of coordinators?
 
Did I mention that the Who's Roger Harry Daltrey will look painfully out of place during the Super Bowl half time show? However, his longtime tag-team partner Peter Townshend will look like he can riff until he's 93.
 
Chet Coppock's podcasts featuring Denny McClain, Lester Munson and Geoff Pinkus may be heard on Itunes or via his website www.chetcoppock.com.