It seemed like it would never happen, even though you knew it was inevitable. The bleakness and the hopelessness of it all lured all those thoughts, but ultimately, the ice melted and the power came back on, after a week.
Similar statements might also describe how Colts fans felt at the half yesterday, as another Patriots playoff win was in the making. Alas, fate and probability finally intervened on behalf of the Colts. As a Rams fan, I'll admit to having little preference for either team battling it out for the AFC bid to the Super Bowl; my remaining fan enthusiasm reserved for another playoffs without the Golden Horns was dedicated to the Saints. Somewhere a guy named Chad is smiling, readying himself for another round of childish comments on other team blogs designed only to lure fans into a pissing contest they can't win. Bring it on. The small, but growing community here at the Turf Show Times stands ready to thwart such futile arguments.
But still, something our erstwhile Bears fan said got me thinking this weekend, thinking about domes and the teams that play there. Earlier in the season, Chad posted this diary demeaning the Rams only Super Bowl championship that many of us can recall by stating that after "cheating" in the NFC title game, the Rams won Super Bowl XXXIV because the game was played in the Georgia Dome against a Titans team used to playing on grass.
Lest we give Chad more credit than he deserves, the point about dome and turf playing teams is an old one. However, we saw two dome and turf teams playing for a bid to the Super Bowl this weekend. One dome and turf team (the Colts) won, at home in their dome. The other dome team (the Saints) lost, on the road, outside in the bleak Chicago winter.
This year the Super Bowl will be played outside in the sunny environs of Dolphin Stadium in Miami, FL. That means, per the logic employed by critics of the dome/turf set, that the outdoor setting puts the Colts at a clear disadvantage. And to cite a bit of historical information, the Colts are the first team since the Rams and just the second team ever that call a dome home to play in the Super Bowl.
Right now, the Colts are favored to win the big game, by seven points. But let's hold off on the overall predictions and restrict our predictions to the dome factor. The Colts put up wins this season on the road against good teams that play under nothing but the sky. These include road wins against the Broncos and the Patriots. In the playoffs, the Colts beat a top-notch Ravens team on the road in Baltimore - outdoors. In my mind, that game erases the dome and turf argument.
As Rams fans, we root for a team that plays on turf in a dome, and face constant questioning of whether or not that dome imparts some distortion on our record and ability to win. I'm throwing it out to you Rams fans, and football fans in general, will the dome factor make a difference in Super Bowl XLI?