When I first arrived here in Indianapolis earlier this week I read everything I could get my hands on to try and get a read on how this area feels about this game.

While on the internet I found a local TV stations web page where they had a poll on who their readers thought would be the Super Bowl match-up. Obviously 4 choices were given Colts-Bears, Pats-Bears, Pats-Saints, & Colts-Saints. Believe it or not, more people voted on this Indianpolis based web site for the 2 Pats match-ups than the Colts match-ups.

Now I’m not saying that this accurately depicts the feeling of all of Indy, but there were more than 2,000 responses to this poll (and no, I did not make 1,000 of them). So why the doubts? Don’t people here in Indy feel like that this is finally their year?

People here in Indy want to believe- they really do, and many of them do, but the memory of Tom Brady, Bill Belichick and the Patrtiots beating Peyton and the Colts 6 of the last 8 times is just hard to erase. These fans here in Indy are a little like Red Sox fans, or should I say how Red Sox fans used to be-hopeful but fearing the worst.

How do the Colts themselves feel? The Colts locker room is a loose place, certainly much looser and relaxed than the Patriots usual uptight and business like atmosphere. While that approach obviously has worked for the Pats, it does look like the Colts are really enjoying what they are doing and they are not fearful of actually expressing their feelings. Does any of this actually have any affect on the outcome of the game? Probably not, but it is always an interesting obsversation to someone who has covered Bill belichick’s reign in New England.

How do I think this game will come out? Will Belichick and Brady continue their overall domination of the Colts, or will peyton manning’s recent 2 game win streak over the Pats continue to 3.