• Feb. 4, 2007 | 2:39 p.m. PT

2:39: The time has come. Dungy vs. Smith. Peyton vs. Urlacher. Prince vs. the FCC. Yes, it's time for Super Bowl XLI! And after downing a couple Red Bulls and a handful of chips, I'm all settled in for the game. I'll be here all game talking about everything but the game. So come along for the ride.

2:42: Dan Marino just picked the Colts. 31-24. Uh oh, Indy fans.

2:48: Gloria Estefan! How many stars from the 80s will the NFL drag out? Or was she from the 90s? Well, either way, she hasn't done anything for decades.

2:49: Nothing like the Circus de Soleil to pump up an NFL crowd. Weird dancers! Acrobatics! Balloons! Feel the excitement!

2:50: Why is Peyton Manning drumming before the game? Shouldn't he be getting prepared for the game?

2:52: By the way, what do you think Mike Vanderjagt is doing for the game? He's probably getting liquored up and running his mouth in Canada somewhere.

2:55: That pregame show was top notch. It really was. No, I'm not jaded at all.

2:57: Did we just see the worst ad of all time already? And the game hasn't even started yet. A commercial for Gumbos -- yeah, everyone is running out to purchase those right now.

• Feb. 4, 2007 | 3:00 p.m. PT

Super Bowl XLI Colts 29, Bears 17 It's not Super, but Colts prevail |   Images Borges: Dungy leads way | Tops his protégé Celizic: Manning now among all-time greats Opinion: Peyton ditches curse | Legacy? Grossman fails | Buzz: Who's 'ignorant' now? Celizic: Bears lick wounds; future bright Super diary: Minute-by-minute commentary Opinion: Chargers next year? | Your vote   Discuss the game | MORE COVERAGE

3:00: Here we go, pregame montage. How many times will we see a young Peyton Manning today? Over/under is 6.

3:02: Is anyone more excited about the halftime show than I am? I mean, Prince was HUGE 20 years ago. Does anyone remember him at the 1991 MTV Awards? I saw that in middle school and it scarred me for life. (Yes, I'm dating myself).

3:05: Let's get ready for the soothing voices of Jim Nantz and Phil Simms -- for the next four hours.

3:08: A promo for Survivor. Isn't Survivor so 2002?

3:10: Here come the Colts as a team, just like the Patriots. That's so cliche. I miss Ray Lewis' Super Bowl dance.

3:11: Here come the Bears -- and there's Tank Johnson! (Full disclosure: I went to the University of Washington with Tank. Ask me about my Tank Johnson story some time. You won't be disappointed.)

3:13: We can't hear you, Brian!

• Feb. 4, 2007 | 3:15 p.m. PT

3:15: Chad Johnson's Super Bowl party commercial! Britney Spears wanted in, but the NFL said she was a "train wreck." The NFL hits hard. Does anyone remember when she looked like this?

3:17: Nice choice on Billy Joel. Simple. Classic. Good.

3:19: I agree with Jim Nantz for once — let's hope our troops can sit back, relax and enjoy the game undisturbed for the next several hours.

3:21: Now back to the festivities. Jessica Simpson selling Pizza Hut. Talk about a deep dish.

Chris Carlson / AP Devin Hester started the Super Bowl with a bang. Game over, right?

3:22: Bears longsnapper Patrick Mannelly is a team captain? This will probably be the only time he'll be mentioned all game -- unless he screws up a snap in the fourth quarter.

3:27: We have KICKOFF! And Devin Hester is G-O-N-E! 7-0, Bears!

3:28: And we have the early leader for Super Bowl MVP.

• Feb. 4, 2007 | 3:30 p.m. PT

3:30: Peyton Manning has the ball -- let's enjoy his gesticulations.

3:32: Three Colts plays so far: two incompletes, one penalty. I'm calling it. Game over.

3:33: Manning is intercepted! This is going downhill fast for Indy. A little too much nightlife on South Beach, perhaps? At least that'd be a good excuse. I wouldn't blame them.

3:35: Doritos delivers a solid commercial. Coincidentally, I'm eating some right now. Their advertising worked.

• Feb. 4, 2007 | 3:36 p.m. PT

3:37: Rex Grossman now has the ball. I'm predicting a shot down the field. Have to strike when you're hot.

3:38: What did I tell you? Grossman goes deep on third down -- and misses. Surprised? No, not really.

3:40: Sierra Mist delivering a couple commercials. I'd give them a "C+."

3:42: Brian Urlacher makes the tackle. I wonder if former flame (allegedly) Tara Reid is at the game. Tara-dise! That show was awful -- and I just admitted I watched it. I feel nothing but shame right now.

3:44: Manning makes another completion. Looks like he's warming up, and we haven't seen a shot of Archie and Eli yet. Other than Hester's return, that's probably the biggest surprise of the game right now.

• Feb. 4, 2007 | 3:46 p.m. PT

3:46: Manning to Reggie Wayne for a 53-yard touchdown. OK, I take back what I said earlier.

3:48: Botched point after! Where's a shot of Tony Romo when you need him?

3:48: FedEx commercial -- lackluster.

Doug Pensinger / Getty Images An image Bears fans are quite accustomed to.

3:49: A wedding, an auctioneer, Bud Light. That's a winning combination.

3:50: Colts recover the fumble on the kickoff. Game over.

3:51: The Bears get the ball back! Game ov ... OK, I'm going to stop saying that.

3:52: Thomas Jones breaks a big run for the Bears. Has the Colts' D reverted back to the former form? That's bad news for Indy fans.

3:54: Grossman connects for Muhsin Muhammad for the touchdown. Bears are up 14-6 now. I have to say, this first quarter has been pretty fun. Let's keep it going.

3:55: Did I just see what I thought I saw? "We just accidentally kissed." "Quick! Let's do something manly!" I need to take a shower now. Thanks, Snickers.

3:58: I just received a text message from a buddy: "Bears are going to score the upset -- bank on it." Um, you're really going out on a limb there.

3:59: I'm just glad that Chevy commercial didn't feature that awful song "This is OUR COUNTRY!" But hearing Little E sing might've been just as bad to the ears.

• Feb. 4, 2007 | 4:00 p.m. PT

4:04: Another fumble! My vote for Super Bowl MVP so far: Mother Nature. She's vicious.

4:07: Seriously, the rain seems to be playing a major role. Guys are fumbling and slipping -- so, you know, just like how the Raiders play in regular weather.

4:10: As we wait out this injury timeout for Cedric Benson, let me point your way to Test Pattern, which is blogging on the ads. Click on it and you might win a prize! (Not really).

Carlo Allegri / AP What show is David Spade on again?

4:14: David Spade is in the house. He's not in an upcoming show on CBS, is he? I mean, he's a big enough star to show in the stands, right? Who doesn't love David Spade? (Who's got their hands raised? I do.)

4:15: GoDaddy is back! And they know what sells: chicks, man. How easy is it to be an advertising exec? Hey, here's an idea: let's sell our product by featuring some good-looking women! Those ad people lead a tough life.

• Feb. 4, 2007 | 4:18 p.m. PT

4:19: The second quarter starts with the Colts offense. Surprisingly, the Colts are able to get some yards on the ground against the Bears. See, Urlacher and Co. aren't so tough. Pansies.

4:21: Mr. Urlacher, if you ever read this, I was just kidding. Don't hurt me.

4:19: A commercial featuring a couple dogs. That's an ad my ex-girlfriend would've liked, not knowing what it was selling. That's why I dumped her. At least it was selling beer.

4:25: Is anyone else starting to get hungry?

4:28: So why is this called a diary, and not a blog? Blogs are so 2006, that's why. And because the NFL editor told me so -- and I do what I'm told.

4:29: We just had the most disturbing -- and best -- commercial so far. A guy buying Doritos flirting with the checkout girl (who hasn't done that?). The climax, so to speak: "Going to need a cleanup on register 6."

• Feb. 4, 2007 | 4:31 p.m. PT

4:31: Can someone wipe down the foggy, wet cameras? Perhaps one of the GoDaddy girls?

4:34: Touchdown, Colts. Dominic Rhodes runs it in from one yard out. 16-14, Colts. Indy is a running team, didn't you know?

4:35: Thanks to Bud Light, I just slapped my boss. He slapped me right back.

Wilfredo Lee / AP At least it wasn't Detroit.

4:36: I just got high blood pressure watching that high blood pressure public service announcement. That's how bad it was.

4:40: Cedric Benson is apparently out for the rest of the game. Ouch.

4:43: Who cares about the rest of the first half? Four minutes until the Purple One! To get you as pumped up as I am, check out Chappelle's classic skit. "Game, blouses."

4:46: Connectile dysfunction: That's what millions of men have been suffering from with their wife/girlfriend for the past 21 Sundays.

• Feb. 4, 2007 | 4:48 p.m. PT

4:51: We've now had six turnovers in the first half. Amazing. There's been more turnover in this game than the staff at TGIF Friday's. Booyah!

4:56: Adam Vinatieri missed the field goal! That's like LeBron missing a dunk. Like Federer missing an open winner. Like Rosie missing a cupcake. It just doesn't happen. An ominous sign for the Colts.

4:48: Halftime. I'm going to get a stiff drink.