Mmmm. Portuguese liquor.

My friend "Hose" (pictured at right, drunk) knows his shiznit. He's been the commissioner of my fantasy league since 1991, and loves the Pittsburgh Steelers in a loyal and proud fashion.

Watching Super Bowl XL with him was one of the most enjoyable moments of my life. After every big Steeler play, he came rushing at me like a strong safety, hurling himself at my massive man frame and nearly knocking the wind out of me.

Eventually, I said "Dude, Hose, you're going to hurt me."

He looked at me for a second, confused, then broke into a huge smile, attacking me again.

"Did you SEE THAT PLAAAAAAYYYY!!???"

This year, I'm looking forward to a similar experience with my friend Spooch (we all have nicknames, sorry) -- he's a Bears fan, all the way down to the tattoo on his leg. I watched about eight Bears games with Spooch this year, and one thing I've come to appreciate about the team is their ability to find ways to win.

The Bears have won games with offense/special teams (the Monday Night win over the Rams), defense (10-0 over the Jets) and defense/special teams (the infamous Monday Night win over the Cardinals), which is pretty rare. I think they're an underappreciated bunch, and although they might well lose to Indy I'd be shocked if it was a blowout.

Plus, the thought of watching poor Spooch see his Bears go down is a bummer -- although as long as there's enough Chinese food and Portuguese liquor, I think it'll still go pretty well overall.

Mmmm. Portuguese liquor.