My kinda town

Back from my travels, 3 weeks out of the office coinciding with the 3 coldest Chicago weeks of the winter. Nice.

I was in Florida for the Superbowl (not the match, just in a bar with some mates from the UK). See below for more. The City went pretty mad for it but they were always unlikely winners if we're honest.

I was then on Miami's South Beach working. Yes, I know life of a rock star. Then I went on holiday straight from Miami to South America. Argentina's Buenos Aries first then Uruguay.

The Argies think that they are European and very friendly they are too. Don't mention the war though - said it once, but think I got away with it. Whereas Uruguay is a bit of a throw back to days gone by. More on Uruguay here.

The highlight, apart from looking at the birds - I did enquire into Brazilians, but got blank looks - was the Tango, honestly that is right good and going to a River Plate match. More here on that.

But back now, suntanned, with my own Brazilian and ready to rock and roll and catch up on the N&R FL league. Week 24 below. 25 and 26 on there way plus all the other stuff like the Team Challenge and some more moans about Americans, of course.

Nobs

Philly cheese steak

Breaking News 88888 Manager of week 24

Philly based John Littig blew everyone away in week 24 notching 59 points, 23 better than the next best score, which was from Panzo's Panthers.

Rooney & Ronaldo's rockstars now head a very tight looking Premiership table after being in 7th last week. Brighton Blues kept up their father and son challenge and are upto 8th after a 34 point week. Pete Doherty for Allianz continued their good run with 33 points. Two teams scored 31 - Ping Pong and Thieving Chelsea gits, moving Rob away from the bottom of The Premiership.

The worst score back in week 24 was by Here we go again. Just 3 points, the 4th worst of the season.

Littig Rocks

Breaking news 8888 The N&R Premiership - week 24 scores
You have already heard that Littig's Rockstars top the table, taking over from Shavchenko's Spurs. Flighty Feet daintily drop to 3rd while 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th remain the same.

Outside the top 7 we have Brighton Blues poised nicely in 8th. That well known genius Christian Dailly is heading the wrong way and now overtaken by Lovejoys Luvvies going in the right direction.

At the bottom Thieving Chelsea gits climb a couple of places on the back of a good week. The bottom 3 remain unchanged.

Francey and Suzie rack them up.

Breaking news 8888 The N&R Championship - week 24 scores
Not much change at the top of The Championship. Shay's Jonny Forskins and the Phullbacks lead is cut back to 13 by Sven and Janas - Bye. The biggest rack belonged to Suzie, who climbed over 3 blokes to get to 6th after a good week. Ping Pong dragged Francey's Vote Seagulls Party with her, as the spreadsheet finally shows some dividends after a jump of 6 places.

Bollocks to Ballack and Athletico Abertawe drop out of the top 8. Behind them North of Crystal Palarse rallied themselves into 17th.

At the arse end of the business Le Guen's Revolution, about as current as Sweaty's first ever girlfriend's bathroom remain adrift. Panzo's Panthers stay in 25th despite a fine week.

Road to Wembley - Horns burst bubbles

So West Ham blew it, Curb's old Cupitis getting the better of the Hammers as Watford become our team of choice on The Road to Wembley (if it's ready).

It could have been so different if Bobby Zamora's had scored instead of hitting the bar after a minute but West Ham never got any closer. ANTHONY McNAMEE broke the deadlock with a 42nd-minute overhead kick after goalkeeper Roy Carroll's cock up, he was probably holding a bottle of Stella at the time!

The Hornets had to come through a second-half onslaught, with their brave display summed up by Jordan Stewart's late header off the line. West Ham also had £1m a week Lucus 'I came here to win things' Neill carried off.

West Ham team: Carroll, Neill (Pantsil 48), Spector, Dailly, McCartney, Newton (Sheringham 65), Reo-Coker, Quashie, Boa Morte (Etherington 77), Zamora, Cole.

Subs Not Used: Green, Mullins.

Attendance: 31,168

MoM: No one.

Watford play Ipswich in the next round.

A sad night for the windy city as pre-game favourites Indianapolis colts rolled over Chicago Bears in last night's Superbowl XLI. Despite early euphoria when Devin Hester caught the Colts opening kick-off and raced 92 yards down the field for a touchdown to give Bears a dream start, the Colts offensive pressure finally told in the 2nd half, although despite showing minimal offensive threat after the first quarter, Chicago were still in the game right up until the last 11 or 12 minutes.

Down by just two at the half, the Bears could not get their offensive plays working. The pouring rain only helped add to mistakes that littered the game from both sides but crucially Rex Grossman, the young Bears quarterback made a couple of decisive errors in front a watching audience of 93m people to give the Colts a 29-17 victory.

Back in a bar in St Petersburg, retired Indiana residents outnumbered people wearing orange and blue and come the end of a long day I was happier to be in Florida and not in the cold, silent and sad streets of Chicago.

Photo: Chicago linebacker Brian Urlacher trudges off the Superbowl field after Bears lose to Colts.

Go Bears!

Well it's Superbowl day, a close 2nd to Thanksgiving in terms of importance in most American households. The television companies dictate that the game will kick off at 6.24pm but the build up started a couple of weeks back and has reached frenzied point in the windy city.

I'm in Florida and the orange and blue shirts far outnumber the white and blue of the Indianapolis Colts, a team of nomadic history in a city of just 790,000 people with a roundabout as it's cultural highlight!

Many times since my arrival in Chicago I have compared it's sports teams fortunes to those of Charlton. The Bears one of the two original NFL teams, have created a legacy in the game but equally compassion seems to be limited to those within the city walls.

Every neutral seems to be backing the Colts today, mainly because of the countries fondness for Peyton Manning, its 'legendary' but trophy-less quarterback with a famous family whereas the Bears novice but erratic young quarterback Rex Grossman just sparks condemnation from the media.

I've always loved an underdog and the Bears go into today's game with all and sundry expecting them to get well beaten, well about 3 million people in their homes and in it's bars in -23C temperatures back in Chicago expects differently as will those wearing orange and blue in Miami's Dolphin Stadium later, who will far outnumber their rival supporters.

No one gives them a chance but the city expects. Go Bears!

Photo above of one of lions outside Chicago's Art Institute