Dimanche Gras

Well, here we are, less than 60 minutes from kickoff. Some years, the Super Bowl is just a game, but not only is the home team participating this year, they have a chance to . . . no, let's not talk about that.

Anyway, I was assuming that it's a rarity for Super Bowl Sunday to fall just before Ash Wednesday, but it turns out it's happened as recently as 2005. I believe that's the only other time it's ever happened, since all pre-2004 games were in January, but it seems appropriate; I don't anticipate any big Mardi Gras blowout this Tuesday (unless not bothering to vote in the primaries counts as wild), so the game makes a good excuse for indulging in excess. (Wings? check. Whole Foods guacamole? Check. Chips? Check. Beer? Czech.) It's doubly appropriate for me because I'm intending to give up sports for Lent again this year . . . I think. Actually, giving up sports radio, ESPN.com, and other such temptations won't be as difficult this year because the early Easter means the March Madness tournament will only have just gotten started when I resurface. So, I'm also thinking of giving up donuts. Now that will be tough.

Win or lose tonight, I'm also planning to embark on a semi-regular exercise plan starting tomorrow, so there's a chance I'll be a much healthier person come March 23 - and that I'll rebuild the kind of good music listening habits (absent sports radio) I built last Winter and slowly allowed to erode afterwards. Hey, it was a tough year to stay away from sports with the Sox winning the Series and the Patriots flirting with . . . Whoops, no more about that.

Game time! (And of course, by the time most read this, you'll know whether or not I'm euphoric or miserable. You can check here, if you're somehow not sure.)

[UPDATE: I think I'll be starting my Lenten discipline early this year. No sports until Easter. Congrats to Giants' fans.]