Steve Tilford

I’m in Seattle today, Superbowl Sunday. I’m not a crazy football fan. I can hardly name a player on either team, the Seahawks or Patriots. But the Superbowl is a different football game. Especially if you happen to be in Seattle on the day it is being played.

This town is Superbowl crazy. Everywhere, everyone is nuts about the game today. Beyond what I could have imaged.

Normally, in Topeka, we go out for a good ride today. For some reason, we’ve had pretty good weather on Superbowl Sunday historically. So, we get in a good ride, then meet up at someone’s house and get together to watch the game and eat. That is what the Superbowl is really about I think . Getting together with friends, eating, watching the special commercials, and finally the game.

That’s not the order here, though. It’s the game, then the game, and finally the game.

I’m still going out for a long ride hopefully. Then am going to come back and get warm and watch the game. Trudi is a crazy sports fan and she’s gonna be glued to the game. I doubt we’ll go out and watch it in the mayhem of Seattle, but you never know.

I guess Pioneer Square is going to be nuts tonight if the Seahawks win today. I’d probably wander over there to check it out if that is the case. I like people watching.

This is a photo that Keith Walberg took of the Space Needle a couple days ago.

Waiting for luggage last night, everyone is dressed in Seahawk colors.

Even the Walberg’s door flies the 12th man logo.

I saw these guys at luggage claim while waiting for my bike. They are all here trying out for the Seattle Symphony. I talked to one of them and he said he thought about 150 guys were coming to try out for one slot. Wow. Must be a good symphony.

This is Inky, who I’m house sitting for. She is a little shy right now, but we get along good.

This was a big weekend, all around, for sports. First, the Cyclocross World Championships. And then the Superbowl.

I love watching cross, even if it has to be just on the internet. They do a pretty great job of getting the cameras situated around the course so you can see all the action.

The Elite race was pretty predictable. I picked the top three, in the correct order. It wasn’t that hard. But, I do believe Wout Van Aert when he said he had the legs to compete for the win. He had a bunch of bad luck and maybe rushed it a bit trying to get back up to the front.

I’m not sure about having barriers that you can bunny hop. I thought part of the sport was mandatory dismounts. Mathieu van der Poel won the race, not because he could jump the barriers, but it did allow him some breathing room where he could ride the rest of the course within himself.

The women’s race was super exciting. I didn’t pick the podium in that race. I got two out of three, but not in the correct order. I figured Marianne Vos would just do what she does and smear everyone. Maybe a little too slick for her, I don’t know. Maybe her hamstring being hurt?

Anyway, Pauline Ferrand Prevot was a deserving winner. It is funny how the reining World Champion on the road, in women’s racing, can double up and win the Cyclocross Worlds. It isn’t that uncommon with Marianne Vos doing it a few times too. That would be a real exception for the men. Maybe Stybar? Or Van Der Poel when he gets older? Pascal Richard, a Swiss rider I road with a whole season when I was living in Switzerland, won Cyclocross Worlds and the Olympic Games in Atlanta. That was a good doubling up. Not in the same year, though.

Now, the Superbowl. I’ve already stated that I’m not a huge football fan. But, come on, that play calling by Seattle on the goal line was regoddamndiculous. They had 3 more downs to run it, what, 2 yards, with the maybe the best running back in the NFL, Marshawn Lynch . What was that all about?

I didn’t have any favorite, but I guess I was for Seattle since I’m in Seattle and there would have been some craziness on the streets. I’m not sure Seattle deserved to be on the goal line. That catch by Kearse was pretty lucky, so in reality, it should have been 4th and long instead of 1st and goal.

Walking around downtown Seattle last night, after the game, it was a morgue. Really a lot of pretty unhappy drunk people. This town is super depressed, rightfully so. They had that game won and blew it. For football, that was a pretty good sporting event to watch.

It is supposed to rain the whole next week here in Seattle. It is raining pretty hard right now. I took Trudi around yesterday for a couple hours, just touring the city. It was wet, but not really raining. I think it usually clears for a few hours sometime during the day. Today it looks like it might be okay after 1 pm.

It is still sketchy riding around here. Lots of paint on the roads. Manhole covers, remnants of leaves. That isn’t even taking into consideration the cars, pedestrians and other cyclist. If I lived here, I would be falling all the time for sure. Hopefully I can manage to be safe the next few days.