Superbowl Monday in Kuta Bali

Typing this article, its still Sunday here in Bali. In just over 12 hours from now, the Chicago Bears and the Indianapolis Colts, will take the field in Miami to contest Superbowl XLI.

Why do I care? After 13 years in the US, I have become accustomed to certain things such as large portions, Thanksgiving and Superbowl Sunday. The time difference means the game will be played at 7am Bali time, Monday morning.

Who’s gonna win? If you are a gambler, you’d take the Colts, but anything could happen on the day.

Who do I want to win? I’ll take the Bears, because I know that city will go nuts if they pull it off.

Places to watch the game in Bali? I’ll be at Double D on Jl. Legian, in Legian. This is a 24 hour sports bar, with a decent menu. They have large screens upstair and downstairs. Stadium Cafe in Tuban will have it, although they are not open at 7am.

What to look out for if you’ve never watched the sport before. With 4 ‘downs’ (attempts) to make 10 yards with the ball, by running or throwing, each team tries to get all the way to the end (touchdown). In practice, teams usually play it safe on 1st down by runnig with the ball. 2nd and 3rd down can be either, but if the 10 yards haven’t been made by 3rd down, 4th down will usually be reserved for a punt (kicking the ball away downfield). When scores are close and one team is just inches from making the 10 yards on 3rd down, sometimes the coach will gamble and go for it on 4th. This is nail-biting stuff and watching the dropped balls (fumbles), long passes and moments of genius, make this an exciting sport.

Double D is located to the huge Star Surf outlet in Legian.