Well, it's all over now.

Will Peyton Manning finally win the Super Bowl?  Will Rex Grossman manage NOT to lose the Super Bowl?  Will Devin Hester be the X-factor in the game? Will the coin flip be Heads or Tails?

All these questions (and more) were answered tonight as the Colts outlasted the Bears 29-17 in soggy Miami.  Sure, the game was sloppy.  Sure, I didn't care who won the game.  Sure, I was watching another Super Bowl without my Jets on the field, but I couldn't help feeling a bit depressed after tonight's game.

Because I am now entering The Dead Zone in sports.

Oh sure, Spring Training is only a few weeks away, but the Boys of Summer are still two months from lacing the spikes up for real.  Yes, I will read every Spring Training report about the Yanks - updates ranging from Pavano's butt to Torre's lineup decisions, but it's still not enough.

I envy basketball and hockey fans (all 8 of them) who are either rooting for their teams to win games or win more ping-pong balls.

For the past two weeks I was sick of hearing about Grossman and Manning.  About Dungy and Lovie.  About the Bears and Colts.  Now, there's a great big void.  A void that won't be filled until early April.  And with the wind chill hovering around -15 degrees tonight in New Jersey, April seems like a million years away.

Oh, well.  I guess I could always watch the Pro Bowl next week.