As a Colts fan, sports fan, American and human being, I feel it is my duty to start off this volume with a Super Bowl column.

After all, how many sporting events can capture people’s interest on a yearly basis the way the Super Bowl does? Whether you watch it because you’re at a party, or because you’re that person that likes to gloat about watching the commercials but not the game (you know who you are), or you want to watch some rock stars way past their prime perform at halftime (this year it’s The Who), or you actually want to see the football game, chances are you’ll be watching this Sunday.

For those of you in the first three categories, you might want to check out the game taking place in between the side bets, drinking games, abortion ads and cringe-worthy ex-rockers.

Why?

For one thing, this year’s Super Bowl is finally doing what few championship games ever do: matching up the two best teams in the league. After near-perfect regular seasons and successful (if not dominant) postseasons, the Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints are indisputably (unless you’re a Vikings fans or Rex Ryan) the two best teams in the NFL, and no one can legitimately challenge them. The Saints won their first 13 games this season, more games than 30 teams won all season. The only team better was the Colts, who won their first 14 games before resting for their playoff run.

Also, these teams are fun. This won’t be a field position struggle where punters mean more than quarterbacks. This won’t be the 2008 Sun Bowl or Browns-Bills in 2009. Peyton Manning is well-known for his ability to make big plays in the passing game (see last week’s 377 passing yards against the NFL’s best defense.) Rookie receivers Austin Collie and Pierre Garçon have been added to Reggie Wayne and Dallas Clark to give the Colts a variety of weapons.

The Saints have even more potential for exciting plays. Drew Brees has as good of an arm as anyone in football, and he shows it off on a regular basis. Reggie Bush disappears for months on end, but when he does appear, it’s usually for an insane punt return, run or reception. Sean Payton is more willing to go for a crazy trick play than any coach in the league, and that won’t change just because it’s the playoffs (see the perfect flea-flicker against the Cardinals). If this isn’t enough for you, the Saints also have the most fun defense to watch. Why? Because they find a way to give up over 350 yards a game and look like the worst defense in football, and then Darren Sharper, Jabari Greer or Tracy Porter immediately return two interceptions for touchdowns and the Saints win.

If you aren’t in to the whole “good football” aspect of the game, there’s also the human interest story to give you something to root for. The Saints have been one of the worst franchises in sports for decades, even when they were led by Peyton’s dad, Archie Manning. Then, New Orleans got hit by Hurricane Katrina, one of the worst natural disasters in American history, and the Superdome changed from an athletic venue to a shelter for the newly homeless. Even if you’re the most cynical person in the world, the way the decimated city of New Orleans rallied around its football team and the Saints responded by making a dream run to the Super Bowl has to give you chills.

While the nation may be cheering for New Orleans, the oddsmakers favor the Colts, albeit by less than a touchdown. This might change based on the health of Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney, who could be the biggest difference maker on that side of the ball. The game could come down to protecting the quarterbacks. Robert Mathis and the aforementioned Freeney are always threats to any signal caller, while the Saints defensive coordinator has publicly stated his intentions for the Saints to hit Manning hard – even if they get penalized for it.

Whoever wins, it figures to be a back-and-forth battle with the best talent and biggest audience the Super Bowl has seen in years, and I can’t wait to watch it.