Chicago, IL - Not since the days of Walter Payton, Jim McMahon, Mike Singletary, and William "The Refrigerator" Perry have the Chicago Bears experienced the glory of the Big Dance. Their defense is the best in the league and they've got one more obstacle to tackle.

The Chicago Bears defeated the New Orleans Saints 39 - 14 making Lovie Smith the first African-American to take an NFL team to the Superbowl. Though he's the lowest paid coach in the NFL, Smith was the first to punch his ticket to Superbowl XLI. The Bears trip to Miami on February 4 is a guaranteed pay raise and contract extension for the 2005 NFL Coach of the Year.

"Our players have played extremely hard all year and we had one thing in mind.", said Smith during a postgame interview.

When asked how he feels being the first African-American to coach in a Superbowl, Smith stated: "It's hard to say, but we've been blessed. I thank the guys for getting us in the position to get it done."

Not to be outdone, Indianapolis head coach Tony Dungy engineered an amazing 4th quarter comeback to thrust his team into a Superbowl showdown with the Bears. After numerous postseason defeats at the hands of the New England Patriots, the Colts have finally exorcised their demons, securing the appearances of two Black coaches in the Superbowl.

Frigid temperatures and a ragged field wasn't enough to stifle the Chicago Bears defense as they forced four turnovers and dismantled the potent New Orleans offense in the NFC Championship game.

Peyton Manning carried the Colts with 32 second half points while linebacker Marlon Jackson sealed the deal with an interception of a short Tom Brady pass with 14 seconds left in the game.

Chicago running Back Thomas Jones gained 123 yards on 19 carries and scored two touchdowns while linebacker Brian Urlacher made several bone-crushing hits to keep New Orleans' offense on its heels all game. More importantly, Chicago did not commit any turnovers during the entire game.

Lost in all the Chicago splendor sits the remarkable season by the New Orleans Saints. After spending all of the 2005-2006 season in last place, and not playing a single game at the Superdome due to Hurricane Katrina, the Saints had the best offense in the league. First year running back Reggie Bush startled fans all season with blazing runs, and more of that is in store for next season.

This year's Superbowl will be one for the ages and has already cemented a spot in history as the first Superbowl to host two African-American coached teams.

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