Texans take control

The Texans lead the Chiefs 17-0.

Let me type that again.

The Texans lead the Chiefs 17-0.

Defensive end Mario Williams recovered a fumble and scampered 38 yards to give the Texans a 17-0 lead in the third quarter. Williams has a sack, too.

Draft rankings

I just saw my first draft rankings and these, from USA Today, have the Dallas Cowboys with three stars and the New Orleans Saints with two.

I don't see that.

If the complaint against the Saints is taking a receiver when there were needs on defense, how do you explain the Cowboys taking a defensive end when they already had first-round picks DeMarcus Ware and Marcus Spears there?

Here is my thing, until Jerry Jones proves otherwise I am not giving the Cowboys the benefit of the doubt.

On the other hand, after watching what Sean Payton did with the Saints last year, I'll give him a second or third chance even if something goes wrong this year.

It's a holiday

So I'm in the drive through at Cane's today and see a sign on the window.

It seems the restaurant will be closing Sunday at 5:25 p.m. so the crew can watch the Super Bowl.

That's having your priorities right. You'd never believe that company was started by a guy with ties to SEC schools.

Good for Cane's. And good for the employees getting to watch the game. Maybe more companies will follow suit.

Can't win, can't lose

This will be an interesting Super Bowl for me.

You see, I've been a Chicago Bears fan since 1969. Maybe it's that whole Pooh bear thing when you're a little kid. But by the time they drafted Walter Payton in 1975, I was hooked for life. I had followed Payton's college career at Jackson State as a kid growing up in Chicago.

Eleven years later, Payton and the Bears won the Super Bowl in New Orleans against the New England Patriots. I was working in Opelousas at the time and drove to New Orleans that day. I figured I'd soak up some atmosphere and if I found a desperate scalper, I'm there.

There were no desperate scalpers.

There was only a guy asking for $1,500 for a ticket. I told the guy, "George Halas isn't going to see this game and neither am I.''

So why is this an interesting Super Bowl for me?

Because one of my friends from college, Craig Kelley, is the PR director for the Indianapolis Colts. We've been friends for 20-plus years. I once flew to Indy - this is pre-Peyton, pre-cool Colts - to visit him and watch a game. For 20 years I've been rooting for him to get a Super Bowl ring.

And now this. Now the Colts are playing the Bears.

I can't win. And I can't lose.

Come on NFL

Because of live television, we watched as Reggie Bush taunted Brian Urlacher during last Sunday's NFC Championship Game. We watched the Heisman winner from USC do a nifty flip into the end zone to punctuate his 88-yard touchdown catch.

What we didn't get to see as it happened was NFL big-wigs decide to fine Bush $5,000 for the finger-pointing gesutre A WEEK LATER.

Look, sportsmanship in all professional sports is down. Bush's decision -- while clearly not the smartest -- deserved a $5,000 fine like everyone needs another hole in their head.

The NFL blew this one. Reggie Bush learned his lesson immediately and, if he didn't, the 23-0 run Chicago went on after the score certainly taught him. If the NFL feels it needs to fine someone, there's an organization in southern Ohio that's probably near the record for most NFL players arrested in one calendar year. Go take some of its money.

SI jinx

Peyton Manning could probably do without this week's Sports Illustrated cover photo.

I know, I know, a lot of people don't believe in the SI cover jinx.

But if you are keeping score, last week's cover also had the photo of a quarterback. That would be Drew Brees of the Saints.

Oh yeah, his team lost to the Chicago Bears, 39-14 in the NFC Championship Game.

Guess Brees would have preferred a Rex Grossman cover.

NFL official: Reggie taunted

There has been much discussion about Reggie Bush's touchdown celebration/taunting in Sunday's game with the Chicago Bears.

Some in the media have suggested that since no penalty was called on Bush his antics weren't all that bad.

Well, well, well.

On NFL Network tonight, NFL vice president of officiating Mike Pereira reviewed Bush's touchdown.

Pereira had no problem with Bush's flip into the end zone. But Bush's pointing at the Bears defense was, in Pereira's words "direct taunting.'' Pereira also said Bush should have been flagged on the play and if a similar play happens in the Super Bowl, officials have been told to throw the flag.

So that should end the ridiculous argument that because there was no flag there was no harm.