First media bus to the stadium leaves in 30 minutes, and I'll be on it. Will be checking in here periodically once I get there, so feel free to start sending in comments if you have something on your mind.
Sorry - should also have said, kick-off is at 6pm local time, 11pm UK.
Just arrived at Sun Life Stadium, looks like I'm sat in amongst the UK press corps in the south-west corner (behind the end zone painted in the Colts' colours). It's basically empty at the moment but on the drive up we saw a lot more Saints jerseys than Colts' ones.
Press lunch box (the NFL always provides a little lunch box) looks a little healthier this year - carrot sticks and an apple in place of the usual potato chips. There's still a chocolate fudge brownie, naturally.
I won't pull in anyone's Twitter feed until near kick-off unless asked by the way - the guardian.co.uk audience isn't interested in what you had for tea.
Well, some of might be ...
It's a bright and sunny day in Miami, in case anyone was wondering, so unless there's quite a drastic turn there won't be any repeat of the rain storms of three years ago. Fairly windy though, which could make the passing games interesting.
I already posted this below the line on the NFL Talkboard, but for those that missed it, here is my prediction for the game:
"Right, guess I better get on and make my prediction for tomorrow's game. I have changed my mind on this pick more than once over the course of the week, and to be honest I think that is how you would hope it to be in a game like this, where it's top seed against top seed.
The Saints have a lot going for them. Drew Brees had the best passer rating in the league and although the Saints running game is nothing to write home about, it isn't the worst in the league either. There are enough versatile options in that backfield to give the Colts headaches and regardless of whether Dwight Freeney plays on Sunday (I still suspect he will), there's no way he's going on every down. That is a big boost for a team like the Saints, who are willing to go to the air on pretty much any down and distance.
I also think I might take the Saints' defence over their Colts counterparts. Turnovers define play-off games, and the Saints have shown all through this postseason that they know how to cause them. If Gregg Williams really does plan to throw the kitchen sink at Peyton Manning he may well regret it, as we all know how good Manning is at dealing with blitzes, but I suspect he's probably going to be a little cuter with his packages than people think.
But when push comes to shove, it's just so hard to pick against a team that is yet to lose a game this season when its starters are all playing. Manning has shown incredible poise already in the play-off run, dismantling the New York Jets' No1-ranked defence with an almost unnaturally cool-headed display after his team had fallen 17-6 behind. Brees, on the other hand, looked to me like he might have let nerves get the better of him towards the end of the NFC Championship game, and needed a little help from his defence, Vikings mistakes, and penalties to get him over the line. My pick ...
Colts 27-21 Saints"
A sensible point from JingleBells there. I can delete anything from here, even if it has appeared from a Twitter feed so yes, I reserve the right to moderate everything.
Things that will get through moderation: Comments about the game, questions about the game, humorous irreverence, compliments for excellent live coverage.
Things that won't get through moderation: Libel, slander, defamation, humourless irreverence, any mention of Arsenal's defeat to Chelsea.
I'd say you've got a fair bit of company there Colm - Saints are the overwhelming choice of the neutral, but not many seem prepared to actually pick against Manning.
As political analyst James Carville put it the other day: "If you're not from Indianapolis and you're rooting against the Saints, there's something wrong with you. You're a flawed human being. I'm serious. There's only one reason to be against the Saints, and that's because everyone is for them and you want to be different. This country loves two things above everything else, and that's underdogs and comebacks." Admittedly he is from Louisiana
Still hardly any fans in here but they're running one of those NFL Films Story of the Play-offs films on the big screens, which is getting me fired up. The NFL really does know how to do that stuff better than anybody.
Live footage from the Tailgate party is next up on the big screen, so we're now watching a band called Daughtry do their thing. Nope, me neither.
@Alex - Honestly, I have no idea. I know the ratings are supposed to be up on Sky Sports this year for the regular season games, but exact numbers I don't have.
A fellow hack here has just been telling me that a friend of his came here without a ticket, and moments ago secured one from a tout for $800. That may not sound cheap, but in most recent years you would have been hard pressed to find one for less than $1,500 on the day, and last week they were going for a minimum of $1,600 on the NFL's official ticket exchange. Credit crunch, eh ?
Face value on said ticket was apparently $500.
@rjashton Certainly isn't. Then again, everyone could just do what New Orleans is doing and take Monday off:
www.nola.com@colmcanada - Having been at the game the last couple of years I've still not had the chance to see the BBC's coverage. I hear they do a pretty good job.
Something about being in this stadium makes me want to hear the Miami Dolphins song:
www.youtube.com@boris Fifa? Change?
@rjashton Sounds unlikely to me - but if anyone knows otherwise do say. They may have radio coverage?
@richthreeone - Yup, you beat me to it, Dwight Freeney will play. How many downs, and how effectively is a very different question, though - he had a noticeable limp right up to yesterday and I'd be stunned if he's 100%. That said, painkillers have come a long way ...
@vicardave Should do. Is it not?
Stadium is beginning to fill up a little bit and so far there are a surprising number of Colts shirts that I can see. That said it might just be that the Saints fans are just staying outside until the last minute to drink more beer.
@vicardave - Me too!
Americans aren't generally so big on chants, and when they do it's usually fairly basic ("Defence, defence, defence"). That said this is the first Saints game I've seen in the flesh and they are famous for their "Who Dat" chant ("Who dat? Who dat? Who dat say dey gonna beat dem Saints?").
Paolo_Bandini
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