You and I will be watching the big game this Sunday between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants to see who will win Super Bowl XLII.

Wabash alumnus Mark Miles ’76 will be watching everything but the game.

Miles (right) has been selected by Indianapolis mayor Greg Ballard to chair a group that will decide whether the city has everything in place to bid for the 2012 event. Indianapolis and Dallas were both finalists for the 2011 Super Bowl before Dallas was selected by the NFL as the host city.

The 1999 Wabash Athletics Hall of Fame inductee is no stranger to big events. Miles was instrumental in bringing the Pan American Games to Indy in 1987 as the president of the organizing committee. The former Little Giant tennis player and political science major served as CEO of the Association of Tennis Professionals, the men's professional tennis players' association, for 15 years. Miles is currently the President and CE of the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, Inc.

So how daunting of a task would it be to host a Super Bowl? Having attended Super Bowl XLI when the Colts defeated the Chicago Bears, I can tell you there are a lot of items to take care of behind the seasons. Everything from fan activities that take place in areas surrounding the stadium to parties, parking, and now a concert the night before the game has to be planned, organized, and pulled off without a hitch. That doesn't even take into account the "unofficial" parties that would take place in nearly hotel in the downtown area. Those parties (I could have attended two last year for the mere price of $2,500 per event!) feature the top names in the entertainment industry, all in town to see and be seen at the big event.

Miles spoke to Inside Indiana Business about some of the items the NFL requires of any city planning to host the Super Bowl.

Then there's the game itself, with media day, team events, and practices all leading up to the final event. And don't forget the halftime show (I'm sure the FCC still remembers a certain Janet Jackson appearance).

As if that's not enough to put on your plate, there's also the transportation issues. As someone who got to spend an extra day in Miami last year (normally not a bad thing, but do you remember what the weather was like at Super Bowl XLI? It wasn't much better Monday!), those are the seemingly little things that Miles and his group will certainly be analyzing when they arrive in Glendale, Arizona this week.

All in all, the Super Bowl seemed to me like jamming five or six NCAA basketball Final Fours into one weekend (and trust me, I've worked more than my fair share of Final Fours at the RCA Dome, so I know the planning that goes into that event!).

Indianapolis is certainly capable of pulling this off, particularly with someone like Miles at the helm of the group. His efforts to bring the Pan-Am games to Indy paved the way for the sports successes the city has enjoyed since that time.

Enjoy the game this weekend. Root for your favorite team (or against the Patriots, if you're a big-time Colts or Manning family fan). Just remember, while you're watching all the fun, Mark Miles will be filling another page in his new notebook with yet another item to plan for if Indianapolis will submit a bid for the 2012 game before the April 1 deadline.

Photos - (Middle right) Pete Metzelaars '82 earned four AFC Championship rings as a member of the Buffalo Bills before getting a Super Bowl ring as part of the Colts staff.

(Bottom left) Maybe the way I watch every Colts home game as a statistician for the team will be the same way I view Super Bowl 2012 if the game comes to Indianapolis.