The Front Row with MARK NELKE Feb. 5, 2012

Down on the field in Indianapolis hours before today's Super Bowl between the New York Giants and New England, musicians preparing for the pre-game concert suddenly break into a "Dueling Banjos" jam. If you listen closely, the alternating solos sound like "Eli's Coming" and the theme from "The Brady Bunch."

Upstairs in a luxury box, Peyton Manning fields another question about his neck and the future of the Colts. Just outside the luxury box, coaches from several NFL teams who could use an upgrade at quarterback just happen to be milling around.

THE GAME is stopped momentarily in the first half while New England coach Bill Belichick is honored - again - as a genius. Seems that earlier in the week, Belichick brought his team into the locker room halfway through a practice session and holed them up for 31 minutes, so they could get a feel for the length of the extended Super Bowl halftime.

Convinced that no coach from the previous 45 Super Bowls could have thought of such an ingenious thing to do, NFL officials award Belichick with a Genius Certificate. He smiles briefly, gives a quick, but sheepish, wave to the crowd from under his cut-off hoodie, and play continues.

PATRIOTS TIGHT end Rob Gronkowski, whose high ankle sprain received more attention leading up to the game than the actual game itself, shines in the first half, catching two touchdown passes and staking the Pats to a 14-3 lead.

But in leaving the field at halftime, he is pursued by 200 dachshunds running onto the field as part of the halftime show. In trying to avoid the little wiener dogs, Gronkowski steps wrong and re-aggravates the injury, and is unable to play in the second half.

The reason for all those adorable dachshunds on the field? The organizer of the show had originally called for 200 oxen, but due to a bad cell phone connection ...

SPEAKING OF the halftime show, Madonna calls in sick at the last minute, and is replaced by David Gates and Bread. After a rousing finale of “Everything I Own,” an ode to his late father, the second half is delayed while everyone finishes crying.

ON THE sidelines late in the second half, a Giants teammate slaps a piece of slightly chewed gum on top of wide receiver Victor Cruz’s helmet as a practical joke. Moments later, Cruz runs onto the field for a key third down play. Quarterback Eli Manning is nearly sacked, but escapes and heaves a long pass downfield.

Surrounded by Pats defenders, Cruz reaches up and catches the ball with his sticky gloves, the ball also resting against the top of his suddenly sticky helmet. He falls backwards to the ground, the ball coming oh-so-close to touching the artificial turf, which would have rendered the pass incomplete.

The game is delayed — ironically, for 31 minutes — while officials review the play. Finally, it is ruled a catch.

Moments later, Manning finds Hakeem Nicks open in the corner of the end zone for a touchdown pass in the closing seconds, and the Giants go on to win 17-14.

On the sidelines, honorary Giants captains David Tyree and Plaxico Burress share a smile.

Confetti falls from the rafters of Lucas Oil Stadium after the game, as the Giants celebrate on the field.

Part of the confetti, as it turns out, is from Bill Belichick’s Genius Certificate, which he tears up and tosses the remaining pieces in the air as he strides off the field.

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter at CdAPressSports.