D-backs prospect excited for Super Bowl

PHOENIX -- Considering he was born in Fort Wayne, Ind., it should come as no surprise that Jarrod Parker will be rooting hard for the Colts to beat the Saints in Super Bowl XLIV this weekend.

"Growing up, my grandpa and my dad were Bears fans and I couldn't see myself doing that," said Parker, Arizona's No. 1 pick (ninth overall) in the 2007 First-Year Player Draft. "When I was younger I thought the Buccaneers had sweet jerseys so I liked them, but then I became a Colts fan."

And he hasn't looked back.

Parker's older brother, Justin, who is also a D-backs Minor Leaguer, is flying to Tucson, Ariz., to join Jarrod for this weekend's game. The brothers will watch the game with Marc Krauss, who was drafted last year by the D-backs. Krauss and Jarrod have been rehabbing injuries at the team's Minor League complex and Justin plans to join their workouts to get a head start on Spring Training.

Hopefully Justin's bags are not lost by the airline because they contain some important cargo.

"He's brining my jersey," Parker said referring to his No. 18 road Peyton Manning jersey. "So I'll be all set. I do need to upgrade it at some point though."

The last time the Colts were in the Super Bowl was in 2007 when they beat the Bears, 29-17, in a game played in Miami, site of this year's game as well. That year Jarrod, who was in high school, watched the game at a friend's house on a projection TV.

"That was a good Super Bowl with that opening kickoff and then it got a little crazy there with the weather," Parker said. "This is the Super Bowl that everybody wanted to see when both teams were undefeated and we're getting it so you can't complain about that."

Indiana has just two teams in major sports leagues -- the Colts and the NBA's Pacers, but there is a big difference in the size of the following each has in the state.

"It's the big professional team," Parker said of the Colts. "The Pacers are kind of up-and-down and ever since the late '90s/early 2000s it's pretty much become all Colts country. It's a great organization. It's unreal how many guys they get that are undrafted or drafted late that turn into Pro Bowl guys. The way they do their scouting is impressive."

The Colts were on pace for an undefeated regular season, winning their first 14 games before they began resting their starting players. Indianapolis wound up losing its last two regular-season games.

It was a decision that drew criticism from a large part of their fan base, including the fans located in the Parker household.

"I didn't even watch the last two games after they took their starters out because I was upset about it," Parker said. "But then I thought about it and realized it was for the best and guys were getting healthy and the championship means more than the regular season and the fans and players have to kind of sit back and realize that."

While Parker considers himself a big fan, he can't hold a candle to the intensity that Justin brings to the table.

"It's going to be sweet to have him here," Parker said. "And he'll probably go crazy just screaming at the TV all game. He's probably twice the Colts fan that I am. Man, he goes nuts. My mom doesn't even sit downstairs when the game is on because she can't handle him yelling and going crazy. She goes up to her room and watches the game. I'm an intense fan, but I don't scream and yell and go nuts, but I do get into it."

Like most Colts fans, Parker has been monitoring the reports on defensive end Dwight Freeney's injured right ankle.

"I'm worried, but the thing I've been thinking about is it could slow down the Saints running game because with Freeney being out I think the Colts will play more of a run defense," Parker said.

With or without Freeney being able to play, Parker is predicting a Colts victory.

"I think it will be either really high scoring, or the weather will take over and no one will be scoring like expected," he said. "I feel like the Colts are going to win, 30-27. They've had a real good playoffs so far. The whole NFL has been fun to watch during the playoffs."