Defence! Defence!

American sport seems to be captivating the British imagination lately, whether it's the U.S. presidential election, or tonight's Super Bowl XLII.

Previously relegated to terrestrial Channel Five, which can only reach roughly 70 percent of the UK population, tonight's Super Bowl will air on BBC2, a dramatic indication of the extent of interest here. The BBC website has a helpful guide to the basics of American football, including talk about "Offence" and "Defence."

And there's a local angle; as the BBC has pointed out, two of the players "on the pitch" (that's the field to you Americans) were born British.

Of course here in Bath as in many other parts of the UK the sport is rugby, which many observers (myself included) consider to be more rough and gutsy than American football. Rugby is non-stop, in the dirt and mud, with no padding whatsoever; by comparison, NFL football players seem cosseted in their helmets and padding, with the frequent time-outs, clock stoppages and commercial breaks allowing them to catch their breath.

The one uniquely American innovation, and it's a good one: cheerleaders.

We Americans also like to start our sporting events with pageantry and patriotism -- hence the singing of the Star Spangled Banner (which celebrates the inability of the British to take Fort McHenry, and is sung to the tune of an old British drinking song) -- this year by Jordin Sparks, winner of the British-produced "American Idol".

Kick-off will be in a few minutes, at 11:30 p.m. UK time. As a native New Yorker, I'll be rooting for the Giants to win -- if I can manage to stay awake long enough to watch.

Super Bowl XLII -- best wishes from Britain for a cracking good match.