It’s the Super Bowl for city leaders.

This month — which only comes every four years — is the time when more people tune into the actions of municipal government than any other time.

And the leaders fumbled. Or maybe that’s too light. Maybe it’s more appropriate to say that city leaders got caught landing that targeted, violent hit or throwing the game for money.

Whatever analogy you choose, they looked bad, and we were all watching.

A number of better plans for dealing with the hire of a police chief could certainly have been in the playbook. It could have been dealt with prior to the month before elections. It could have been delayed until after elections altogether.

Instead, a move by several aldermen to take an unexpected vote to make a hire that ended with the mayor’s tie-breaking voice looked fishy.

Tuesday’s actions on all sides reeked not of what is best for the city, but of power plays and personal interests.

The board and the mayor had the opportunity to make a strong decision — one way or the other — and offer supporting evidence for their move.

They did neither, and everyone looked bad.

At this point, the hiring of a police chief needs to wait until after the election. And anyone hoping to win not only a few votes but a bit of respect would be wise to make sure that happens.