DENVER - Super Bowl XLIV was the most-watched single program in U.S. television history, with over 106 million viewers. All 106 million saw one of the most enjoyable games in recent memory. There's a lot to touch on, so here we go!
First, the obvious: The New Orleans Saints are probably the most popular Super Bowl champions I can remember. They're a good bunch of guys, with a down to earth quarterback, playing for a city ravaged by natural disaster. How could you not cheer for them?
The sports geek in me is going to resist saying Sean Payton called a "good" or "great" game. In general, I don't like qualifying coaching decisions in terms of quality---good, super, fantastic, awful, bad, etc. The reason being is that a coach can call a play, and too often media members and fans react to the outcome. For example, if the Indianapolis Colts recovered the onside kick to start the second half, most would say Payton's decision was dumb, and that he took his team out of the game by doing that. That didn't happen, obviously, and hence the play-calling was superb!
Coaching decisions, to me, are defined by adjectives of daring: conservative, wild, gutsy, cowardly, etc. Payton called a gutsy, aggressive game. He needed to. His team went out and executed those plays spectacularly. Congratulations to Payton (not Peyton), and his team for both doing their jobs exceedingly well.
It's weird to have the black and gold fleur-de-lis be a symbol of victory. When I was younger (actually, when ANYONE over the age of 10 was younger) the Saints were the Aints, and a game against them was penciled in as a W from the time it was first put on the schedule.
I don't think Peyton Manning's legacy is tarnished by this loss. After all, who HASN'T failed at some important juncture of their career? Tom Brady didn't win Super Bowl XLII, Joe Montana got crunched by the Giants (twice) in the NFC Championship, and Johnny Unitas and the Colts lost to the upstart Jets. It happens, we're human. Failure at some point is inevitable.
I thought The Who did a decent job at halftime. They weren't spectacular, but remember, they've been wailing for 40 years now. There's probably millions of Gen-Yers out there still asking "who were those old dudes?" Hopefully, you youngsters will YouTube or Wikipedia the band. They were part of the single greatest pop culture musical movement EVER. The British Invasion. It blew the top off soda-pop rock, and shaped an entire generation that endured the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War and the assassinations of JFK, MLK, and RFK.
You can't say that about Lady Gaga.
I have to credit CBS for doing a sensational job of crafting a David vs. Goliath feel to this game. The New Orleans Saints were the best team in the NFC all season long, yet by the time the game kicked off, I thought they were nothing more than a scrappy bunch of kids from the sandlot armed only with a slingshot, going against a crazed herd of elephants. Weird.
Final thought: This is going to be a game that lingers in the consciousness of sports fans. Yes, the Steelers win in XLIII was exciting, but thisÂ…this game was deeper. It was about overcoming obstacles, believing in those around you, and lifting up the masses through the power of sport. I'm glad the Saints won. I just wish I were in New Orleans right now to help celebrate.
First, the obvious: The New Orleans Saints are probably the most popular Super Bowl champions I can remember. They're a good bunch of guys, with a down to earth quarterback, playing for a city ravaged by natural disaster. How could you not cheer for them?
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What was your favorite Super Bowl commercial?
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Snickers (Betty White) (407 responses)
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E-Trade (Baby on plane) (101 responses)
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Doritos (Boy slaps man) (423 responses)
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Hyundai (Brett Favre) (83 responses)
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The Late Show (Oprah, Letterman & Leno) (161 responses)
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Other (244 responses)
1419 total responses
(Results not scientific)
This poll is closed to voting.
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Coaching decisions, to me, are defined by adjectives of daring: conservative, wild, gutsy, cowardly, etc. Payton called a gutsy, aggressive game. He needed to. His team went out and executed those plays spectacularly. Congratulations to Payton (not Peyton), and his team for both doing their jobs exceedingly well.
It's weird to have the black and gold fleur-de-lis be a symbol of victory. When I was younger (actually, when ANYONE over the age of 10 was younger) the Saints were the Aints, and a game against them was penciled in as a W from the time it was first put on the schedule.
I don't think Peyton Manning's legacy is tarnished by this loss. After all, who HASN'T failed at some important juncture of their career? Tom Brady didn't win Super Bowl XLII, Joe Montana got crunched by the Giants (twice) in the NFC Championship, and Johnny Unitas and the Colts lost to the upstart Jets. It happens, we're human. Failure at some point is inevitable.
I thought The Who did a decent job at halftime. They weren't spectacular, but remember, they've been wailing for 40 years now. There's probably millions of Gen-Yers out there still asking "who were those old dudes?" Hopefully, you youngsters will YouTube or Wikipedia the band. They were part of the single greatest pop culture musical movement EVER. The British Invasion. It blew the top off soda-pop rock, and shaped an entire generation that endured the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War and the assassinations of JFK, MLK, and RFK.
You can't say that about Lady Gaga.
I have to credit CBS for doing a sensational job of crafting a David vs. Goliath feel to this game. The New Orleans Saints were the best team in the NFC all season long, yet by the time the game kicked off, I thought they were nothing more than a scrappy bunch of kids from the sandlot armed only with a slingshot, going against a crazed herd of elephants. Weird.
Final thought: This is going to be a game that lingers in the consciousness of sports fans. Yes, the Steelers win in XLIII was exciting, but thisÂ…this game was deeper. It was about overcoming obstacles, believing in those around you, and lifting up the masses through the power of sport. I'm glad the Saints won. I just wish I were in New Orleans right now to help celebrate.
