Congratulations to the New Orleans Saints, 2010 Super Bowl XLIV Champions!
I know all the players, coaches and management wanted to bring this championship home for the people of New Orleans and the state of Louisiana and rightfully so. With all they have endured over the last 5 years they deserve something to celebrate and what better than Super Bowl Champions! Something that has eluded the Saints since they came into the league 43 years ago.
1967 saw two major changes in the NFL. One the Big Easy got a shiny new football team and the other was the start of what is now one of the premiere championships in all of sports...the Super Bowl. With only 2 playoff wins in the 42 years before this one, the Saints and their fans have little to cheer for in the way of football but the fans always stuck with the team. They might have had bags over their heads but one thing is certain, those bag-heads LOVED DEM SAINTS! Having completed their mission of delivering the Lombardi Trophy to New Orleans I hope the organization realizes that they, the players, coaches and management, more than anyone else deserve that trophy. Enjoy it for yourselves as much as for the fans, you've all earned it every step of the way! Congratulations!
All I can say is I wish I was in the Big Easy for the game and the party that is ensuing as I type this. Who Dat!
Monday, February 8, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Super Bowl XLIV - New Orleans Saints vs Indianapolis Colts
Super Bowl XLIV - New Orleans Saints vs Indianapolis Colts
As I sit watching ESPN's glorious afternoon of Super Bowl XLIV pregame shows I can't help but notice just how little real "hype" is going on. I mean they're talking up the game, analyzing the match-ups and setting the stage for what could be one of the greatest games in Super Bowl history but there is no "hype". Nobody is trying to talk anyone into watching this game.
One might think that saying "the #1 team in the National Football League vs the #2 team for all the marbles" would tell any listener all they needed to know but if you've been a sports fan for any length of time you know that all too often the game does not live up to the hype. Injuries, one team not coming prepared, pressure of the big game, weather, so many things can affect a game and all too often, for whatever reason, the "big game" falls as flat as the team getting their butts handed to them. How many times have we seen what on paper lines up to be a great game only to have one team, not being a legitimate contender, either self-destruct or have their weaknesses exposed being undressed for the world to see? Can you say blowout? Not this time.
It's not often that the universe lines up like this where two teams that are so damn good meet at the end to settle once and for all, who the better team is. Never has a game been so close to being the "perfect game" in the history of the NFL. Not only is this #1 vs #2 but both teams could have gone undefeated this year, that would have made this the perfect game. It's a shame it didn't work out that way because that's about the only thing missing from the storyline of this match-up, everything else you could want is there.
The Saints offense scored over 500 points this season placing them in the #1 spot on the NFL's offensive standings list and while the Colts finished 9th on that list it's a very small difference between 1st and 9th. The numbers are very close in almost every category showing that both teams know how to put points on the board. Anyone who has paid attention during the regular season knows this. So why if N.O. finished ranked 1st why did the experts rank Indy's O #1 going into the playoffs?
When you consider who runs the ship for the Colts you have to come to the conclusion that Payton Manning and the Colts hold the advantage here. Payton has proven time and time again he knows how to learn what is going on with the defense, make the adjustments and score points. He's shown he knows how to handle the pressure and play the game at his speed. I don't think many people doubt if Payton Manning is able to make the late game drive to win the big one. We know he has what it takes but more importantly he and his teammates know they have what it takes. When you factor in Payton's patients and his ability to slow the game down I believe the Colts were capable of scoring more than the Saints if they needed to. This is why experts ranked the Colts offense as #1. Right now, Payton Manning is the Wayne Gretzky of football. He has the ability to see the play develop, see the whole field with peripheral vision and to understand what he is watching develop. Combine that with the physical abilities the man has and there is no doubt Manning could be the best ever. There may be better than Payton, only time will tell but his game is that good that with a win today he will be 2 rings into his quest to be the best NFL quaterback of all time.
Who Dat?
What about Drew Breeze and the Saints? Unless you're from Indy I fail to see how you could but help to love the New Orleans Saints. I mean come on, mother nature almost wipes the city from the face of the earth and as she rebuilds, beginning to rise from the ashes a hero emerges in the form of a football team who for the first time in the team's 43 year existence has a real chance to win it all. We all love an underdog and no matter how good you know dem saints are I think we all agree here New Orleans is the underdog. Even if you "know" they are the better team you also know the Colts are favored. At exactly 1 hour before kickoff the online gambling site bodog has the point spread as Saints +5, the moneyline is +160/-180 and the over/under is 57 1/2 total points. Most of the experts I've heard have picked the Colts. So are Breeze and dem Saints just doomed to run into the brick wall that will be the Colts?
A few games into the season I was talking football with a friend and I said "I think the Saints might be the real deal this year"...after 10 wins I said that to him again with a little more conviction. After watching every game this post season I'm convinced.
The New Orleans Saints are the real deal. These guys know how to execute. They know how to play with intensity. They know what their jobs are and they do them. Drew Breeze stands on the door step of greatness but unlike how some may see Payton Manning standing there alone, Breeze stands with the rest of his teammates. First the Saints know how to manage the run game. They know how to run. While the Colts showed some ability to move the ball on the ground during the playoffs when it comes down to it we all know where the ball will be when it's crunch time for the Colts. Not so with the Saints. Drew Breeze has the skills needed to enter the running for QB great. A win here today would be his first step on that path. But all the weight is NOT on his shoulders. The Saints averaged 132 y/gm rushing for over 2,100 yards. Averaging a respectable 4.5 yards/carry and scoring 21 TDs with the ground attack this year the Saints, and Drew Breeze if he's smart, knows he does not need to carry the team. The interesting thing here though is I believe Breeze CAN pilot this team to victory just like Manning. I think the real pressure is on Payton here and I can not wait to see how this game plays out.
As far as the defensive arguments and how "bad" both teams defenses were this year (Indy was ranked 18th and N.O. was 25th) goes I'd love to get into the match-ups here but kickoff looms so all I'll say is this. If you watched these two teams play this post season then you know both defenses know how to get serious and play ball. The words that come to mind to describe both teams defensive play this post season would be fast, hard-hitting, smart, aggressive, tenacious, pounding...the list goes on. Both teams know how to play defense and if both D's show up to play this is going to be one hell of a game. Both teams have the defense to win a game like this is might be a matter of who knows how to turn it on at the right time.
I think Super Bowl XLIV will end up going down as one of the epic games of all time. An epic battle for the ages.
As I sign off to take my favorite seat for kickoff I wish both teams the best of luck. I hope the game lives up to MY hype. Enjoy and don't forget to stop by and make comments after the game!
Twist
As I sit watching ESPN's glorious afternoon of Super Bowl XLIV pregame shows I can't help but notice just how little real "hype" is going on. I mean they're talking up the game, analyzing the match-ups and setting the stage for what could be one of the greatest games in Super Bowl history but there is no "hype". Nobody is trying to talk anyone into watching this game.
One might think that saying "the #1 team in the National Football League vs the #2 team for all the marbles" would tell any listener all they needed to know but if you've been a sports fan for any length of time you know that all too often the game does not live up to the hype. Injuries, one team not coming prepared, pressure of the big game, weather, so many things can affect a game and all too often, for whatever reason, the "big game" falls as flat as the team getting their butts handed to them. How many times have we seen what on paper lines up to be a great game only to have one team, not being a legitimate contender, either self-destruct or have their weaknesses exposed being undressed for the world to see? Can you say blowout? Not this time.
It's not often that the universe lines up like this where two teams that are so damn good meet at the end to settle once and for all, who the better team is. Never has a game been so close to being the "perfect game" in the history of the NFL. Not only is this #1 vs #2 but both teams could have gone undefeated this year, that would have made this the perfect game. It's a shame it didn't work out that way because that's about the only thing missing from the storyline of this match-up, everything else you could want is there.
The Saints offense scored over 500 points this season placing them in the #1 spot on the NFL's offensive standings list and while the Colts finished 9th on that list it's a very small difference between 1st and 9th. The numbers are very close in almost every category showing that both teams know how to put points on the board. Anyone who has paid attention during the regular season knows this. So why if N.O. finished ranked 1st why did the experts rank Indy's O #1 going into the playoffs?
When you consider who runs the ship for the Colts you have to come to the conclusion that Payton Manning and the Colts hold the advantage here. Payton has proven time and time again he knows how to learn what is going on with the defense, make the adjustments and score points. He's shown he knows how to handle the pressure and play the game at his speed. I don't think many people doubt if Payton Manning is able to make the late game drive to win the big one. We know he has what it takes but more importantly he and his teammates know they have what it takes. When you factor in Payton's patients and his ability to slow the game down I believe the Colts were capable of scoring more than the Saints if they needed to. This is why experts ranked the Colts offense as #1. Right now, Payton Manning is the Wayne Gretzky of football. He has the ability to see the play develop, see the whole field with peripheral vision and to understand what he is watching develop. Combine that with the physical abilities the man has and there is no doubt Manning could be the best ever. There may be better than Payton, only time will tell but his game is that good that with a win today he will be 2 rings into his quest to be the best NFL quaterback of all time.
Who Dat?
What about Drew Breeze and the Saints? Unless you're from Indy I fail to see how you could but help to love the New Orleans Saints. I mean come on, mother nature almost wipes the city from the face of the earth and as she rebuilds, beginning to rise from the ashes a hero emerges in the form of a football team who for the first time in the team's 43 year existence has a real chance to win it all. We all love an underdog and no matter how good you know dem saints are I think we all agree here New Orleans is the underdog. Even if you "know" they are the better team you also know the Colts are favored. At exactly 1 hour before kickoff the online gambling site bodog has the point spread as Saints +5, the moneyline is +160/-180 and the over/under is 57 1/2 total points. Most of the experts I've heard have picked the Colts. So are Breeze and dem Saints just doomed to run into the brick wall that will be the Colts?
A few games into the season I was talking football with a friend and I said "I think the Saints might be the real deal this year"...after 10 wins I said that to him again with a little more conviction. After watching every game this post season I'm convinced.
The New Orleans Saints are the real deal. These guys know how to execute. They know how to play with intensity. They know what their jobs are and they do them. Drew Breeze stands on the door step of greatness but unlike how some may see Payton Manning standing there alone, Breeze stands with the rest of his teammates. First the Saints know how to manage the run game. They know how to run. While the Colts showed some ability to move the ball on the ground during the playoffs when it comes down to it we all know where the ball will be when it's crunch time for the Colts. Not so with the Saints. Drew Breeze has the skills needed to enter the running for QB great. A win here today would be his first step on that path. But all the weight is NOT on his shoulders. The Saints averaged 132 y/gm rushing for over 2,100 yards. Averaging a respectable 4.5 yards/carry and scoring 21 TDs with the ground attack this year the Saints, and Drew Breeze if he's smart, knows he does not need to carry the team. The interesting thing here though is I believe Breeze CAN pilot this team to victory just like Manning. I think the real pressure is on Payton here and I can not wait to see how this game plays out.
As far as the defensive arguments and how "bad" both teams defenses were this year (Indy was ranked 18th and N.O. was 25th) goes I'd love to get into the match-ups here but kickoff looms so all I'll say is this. If you watched these two teams play this post season then you know both defenses know how to get serious and play ball. The words that come to mind to describe both teams defensive play this post season would be fast, hard-hitting, smart, aggressive, tenacious, pounding...the list goes on. Both teams know how to play defense and if both D's show up to play this is going to be one hell of a game. Both teams have the defense to win a game like this is might be a matter of who knows how to turn it on at the right time.
I think Super Bowl XLIV will end up going down as one of the epic games of all time. An epic battle for the ages.
As I sign off to take my favorite seat for kickoff I wish both teams the best of luck. I hope the game lives up to MY hype. Enjoy and don't forget to stop by and make comments after the game!
Twist
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