This article was originally published in the Volume 6 - Issue 7 edition of the Cardinal Courier on January 24, 2007 and also appears on the Cardinal Courier website.
As soon as my beloved Buffalo Bills were officially eliminated from playoff contention, I started to root for the New Orleans Saints to win the NFL’s ultimate prize. The main reason I rooted for the Saints wasn’t because of the potential triumph of a city that was ravished by Hurricane Katrina. Sure, I loved the idea of this recent edition of “America’s Team” winning the Vince Lombardi trophy and causing celebrations worthy of Bourbon Street. Of course, the Saints promptly joined the Bills on the list of teams claiming next year to be “their year.”
But the main reason why I wanted to see the Saints win was simply: because they were fun to watch. This fun factor has been sorely lacking in a majority of past Super Bowls, especially last year’s Steelers-Seahawks contest. That game was as fun to watch as those hideous varicose veins commercials. Matter of fact, this will be the 41st Super Bowl and out of the first 40 only a handful of them have even been remotely close.
This year’s Super Bowl has potential to be a great game. How’s this for a match up: Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts’ high-octane offense (an offense that is this decade’s version of the Bills K-Gun in the early 90s) versus a furious, speedy Chicago Bears defense. I like the sound of that, but still the game still could end up a dud like so many other Super Bowls with great potential have.
What we need for this years Super Bowl is something crazy. Dare I say something that can even compare to the Boise State-Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl? That game was ten times as exciting to root for as any of the Super Bowls. Plus it had your classic underdog/good guys team (Boise State) versus the big time program/villains (Oklahoma). And a wedding proposal to the head cheerleader at the end was a bonus side plot that we would never see in the Super Bowl. We don’t even get to hear the game’s MVP proclaim he’s going to Disney World anymore.
The NFL equivalent would be Peyton Manning throwing the winning touchdown pass then proposing to (you're my boy) Blue, the Colts horse inspired mascot or J.P. Losman winning Super Bowl MVP (in 2008) and proclaiming that he’s buying everyone in Buffalo a round of drinks on Chippewa Street. This is the kind of excitement we need. Hopefully Chicago and Indianapolis can deliver.
Of course, the Colts-Patriots AFC Championship game thriller is certainly going to be hard to top too. That game can proudly join the ranks of the Boise State-Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl.
And while I’m on the subject of Colts and Patriots, is it just me or does the recent vintage of these teams have some striking similarities to the 2000-2004 Yankees and Red Sox. With the Patriots playing the role of the Yankees and the Colts taking the Red Sox bridesmaid position. Both the embattled Colts and Sox lost twice in the playoffs to the superior Champions with their clutch stars (Jeter and Brady) before ripping off an improbable comeback to stun the sporting world. Of course, the Colts could blow the entire analogy by losing the Super Bowl; we’ll just have to see.
But that’s for another column anyway.
I guess this just goes to show that the real reason Super Sunday is one of the biggest party days of the year isn’t the game itself. Instead it’s all the hoopla that surrounds the game including the ambush of “trying too hard to be clever” commercials, a 36-hour pre-game show with Joe Buck talking about everything including how footballs are made and why Bill Belichick wears those goofy cut-off hooded sweatshirts. Speaking of which, I declare that we pass a new man law: one that outlaws any guy from wearing that kind of wardrobe in public (Get on this Miller Lite!). Even Prince is stopping by Miami for the halftime show, which will hopefully be an entertaining show and not just the symbol formerly known as good music.
And guess what, I’m fine with all of this, because even if the game isn’t fun itself you can still have fun on that one special Sunday (and no, not just by getting tanked on cheap beer).
So here’s a hoping it’s a good game. Maybe the NFL will even allow Boise State coach Chris Petersen to call the plays. That would certainly help put the “Super” back into the football’s premier bowl game. And if not, you can always change the channel to The Surreal Life marathon on the CW.
But the main reason why I wanted to see the Saints win was simply: because they were fun to watch. This fun factor has been sorely lacking in a majority of past Super Bowls, especially last year’s Steelers-Seahawks contest. That game was as fun to watch as those hideous varicose veins commercials. Matter of fact, this will be the 41st Super Bowl and out of the first 40 only a handful of them have even been remotely close.
This year’s Super Bowl has potential to be a great game. How’s this for a match up: Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts’ high-octane offense (an offense that is this decade’s version of the Bills K-Gun in the early 90s) versus a furious, speedy Chicago Bears defense. I like the sound of that, but still the game still could end up a dud like so many other Super Bowls with great potential have.
What we need for this years Super Bowl is something crazy. Dare I say something that can even compare to the Boise State-Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl? That game was ten times as exciting to root for as any of the Super Bowls. Plus it had your classic underdog/good guys team (Boise State) versus the big time program/villains (Oklahoma). And a wedding proposal to the head cheerleader at the end was a bonus side plot that we would never see in the Super Bowl. We don’t even get to hear the game’s MVP proclaim he’s going to Disney World anymore.
The NFL equivalent would be Peyton Manning throwing the winning touchdown pass then proposing to (you're my boy) Blue, the Colts horse inspired mascot or J.P. Losman winning Super Bowl MVP (in 2008) and proclaiming that he’s buying everyone in Buffalo a round of drinks on Chippewa Street. This is the kind of excitement we need. Hopefully Chicago and Indianapolis can deliver.
Of course, the Colts-Patriots AFC Championship game thriller is certainly going to be hard to top too. That game can proudly join the ranks of the Boise State-Oklahoma Fiesta Bowl.
And while I’m on the subject of Colts and Patriots, is it just me or does the recent vintage of these teams have some striking similarities to the 2000-2004 Yankees and Red Sox. With the Patriots playing the role of the Yankees and the Colts taking the Red Sox bridesmaid position. Both the embattled Colts and Sox lost twice in the playoffs to the superior Champions with their clutch stars (Jeter and Brady) before ripping off an improbable comeback to stun the sporting world. Of course, the Colts could blow the entire analogy by losing the Super Bowl; we’ll just have to see.
But that’s for another column anyway.
I guess this just goes to show that the real reason Super Sunday is one of the biggest party days of the year isn’t the game itself. Instead it’s all the hoopla that surrounds the game including the ambush of “trying too hard to be clever” commercials, a 36-hour pre-game show with Joe Buck talking about everything including how footballs are made and why Bill Belichick wears those goofy cut-off hooded sweatshirts. Speaking of which, I declare that we pass a new man law: one that outlaws any guy from wearing that kind of wardrobe in public (Get on this Miller Lite!). Even Prince is stopping by Miami for the halftime show, which will hopefully be an entertaining show and not just the symbol formerly known as good music.
And guess what, I’m fine with all of this, because even if the game isn’t fun itself you can still have fun on that one special Sunday (and no, not just by getting tanked on cheap beer).
So here’s a hoping it’s a good game. Maybe the NFL will even allow Boise State coach Chris Petersen to call the plays. That would certainly help put the “Super” back into the football’s premier bowl game. And if not, you can always change the channel to The Surreal Life marathon on the CW.
