Closing Thoughts on Super Bowl XLIV
By Scott Burks
The 2009 NFL
season has officially come to a close. Before I shed some tears over a
Starbucks latte, here are my thoughts on what transpired in the Super
Bowl...
I told you
so!!!!!
Read it and weep!!!
Drew Brees is
officially in the "great quarterbacks" conversation. Brees' play
was outstanding. He tied former Giants QB Phil Simms for the most
completions in a Super Bowl, while missing on ONLY FOUR attempts. He
didn't throw for the most yards, but we clearly more effective than Peyton
Manning. This had to be more vindicating for Brees than gratifying.
After being discarded by the San Diego Chargers for Phillip Rivers, Brees'
Super Bowl win (and MVP honors) showed that passers who are barely 6' tall
can match up with the "big boys". I bet Chargers GM A.J. Smith is
cussing a blue streak as I type...
This loss
brings Peyton Manning closer to the Dan Marino of this generation. As
great as Manning has been throughout his career, one thing will stand out:
his playoff record is only 9-9. Compared to Tom Brady's 14-4 playoff
record -- as well as Ben Roethlisberger's 8-2 playoff record, Manning is
mediocre at best. Manning is still one of the best QBs in the game.
Problem is, he is not the best, and never will be the best if he doesn't win
at least one more ring.
The
Indianapolis Colts are officially the NFL's version of the Atlanta Braves.
The Colts have the most wins this decade. They also set a
record of consecutive seasons of winning 12 or more games. Too bad
they only have one Super Bowl championship to show for it. It's never
good for any team to be compared to the Braves in terms of not cashing
outstanding seasons in for championships. That's too bad because we
have taken the Colts' success for granted. We expect them to do well
in the regular season -- and they do. It's just that we expect the
Colts (namely, Manning) to excel when it matters the most. The Colts
have a reputation of shrinking on the brightest stage, and deservedly so.
Saints coach
Sean Payton is brass. I was among the millions of people who loved
that onside kick call to start the second half. Payton coached the
Saints to a Super Bowl championship by doing it his way: being aggressive
from start to finish. His counterpart, Jim Caldwell, coached not to
lose. To quote former coach Herm Edwards, "YOU PLAY TO WIN THE GAME
(hello???)!!!!"
This was a
great win for the city of New Orleans. How could you not be
touched by the fans' reaction to their Saints winning? For all the
city has been through (namely Katrina and putting up with the Saints past
losing seasons), it's good to see its residents experience the highest of
highs for once. With coach Payton at the helm and Brees leading the
way, their Saints will be at (or at least near) the top for seasons to
come...
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