Well, I am not sure if this is even the right place for this, but I have a few thoughts on the Super Bowl.
Going into the game, I slightly favored the Saints over the Colts because of Hurricane Katrina and the symbolic value for a victory in Louisiana. Granted, professional sports in American exists as a frivolous thing, something designed to entertain. How much could a victory really bolster a city several years after a natural disaster?
Anywho, I attended a Super Bowl party hosted by a best friend. The crowd was largely pro-Saints. I respect Manning, and rooted for him over the Bears several years back. At the same time, I wanted to see a Saints' victory. They delivered.
For me, the biggest play was the on-side kick to open the second half. Never have I seen anything so gutsy. If the play fails, Manning gets the ball with primo field territory and more than likely leads a drive to bury the Saints. The kick-off recovery and subsequent touch-down was a momentum changer.
But the coup was the Manning pick six which swung the game from a tie (more than likely resulting in Over-Time) to a two touchdown lead. I never thought I would see "The Manning Face" ever again. But there it was, the baby-faced look of defeat and deflation. Remember, I still respect and love Manning, but it was a pivotal moment. We build up quarterbacks as the all-star glamor positon in the NFL, but a single moment can jeopardize a legacy on the NFL's biggest stage.
All things considered, I don't think Manning's legacy is tarnished whatsoever. Brees played an error free game worthy of accolade. If anything, I hated to see the Colts lose on a pick six. It would have been nice to see a closer final score. But in the end, I think this victory did a lot to boost the psychological situation for New Orleans and Louisiana. The Saints finally won and are "Aint's" no more.
Congrats to the Super Bowl victors. The win may not create new jobs or homes for the people of New Orleans, but it will give the city a huge boost in pride. The Saints earned it, and the signing of Brees will go down as the greatest free agent move in NFL history until proven otherwise. Well done.
Also, I have to give props to the former Commissioner for keeping the Saints in New Orleans. There were moments after Katrina where it seemed that the Saints were bound for San Antonio or Los Angeles. I am glad they stayed put.
The game was entertaining, and for an NFL-less city such as mine (Los Angeles) it was all anyone could have hoped for.
In the mean time, my best to everyone with CAG. And...
*Bump*