You know it’s been a lame buildup to the Super Bowl when the biggest story of the week has been about the actual football game. Yeah, Dwight Freeney’s ankles will play a significant role in the Colts’ ability to get to Drew Brees and stifle the Saints’ powerful passing attack, but come on.
2008 had Spygate, the Patriots’ quest for perfection and the second of two back-to-back Manning brother Super Bowls. 2009 had the Cinderella Arizona Cardinals, an up-and-coming coaching prodigy in the Steelers’ Mike Tomlin and was even dubbed “The Recession Bowl” in light of the global financial crisis.
What do we have this year? A controversial anti-abortion commercial featuring Tim Tebow, another halftime show from a group of octogenarians and what are sure to be countless shots of Kim Kardashian in her luxury box to look forward to.
However, all is not lost for Super Bowl XLIV. After all, the Tebow spot will be just one of the many Super Bowl ads fueling talk at the water cooler the next day, The Who can still rock and Kardashian… well you have me there.
What we do actually have is something America, and definitely football fans, should be excited for — an excellent matchup between the No. 1 seeds in each conference that features two top-five offenses. People love high-scoring affairs, so Sunday’s big game should be gathering everyone’s actual attention. Furthermore, the last two Super Bowls were two of the best, and definitely the greatest consecutive pair ever. If that’s not enough, though, here’s more.
Legacies on the line
Having dominated NFL defenses for the better part of the last decade, Peyton Manning is no stranger to the American public. If you’re not familiar with his exploits on the field, you know he’s never met a commercial he didn’t like. For Manning, though, Super Bowl XLIV will be more than just another appearance on the sports world’s biggest stage. Rather, it will be the game that cements his legacy.
Having led the Colts to the Super Bowl XLI title over the Bears in 2007, Manning took the first step toward joining the all-time elite of NFL quarterbacks by shedding the “he can’t win the big game” moniker. Now, with many debating his place among the Joe Montanas, Troy Aikmans and Johnny Unitas’, and with some rushing to already label him the best ever, Manning’s legacy is at a crossroads.
Currently fourth all-time with more than 50,000 passing yards, Manning has a legitimate shot at topping Brett Favre’s record of 69,329 (if he ever retires). In order to do so, Manning would have to play five or six more years at the pace he has set over the past decade. Such a feat for the four-time MVP is certainly manageable, seeing as he is consistently one of the least-sacked quarterbacks in the league.
For Brees, Sunday also poses a tremendous opportunity. Always a good quarterback in San Diego, Brees’ career took a tremendous upswing once he donned the silver and gold. After coming within 15 yards of breaking Dan Marino’s record for most passing yards in a season, Brees had another stellar year in 2009 with 4,388 yards and an NFL-best 109.6 passer rating. With a Super Bowl title, the Austin, Texas native would immediately be thrust into Hall of Fame talk.
Continuing the trend
Two years ago, David Tyree and my beloved Giants shocked the world and upset those “unbeatable” Patriots in a 17-14 shocker. Last year, the upstart Cardinals nearly upset the Steelers before Ben Roethlisberger and Santonio Holmes put together one of the best passes in postseason history.
This year, the Super Bowl provides the two best teams in the NFL for the first time in maybe five years. The top seeds in their conferences, the Colts and the Saints each flirted with perfection for the majority of the regular season. Manning led Indianapolis to a 14-0 record until the Colts decided to rest their starters in preparation for the playoffs, while Brees and the Saints reached 13-0. Unless I’ve just jinxed both teams, Sunday’s Super Bowl will be a terrific and closely contested game.
Vindication: the Super Bowl buzzword
You already know about the monkey Manning got off his back by winning the Super Bowl. This year, two Saints have the opportunity to do the same. Reggie Bush, is out to prove he has what it takes to live up to the stellar reputation he constructed at USC.
Up to this point in his pro career, Bush has only managed 1,940 yards in four trying years. After being criticized for being more concerned with breaking ankles than breaking tackles, Bush is surely eager for the opportunity to prove his doubters wrong on the biggest stage possible.
Right behind Bush in the “let me prove you wrong” line is tight end Jeremy Shockey. Last time you saw the boisterous guy in the Super Bowl, Shockey was double-fisting cocktails in the luxury box with a broken leg as his teammates took down the Patriots. Later,, Shockey was shipped to New Orleans in exchange for draft picks and endured a difficult season marked by ineffectiveness and a painful sports hernia injury. This year, Shockey has returned to form to provide Brees with another weapon. Never short of critics due to his carefree, frat boy attitude, Shockey will surely be fired up.
So there you have it. Three more reasons to look forward to Super Bowl.
Mike is a sophomore planning on majoring in journalism. Pumped for the Super Bowl? Still don’t care? Let him know at [email protected]
