You know what you don't want going into a football game? You don't want Tony Dungy saying the other team has no chance to be you. He said the Cowboys had no chance against New Orleans. Then Dallas went to the Superdome, used the comment as fuel, and won 24-17. The Saints could calm down, forget about 16-0, and rest players if they needed to. Then Dungy said his former team would beat the Saints in the Super Bowl, and it wouldn't be close. He said the Saints had no chance to win the Super Bowl. After their 31-17 win over the Colts, N.O. coach Sean Payton said when he heard the comment from Dungy, he knew they would be all right. Maybe Dungy was jealous of the Colts success without him, and dropped the curse on them. Either way, beware in the future when Dungy goes on a limb.
Now to the game itself. The Super Bowl gave us another classic. It was not a one score game, but if you watched, and you did, you know it played like one. As time goes by, don't forget about the second quarter. There were over 8 minutes in the quarter when Manning hit Garcon for that big first down. Oh wait, no he didn't. Garcon dropped the ball, and the next time Manning touched the ball, it was 1st and 10 from his own 1 yard line with about :40 left in the half. The Saints get a 3 and out and a field goal. Big momentum lift for a team that had just been stuffed at the goal line.
And then Sean Payton really went for the momentum. The first onside kick outside the 4th quarter in Super Bowl history was successful, and the Saints turned it into a TD. Now Manning and the Colts had to chase. Which they did with a TD drive of their own. That's when I turned to someone in the room and said "You give the MVP to the winning QB". They were putting on such a great show. They set a new record for completions in a SB, yet there was only one interference penalty and one turnover, both coming on the Colts' last drive.
And with all of that drama going on, the story took the one turn you never expected. Manning made the big mistake. The name Tracy Porter is now on the "Free drinks for life" list in every bar in the Big Easy. I just couldn't believe it. In that game, the first big mistake was going to cost you the game, and it did. The two oldest rules in football determined Super Bowl 44: Take care of the ball, and you've gotta make plays. The Saints made the plays and protected the ball.
Now to the stories. I've got to start with Brees since I'm in Austin. He is the first Texas born QB to start a Super Bowl, and he went to PURDUE. Texas, A&M, Tech, TCU, etc. None of them offered Brees a scholarship. Then his comeback after the injury in San Diego and his decision to embrace New Orleans will be the stuff of legend in the NFL for years to come.
But most importantly, congrats to Who Dat Nation. I had the pleasure of watching the game with a proud member named Linda, and she was sweating it out right up until the Saints made the final stop. But when they did, what a moment. The look on her face was 43 years in the making. The look said "The Saints are going to win the Super Bowl". She almost couldn't believe it. It took a while to sink in. But yes, Linda, your Saints are jokes no more. They can never take that Lombardi trophy away from you. There will never be bags on any one's head again. The Saints are the champs. Who Dat indeed.
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