Initially I didn't have a recap planned for the Super Bowl. However, given the comments flowing about the game all across the Interwebs I wanted to throw in my two cents, and get people's opinions on a few things:
Sean Payton
The Saints win and Payton is a ballsy genius. If the Saints had lost, he goes down as over-aggressive and the guy who cost them the Super Bowl. Obviously that didn't happen and he goes down as as much a hero as anybody in that game today. And given how aggressive they were as a team all season long, it was only fitting that they would win the Super Bowl thanks to some amazing calls. Obviously there's the onside kick. But the fourth down try late in the first half could have been a killer. Instead they still manage three points before the end of the half. Sometimes things just bounce your way. In the end, I think Sean Payton is as much the MVP of this game as anybody else.
The passing games
The two quarterbacks that lit up defenses all season long combined for 614 passing yards. And yet, I can't believe I was the only one that was surprised at those totals at the end of the game. There were some good sized plays, but with a team like the Saints you expect big 60, 70 yard touchdown passes. You look for Peyton Manning to drop some bombs to Reggie Wayne. I realize both teams have some solid defenses, but nonetheless, it felt like a dink and dunk sort of affair. Obviously it won the game for the Saints, but something seemed off in the passing games.
Commercials
I realize there are plenty of people who don't care about the commercials, but I really enjoyed a few of them. The early Doritos commercial with the kid slapping the mom's date, the first E*Trade baby commercial with the boy talking to the girl on web-chat with the "milkaholic" girl. And the Betty White commercial was entertaining, particularly when they rolled out Abe Vigoda.
The Who
That was just brutal. If Janet Jackson doesn't have her wardrobe malfunction, maybe we have some decent shows the last few years.
In the end, congratulations to the New Orleans Saints. They are most definitely not the Aints anymore.