As I sat home sick on Super Bowl Sunday, visions raced through my mind of different scenarios for the big game.
The Colts win, dashing the hopes of a team who was loved by an entire nation, the villains, led by Peyton Manning, prevail only to the cheers of a Colts fans in Indy.
The Saints win, sparking a month-long Mardi Gras celebration, with Bourbon Street packed with nothing but black and gold, with the Who Dat Nation running through streets singing “Who dat say gonna beat them Saints,” until the wee morning hours. An entire nation rejoices with one another as a city that has been through so much, finally has Lady Luck on their side.
My sickness got the best of me a couple of hours before the big game, as I drifted off to sleep. I had done this many times in previous years. Every time I fall asleep, I tend to sleep through all the good stuff about the game, but this time, my alarm was set for kickoff. To my luck, I was awake right about the time that the pre-game festivities began.
Queen Latifah still sings as good as she did back in the early 90s when her music was as popular as ever. Carrie Underwood sang the Star Spangled Banner phenomenally, she didn’t disappoint.
The voters finally got the Hall of Fame class right this year, sending Emmitt Smith (my favorite player of all-time) and Jerry Rice to the Hall. Those two had to wait quite some time before they got their moment and it’s about time that two of the leagues’ all-time greatest players got their respect.
The game didn’t disappoint either. I had spoken with my mother later after the game was over and described it as more of a scene out of movie. The mighty and evil Colts, favored to win the Super Bowl, played the villain role for most of the two weeks leading up to the game, while the Saints were the hands-on sentimental favorite.
The Colts began the game just like everyone thought they were going to, with Manning driving down the field in no time, but was unable to get it in the end-zone, managing three points. The Saints struggled to get the ball rolling in the first quarter, with the speedy Colts defense forcing many three-and-outs.
After the first quarter, the Colts led 10-0 and it wasn’t looking good for the Who Dat Nation. The Saints began to fight back, finding a rhythm on offense and managing two field goals to close the gap and trail by four.
Taking a break from the game, I managed to sit through the halftime show, featuring The Who.
The Who brings back a lot of funny memories to me, especially with my best friends that live in Kearney. Their dog, a dachshund named Toby, is a huge CSI fan. When the theme song “Who Are You?” comes on the TV, without hesitation, the dog begins to bark and howl and run across the floor. Then my one-year goddaughter Addison begins to bob up and down, dancing in the middle of the living room floor. The laughter from the three of us causes us to go short of breath.
Back to the game, The Who, I thought did a good job, even though the band is probably a little past their time. The guitarist didn’t disappoint me, since I have played guitar for close to 10 years, I am a little biased when it comes to people playing guitar. I tend to listen a lot more. The lead singer sounded like his age was catching up with him at some points in the act, some points sounded really good. Overall, I gave the halftime show a C+. We have a lot of current stars that would rock any Super Bowl out of the water this day in age. What about bands like Nickelback or Shinedown? Or rappers like Lil’ Wayne or Jay-Z? We keep going back to the classic stuff time and time again and it’s time to give these young and fresh stars some time in the biggest spotlight of the sports season.
The second half was just like I had pictured it. The onside kick. The Saints finally got their first touch down. The Colts responded, taking their lead back. The Saints hit another field goal, just chipping away at Manning and that Colts’ defense.
Finally, in the fourth quarter, the Saints were like Rocky facing the Russian in the final round. The Saints started firing passes and the Saints finally took the lead when Jeremey Shockey caught the quick pass from Drew Brees. Then, the play of the game and more than likely, the play of the century for the Saints, when Terry Porter picked off Peyton Manning and took it to the house to seal the Saints victory.
I was never happier to see the Saints win the Super Bowl. The shot of Brees crying as he held his son was priceless, it showed how much that this win meant not only to him, but an entire city. I know everyone was saying the same thing that I am now, but it’s so true in so many ways.
When I was in the military, I had wanted to go to New Orleans to help in the relief efforts from Hurricane Katrina, but was unable to go. That city and state deserves that championship and not one Colts’ fan can argue about that. I am one that loves to see the underdog and loves to see teams that have never won a championship win one. This was a dream come true for me to see a team that lost so much, got a piece of their sanity back.
Now to my Extra Point. Last week, I had the privilege of watching the Lexington basketball teams take on Grand Island Central Catholic. The girls game impressed me because with how physical the Crusaders were, the girls pushed right back, refusing to be intimidated by anyone, to beat GICC by 20. I wasn’t surprised that the girls won that game, coach Carpenter still has it and I’m thinking he will win at least one more championship before he retires.
The boys’ game was a game I will never forget. I was so impressed with the heart from the Lexington players. The defense was lights out all night, containing GICC all night. When the boys went up by 12, I was looking at a friend of mine saying “They could do this!” with tons of excitement. I was crushed when GICC hit that shot as the time expired. Those Lex boys deserved that win. They played their hearts out, gave it everything they had, only to fall short.  I really salute those kids for their efforts. I have a feeling that good things are coming their way come districts. Just watch.

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