Super Bowl XLIV

Now, why did I wait until the morning of the big game to write my column? Here's an answer in the form of a question: Do you remember who Eugene Robinson is? He played safety for the Atlanta Falcons in 1998, the year they faced off against the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. Eugene was an All-Pro safety that year, becoming one of the stars of the Atlanta defense, and proving to be more than just a piece of the puzzle. Eugene was also known for his "high moral character" and lauded by much of the mass media as one of the "good Christians" of the NFL.


The night before Super Bowl XXXIII, Eugene Robinson offered $40 to a prostitute for oral sex. The "prostitute" happened to be an undercover police officer, who immediately arrested Eugene. He spent the night before the Super Bowl in jail.

And then during the game, he gave up an easy 80-yard TD reception to Rod Smith, and missed a gimme tackle on Terrell Davis, allowing him to put the Broncos in position for another touchdown. The Falcons lost that game 34-19.

My point should be clear by now: I waited until this morning to see make sure Peyton Manning or Reggie Bush didn't go on a bender and stay up past their (what SHOULD be a team mandated) bed-time. Seemingly, no news is out, and no one had to bail poor Peyton out of jail this morning.

(I'm a dreamer: can you imagine the public outcry if Peyton Manning had been arrested for the same thing? Bigger or lesser fall from grace than Tiger Woods?)

I shouldn't have to tell you that, on the opposite side of the ball, standing out as a member of your team can make you more responsible for a win. People have been talking all week long about X-factors, injuries, coaching philosophies, and other things that are simply not Drew Brees and Peyton Manning. It seems that the media has forgotten that this game is, for the first time in a while, a classic battle between the top two quarterbacks in the game (Sorry, Pats fans, you've had your five years to salivate over your precious Tom Brady.) We all know that Reggie can break the big one for a long touchdown, and we all know that Dwight Freeney can sack your quarterback six feet under on every possession.

Those are all possibilities. I have some cold hard facts for you: Peyton Manning and Drew Brees, combined, WILL throw for a minimum of 500 yards and five touchdowns put together. Are you going to doubt me on that? Doing so means you would be betting against Peyton Manning, and as a Texans fan who has to watch him tear my team apart twice a year, I would warn you against that. The Texans fan in me sees a vicious arch-enemy in Peyton Manning. He has torn my heart out in so many ways, I forget that I still have a heart (he keeps putting it back with those silly GOSH DARN COMMERCIALS.) He hath come back from behind, he hath beaten me by 35 points, he hath thrust thine dagger into my chest with no more than five seconds left in the fourth quarter after a drawn out neck-and-neck race to the finish. However, through all of this, I cannot convince myself to despise him, at least not like I despise Favre.

Stockholm syndrome? In a sense, yes. He cleans our clock every single year, but he has done it in such an awe-inspiring way that makes you remember you are watching the greatest of all time. Football's just entertainment in the end, and knowing that Peyton Manning will be Peyton Manning is a treat unlike any other. And when I'm not busy tooting Peyton's horn, I can show a little love for Drew Brees as well.

People have been commenting and wondering aloud all year long whether Drew Brees has finally reached the Pantheon of elite quarterbacks this year. I think he has, and I don't even think it's up for debate. Why? Someone, who shall remain nameless, wrote on their national column on a widely regarded sports website that Joe Flacco was one of the elite quarterbacks in the game. Joe Flacco! He's been in the league for two years! Don't get me wrong, Joe Flacco is good and could eventually rise to that status, but...Joe Flacco!

Brees has performed at this level for five straight years now, and I think it's time we give him the credit that he's due. However, what stands out even more is the leader he has become. Remember Brees back in San Diego? He was a bust. He was turning into a failure from Purdue, a player who just couldn't seem to get a good grasp of the pro game. And what happened next? The Chargers drafted Phillip Rivers. Brees took this as a slap to the face, and rightly so.

We all know how this eventually panned out: Brees gave way to Rivers, and Rivers has become a Pro-Bowler there, but not before Brees stepped up his game when he realized that, for lack of a better phrase, 'life is short'. Then he started playing like the quarterback that the Chargers expected to get. This was win-win for everybody. The Chargers had their quarterback of the future waiting in the wings, and a hell of a bargaining chip in Brees. Since then, both the Chargers and the Saints have turned their acts around, and who's responsible? Brees is. This should allow you to understand New Orleans' sudden yet devoted allegiance to Brees as more than a football quarterback.

The Saints have underdog status. They have more players that stand out as stars on a team. They have an entire city behind them. Yet I simply can't bring myself to say that Peyton Manning will lose this game. Peyton has so much to lose. He's had his cake before, and this is his chance to eat it too. Peyton has to prove his prowess as a top quarterback of all time by winning more than one Super Bowl. The Saints' presence in the Super Bowl has already revived the city. A friend told me last night that, win or lose, there will be rioting in New Orleans. I don't consider riots good things, but to see a city care that much about football after such a tragic event stands for some sort of progress.

I spent previous columns dissecting the ins and outs of each team, trying to pinpoint a weakness and expose the diamond in the rough. This time, I have to just look at the big picture. I will be cheering hard for the Saints, because I want Peyton Manning to feel human next year when he plays the Texans. Unfortunately, I don't think that's going to happen.

Pick: New Orleans 31, Indianapolis 40