Won't Get Fooled Again

(Picture from http://www.static.guim.co.uk/)

After a couple hours, I'm still not sure what to say about this years Super Bowl. Was it a life changing cure for those people still suffering in New Orleans from the tragic hurricane that crippled their proud state? Was it finally an opportunity for an athlete to transcend into the pantheon of absolute sports greatness, only to miss by a long shot? Was it a game filled with higher purpose for those devastated in Haiti? Was it a game showing that the tides are changing in the NFL, and offensive minded coaches are going to grab the attention of GM's and owners around the league for the next decade? Should a runnigback that never eclipsed 100 yards in any regular season game have got the ball more? Was there to much talk about Peyton Manning being the best quarterback of all time? What is with the continual decrease in quality of Super bowl commercials? Is Jeremy Shockey destined for the WWE? Was this years halftime show the death of The Who? Can Drew Brees finally step out from behind the ginormous shadow of Peyton Manning and Tom Brady?

I don't know, and these questions keep circling around in my head, even while I watch a National Geographic documentary about discoveries of relics that prove Solomon's Temple was real. For God's sakes I'm thinking about football while evidence is being spewed onto my television screen that proves stories in the bible (man I'm headed to hell).

Am I happy about the outcome of today's game? Yes and no. I'm happy for all of those "TRUE" members of Who Dat Nation (not happy for all of those people from North Dakota who were rooting for the Vikings a few weeks ago and then decided "Who Dat" was a cool saying to scream while getting drunk). I'm happy that this state grouped together and became a driving force for this team all season long, something that you don't see season in and season out. To almost lose your franchise to San Antonio while dealing with Hurricane Katrina is one hell of an up hill climb and God knows that these people deserved this more than those straw biting Hoosiers. But I can't help but feel that there is another quarter of that game still left to be played. I can't help but keep flipping to CBS hoping that there will be a 5th quarter or overtime where Peyton will be Peyton.

All week I had been lead to believe that Peyton Manning is on the footsteps and knocking on the door of absolute greatness. I was lead to believe that he would shred up the Gregg Williams defensive schemes, and after halftime, he would have figured out all of the kinks. I was lead to believe that after he wins his second Lombardi Trophy and is named the Super Bowl MVP (also for the second time), that he would be the greatest ever (better than Montana, Young, Elway, Marino, Jim McMahon, and Jay Cutler). I fell in love with the possibility of the story. I fell in love with being able to watch another Jordan type player. A player so special that greatness like his only comes around every 20-30 years. I couldn't wait for Boomer to get on his knees while interviewing him after the game while Ditka watched with a stoogie in his mouth and HD vision sunglasses on. I was lead to believe that the Saints had no chance even if they played in a dome built in the middle of Bourbon Street filled with only "TRUE" Who Dat Nation members instead of savvy business men that only go to the Super bowl to see Kim Kardashian and Brangelina. I was fed Peyton Manning's penis for hours upon hours for a week straight, only to see it stolen away with three minutes left in the game by Tracy Porter. I was tricked.

Don't get me wrong, Peyton is great. Love the guy, he cracks me up, his commercials are genius, and his play is top ten worthy. But crowning him best ever with only one ring was a little absurd. Kobe has four rings and has been pretty dominate his whole career, but if anyone says he's better than Jordan, you can expect to get scowled at. A weak argument I know (and as much as I like Kobe, he is light years away from Jordan), but I feel as though sports nation was a little premature in their fixation over Manning. All week I heard two things: 1. Peyton Manning can dissect, and perform. He can make every throw on the field. He is the best quarterback of this era and maybe of all time. 2. Drew Brees is a humble humanitarian that does alot of good things around New Orleans. He gives sick children hope, oh and he is a pretty good quarterback too. His six foot frame was cast behind Peyton's giant shadow. Brees was an amazing quarterback all year long. He studies, plans, and feels the game out just as well as Manning (maybe not to the same effect as squawking numbers and colors while waving his arms like a bird, but you get the picture).

My partner in crime on this site might not like this rant, but I just feel victimized and I'm not sure whose fault it is. Is it Peyton's fault for not being what sports nation pegged him to be? Is it ESPN's fault for making me suck down interview after interview of every NFL expert they could sneak on every show to talk about how great Peyton Manning is; all the while ignoring Drew Brees? Or is it my fault for letting myself get wrapped up in the gumbo (get it?) that was made for me and the rest of the sporting world? I don't know. But I'm not willing to blame myself. I love seeing greatness, it's what watching sports is about. I loved the New Orleans story, but that's what it was to me at the time, just a story. What rang my bell was the notion of seeing a player reach a level that few have ever seen. I was alive and living in Illinois for the Jordan era, and god knows I want to see something like that again. Peyton, I believed, was there and this game was going to be his masterpiece. So I drained myself completely into this Super Bowl watching with awestruck eyes, waiting for this beast to come out and show the world what greatness at the quarterback position looks like, and that's not my fault. It's not Peyton's. He played well, did everything he could do, and was one Reggie Wayne reception away from making this a whole different story. It's not ESPN's either. This is what they get paid to do, and everyone was fixated with Manning. And how could you not be? He's been so consistently good that this game was just the next hump in the road that Peyton would overcome. So then I ask again, who's fault is it?

For a game that I thought didn't personally matter (except for the opportunity to witness greatness), it sure did hit me hard. I'm ecstatic for New Orleans, and am happy that those fine folks get the chance to forget for a while and relish under the team that brought them back to life. I'm happy for Drew Brees becoming more than a story line of compassion and giving. I'm happy that I learned a lesson about crowning someone the best ever before it is deserved. And last but not least, I'm happy I got to see The Who perform (which gave me the perfect title for this post) while realizing that in a few years Dave Matthews Band will be playing these types of shows and I'll finally, for once, be giddy like all of the older folks around the world for a Super Bowl halftime show.