OTC: Brees Is Super In French Quarter
“This is why sports is great – it’s not scripted.”
Shannon Sharpe, on the New Orleans Saints upset win over the Indianapolis Colts to claim the franchise’s first Super Bowl championship, CBS
GH: Amen. It is why we watch. It is why we care. We all need to know because we can never be sure until they play the game, fight the fight or run the race. It is why I pity those who do not understand this fascination we sports fans have for strangers competing at the highest level.
“What courage it takes to call that after you waited all that time you waited (during halftime).”
Phil Simms, on Sean Payton’s decision to attempt an onside kick after halftime, CBS
GH: Payton’s gamble signaled to me he did not think his Saints could win this game without a dramatic turnover. He gambled and won. Stephen King could not write a more unbelievable script for the Saints. Read on.
“The Who played at halftime and the Colts do get fooled again!”
Chris Berman, on the Saints pulling off a successful onside kick, ESPN
GH: The decision to attempt an onside kick to begin the third quarter, down 10-6 to Peyton Manning and the best team in the NFL, was a gamble as big as any Super Bowl has ever seen. Lose the ball here and you give Manning a 42-yard field to turn the Colts lead into an 11-point bulge. But after one of the longest and more entertaining scrums for a loose ball I can remember, the Saints were blessed with the ball and eventually the title.
“A play the Saints will never forget! … He could … go … all … the … way!”
Chris Berman, on Porter’s 74-yard interception return for a game-clinching TD, ESPN
“He made a great play. That’s all I can say about it. (Tracy) Porter just made a great play on it.”
Peyton Manning, when asked to explain throwing a fourth-quarter pick six, ESPN
GH: Porter beat the greatest mind the NFL has ever produced when he read Manning and jumped the route. His pick and run will be replayed for the next 100 years when people ask to see the biggest plays in the history of the Super Bowl.
“With that interception, Peyton Manning did what Archie could not …deliver a Super Bowl to New Orleans.”
Steven St. John, Twitter
“We were ready to put Peyton Manning in a place with these multiple championships and I was one of the people saying it; he’s going to be one of the greatest of all time. Now, he’s a guy who has lost the Super Bowl and he’s 9-9 in the playoffs. It just goes to show what a Super Bowl loss can do.”
Tom Jackson, ESPN
GH: Manning showed he is human but he remains in my mind one of the top five quarterbacks in the history of the NFL. Joe Montana is still my pick as the greatest to play the game. Add Johnny Unitas, Tom Brady and John Elway to that group. Dan Marino would lead the next five.
“Drew Brees transferred himself from really, really good to elite.”
Tom Jackson, ESPN
“We talk about artistry in quarterbacking. That was artistry tonight.”
Steve Young, on Drew Brees going 32-39 for 288 yards and two TDs, ESPN
“Drew Brees is in that group now and he will be there forever.”
Steve Young, listing Brees among the greatest quarterbacks of all time, ESPN
GH: It might be a bit premature to list Brees among the game’s best quarterbacks but he is young and his team is young. Bourbon Street and the French Quarter may have to get used to these pre-Marti Gras celebrations.
“We played for so much more than just ourselves. We played for our city. We played for the entire Gulf Coast region. We played for the entire Who Dat Nation.”
Drew Brees, ESPN
“I would not want to be there!”
Steve Young, as the ESPN cameras showed a live shot of Bourbon Street about an hour after the game, ESPN
GH: All I could think of was how great it would be if that was a live shot of the Power & Light District and the people running around behind the network cameras making fools of themselves were our neighbors and friends. Maybe someday.
“Good morning America how are you?
Don’t you know me I’m your native son,
I’m the train they call The City of New Orleans,
I’ll be gone five hundred miles when the day is done.”
Lyrics by Steve Goodman, originally performed by Arlo Guthrie
GH: That train just picked up a Super Bowl trophy. The Ain’ts can take the bags off their head forever. I copied the following from folksblues.com; In 1970, Steve Goodman wrote a song which would eventually be called by many people “the best train song ever written.” Steve pitched the song to Arlo Guthrie, and in 1972, Arlo included the song on his album Hobo’s Lullaby. It was then released as a single and became a big-time hit record. Steve always thanked Arlo for recording the song, and for making it possible for Steve to do what he loved — playing music for a living. ABC News’ morning show, Good Morning America, which started in the mid-70’s, took its name and its original theme from the chorus of City of New Orleans.
“I’m old school. I watch the game and then I go do stuff during the commercials.”
Adam Teicher, Chiefs beat writer for the KC Star, while espousing his distaste for the hype surrounding the TV commercials that accompany the Super Bowl TV broadcast each year, 610 AM
GH: I am not quite as old school as the dowdy Teicher; my family and I live for the Super Bowl commercials. The 2010 variety were not outstanding but I enjoyed a handful. My favorites were the Larry Bird, LeBron and Dwight Howard McDonald’s ad, Betty White and Abe Vigota getting drilled in a Snickers sandlot football game, and the e-Trade babies aboard the airplane flight. I was also shocked to see David Letterman playing nice with Jay Leno. BTW; The halftime show featuring The Who was a great lightshow with poor vocals. I’m pretty sure Betty White and Abe Vigoda have aged better than Peter Townshend and Roger Daltrey – who sounded bad and looked even worse in their attempt to cheat Mother Nature.
“Tears will be rolling down my cheek when they sign off (after the Super Bowl). There’s not even a Pro Bowl next week.”
Stan Weber, 810 AM
GH: Football is now gone until August. Cheer up, there is the NFL draft in April that we can all cuss.
Greghall24@yahoo.com and Twitter / greghall24
February 7th, 2010 at 11:18 pm
Chris Berman is absolutely hideous. His schtick is as old as the Who. His most annoying? doing the home run derby and saying “beck,beck,beck,beck” 4,000 times.
Why anyone watches ESPN anymore is beyond me…
February 7th, 2010 at 11:29 pm
I have to disagree about The Who. The vocals are weaker now, but the music was spot on. If I could look and perform like that at 60, I’d be happy. I get tired of everyone ragging on the old guys. Music today is absolute shit. Who would you have rather seen….Justin Bieber?
February 8th, 2010 at 3:43 am
Gramps singing “Teenage Wasteland?” It was embarrassing.
On behalf of Baby Boomers everywhere I hereby apologize to the Universe.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:09 am
If you’re going to insult Stephen King’s preposterous made for TV scripts, at least spell his name right.
___
GH: Thanks for the fix.
February 8th, 2010 at 6:26 am
Teicher probably also still thinks the internet is no threat to the newspaper business.
February 8th, 2010 at 6:47 am
Manning is great despite his post-season record and Joe Montana is great because of it, but if I were to have to pick a QB with my life on the line it would be Otto Graham. But, of course, that makes me old old school (which I reckon is correct, since I rarely pay much attention to SB commercials).
February 8th, 2010 at 7:10 am
great game
February 8th, 2010 at 11:52 am
How bout that catch for the 2-pt conversion! That was as athletic a play as you will ever see.
Super Bowl has really become a great holiday of sorts. Another gross celebration of American consumption. Over the last 3 or 4 years the Football has lived up to the hype. We may never see 2 QB’s play the position any better than last night.
Colleg Hoops: KU is the most dysfunctional…legitimate #1 team I’ve ever seen…they really are a mess of a team. Should be a good run in Austin tonight.
February 8th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Okay, so maybe Daltry’s voice is a little ragged out and ol’ Pete isn’t as fast on the axe. However, if “Baba O’Reilly” ain’t performed the way it use to be, keep in mind that the performers are also the creators. I’d rather to brilliant music staged by downhill-side musicians than the contemporary processed-and-packaged, R&A-controlled banality of the young and “hip.” Truly, is there anything in popular music any more inspired than “Who’s Next,” “Quadrophenia” or even “Tommy”? I’m not knocking everything modern — there are plenty of brilliant young songwriters and performers out there, mostly indie variety (and seldom heard on radio, a medium which has so concentrated itself in ownership groups and consulting agreements that it also bears little resemblance to its former self). They owe much to the likes of The Who, and other great artists — from the stars to the obscure — who debuted in the 1960s and ’70s.
February 8th, 2010 at 3:26 pm
Maybe the Who can come back to KC and play for Shawnee Mission South’s 50th High School Reunion. Pete smashing his walker and asking to see pictures of your great-grandkids. Maybe the Buckinghams will open for them this time.
February 8th, 2010 at 4:27 pm
It wasn’t The Who.
It was The Why?
February 8th, 2010 at 5:25 pm
“GH: All I could think of was how great it would be if that was a live shot of the Power & Light District and the people running around behind the network cameras making fools of themselves were our neighbors and friends. Maybe someday.”
Keep dreaming.
February 9th, 2010 at 6:43 am
Uncle Dick: Ah, The Buckinghams (“Kind of a Drag”). They performed at my high school dance in 1968. The next year, we got Sugarloaf (“Green-eyed Lady”). At the time, it was a kick seeing bands with radio hits perform in one’s school.
Wonder if The Who is booked for Homecoming 2010?
February 9th, 2010 at 9:15 am
Kurt Warner, Fran Tarkenton, and Jim Kelly should all be in discussions of top five great quarterbacks.
February 9th, 2010 at 9:48 am
For me the BIG THING about Drew is that he proved Marty right and San Diego management wrong.