In the words of the great San Francisco Chronicle sports columnist Scott Ostler, here are my deep thoughts, cheap shots, and bon mots:
---Now that the mindless inanity of the Pro Bowl is behind us, we can now focus on Super Bowl XLIV. Super Bowl week is here, and the party scene in Miami is out of control. Seriously, the excitement level in South Beach is so high that even Rex Ryan plans on hitting the nude beaches.
---The hype surrounding this Super Bowl is justifiably enormous, as this matchup has the opportunity to make for one of the most scintillating games in Super Bowl history. The Colts and Saints could potentially deliver the highest-scoring game in S.B. history also. On one side, you have Peyton Manning, Reggie Wayne, and Joseph Addai. On the other, you have Drew Brees, Marques Colston, and Reggie Bush. These two teams have the ability to put up scores that will make the New Jersey Nets envious.
---Peyton Manning is the best quarterback in the National Football League (Sorry Mr. Brady!), but Drew Brees should not get overlooked. No player is more overlooked than Brees, a surefire Hall-of-Fame QB who has been the biggest reason for New Orleans' success.
---For the Saints to win this game, though, Brees is going to need some help from Reggie Bush. After a mesmerizing college career at USC, Bush's pro career had been largely underwhelming up until these playoffs, where he has performed at an exceptionally high level. If the Saints are to pull off the upset, they are going to need more of that Reggie Bush magic.
---Super Bowl week has already started off on a rough note for Indianapolis, as it was announced yesterday that star defensive end Dwight Freeney is questionable for Sunday's big game due to an ankle injury. Many commentators have asserted that this is not a big deal, but I think Freeny's injury is a huge blow to the Colts. The prolific Saints offense is brutally hard to stop as it is. If Freeney is unavailable, the task becomes seemingly impossible. Here's hoping Freeney will be healthy come game time.
---When people discuss the excellence of the Colts, one name you hardly ever hear is Jim Caldwell. Perhaps that is because Caldwell is still living in the shadow of the great Tony Dungy, but the Indy coach deserves heaps of praise for having one of the greatest rookie coaching seasons in NFL history. Taking over for a legend is never easy, but Caldwell has made the transition from the Dungy era as seamlessly as one possibly can.
---There will be much more Super Bowl coverage on this blog in the weeks to come. Tomorrow, I take my part in Super Bowl media day, as I ask the questions that I wish the reporters were gutsy enough to ask. Stay tuned!
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