Miami
Walking along Poydras Street in New Orleans toward the Superdome on that Sunday morning in September when the NFL season was about to kick off, I sensed the excitement and anticipation among the fans who believed their Saints were starting something special.
So I'll always be able to say I was there when the Saints began their march to the Super Bowl for the first time in the franchise's 43-year history.
Too bad that's where the heartwarming tale ends.
Now, I'm aware that Gordon Monson, Hogle Zoo's orangutans and even my all-time favorite actress, Valerie Bertinelli, who fictionally grew up in Indianapolis, are picking the Saints. They all obviously know a good story when they see it, and what the Saints are doing to help New Orleans recover and rebuild after Hurricane Katrina is terrific material.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning, who was born in New Orleans when his father quarterbacked the Saints, also recognizes the prevailing sentiment of the country.
"We certainly understand that we may not be the team that everybody is cheering for in this game. We're OK with that," Manning said. "Obviously, we talk about all the stories this week. When it comes down to the game, though, it gets down to x's and o's."
Exactly. And I'm not going to throw away 49 years of football studies in favor of an emotional pick in this Super Bowl.
Having observed whatever cosmic forces or New Orleans voodoo caused the Minnesota Vikings to blow the NFC championship game in the last minute of regulation, I'm not discounting the element of destiny in this whole thing. Saints kicker Garrett Hartley labeled it "fate" after having told his father of his premonition about the winning field goal, and you had to figure something weird was at work all evening.
It took former BYU fullback Naufahu Tahi's appearing as a 12th man in the huddle -- a penalty, for which coach Brad Childress took the blame -- to move the Vikings back and lead to Brett Favre's throwing an interception to keep them from winning with their own field goal. The Vikings lost five turnovers in all, including two fumbles when they were poised to score.
Naturally, the Saints described those as "takeaways," and their defense deserved some credit. Yet while I tend to overvalue yardage, there's no question that Minnesota dominated that game, outgaining New Orleans by more than 200 yards.
Meanwhile, once they steadied themselves, the Colts scored the game's final 24 points in a convincing 30-17 win over the New York Jets. Manning was unstoppable against the NFL's best defense.
That's why picking the Saints over the Colts could be only a case of being swayed by a good story or believing in destiny. It's also possible that the orangutans were just making a random choice. Bertinelli may have selected the Saints, but I'm confident that Barbara Cooper, her "One Day at a Time" TV character, would have gone with the hometown Colts.
As for Monson, well, didn't he pick the New York Giants in September?
Drew Brees and the Saints offense were erratic against Minnesota, succeeding mostly in cashing on the Vikings' mistakes. The Colts will not be nearly as accommodating.
The Saints were motivated to reward their loyal fans, and they did so by finally winning the NFC title at home. That's the problem; they're satisfied with reaching the Super Bowl, while the Colts know what it takes to bring home a championship.
Manning is too sharp and too well protected by an offensive line that allowed him to be sacked only 10 times in the regular season for the Saints to overwhelm him with pressure. New Orleans may have beaten up Favre with legal and illegal blows, but he still moved the Vikings down the field on their last drive.
Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams is promising his guys will deliver more "remember-me" hits on Manning, but in the end, remember this: Colts 31, Saints 21.
