It's a lonely man who watches the super bowl alone while writing commentary to imaginary friends. Lone has become a habit and it is not an easy habit to give up. Oddly enough.
When I am around people much I figure I'm somehow disappointing them or letting them down or irking them in some way. At first I don't think that but in time I do. Mostly I know it is time to figure out a more long term plan. It comes slow, but compared to two years ago, good progress has been made. Not so much forward motion in the last year. Things are too pleasant and beautiful here so I forget to be ambitious and gutsy.
Pre-super bowl hooplah is entertaining and interesting to me, normally. Then all of a sudden we have a CBS special on right now with Katie Couric lobbing softball questions to Obama in the White House. What a way to politic to a huge captive audience. Now we get the President's opinion of the game and the players. I guess that's OK, but there comes a time when I really just want to see the game festivities without political spin. That was not a very classy move by CBS and the White House.
I expect any minute for them to butt in again with a Republican rebuttal. If it comes to that I will blow up the TV. I think I will just quit paying attention. What bothers me most is government control and intrusion into every facet of life. It only plays to the totalitarianists to let that annoyance occupy my mind. I will do what I wish millions would do---ignore and don't seek their favor or their stolen money.
OK some band with a percussionist and a drummer played, outside the stadium. Nice stage. Not sure who that band was. I think they are well known, just not to me. Old guys and a nice Latin beat but not so Latin tune. It works. Maybe we'll get the Queen's view of the game and the world next. CBS no doubt want3ed to boost Katie's numbers, kiss up to the president, and pull off a mutual PR coup. I found it transparently opportunistic and pushy. Others may have loved it. OK. Good for them.
I predicted the score as soon as we knew who'd made it to the big show. Colts 33 Saints 20. That could be way off. I figure now that it is an even bet who'll win. But, I made my call and I'll stick with it.
Now a guy in prison is being interviewed. Plaxico Burress. I don't know much about him, but he apparently made the game winning catch in a past super bowl. Then he did some odd thing like accidentally shot himself in a night club or some such thing. It sucks and he won't do it again, probably. They say he'd been a bit problematic before that. Unlicensed handgun, bla bla bla. I don't know the details but I don't think keeping him locked up too long is doing anyone any good. Some people disagree but lock ups rerach the point of diminishing returns very quickly in many cases. The system is just not quite right. Now, true nut case aberrant cases can't be let loose, but that is not everyone. OK. This is super bowl.
So, we've had bands, politics, and heart wrenching stories of going from glory to prison. His daughter was born after he was put away. Maybe Obama should spend as much time on a few cases of people locked up as he did with Katie, and pardon a few. That would be a weekly event if I were president. As if I'd last 3 seconds. I'd love to see one that used that power where they should.
OK. Now a golf equipment company had a sort of ad in which a guy hit to diverent drives, one with a ball marked Colts and one Saints. The Saints ball went the furthest, so he says they'll win.
An advertisement for who knows what with Manning cheering people pumping gas, making sandwiches, selling insurance. He's a funnier guy than most QBs.
It still rings of home when I see South Florida. It really was a place of much heartbreak and pain when I think of my family growing up, and the resultant confusion, but it is still my place of origin and the best place to get Cuban coffee. The water is warm, the bugs are big, and the driving is aggressively hostile and crazy. It is too populated for the level of heat and capacity of the roads. Get down to Key Largo and things are a little bit more alluring to me. A clear day this time of year is perfect for football. Slightly cool, sunny and bright.
I'm guessing the coin toss will be tails.
Quick local news blurb: a new law may mean a fine for the way you drive past a cop---on news blaa bla bla later.
Maybe a new fine for how you look at a cop. Nothing surprises me. That is the worst thing about the left coast---they love detailed stupid laws. OK there I go again.
Now teams are on the field jumping up and down, getting psyched. Just the usual ads on now; olive garden, Couples now on Blueray dvd with bonus delted scenes, wallmart clown steps on unicorn--the stuff that makes aliens seek out other planets to exploit.
NFL hyping the NFL. More fluff, CBS hypes CBS.
I'll publish then edit to continue this saga BRB (that's hip netspeak)
OK. Now Katie is profiling Drew Brees. The call him "the Patron Saint of New Orleans". Huricane scenes and discussion of how bad it all was.
Katie asks Drew's wife if she's up for a threesome. Drew ignores her and keeps talking about the city.
Katie makes another pass, Drew discusses the emotional attachment to the city and its resurrection.
She wanders New Orleans with Drew to see all the people giving him thanks and kudos.
Katie glows off contact high.
She goes to a school with him and asks about what they grow. A kid says, "mulberries", and Katie resonds, "Oh, I love rosemary". Dimwit.
More about Drew and his charity work and things that do make him well loved in the underwater party capital of the world.
Finally Katie's efforts at having the fame and appeal of the president and Drew Brees rub off on her have ended. For now. Actually she should have just stuck to stories like the one with Brees. It is when she pretended to be a regular reporter that she blew it because her objectivity was shown to be non-existent and that makes her lose appeal. Giving the due to feel good stories works better.
All the emotional tear jerking stuff in the Brees story and his involvement with the town make N.O. the sentimental favorite of many. I can't decide. I like Indy, and I like the new Saints. Never cared for them back in the old days, pre-Katrina.
Back to players jumping up and down shouting unintelligible chants to fire up the team.
A musical thing while showing football scenes. Black eyed Peas? Maybe not, part rap part music, have no idea what the guy is saying. Now the chick sings. They sound like they know what they are doing. OK. Jay Z and Rhiana or however that is spelled. I don't keep up that much with these things. If I were up on celebrity gossip I'd most likely know the scoop.
More yakking. Phil Simms and someone. Simms strikes me as zero personality. No real humor is evident there.
OK. Bets on who scores first. I think it depends on who gets the ball first. If N.O. gets it first and they score. they may win. If Colts get it first, They'll score. So, without knowing the toss yet, I say Indy puts first points up. Let's wait and see, shall we?
I am definitely nuts. Whether to embrace it or hang my head in shame, I don't know. Hell with it. Screw everyone, I'll embrace it.
Now we meet the NFC and AFC champs. just an aside, I believe a player was fined for cheap shots on Favre (Fah VRAY) in the afrc championship game. I thought they made some uncalled for hits. That causes me to be less sympathetic to that team, although they play fairly clean sometimes.
Now Queen Ltifa sings a rendition of Americ the Beautiful, obvious prob with in ear monitor, she pulls it off and does OK. Not a great rendition, no Ray Charles. B-. Carrie Underwood sings national anthem--PA probs, or else it is my TV. Intermittent cut outs, that finally stop. She gets through it. B. I admit it is very hard to sing anything under those conditions, but I have seen some heart stopping performances of it. Wish I remembered the names. As an objective critic, giving on the spot commentary, I have to say the pregame music was not very good. I gave them B grades for effort and because I am sure they are nice people, plus Queen is a remarkable force in her own right.
They use a differnt coin and it comes up heads. I was wrong N.O. called it. This could be crucial. I'm not sure how they determine who is considered home team, and who the visitor. Visitor calls, so NO is visitor. I don't know all the ins and outs, even of sports I played in the distant past. For example, I just recently familiarized myself with the full skinny on the Infield Fly Rule. I always just let others worry with it. Besides, when I played baseball I hit home runs and line drives to center.
OK. NO grinds it out. 3rd and 2, nope. They'll punt. Very crucial.
I cannot believe that Colt didn't call for a fair catch. The guy tackled him where he stood. Colts are 1st with a 1st down. They ran.
Heat's on but Manning is getting it to the somewhat open guy. Dumb off side against Colts, but they are primed for a field goal if they don't squeak out another 1st. He blew it. 42 year old kicker scores 3 for Indy. I was right. They scored first.
Great Snickers commercial with Betty White and Abe Vigoda(?). Playing footbal. She gets tackled hard.
Almost a Saint turnover. Guy fumbled on Kickoff return but a Saint got it. Here we go. I suspect Brees and company will make some headway this time. Very possibly a long play TD. Let's see if I'm psychic.
Almost. He finally hits Bush and gets a 1st. Bush is their real hope. When he gets loose it is all over. Holy smoke, wide open guy misses a ball that went through his hands and hit him in the face. 3 and out. I'm not psychic.
Saints punting team is demonic. Million yard punt downed by Saints, colts get it on the 4.
I'll only cover the commercials that really grab me. I like the dorito kid telling his mother's suitor to "keep your hands off my doritos and keep your hands off my mamma."
Manning taking some hits. Running game working well for them. Still moving it up the field. Looking much better than NO so far, but not really fault of NO defense. Just Indy's offense is that good. Joseph Addai running like crazy for big gains. The are getting close. In field goal range again. Touchdown, and a cheap hit way in the end zone by saint. It won't be called, but it was a cheap shot.
I think it is only 2nd penalty so far. NO for holding on kick return. That hurts. Right now they are down 10 nothing, but there is a long way to go. They'll figure out what's going wrong soon.
Good Monster ad with the fiddling beaver. Good Cars.com ad with the genius kid's saga into adulthood and buying a car.
Now we see a classic Brees completion for a 1st. Penalty Colts, out of bounds hit. not as cheap as that endzone hit.
Saints moving it now. This may prove to be interesting. NO may have spotted what was holding them up. Brees demonstrating why he is where he is, completes a pass while being beat up by two guys. OOps. Sackaroonie.
OK. Saints kick for 3. 10-3 Colts.
Great Bud commercial with town building human bridge after discovering bridge is out and beer truck on other side of the gulch.
A colt dropped a perfect pass and the guy was wide open. One for colts and one for saints in that regard. Things getting a little tougher now and only a touchdown separates the score. I expect it to open up a bit. You wait. I may yet be psychic. N.O. will somewhere crucial score on a big play, like maybe a 400 yard pass.
OK. 2nd period with maybe 7 min until half. I'll post and BRB to continue.
Saints are sailing. All of a sudden receivers are wide open A few good 1st downs. They're going to tie it up in a second. Down to the 3 or 4. Piece of cake. When the saints are hot, it is a work of art.
Well, 4th and 1. Maybe not a piece of cake. 3rd and 1 was a bust. Whoa. they went for it and Colts dropped them short.
Geez. Colts 3 and out. Saints make last sec field goal. 10 to 6 at half. Indy by 4. Low scoring which seems a little against expectation. That could change. The spread so far is about what the betting line was saying. I heard anything from 4 to 6 on the spread,.
Halftime with the Who. I guess it is good to see you can keep rocking into old age. Why should you ever have to stop doing what you love if you can still do it?
another BRB break. live coverage will continue.
Holy smoke. Saints do an onside kick and get it. Play of the game, without a doubt. Caught the Colts sleeping.
Illustrations I made to give artist's rendering of game soon to be included.
Half time review of who--vocals bit the big wahoo--sucked. Instrumentals--first class. B maybe B-.
Onside kick cal was brilliant. Brees is chewing them up. They are set for at least a field goal and should be a TD. Colts are playing as if they are behind and frustrated. TD Saints. I told you, when they get hot it is amazing.
VW commercial sucks. The one where everyone is punching and spilling and being obnoxious. Only good part is Stevie Wonder.
I will say, saints do get away with a lot of cheap shot defense. Can't see everything That is my main beef with them, they are a bit dirty beyond just playing hard.
OK. TD indy. Addai runs it in from short yardage out. 17-13 now. Colts. This could go back and forth. I just don't care for the cheap shot attitude so I am now officially cheering the Colts, but not with a lot of emotional investment.
etrade ad is pretty good. The baby trader has girl trouble now.
4:50 left 3rd quarter, Saints are rolling pretty well. Another long FG for 3 more. 17-16 Colts. New Orleans is too explosive and gutsy to be comfortable unless you have a 30 point lead at this point. I'd be very nervous if I were the Colts. And it looks like they are. Moreso than the Saints, I'd say. Dangerous psychology at work here, and it benefits the Saints.
OK almost 4th quarter. Colts moving it but now without getting beat up.
The artist's rendering of the play has now been uploaded into the post.
4th and 2 and going for it. Manning completes quick one for 7 or 8.
A friggin nail biter for either side.
BRB
Colts drive still alive. sort of. This is tough. They have to try a field goal. Wide left. Maybe God wants the saints to win. Often God is at odds with me. Not a very nice unit at times.
B R B
(again, that is hip netschmooze)
Saints playing like they know they will win. Brees is not letting it bother him if someone is hanging on to his head, he gets it completed anyway. In striking distance with 7 min to go. Saints about to score. TD. Big surprise. going for 2 ?? Nope. Missed it. New O. is up 22-17. What happened? lost a piece of the post.
They review and decide Saints did make the 2 point conversion. 24-17. No question about it, God is being mean to Indy today.
4+ minutes. This is do or die for Indy. They are moving it but they have to make a TD to tie and can't let N.O. score after that. Pressure is heavily on Colts. Payton may be choking a bit. He's avoided being intercepted but came close and has thrown stuff his guys can't catch.
Audi ad sucks.
It's over. Intercepted for a Saint's TD. Saw it coming. I had it backwards. Now it is Saints 31, Colts 17. All Indy has to do is make 2 TDs in three minutes. simple.
Done deal. Colts almost in but pass hit the guy in the hands and he couldn't catch it. I think he was shell shocked from the hits he'd taken and saw those guys on him again so he braced for the hit and forgot the catch. Even then Indy would have had to recover an on side kick and make another, just to tie.
Saints out played them. Good game. I was for Indy by the end of it, but there you go. All my predictions were wrong.
