Root for Peyton Manning because I said so!

Today, I'm giving you all about 45 minutes of entertainment/ brainwashing just before tomorrow's big game. Because the game is between the Colts and the Saints, I feel like a ton of people are searching for a rooting interest during the big game and ESPN's unbiased coverage isn't helping.

Consider today's post as an educational sermon on why this year's Super Bowl has way more outside factors influencing which camp football fans outside of New Orleans and Indianapolis should join. If anything, you can take away that I'm giving you guys a cheaper way to be interested in the Super Bowl as opposed to making silly prop bets in Vegas or dumping 20 bucks into an office pool.

5 Reasons to watch Super Bowl XLIV and root for the Colts:

1. Peyton Manning. This video is a great clip of Peyton Manning mic'd up during a game against the St. Louis Rams. It really shows how passionate and emotional he can be when faced with adversity. It's also pretty funny how he comes back down to earth as soon as his 332 lb left tackle, Tarik Glenn tells him to sit down. Click here
2. Peyton Manning. Before his breakthrough on SNL, Manning was perceived as that silver spooned kid that never made mistakes and was always politically correct. Even I couldn't stand Peyton Manning. My favorite QB growing up, Steve Young, already had that throne in my book. I remember being a Tom Brady fan because he played the mysterious, overachieving underdog that didn't take flak from anybody. He also happened to date supermodels....and impregnate movie stars, simultaneously. Manning's SNL skit tipped the scales in his favor, especially after this United Way commercial.
3. Peyton, Eli, and Archie Manning. By far the greatest karaoke song.
4. Hitler loves the Colts. Especially Peyton Manning.
5. Peyton Manning's audibles are in Gaelic.

5 Reasons to Root against the Saints

1. Reggie Bush. How can you root for a guy that dates Kim Kardashian, went to college in Southern California, got paid to play college football, destroyed the credibility of his Alma-mater's football program, and won the Heisman Trophy over Vince Young in 2005? The only consolation out there for Reggie Bush haters would have to be this.
2. New Orleans is a dirty sodomy filled city. Been there twice and hated it both times.
3. Sean Payton. When he was Offensive Coordinator here for our beloved Cowboys, I clearly remember him calling ridiculous plays in the worst situations. The most memorable being a 4th and goal from the 1 yd line situation, down by 4, under a minute left against the Chargers. What came next? Fade route to to Keyshawn Johnson. Incomplete pass. Now all of the sudden he's the hottest coach in the NFL.
4. Saints - Party in the MIA Remix. Wow. Not only was the Miley Cyrus version lame, but this is without question the worst Super Bowl pep song ever.
5. Katrina. Get over it. It was almost 5 years ago and we're still hearing about how devastating it was. Let me ask you this...Did you ever once hear a New Yorker try to convince anyone to pull for the Yankees or the Giants after 9-11? How about the Oklahoma City Thunder? Do they request any sort of charity from the fallout of the Oklahoma City bombing of the 90's? All over ESPN they're covering how the city NEEDS this Super Bowl victory for it's rebuilding efforts. Um, no. You need to build a city somewhere that doesn't require levies and doesn't get blasted by Cat 5 hurricanes every 5 years. Think about this...after all of the money that was poured into the rebuilding effort by the federal, state, and local governments, not to mention individual contributions and volunteer hours, what are they going to do if they win tomorrow? Have a $2-3 million Super Bowl parade? On who's dime? Maybe they should have it Houston (where most of the city's population moved to after the storm), or possibly in San Antonio (where the Saints practiced and relocated to for the remainder of the 2005 season).

My point is that just because the city suffered through a tragedy doesn't mean that the rest of the nation has to jump on the bandwagon. The team's success has nothing to do with how the city is represented. Just look at Buffalo, Detroit, Cleveland, Minneapolis, Kansas City. If your team's success determined the general feeling of the city, then these cities would very high suicide rates, unemployment rates (sorry Detroit), etc.

If you couldn't care less about anything that I rambled on and on about...just root for Peyton Manning because he's a good guy.

NFL - hitting it's stride in Week 10

Stunned. Shocked. Flabbergasted. Those were my reactions to the end of the Colts - Pats game, the most anticipated game of the season. Indy's improbable comback was the icing on an NFL cake that even the Cake Boss could appreciate.

The NFL couldn't have scripted yesterdays contests with any more drama. It felt like every game was another installment to the Jason Bourne trilogy.

Quick recap of the televised games:

NE 34 @ IND 35

By far the most entertaining match up on Sunday's slate. The two best QB's in the league put on an aerial display that included a combined 680 yards and 7 TD passes. What people will remember most about this instant classic, is Bill Belichik's decision to go for it on 4th and 2 from his own 28 yard line with 2:00 left in the game. Peyton Manning should consider endorsing hypnotic products and services, because there's no way Belichik goes for it if Chad Henne is standing on the other sideline.

(If Chuck Norris didn't wear Peyton Manning pajamas before last nights game, he certainly will be now.)

DAL 7 @ GB 17

I've said it before and I'll say it again...Dallas games are painful to watch. Not just because I'm a fan, but because there seems to be at a minimum 8 coaches challenges, 26 TV timeouts, 5 two-minute warnings, 3 players carted off, 37 holding penalties, and 4 shots of Wade Phillips celebrating like the fat guy from Teenwolf when he hits his free throws. Sloppy play, poor play calling, and a lack of discipline proved to be more than the Cowboys could overcome. Green Bay's defense looked solid and Clay Matthews, along with A.J. Hawk will be a talented core of LB's for years to come.

Side Note: Is anyone else as sick of the Bud Light "Too light, Too Heavy" commercials as I am? The lady using the nail gun to pin on her beau's boutonniere was pretty funny, but I get it already...Bud Light's not too light and it's not too heavy. One last thing...give it up on the Bud Light Lime already...if we want lime in our beer, we'll do it ourselves...with actual lime juice, thanks.

CIN 18 @ PIT 12

First place in the NFC North was decided by the boot of Shayne Graham and the stifling defense of Cincinnati. Graham's four second-half field goals were too much for the hometown Steelers to overcome. Cincinnati held the Steelers to a paltry 3.6 yards per play and sacked Big Ben four times. Pittsburgh finds itself in unfamiliar territory after losing both games to the Bengals this season. They're now two games behind the Bengals heading into Week 11.

DET 10 @ MIN 27

I mentioned Lions Rookie Matthew Stafford in an earlier blog post and brought up a few numbers that might relate to the Lions poor record this year. In an encore performance, Stafford attempted over 50 passes for the second straight week. So let me get this straight...it's Favre vs. Stafford, Good vs. Bad, no one believes you can win, and you want to lay the game on the shoulders of a baby-faced, 21 year-old rookie QB? They pay Coach Schwartz a considerable amount of money to make decisions like that. Run the ball, play defense, kick field goals, keep it close, and most of all keep yourself out of 3rd and Lake Michigan.

That's all for the recap! Enjoy tonight's scintillating contest between the Old Browns from Baltimore against the New Browns from Cleveland.

This week's picks will be posted on Thursday afternoon prior to the game.