Usually, it’s pretty easy for me to decide who to cheer for in the Super Bowl. I usually go with the AFC, since that’s where the Jets play. Or, the reporter in me roots for a great story, which is why I pulled hard for the Colts four years ago, to see Manning win his first. Or why I wanted the underdog Titans to beat the Rams 10 years ago.
But this year? Stumped. So many reasons to pull for the New Orleans Saints. The whole “Katrina angle” is overblown after two weeks of hype, but Drew Brees has done so much for the city of New Orleans in its recovery, that I want him to win.
Plus, I love it when cities that have only one team finally win a championship; the people of New Orleans, and the people of Louisiana, deserve a title.
But then there’s the Colts. I heart Peyton Manning more than any other NFL quarterback. Guy is just incredible, maybe the best ever. And the Colts owner, Jim Irsay, is a wildly fascinating guy who has totally redeemed the Irsay name after his jerk father ripped the team out of Baltimore (Check out Jon Wertheim’s terrific story on Jim Irsay in SI here).
And well, the Colts are such a great organization, classy through and through, and Tony Dungy built them and you can’t say enough good things about him. And a second Super Bowl would cement Manning’s legacy.
So, yeah, I’m torn. I think it’ll be a hell of a game, with the Colts pulling it out, 34-28. I’ll probably figure out who to root for at the coin toss.
**And since everyone loves Super Bowl commercials, here are two of my favorites. Gotta love Terry Tate!
**And of course, the most famous commercial ever…
Wide World of Stuff 