MIAMI, Fla. – The ultimate underdogs, they ain’t. Not anymore. The Saints are Super Bowl championsnow. Who Dat? Try Drew Brees, Sean Payton and a team that has reversed its embarrassing past, carrying an entire city to the top with it.
Put away those paper bags forever.
Brees and the Saints rallied to upset Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts 31-17 Sunday night in one of pro football’s most thrilling title games.
“We just believed in ourselves and we knew that we had an entire city and maybe an entire country behind us,” said Brees, the game’s MVP. “What can I say? I tried to imagine what this moment would be like for a long time, and it’s better than expected.”
But not something many expected from these descendants of the hapless Aints, who were 5-point underdogs.
“Four years ago who ever thought this would be happening when 85 percent of the city was under water from (Hurricane) Katrina?” Brees said. “Most people not knowing if New Orleanswould ever come back or if the organization and the team would come back. … This is the culmination of that belief and that faith.”
The Saints (16-3) won three postseason games this winter after winning only two in the previous 42 years. They beat Arizona, Minnesota and Indianapolis (16-3) — all division winners — for their first title, scoring 107 points and allowing only 59.
Brees tied a Super Bowl record with 32 completions, the last a 2-yard slant to Jeremy Shockey for the winning points with 5:42 remaining. He was 32 for 39 for 288 yards. Read full story here
The NFL Hall of Fame 2010 class was always going to be notable. Before the NFL Hall of Fame 2010 announcements were made today, everyone knew that Emmitt Smith and Jerry Rice would lead it.
The hope is that Dwight Freeney will play in Sunday’s Super Bowl for the Indianapolis Colts.After Freeney missed all four practices last week, Colts coach Jim Caldwell said Monday the team was preparing to play without the injured All-Pro defensive end.
“He hasn’t been practicing, so if he’s not practicing, we are preparing to not have him,” Caldwell told reporters after arriving in South Florida. “If he can’t go, we’ll do some rotations, and Raheem (Brock) will be a big part of that.”
At Media Day on Tuesday, Freeney walked up to his podium with a limp. He was wearing flip flops and his ankle was noticeably swollen. He said the swelling is down from what it looked like last week when “it was swollen the size of a baseball.” Read full story here
Dwight Freeney is the star defensive end for the Indianapolis Colts who is largely responsible for the much improved defense. Dwight Freeney the man in the number 93 jersey is well known for making his whole defensive line better, because of the doubles he gets from offensive linemen, it opens up his teammates. Its not often you see fans wearing a defensive players jersey, but the Dwight Freeney jersey is the exception.
Dwight Freeney was drafted by the Colts out of Syracuse University with the 11th pick in the first round of the 2002 NFL Draft. He set an NFL rookie record with 9 forced fumbles, and was runner up for defensive rookie of the year. Freeney is the only player in Colts history with three consecutive double-digit sack seasons.
Associated Press
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Rain drove the New Orleans Saints indoors Monday. The NFL scrambled to move Tuesday’s Media Day activities under cover. And tourism officials tried to shrug off the public-relations blow of a soggy start to Super Bowl week. Read more here
Jehmu Greene, president of Women’s Media Center, asked CBS on Monday not to air the commercial, saying, “An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sporting event of the year.”
JOIN: We support Tim Tebows Super Bowl Commerical here
Long live rock: The Who set to play Super Bowl XLIV halftime
THE WHO, one of the world’s greatest and most dynamic rock and roll bands, will perform in the BRIDGESTONE SUPER BOWL XLIV HALFTIME SHOW on CBS Sports at Dolphin Stadium in South Florida on Sunday, February 7, 2010. Read more here
The Pittsburgh Steelers are the 2009 Super Bowl Champions after defeating the Arizona Cardinals 27-24 making it the first franchise in NFL history to win six titles.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is the youngest head coach to ever win a Super Bowl. Santonio Holmes was named the 2009 Super Bowl MVP.
New Orleans is the first team in NFL history to reach the Super Bowl after entering the playoffs with a losing streak of three or more games. … The Saints are 14-4 at home since 2008, including the playoffs, and 22-13 at home under Sean Payton. … Brett Favre’s final pass as a member of the Packers, Jets and Vikings were all interceptions. The last time both No. 1 seeds reached the Super Bowl was 1993 when the Cowboys defeated the Bills 30-13.
Peyton Manning and the Colts, who stormed to a 30-17 over the New York Jets and earn their second trip to the Super Bowl in four years.
Minnesota has never lost to New Orleans in the playoffs.
The Votes are in…BBP’s Hottest Quarterback Winner [LINK]
Super Bowl 2009 Winner – The Pittsburgh Steelers are the big winners of Super Bowl XLIII that took place in Tampa on Sunday night.The Steelers have now won a record six Super Bowl titles after crushing the Arizona Cardinals in a 27-23 win during the game.
It’s just the third time that two NFL teams have started 10-0 in the same year. There never have been two 11-0 clubs in one season since the NFL started play 87 years ago.
“You have somewhat of a bulls-eye on your chest,” Saints quarterback Drew Brees, 30, told reporters this week. “You know everyone is gunning for you. So it doesn’t get any easier. Read full story here
All-time greats Jerry Rice and Emmitt Smith led a class of seven into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday.
