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What they’re saying: Saints talk of football world |
Written by Walter Pierce
Monday, February 08, 2010 |
It still feels strange saying it — the Super Bowl champion New Orleans
Saints. What more can we say? Absolutely nothing. But here’s what some
others are saying about the Saints’ victory in Super Bowl 44:
ESPN’s Jeffri Chadiha praises Brees’ poise and command of the offense.
In his “Monday Morning Quarterback” column, Sports Illustrated’s Peter King highlights two unsung heroes
of the game: punter Thomas Morestead and back-up safety Chris Reis, who
kicked and recovered, respectively, that daring on-side kick to open
the second half.
“The Saints were too good, too polished, too inspired . . . too intent
on bringing their wounded city a much-needed boost,” writes Indianapolis Star Colts columnist Bob Kravitz, who has much to say
today, both about the Colts and the Saints. The irony isn’t lost on
many Colts fans that the two Saints players most instrumental in the
Saints’ win — Drew Brees (Purdue University) and cornerback Tracy
Porter (Indiana University) — starred in college in the Hoosier State.
Kravitz also wonders if the football gods didn’t exact revenge on the
Colts for resting their starters late in the season instead of seeking
a perfect record.
Citing the bookies in Vegas, the Web site Football Outsiders lists the Saints as the fourth most-likely team to play in the 2011 Super Bowl, behind New England, San Diego and most-favored Indianapolis.
Clark Judge at CBS Sports.com says the Colts’ conservative approach following an aggressive first quarter doomed them.
Brian Burke, who crunches NFL statistics for Advanced NFL Stats.com, analyzes Sean Payton’s gutsy calls — the on-side kick, the 4th and goal attempt, and the two-point conversion attempt — for The New York Times football blog, 5th Down.
And for number crunching of the eerie sort, Saints fans at raginpagin.com, an unofficial UL sports fan site, track the coincidences with the Saints, the Super Bowl and the number 4.
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