FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The weather has been marginal, the interviews have mostly been dull and unless you make millions, the parties are for the rich and famous, not for the anonymous and untanned.
It’s a Miami Super Bowl: plenty of limos, all sorts of private jets, traffic that can drive you insane and scenery that does, indeed, make you crazy… if you know what I mean.
We’ve been here battling the good, the bad and the beautiful of the Pro Bowl and Super Bowl Week since last Thursday. No better time than now to put a few things into perspective.
1) There was no doubt in Tony Dungy’s voice yesterday. When the former head coach of the Indianapolis Colts was asked by radio host Dan Patrick if he thought his former team had what it takes to win Super Bowl XLIV, Dungy pulled no punches.
“I would be absolutely shocked if the Colts lose Sunday,” he said. “They haven’t lost a game yet this year that they were trying to win.”
I agree. I like the Colts by as many as three touchdowns.
2) There has only ben one actual “news” story this week and if it turns out that Colts defensive end Dwight Freeney can’t play on Sunday – although I still think he’ll play 15-20 plays, at least – Raheem Brock says he’s ready to step in.
In fact, Brock said on Wednesday that he and Rob Mathis will pick up the slack and fans won’t even notice that Freeney is missing.
That’s confident talk, but it just goes to show you the Colts are a very confident team.
3) New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was asked on Wedensday if there was an extra load of pressure on the Saints because the team was representing more than just the City of New Orleans.
Brees said no, but I sense the Saints might be a tad nervous on Sunday.
“We don’t look at it as pressure,” Brees sad, trying to deflect the tone of the question. “We feel like we are playing for so much more than just to win a game for our organization or team, we’re playing for an entire city and region.
“And you could say for an entire country because there are still so many New Orleans natives who had to evacuate after Katrina who have not been able to move back yet. We know we have fans across the country who are pulling for us and rooting for us, fans who will eventually come back to New Orleans, but are just waiting for the right time. Whatever we can do to give them hope and raise their spirits, that’s what we want to do.”
4) New Orleans defensive co-ordinator, Gregg Williams, has apparently put a bounty on the head of Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Williams said his defence will go after Manning, hit him late if necessary, hope to hurt him and if not, put fear into his mind.
“When you put too much of that type of worry on a warrior’s mind, he doesn’t play all out,” Williams said. “If it happens, it happens. And the only thing you’d like for me to say is that if it happens you hope he doesn’t get back up and play again.”
Huh? Wha? “…you hope he doesn’t get back up and play again?”
Manning almost choked, laughing at the comments. On Monday night, during his news conference at the Marriott Harbour Beach Spa and Resort, Manning said he had no opinion about Williams’ comments.
“No, I don’t have an opinion at all,” Manning said. “Actually, until now, I hadn’t heard his remarks. I guess I’ve been playing long enough that I don’t have any reaction to comments like that.”
5) Colts QB Peyton Manning and Saints QB Drew Brees will get contract extensions before training camp starts in July.
Here’s what will likely happen. Brees will sign first. He’ll et a four-year $68 million extension, making him the highest-paid player in football. Then, Manning will sign a five-year $100 million deal.
Many experts feel that Manning will get less than $20 million per season. We believe otherwise. $20 million a year is the benchmark for Manning, the best quarterback today.
6) There is nothing we love more at Super Bowl time than proposition bets and a new series of props have emerged for Sunday’s Super Bowl XLIV.
Among them: How many times Reggie Bush’s girlfriend Kim Kardashian will be shown on the TV broadcast; How many times the broadcasters will refer to Hurricane Katrina; and an over-under on the number of players who are arrested the night before the game.
The big game goes Sunday at 5 p.m., CST. In Canada, it’s on CTV.