Well, another year and another Super Bowl. If this year’s championship game didn’t go the way you wished, hang in there; it’s sports; it changes from year to year.
I’ll be the first to declare that I am not a Colts fan, and I find 6-foot-5-inch, 230-lb Peyton Manning and his rocket arm absolutely revolting.
But I’d rather watch him play and hope he loses, rather than have no football at all.
For me and many of you out there, the Super Bowl marks the end of time.
It reminds us after the last pass has been thrown and that last piece of confetti as hit the turf, that it will be another eight excruciatingly long months before we can be reunited with the game we love so much.
But let’s look on the bright side: This football season was filled with tons of memories.
The season really began with Monday Night Football’s opening night game.
The New Orleans Saints returned to the Superdome in an emotionally charged game against the Atlanta Falcons.
That night, there was nothing the Falcons could have done to win that game.
This season was a season of optimism and hope for Saints fans.
What would any football season be without a little T.O., right?
You can’t spell football without T.O.
His accidental overdose kept people talking for weeks.
I know for me, there was that one second where I thought … oh, I’m not that mean, but a season without his self-righteous narcissism would have been nice.
The extremes many owners will go to ceases to amaze me.
How they can bring in “team killers” like Owens and that other useless windbag, Randy Moss, just to win?
It’s startling.
Then, if that wasn’t enough, Owens publicly admits to spitting on cornerback Dante Hall.
No one should need more proof to see what a classless act Owens really is.
Funny, you can’t spell Athazagoraphobia without “TO” either.
Athazagoraphobia?
It’s the fear of being forgotten.
Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander became the newest victim of the Madden Curse this season.
I always thought it was just a coincidence, but Alexander’s injury has now made me a true believer.
Players should open their eyes and realize going on the cover of Madden is ruining fantasy teams across the country … Something has to be done.
It happened to my team last season when Donavon McNabb went down in the first game of the season.
I’m making a new proposal – punters only for the Madden cover. Let’s give Chris Gardocki some love.
Sure no one knows who he is, but at least when he breaks his leg, it won’t cost anyone their fantasy season.
For years and years, I have received much joy in watching the New Orleans Saints attempt to play the game of football.
And I thought this year was going to be no different.
I mean really, who is Sean Peyton?
When he was introduced as Saints head coach, I swear I thought they kept saying “Should Peyton?”
Really, Peyton Manning as Saints head coach?
But when a friend finally got me to stop laughing and said his name was Sean, I thought to myself, keep that paper bag handy.
Yes, I would like my crow served cold please, with a little jambalaya on the side.
Sean Peyton came in and did a great job!
They went from 3-13 a year ago, all the way to the NFC championship game.
It’s remarkable what a new attitude did for that team.
Who knew?
And that offense was something to watch. I’m going to have to find a new whipping boy to poke fun of.
Wasn’t it nice to have another set of initials this season that didn’t make you want to throw up?
L.T., or LaDainian Tomlinson, really made football fun to watch this season.
When we as fans have to endure week after week hearing about other players who put a bad rep on the game, it’s nice to get to watch a guy like L.T.
Tomlinson and his 31 record-setting touchdowns reminded us why we watch the game.
Only one thing L.T.: next time you make the playoffs, please demand that you touch the ball every possession.
This season really belonged to the rookies.
All season long we saw rookies making big contributions to their teams.
We saw No. 1 pick Reggie Bush help push the Saints into the playoffs.
Wait. Bush wasn’t the No. 1 pick?
If he wasn’t No. 1 then who was?
Oh well, I guess whoever it was really didn’t matter.
Reggie’s buddy Matt Leinart proved he could handle the NFL.
SEC star-quarterback Jay Cutler took over in Denver, and Devin Hester seemed unstoppable as a kick-returner.
But they all seem minute in comparison to Vince Young.
Young dazzled us again with epic Rose-Bowl-like performances down the stretch, almost leading the Titans into the playoffs.
There are several other stories from this past season, but not all of them more astonishing than the Cincinnati Bengals’.
I know coaches have goals when they enter a new season, but I don’t believe setting the record for most arrests in one season was on Marvin Lewis’s list.
Nine arrests in one season are even more than Michael Irvin can handle.
At least we found out why they couldn’t stop anyone on defense, half the squad was auditioning for Gridiron Gang.
And for future reference, it’s not Chad.
It’s “Ocho Cinco.”
That brings us back to Sunday and the Super Bowl.
Peyton Manning finally proved he could win the big game, and maybe he is worthy of all the stupid commercials he gets.
And the Bears proved they were who Dennis Green thought they were … not a great team with Rex at quarterback.
Now that the season is over, I’ll find refuge on the video gridiron, living out a mythical season on the All-Pro setting on Madden.
As I beat teams 130-3, I’ll anxiously wait for the draft to roll around.
Even though I know it’s not the same, at least some football talk is better than no talk at all.
I can hear it now … “How could the Houston Texans have passed on Adrian Peterson?”
Jonathan Brown is a senior communication major at Mississippi State. He covers basketball for The Reflector. He can be contacted at [email protected].