That makes three straight very excellent Super Bowls. Some thoughts ...
* I know Drew Brees gets the MVP award and deservedly so. But the real difference maker was Saints coach Sean Payton. Going for a touchdown on fourth and goal, calling for an onside kick -- Payton was coaching as if there was no choice but to win. I really think that's a key difference between offensive and defensive coaches. Defensive-minded coaches tend to be more cautious. Payton threw caution to the wind tonight.
* I thought the best - and most intense -- moment of the night was the scrum that followed the on-side kick to start the second half. Not only did the call show how aggressive the Saints were, their players seemed to want the ball more than the Colts. That prolonged melee seemed to me the very essence of football. And that's why I roll my eyes when I read that concussion concerns have the league re-thinking even the three-point stance. This isn't tennis, and that's why we love it.
* I thought Jim Nantz and Phil Simms did an excellent job announcing the game. A few moments after Simms told the viewers that Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams planned on switching up his approach late in the game in an effort to confuse Peyton Manning, Manning threw the pass that was picked off by Tracy Porter and returned for a 74-yard touchdown.
* I thought Scott Green's officiating crew did a great job. Yes, the two-point conversion to Lance Moore was overturned, but otherwise there weren't a lot of penalties called and there wasn't a lot of time wasted by the officials.
* It's no secret I have a man crush on Carl Nicks. I watched him - he plays left guard for the Saints - on every snap and kept thinking what a great fit he'd have been for the 49ers. He played very well.
* Worst vocals? To me, it's a toss up between Carrie Underwood and The Who's Pete Townshend. Of course, Townsend, 64, has suffered major hearing loss over the years. What's Underwood's excuse?
* Best commercial: The Snickers ad in which one of the guys in the pick-up football game is accused of playing like Betty White. Honorable mention: Volkswagon's "punch buggy" ad with Stevie Wonder. I also liked the NFL's in-house ads for the April draft that were played over The Arcade Fire's "Wake up", and David Letterman's spot with Oprah and Jay Leno was perfect.
* Worst commercial: Doritos must have dumped a ton of money into Super Bowl advertising and came out with some pretty terrible material. To quote Nigel Tufnel: There's a fine line between clever and stupid. Also, Joe Montana doing voice overs for Shape ups?
-- Matt Barrows
