On the flip side, Saints/Colts was an exciting match-up in '09, but the game turned out to be kinda forgettable. The reasons I stated in my prior post are why this game is not getting people excited.
Did we watch the same game? Colts shooting out to a 10-0 lead? Surprise onside kick to start the 2nd half? An acrobatic 2-pt conversion mid-air barrel roll by Lance Moore? Tracy Porter with a pick-6 to end any hope of a Colts comeback? As a Texans fan, I knew Peyton getting the ball with 4 minutes left down less than a TD was a guaranteed win for the Colts, so seeing that Porter pick-6 was one of the most exciting SB moments for me.
How could you think any of the above was forgettable?
Concur. In terms of enjoyment factor, we've had a pretty great run going back to the Broncos' win in SB32 that ended the long string of NFC dominance. I would rate the 10 most recent Super Bowls thusly:
44 (Saints 31 - Colts 17): "rab7" summarized it pretty well. Not only were the Colts driving for a game-tying touchdown with less than 4:00 left in the 4th quarter, the Colts were in Saints' territory, and Porter caught the ball at the Saints' 26 yard line. Had that pass been completed, the entire complexion of the game would have changed. 4.5/5 stars.
45 (Packers 31 - Steelers 25): I honestly don't remember this game very well and didn't have much preference who won. Just looking at the box score, the Packers went up 14-0 in the first quarter, with the Steelers cutting the gap to 21-10 by halftime. By the middle of the 4th quarter, the Steelers had closed to 28-25, but the Packers got a field goal, and the Steelers' two minute drive failed pretty miserably. 3.5/5 stars.
46 (Giants 21 - Patriots 17): Like the game four years earlier, while this was a close game throughout (the Giants' 9-0 lead after a late 1st quarter touchdown was the biggest lead of the game), I thought this was a pretty dull game until the final, game winning drive. 3/5 stars.
47 (Ravens 34 - 49ers 31): In terms of my personal enjoyment, this one is pretty similar to SB45, except that I actively disliked both teams. Although it was a close final score, it was a tale of two halves, which makes the closeness less enjoyable. 2.5/5 stars.
48 (Seahawks [a shitload] - Broncos [piss all]): The less said about this abomination the better. 0/5 stars.
49 (Patriots 28 - Seahawks 24): I despised the 2013-15 Seahawks, and my wife is a Boston sports fan, so there's my perspective. I literally lept to my feet on the Butler interception. The ending of this game was great, but it was dud for about the first quarter and a half. Because of my personal perspective, the criticism of the decision to pass on that play doesn't enter into my thinking. All in all, the ending and the overall closeness of the game make this a good one. 4/5 stars.
50 (Broncos 24 - Pathers 10): Hard for me to be objective about this one. Carolina never led, and the Broncos pretty much dominated, and the result was never really in doubt. Personally, it's a 5/5; objectively, probably 2.5 or 3.
51 (Patriots 34 - Falcons 28): See above re SB47. This game was a dud for three quarters, and then exciting AF for the rest of the game. That it took over a half century to get an overtime Super Bowl is pretty amazing. 4/5 stars.
52 (Eagles 41 - Patriots 33): Kind of a dud for about a quarter and a half, and then really enjoyable. Notwithstanding being married to a Boston sports fan, I strongly lean toward underdogs, so I really enjoyed this one -- the second half in particular. 4/5 stars.
Regarding Wade Phillips, I caught a quick bit on the NFL Network where he referred fondly to "the old days" when you could wear stuff like that on the sideline that "didn't have a swoosh on it." Doesn't Wade sit in the booth and, if so, why couldn't he wear it for the game (not that he'd necessarily want to in a climate controlled building)?