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MIAMI GARDENS, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Drew Brees #9 of the New Orleans Saints celebrates after defeating the Indianapolis Colts during Super Bowl XLIV on February 7, 2010 at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
IMAGINE BEING midway through a terrible 2005 season, Hurricane Katrina's wrath is still fresh and the New Orleans Saints are discussing which high-profile free agents might save them in the offseason:
"We cannot get those guys to come here. We're not a winning tradition team right now and we're not a major media market, although we're a good media market. We're in a situation where we're just not going to get those guys."
That quote would have been understandable from the Saints. Instead, that incredibly defeatist remark came this past weekend from Warriors general manager Larry Riley. He summed up the laughable state of the Warriors, doing so while defending his latest personnel move to Bay Area New Group-East Bay beat writer Marcus Thompson II.
Of course, the NBA and NFL are different beasts. Amen to that. Let's reflect on Super Sunday and the Saints' 31-17 upset of the Indianapolis Colts:
Quarterback Drew Brees, the Saints-saving 2006 free agent, forever will be revered in New Orleans. Run for mayor? Congress? Heck, that pregame feature with CBS's Katie Couric came off like a prelude to a presidential campaign. Super Bowl XLIV drew the most viewers (106.5 million) in American television history. Moral of that story: We've kept up with the Kardashians. (Memo to Kim: Why crash the NFL Network postgame show and steal Reggie Bush's spotlight?)
class="bulletsquare"> The only way Bourbon Street basks in a bigger party: If the Saints win the 2013 Super Bowl at the Superdome to clinch a four-peat. The only way Peyton Manning can surpass Joe Montana in the greatest-quarterback-ever debate: Win three consecutive Super Bowls. Montana was 4-0 in Super Bowls; Manning is 1-1. Montana totaled 11 touchdown passes and no interceptions; Manning had one touchdown pass and one interception in each Super Bowl. Brees: eight touchdown passes, no interceptions in this season's three playoff wins. Flashback to Jan. 20, 2004: Dallas Cowboys offensive coordinator Maurice Carthon declares he's out of the running to replace Bill Callahan as the Raiders coach and pegs Sean Payton as Al Davis' choice: "Sean's going to get that job. He's out there now working out the details, and it could be announced (any day). Sean's their guy." Payton stayed with the Cowboys two more seasons before becoming the Saints' guy. The Raiders' coaching rotation post-Callahan: Norv Turner, Art Shell, Lane Kiffin, Tom Cable and, oh, still Cable, allegedly. The Saints' onside kickoff was huge, but the true momentum changer: Putting the brakes on Manning's 10-0 start and forcing the Colts to go three-and-out on their only two second-quarter possessions. A third-quarter onside kick is not "best coaching call" ever in a Super Bowl. Not with so much time remaining. Not when the Colts retook the lead on their next possession. Karma connection: "Who Dat?" Nation rallies after "The Who" halftime show. Best postgame quote: "I think I'm going to be drunk for about 30 days." — Saints linebacker and Cal product Scott Fujita. (He is another of New Orleans' 2006 free-agent finds.) The Saints' victory tour will come to a dilapidated stadium near you: Candlestick Park, to face the 49ers at a date to be announced this spring. One online sports book puts the 49ers' odds of winning Super Bowl XLV at 45-1. Perfect symmetry, that being the 45th Super Bowl. The Raiders are 100-1, matching the longest of shots with the Bills, Browns, Buccaneers, Chiefs, Lions and Rams. That oddsmaker must be nuts to pick the Colts (13-2) and, for heaven's sake, the one-and-done San Diego Chargers (8-1) as favorites to win Super Bowl XLV ahead of any Saints repeat (10-1). The Sharks represent the Bay Area's best shot at ending its 15-year slump without a major-sport championship. Unfortunately, those perennial teasers who won't seize the Bay Area's attention until Lord Stanley's Cup is hoisted in a parade on the Golden Gate (or on Santana Row, if San Jose insists). Expect that Sharks celebration to happen — this year. After all, who dat columnist that picked them Saints? iDat, to mix Silicon Valley parlance with New Orleans spirit.Contact Cam Inman at cinman@bayareanewsgroup.com. Follow him at twitter.com/CamInman.
