Super Bowl Hangover

So Super Bowl 50 is history and I’m sure many thought it was a boring game. But those of us that have seen the blowout games and lack of defense it was a welcome football game. They say offense wins games but defense wins championships and Sunday was proof that it does.

Two years ago the Broncos played the number one ranked defense in the league and got throttled by the Seattle Seahawks. The Broncos took that hint and rebuilt their team as defensively strong and this year they were the number one defensive team in the league.

Carolina’s defense wasn’t too shabby either. So what did it take to grasp victory? Well, defensive plays, that’s what!

Panther QB and this year’s NFL player of the year Cam Newton did not have a particularly great game. He over threw receivers, was sacked and had two big fumbles and an interception.

Future hall of famer Peyton Manning didn’t have an eye popping game either but managed to get the team in position to score field goals and one big touchdown and a two point conversion in the fourth quarter.

The touchdown was set up by a Cam Newton fumble after a Bronco sack of the big fella. The first touchdown was on a sack of Newton as well but this time the football was recovered in the end zone by the Bronco defense.

I watched the entire game at home in the comfort of my Lazy Boy. Even my wife watched part of the game with me. She made comments on the commercials, not so much on the game.

I didn’t have a favorite team that I was rooting for with the exception of wanting Peyton Manning to have the opportunity to go out a Super Bowl champion.

I think Manning is going to retire. What more does he have to prove?

Do you think at the age of forty he will come back and win the league MVP and another Super Bowl? The odds are definitely against that happening.

Let’s face it his body will not heal like it did 10 years ago. This year was a tough one on him as a bad toe kept him off the field for several weeks.

He was fortunate enough to come back in the last game of the season to pull out a victory and put the Broncos in the driver’s seat as the number one seed in the AFC.

But he just as easily could have faltered in any of the playoff games but he played well enough to win and that includes the Super Bowl game.

Manning doesn’t need to prove anything to the critics. He will go down in history as one of the best QBs to ever play the game. Now he just needs to walk away from the game while he can still walk away. He earned that right!

Some of the things I really liked about this Super Bowl started with the introductions of the MVPs from the previous 49 games.

For me it brought back some great memories of so many of the really good games. A lot of those guys still look pretty good this many years later.

The singing of America by members of the different branches of the Armed Services was especially touching. There is nothing better than great patriots singing a very patriotic song. Well done!

Before I talk about the Star Spangled Banner just let me say that I am not a fan of Lady Gaga. I guess I never got what she was trying to portray. With that being said she totally nailed the National Anthem and it was very moving and well done. Who knows, maybe I will become a fan!

The halftime show was interesting but since I’m from the old school it didn’t move me like The Who did a few years back. But hey, that’s me.

I watched some of the postgame show and it was interesting how they focused on Manning and his future. Manning is a class act and didn’t make the interview about his retirement but about his team and the players that brought victory to the Broncos.

Cam Newton has a way to go to become a class guy and he could learn a lot from the popular veteran. He could also learn a lot from Russell Wilson who faced harsh criticism last year and took the blame for a loss as he faced the reporters and answered every question.

Being a leader takes someone that holds the team in high regard and considers themselves as one part of it but not the most important part. Once Cam figures that out he may have true greatness in his future. If not it will be difficult for him to ever find happiness.

Hopefully you didn’t wake up with a Super Bowl hangover like the many fans in Denver did. But if you did I hear Alka Seltzer works!