.... And Then There Were Two!!!

The stage it set. Super Bowl XLIV (44) is going to have the two top seeds in both conferences playing for the championship. We had two very interesting conference championship games. And now, we are down to the final two teams.

#1 New Orleans Saints

vs.

#1 Indianapolis Colts

Peyton Manning vs. Drew Brees. The two hottest Quarterbacks square off. The NFC's best against the AFC's best. The two hottest teams in the NFL go head-to-head. This is one matchup that actually has me intrigued and it doesn't involve one of my favorite players or my favorite team(s). I can, however, point out the fact that I told a lot of people about the young WR for the Colts, Pierre Garcon. See when you play Division III football at Mount Union (who is a Divison III powerhouse in football), and get invited to the NFL Combine, you are an exceptional player. But for some reason, Garcon was not highly praised. I was very happy to learn that he was picked up by the Indianapolis Colts in the 6th Round (205th Overall) in the 2008 NFL Draft. I was even more excited to see him on the field. Not many Division III players get a shot in the NFL and here I was looking at one who could be a star. Well fast forward to this past Sunday. Garcon posted 11 catches, 151 yards and a Touchdown catch. Not bad for a guy from a Division III college, playing in the AFC Championship game with a heavy heart as his homeland of Haiti was recovering from being hit with an earthquake. Couple that with the fact Coach Jim "Cool Azz" Caldwell is a Rookie Head Coach, and could be the second Black coach to win a Super Bowl, I would be happy if the Colts won the Super Bowl. But I'd be happy if Saints won as well.

Johnathan Vilma was clearly the best player on the New York Jets for years, but the Jets just weren't getting it done. Vilma, also a Haiti native, was playing with a heavy heart this past Sunday as well. In his 6th season (second with the Saints) from the University of Miami, or as we all know them, the "U", Vilma is one of the NFL's good guys. I was happy for him when I found out he was going to the Saints to play on a potential Super Bowl contender. Coaching Vilma, is a guy that should have been a head coach two years ago. Greg Williams orchestrated a top 10 Defense, three of his four season in Washington. When Coach Gibbs retired for the second time, the Redskins decided it would be in their best interest to ship Greg Williams off as well, paying him $1 Million in the process. Williams landed in Jacksonville first, and then New Orleans. And now Williams will be landing in Miami to Coach in his second Super Bowl (Tennessee Titans, 1999). Love him or hate him, he always has good Defenses and has a knack of getting the best out of all of his players. Add that to the fact that Drew Brees was basically a cast off from the San Diego Chargers as well as overlooked for a second consecutive year for the NFL MVP Award, Reggie Bush was labeled a bust, Marques Colston was overlooked by 31 NFL teams at least 6 times in the 2006 NFL Draft before being drafted by the New Orleans Saints, and Jeremy Shockey was shipped off from the New York Giants the year that they won the Super Bowl, I would be happy if the Saints won the game. So who am I picking?

In a shocker of all shockers, I am predicting a win by the New Orleans Saints and Drew Brees gets the Super Bowl MVP Award.

Final Score: New Orleans 34, Indianapolis 28.

This will be the last football game until August so I hope it is a good one.