Knowshon Moreno, Donovan McNabb, Mike Shanahan and David Garrard enter pivotal seasons where they will be scrutinized if they do not perform at a high level.
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There are plenty of intriguing storylines heading into Super Bowl XLIV, but they have all been put through the ringer by dozens and dozens of media outlets.
We know Peyton Manning is a second Super Bowl ring away from cementing his argument as the greatest quarterback of all-time.
New Orleans needs a Super Bowl more than any other city in the United States.
The NFL's two best regular season teams finally meet in February.
Instead of analyzing Darren Sharper vs. Peyton Manning, the left ankle of Dwight Freeney or the possibility of Reggie Bush proposing to Kim Kardashian in the same boring fashion, let?s use the music of The Who, who (pun intended) will be performing at halftime this year.
?My Generation? - People try to put us down, just because we get around. Even if Brett Favre plays another season, it?s not hard to see the middle Manning child (I never forget about Cooper) finishing his career atop a majority of the NFL?s passing records. Simply put, he?s the best of his generation (at minimum).
?The Kids Are Alright? - That?s fine, I know them all pretty well. If you pit the Colts and the Saints against one another, Indianapolis is the seasoned veteran and New Orleans is the newcomer. Don?t worry though, as Roger Daltrey sang, ?they?ll be alright.?
?Happy Jack? - Happy Jack wasn?t old, but he was a man. Colts owner Jim Irsay is on his way to becoming (if he?s not already there) the NFL?s version of Mark Cuban. He?s got to be special if fans even in Baltimore are rooting for him to succeed.
?I Can See For Miles? - I know you?ve deceived me, now here?s a surprise. Both the Colts and Saints faded down the stretch, but the pair of No. 1 seeds are playing on the game?s biggest stage. Jim Caldwell and Sean Payton saw what was in the future and their plans to focus on the Lombardi trophy have paid off.
?Magic Bus? - Thank you, driver, for getting me here. We?ve been knee-deep in football since early September and I think we should all thank the NFL for getting us to Miami. There were some stumbles along the way ? the loss of Chris Henry and concussion scares ? but millions around the world can?t wait for Week 1 of the 2010 season.
?Pinball Wizard? - That deaf, dumb and blind kid. Manning and Brees can sure sling the football. I don?t think there?s an analyst out there that would place either of the two outside the top three or four when ranking the game?s best quarterbacks. They play with intuition, supple wrists and they sure play a mean football.
?Summertime Blues? - Sometimes I wonder what I?m a?gonna do. After Super Bowl XLIV we?ll have to wait seven months before we see meaningful NFL games played. The offseason is the longest in professional sports, which somehow just doesn?t seem right.
?Baba O?Riley? - I don?t need to fight, to prove I?m right. In a non-football related tidbit, I?m not sure there?s a better lyric in rock-and-roll history. In terms of the pigskin, Caldwell is close to being vindicated for bypassing 16-0 and the Saints, Brees and the city of New Orleans are being rewarded for sticking together.
?Won?t Get Fooled Again? - I?ll tip my hat to the new constitution. We?ve been basking in the glow of the 2009 season for five months, but things will get sticky when the trophy is handed out and the reality of an uncapped season rears its potentially-ugly head. When a new collective bargaining agreement is reached (fingers crossed), I?ll tip my hat to the new constitution.
?Let?s See Action? - Let?s see action, let?s see people. The Super Bowl is, aside from the biggest football game of the year, a huge spectacle. I feel for those that don?t get at least a little wrapped up in all of it, because it?s officially a non-official American holiday. With my Eagles out of the running, let?s just hope we all see some serious action.
?Join Together? - I want you to join together with the band. I?m a big music fan, especially classic rock, so I absolutely love the recent trend of iconic performers. The Who, although without two of their original members, have the potential to surpass Tom Petty (2008) as my all-time favorite halftime performance given that Daltrey?s pipes are working properly.
?Love Live Rock? - Jack is in the alley selling tickets made in Hong Kong. I had a random conversation with a stranger Thursday who is flying down (I live in the Northeast) to Miami for a few days to attend the game. Turns out his cousin got two tickets, called him Wednesday night and the decision was instantly made to attend Super Bowl XLIV.
A few hours later I had an interesting thought. If someone called me with tickets to the big game just a few days prior, would I instantly be on a plane? Approaching marriage and now owning a home, I?m not sure I wouldn?t have to at least take a few hours to think about the logistics involved. Is that pathetic?
?Somebody Saved Me? - Somebody saved me ? from a fate worse than heaven. I?ll admit that I?m pulling for the Colts to win on Sunday, but only by a small margin. A Super Bowl victory would mean a lot to the city of New Orleans and not even the most diehard Indianapolis fan can deny that. The sight of Brees holding the Lombardi trophy on a float with beads being thrown from all directions would be a pretty cool one.
Andrew Perna is Deputy Editor of RealGM.com. Please feel free to contact him with comments or questions via e-mail: Andrew.Perna@RealGM.com. You can also follow Andrew on Twitter: APerna7.
