Saints Super Bowl win, this year’s playoff loss make big game less exciting

I am trying to get excited about Sunday’s Super Bowl, but it isn’t easy.

On the day of the big game, I am usually up early for church and back home in time to watch the exhaustive pregame show. I would even be somewhat interested in the televising network incessantly showing video of the team busses leaving the hotel.

What follows is the video of the players arriving at the stadium, with suits and headphones on.

But, hey, I didn’t mind because it was Super Bowl Sunday.

All of that changed in February of 2010 when the Saints won Super Bowl XLIV.

We arrived in Miami nine days before the Saints defeated the Colts. The weather was absolutely perfect, and New Orleans won the party long before the game.

On my one free night, Saints fans seem to outnumber Colts fans by three-to-one on South Beach.

Once you’ve seen the Saints win it all, it feels weird to sit at home in your favorite chair and watch Tom Brady play in another Super Bowl. 

My wife, who isn’t a football fan unless she can sit in a suite to watch the game, summed up the importance of the day perfectly.

“At least we can watch the commercials,” said Robin.

I laughed.

This year, there another thing that is making the Super Bowl somewhat stale.

The feeling that the Saints should have been in it.

Or, at the very least in Philadelphia a couple of week ago with a chance to win the NFC Championship.

The Saints started to look like a Super Bowl contender in November when they smashed the Bills, 47-10, in Buffalo. That dominant effort was extremely reminiscent of 2009, when the Saints literally ran a lot of good teams, out the stadium.

After the win in Buffalo, there was the dramatic 18 point fourth quarter and subsequent overtime win over Washington.

When you are on the way to the Super Bowl, magical stuff happens. It certainly did that day.

Then there was the loss at Atlanta on a Thursday, and the win by the Saints in the rematch on Christmas Eve.

Two weeks later, the Saints beat Carolina to win their first home playoff game in six years.

Then, with one pass from Case Keenum to Stefan Diggs, the party was over.

The 2017 Saints had a lot of great stories.

Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore led a superb rookie class, as New Orleans had one of the best drafts in the NFL in the past decade.

Defensive end Cam Jordan had a career year, and by the end of the season the seven-year veteran was unstoppable. His running through two Carolina blockers on the way to forcing Cam Newton into an intentional grounding penalty was a huge moment in the Saints’ playoff victory over the Panthers.

At times, the Saints were a dominant defensive team.

After falling behind the Vikings in the divisional playoffs 17-0, the New Orleans defense virtually locked down the opposition until that final play.

So this Sunday, a few friends will be over. They have to work on Monday, so they will be out the door at halftime.

I’ll watch the second half, put out the garbage,and get to bed so I can be ready for a busy week.

One of the most compelling things about Super Bowl Sunday is how many lives it changes.

It was interesting to see a quote from Falcons owner Arthur Blank, expressing dismay that the Patriots used 283 diamonds in the Super Bowl championship rings. That 28-3 reminder will never, for Atlanta, completely go away.

It just won’t.

And neither will Minnesota 29, New Orleans 24.

That subsequent hangover means Super Bowl Sunday in one of the most rabid football cities in America will be a somewhat muted experience.​