We went over to SO's mother and stepfather's house to watch the Super Bowl with their friends. It was not quite as exciting as the previous year when the hapless Arizona Cardinals made an unlikely trip to the Super Bowl and almost came away with the victory.
Before the game, we played our "traditional" Super Bowl golf at Greenfield Lakes Golf Course. Greenfield Lakes is a nice little 3,626 yard, par-62 executive course with some water hazards and even two relatively short par-5 holes. The par-3 holes range from 92 yards to 180 yards. I needed a little massage to my ego after Saturday's poor play at Camelback Golf Course. I hit the ball really well and shot a 72 with two double bogeys, one birdie, nine pars and seven bogeys. On one of the double bogeys I mis-clubbed and hit a good tee shot that flew over the green by 15 yards. Although I did not keep track, I probably hit 13 greens in regulation and I lipped out a couple of putts and one chip. I three-putted three holes! I did not realize it at the time, but executive courses can be input for USGA handicap index purposes. I have now accepted that I cannot hit my sand wedge 100 yards and I was using my pitching wedge for the 100 to 110 yard shots and hitting the middle of the greens. But our third player had a set of Ping G10 irons and I hit a few shots with his clubs and my ball traveled about an additional ten yards!
The Super Bowl was a well-played game. I like both teams and both quarterbacks but I was rooting for the Saints. Other than the obvious big plays like the on-side kick to start the second half (gutsy call by Sean Payton!) and the interception and return for a touchdown by Tracy Porter (the same player that picked off Brett Favre's last pass in the NFC Championship Game), I thought that the turning point in the game was after the Colts stopped the Saints on the two yard line with 1:30 remaining in the first half, the Colt's overly conservative three-runs up the middle series and the Saint's field goal to end the half. The Colts had all of the momentum, two or three timeouts and arguably the best quarterback to ever play pro football. The rookie coach should have shown confidence that Peyton Manning would not make a dumb mistake from his own end zone and opened the offense to try to score and put a dagger into the Saint's heart before halftime. Although Peyton Manning did not show it, I am sure that he was seething at the coach's decision to try to run out the clock.
Showing posts with label New Orleans Saints. Show all posts
Showing posts with label New Orleans Saints. Show all posts
Monday, February 8, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
A 50-Something Year Old Sports Fan's Dream
Sunday afternoon was a 50-something year old sports fan's dream. On the football gridiron, 40-year old Brett Favre and the 31-year old youngster, Drew Brees, were slinging footballs up and down the field in the NFC Championship Game, and on the golf course 60-year old Tom Watson and 50-year old Freddy Couples were shooting darts at the flagsticks at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii! I was wearing out the remote control.
The Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints, the two best teams in the National Football Conference this year, were never separated by more than a touchdown and extra point. Favre led his team down the field for a touchdown and Brees answered. It was like an Ali-Frazier heavyweight championship fight. It was fitting that the game ended in overtime, although a Lou Groza look-a-like kicking the game-winning field goal would have been perfect.
The golf was even better! Two great champions playing like they were in their prime punching and counter-punching. It was like being in a time machine. Watson started the day up two strokes, but when they made the turn Couples was leading by one stroke. On the back nine, Watson birdied the first 3 holes and Couples eagled the 10th hole and birdied the 12th hole. Couples birdied the 16th hole for a one-stroke lead but Watson answered with a birdie of his own on No. 17 by sinking a 6-foot putt. Watson hit the ball into the light rough on the 18th hole and Couples bombed his drive down the middle of the fairway. Watson's second shot out of the rough from 147 yards stopped 5 feet from the hole. Couples hit his wedge to 15-feet from the hole but just missed the birdie putt and Watson sank the 5-footer for the win. Couples shot a final round 64 and Watson matched him stroke-for-stroke with a 65. Both players experienced problems with the putter late in their PGA careers, but today both made some great long putts and neither one of them missed a putt inside 10 feet.
The Minnesota Vikings and the New Orleans Saints, the two best teams in the National Football Conference this year, were never separated by more than a touchdown and extra point. Favre led his team down the field for a touchdown and Brees answered. It was like an Ali-Frazier heavyweight championship fight. It was fitting that the game ended in overtime, although a Lou Groza look-a-like kicking the game-winning field goal would have been perfect.
The golf was even better! Two great champions playing like they were in their prime punching and counter-punching. It was like being in a time machine. Watson started the day up two strokes, but when they made the turn Couples was leading by one stroke. On the back nine, Watson birdied the first 3 holes and Couples eagled the 10th hole and birdied the 12th hole. Couples birdied the 16th hole for a one-stroke lead but Watson answered with a birdie of his own on No. 17 by sinking a 6-foot putt. Watson hit the ball into the light rough on the 18th hole and Couples bombed his drive down the middle of the fairway. Watson's second shot out of the rough from 147 yards stopped 5 feet from the hole. Couples hit his wedge to 15-feet from the hole but just missed the birdie putt and Watson sank the 5-footer for the win. Couples shot a final round 64 and Watson matched him stroke-for-stroke with a 65. Both players experienced problems with the putter late in their PGA careers, but today both made some great long putts and neither one of them missed a putt inside 10 feet.
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