Super Bowl full of super subplots and storylines

This Sunday marks the Super Bowl, which signifies the inevitable
Super Bowl party. Now, this may have you saying, “Shoot, I know nothing about either of these teams, what will I talk about?” But don’t worry, The Vista has you covered with the ten most compelling storylines, subplots and topics for discussion for Super Bowl XLIV.
 

1) Manning vs. Brees
The two best quarterbacks in the league go head to head for the championship. Manning is one of the most consistent passers the game has ever seen, while Brees is one of the most accurate, and he also throws a deadly deep ball. The edge has to go to Manning since he already has a ring, but a win for Brees can make the argument
a lot more interesting.
 

2) The “Post-Hurricane-Katrina” New Orleans Saints
Admit it, if you’re not a Colts fan already, you are rooting for the Saints in this one. That’s perfectly acceptable, especially when you consider that less than five years ago 80 percent of the city was under water. Hey, if anyone deserves a championship, it’s the city of New Orleans, and no one will blame you if you jump on their bandwagon for a week.
 

3) First-Timers vs. Old-Timers
If that isn’t enough to make you root for the Saints, perhaps the fact that this is their first ever Super Bowl appearance is. Meanwhile, the Colts won just three years ago in arguably the most boring Super Bowl of the decade. This game has the feel of a playground fight when the bully takes on the kid who picks his nose, only that kid grew six inches and finally decided to stand up for himself. The best part? Peyton Manning seems to enjoy being in the phase of his career where he plays the bully.
 

4) Explosive Offenses vs. Underrated Defenses
You’ll hear all about how great these two offenses are, but the underlying story is the two defenses.
The Saints have an all-or-nothing mentality on the defensive side of the ball, as seen in the NFC Championship game when they gave up 28 points to the Vikes, but forced five turnovers in the process.
The Colts are fast and get to the passer in a hurry, but as the Jets showed in the first half of the AFC Championship Game, this leaves them susceptible to the big play, an area where the Saints thrive. Regardless, it should be a shootout so perhaps the best thing to do is follow the advice of the wise John Madden: “Whoever scores more points will win the game.”
 

5) Pre-game and halftime entertainment... and Kim Kardashian
Rihanna is one of the many stars performing during the pregame festivities. Carrie Underwood will sing the National Anthem. And The Who, whose intro to “Baba O’Riley” ranks in the top five of “Music That Gets You Ridiculously Excited,” will perform at halftime. And if skilled musicians isn’t your thing and talentless celebrities is? Kim Kardashian
will be there to support her boyfriend, Reggie Bush.
 

6) Jim Nantz and Phil Simms
The two most underrated sportscasters working today. And even if you don’t particularly like them, just be thankful you don’t have to listen to Jon Gruden and Ron Jaworski stammer and make awkward jokes while comparing
Peyton Manning to Mariano Rivera.
 

7) The Archie Manning Dynamic
Peyton’s daddy was also the star quarterback of the New Orleans Saints way back when, and he is one of the most beloved athletes to ever come out of the city. You would hope his allegiances would lie with his son, but never underestimate the loyalty of one player to his team. Drew Brees could all but erase any memories that Saints’ fans still hold for their old quarterback with a victory.

8) The Coaching Matchup
New Orleans’ Sean Payton is one of the best offensive minds in football right now, and it’s hard not to root for the guy who once coached a British beer league football team. Meanwhile, Colts Head Coach Jim Caldwell will look to become the first coach in the history of the NFL to finish an entire season without blinking. Whether you agree or disagree with his decision to sacrifice a perfect season and rest his starters, the fact remains that he has yet to lose a game when they have played all four quarters.
 

9) Pierre Garçon
The Haitian wide receiver had many relatives affected by the horrific earthquake that decimated the country just several weeks ago. While this story is compelling
in itself, he is also becoming Manning’s favorite target. The Jets shut down Reggie Wayne in the Championship Round, and Garçon stepped up with 11 catches for 151 yards and a touchdown. So if and when he gets in to the end zone on Sunday just know it will be a moment that is far more important than the game of football itself.
 

10) The Commercials
There are no statistics to prove this, but approximately 31 percent of males and a whopping 89 percent of females watch the Super Bowl for this reason alone.
No matter your reason for watching the game, you no longer have an excuse to talk about “Jersey Shore” the whole time to disguise the fact that you know nothing about the two teams. This will be your guide to everything you need to know about the Big Game. Stay safe and enjoy the game.