Schadenfreude Dat

As an NFL fan, the pinnacle of enjoyment is watching my team (the Patriots) win the Super Bowl. But as sports fandom dictates, the second most enjoyable thing is watching the team you hate (the Colts) suffer an ignominious defeat. I'm not particularly proud of this, but it's true for me.

So today was a good day. I had some friends over to watch the game, ordered a lot of food, and enjoyed many beers throughout. Wacky Chinawife forbade any Colts supporters from entering the apartment today.

(And yes, I know that the title of my post only makes sense with an incorrect pronunciation of "schadenfreude.")

Thoughts on the game:
-After the 1st quarter, it wasn't looking good. I'd seen this dance before---the Colts offense moving the ball easily, their defense being stout enough against predictable runs up the middle. Halfway through the 2nd quarter, I noticed that the Saints defense had been on the field for a pretty long time, which is never a good sign against a Colts team that specializes in wearing out the opposition. I'm impressed that the Saints were able to fight back and turn it around.

-I completely agreed with the Saints call to go for it on 4th down on the 1-yard line. One thing left unsaid on the telecast was that although kicking the field goal results in 3 points, it also puts the Colts deep in their own territory with 2 minutes left, making it unlikely for them to score points before the half. With that factored into the equation, going for the 7 points was totally worth it.

-Onside kick was the play of the game. I just about fell out of my chair the instant I saw it. What a ballsy move. Colts special teams....this is the unit that has been consistently subpar during their run of pseudo-excellence this decade.

-Dwight Freeney's injury and its impact on this game cannot be overstated. Colts pass rush was as toothless as I've seen in a long time. I can't think of a single time during the second half where I thought Brees was under any real pressure.

-I can't describe the mix of excitement and surprise when Peyton Manning threw the interception that lost the game. Yes there was a blitz, but there was no real pressure. Analysts on TV are calling it the receiver's fault---maybe so. But wow, I did NOT see that coming. Can we bring back the "Manning chokes in big moments" era? Even if I don't completely believe it anymore, I still enjoy it.

-I'm super happy for Drew Brees, who is a totally amazing quarterback and seems like an even better human being. He is definitely a player who deserves to have a Super Bowl win during his career. I don't know how I missed this, but I learned tonight that he had a 71% completion percentage this season (an NFL record). That's incredible. One thing I just thought of---I know there are people out there who can't stand Tom Brady or Peyton Manning, but are there any real fans out there who can't stand Drew Brees? If so, I would have a hard time understanding why.

-Watching ads with other people always makes them better/funnier. My favorites this year:
Punxsatawney Polamalu
Brett Favre's 2020 MVP speech
Punch Buggy (just the Stevie Wonder part)
Tim's locker Doritos commercial

-The commercials I actively disliked or thought were odd:
Tim Tebow for Focus/FAM (I don't mind the message, but the tackling part was weird)
Super Bowl Shuffle for BoostMobile (I sorta liked it, but I'm barely old enough to get the joke, much less actually recognize Jim McMahon)
Juxtaposition of the "Casual Friday" commercial followed by the "Wearing no pants" Dockers commercial
Ad for the US Census (Huh? Why?)