Here it is, the last column of the year, of my career. It’s been a lot of fun and I thank you for reading what I have to say. But I have a little more left in me, so let’s get right to it:

Danny Batten getting drafted into the NFL is the latest sign of success for SDSU sports.

The former Jackrabbit defensive end was drafted by the Buffalo Bills with 192nd overall pick in the 6th round of the NFL Draft on Saturday. Batten is the first Jackrabbit football player since tight end Steve Heiden in 1999 to be selected in the NFL Draft. That is a very high achievement and something that SDSU football and SDSU in general should be very proud of. Offensive linemen Casey Knips and Casey Bender were signed as undrafted rookie free agents; Knips signed with the Arizona Cardinals and Bender signed with the Cleveland Browns.

It is just the latest achievement for SDSU in the realm of athletics since moving to Division I. Former Jackrabbit women’s basketball player Megan Vogel was drafted 19th overall by the WNBA’s Washington Mystics back in the 2007 WNBA Draft, and we know the success that the women’s basketball team has had the last few years, making it to two WNIT’s and two trips to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament. They won their first ever tournament game beating TCU, and they are the first team ever to make it to the NCAA tournament in their first two years of eligibility. It is clear that the move to Division I is paying off and has been really successful. Here’s hoping that Batten has a long and successful career in the NFL.

The Minnesota Twins have won their first six series to start the season, and they may not even be the best team in their league.

It is the first time in their history that the Twins have won their first six series to start the season. This is the most powerful lineup that the Twins have had in years. How much do you think opposing pitchers fear the Twins lineup with Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel, and Jim Thome? Even Delmon Young is starting the season off playing well. Denard Span has great plate patience and is playing great defense like the entire Twins team is. Jon Rauch has pitched very well as the team’s closer, though a save against the New York Yankees would ease the minds of fans about his ability to get a save against a good team. Francisco Liriano has looked sharp so far this season. The Twins definitely look like they will be A.L. Central Champions and a threat to make it to the World Series as one of the best teams in the American League.

However, the best team in the American League is the Tampa Bay Rays. Sorry, Twins fans; you can’t deny the success thiProxy-Connection: keep-aliveCache-Control: max-age=0

team has had so far. They look outstanding on the road, having completed sweeps of both the Boston Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles (which should happen because the Orioles are awful). Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford are tearing it up, and Matt Garza is pitching like an all-star. Add in pitcher David Price and their bullpen and the Rays team looks amazing. There was a sense of urgency in spring training to win now because of the likelihood that the team won’t be able to re-sign Crawford to a long-term deal. The Rays look like they will be playing deep into October.

More people should start liking hockey and less of the NBA, especially come playoff time.

I know the NHL is not a popular sport unless you are from Canada or Minnesota, but you should be paying attention to the NHL playoffs. The action is non-stop, the hitting is tenacious, and the games have been great. There have been upsets like the #7 seed Philadelphia Flyers taking out the #2 New Jersey Devils in the first round. Sudden death, overtime hockey is some of the greatest action in sports, like the Boston Bruins beating the Buffalo Sabres in game 4 of their series in double overtime. It is tough to get into hockey, especially when the games are on Versus and you have to go to Cubby’s to watch the game, and NBC only shows two games a week. Hopefully the Olympics have helped carry over some of that energy and passion for hockey like we saw with so many people watching the sport during the Olympics.

While the NBA has stars like LeBron James and compelling teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder, the first round of the playoffs last f-o-r-e-v-e-r. The first round of the playoffs is going to take more than two weeks just to complete one round. I understand the NBA wants to get their product televised as much as possible on ESPN, ABC, and TNT, but when teams have three days in between games, that is ridiculous. There is no flow to the playoffs then, and some people, like myself, lose interest. Pick up the pace of the playoff rounds, and more people will watch.

Again, thanks for reading. Who knows; you may see me on TV at some point, read my column in another paper or hear me on the radio. Who knows, but the “Stack Attack” will live on.

The NFL Draft heads to primetime this week starting Thursday 6:30 CT on ESPN and the NFL Network. The draft is very unpredictable this year, but having said that, I am going to attempt to give you my mock draft of the first ten picks and other picks of interest in the 2010 NFL Draft. There undoubtedly will be trades, but I am going to give you the top ten picks as the teams are currently positioned.

1. St. Louis Rams- Sam Bradford QB Oklahoma

Analysis: Nebraska DT Ndamukong Suh may be the best overall player, but the Rams are desperate for a quarterback who can lead the franchise for years to come. With Marc Bulger gone, the Rams need someone other than A.J. Feeley that gives them a chance to win, and win soon, because the fan base is getting antsy. Bradford’s shoulder injuries and his lack of play under center (he played in a spread offense) is a concern, but the Rams will make him their franchise quarterback.

2. Detroit Lions-Ndamukong Suh- DT Nebraska

Analysis: This guy is a stud and the best player in the draft. Lions head coach Jim Schwartz was a former defensive coordinator with the Titans, and the Lions were bad on defense last year. When a guy of Suh’s caliber is staring you in the face, you have to draft him.

3. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Gerald McCoy DT Oklahoma

Analysis: The other great defensive tackle in this draft won’t have to wait long to hear his name. His size and the defensive system he played in will make his NFL transition go smoothly. He can plug up the middle and will help the Bucs improve on defense.

4. Washington Redskins- Russell Okung OT Oklahoma State

Analysis: When the Redskins traded for Donovan McNabb, the speculation of the Redskins trying to trade up to draft Sam Bradford pretty much ended. Now they need someone to protect McNabb, and Okung is the guy. His long arms will help steer defensive ends away from McNabb, and despite his size, he is very agile.

5. Kansas City Chiefs- Trent Williams OT Oklahoma

Analysis: While I could see Tennessee safety Eric Berry here, I think the Chiefs will take Williams to help the tackle position on the offensive line. The need to protect QB Matt Cassel remains high and with new running back Thomas Jones, the Chiefs will have to open up some holes for their running game to succeed.

6. Seattle Seahawks- Dez Bryant WR Oklahoma State

Analysis: The Seahawks don’t have much depth at the wide receiver position. Bryant has tremendous size, speed and hands. He caught 19 touchdowns in 2008, and had four touchdowns last year before the NCAA suspended him for a rules violation. The suspension has not dropped expectations for Bryant. Despite the character issues, he’s top ten talent.

7. Cleveland Browns- Eric Berry S Tennessee

Analysis: Jimmy Clausen is there for them, but Eric Berry was a star at Tennessee. He can cover the best, and Cleveland has a glaring need at safety. His athleticism is needed in the secondary.

8. Oakland Raiders- Bryan Bulaga OT Iowa

Analysis: Robert Gallery has not worked out like the Raiders hoped when they drafted him from Iowa in 2004, but the Raiders are heading back to Iowa to draft another tackle. The Raiders need to protect their quarterback and open up holes for their running backs with a good offensive linemen.

9. Buffalo Bills- Jimmy Clausen QB Notre Dame

Analysis: Even though RB C.J. Spiller from Clemson is on the board, quarterback is a more glaring need. Clausen may be the most NFL-ready quarterback in the draft, having played in a pro-style offense at Notre Dame. He was marvelous last year, throwing just four interceptions and will provide Buffalo with stability.

10. Jacksonville Jaguars- Derrick Morgan DE Georgia Tech

Analysis: Morgan is a pure pass-rusher. His 12 sacks this last year double his total from his first two years at Georgia Tech. The Jaguars signed Aaron Kampman in the offseason to come off one end. With the other defense ends (Harvey and Grove) not working out, they’ll take Morgan.

With the #30 overall pick, the Minnesota Vikings select?

The Vikings will most likely take a defensive player. If a good defensive tackle is there, they’ll go that route, but I think they’ll take CB Patrick Robinson, Florida State. With Cedric Griffin coming off ACL-surgery, the Vikings need an athletic cornerback opposite Antoine Winfield.

As for SDSU’s own DE/OLB Danny Batten, you better watch Saturday to see him drafted, because I think he is going in either the fourth or fifth round.

Phil Mickelson won his third Green Jacket at the Masters, and his wife Amy was there for the final round. This was the first time she had been to a tournament since she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year. It was very emotional when the two embraced after the round, and how could you not be happy for the Mickelsons after all they have been through?

There’s also Tiger Woods making his first appearance of the year at the Masters, coming back from a five-month hiatus while he dealt with personal issues and attended sex therapy. Woods finished at ten under, tying him for fourth. He wasn’t happy about the finish, because he said he came into the tournament expecting to win.

Yet, anybody who watched some of the shots he made marveled at just what an extraordinary athlete he is. Only Woods could come back after five months of non-competitive golf and be in contention on the final day for a major championship.

Then you have the Butler Bulldogs on April 12, losing in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament to the Duke Blue Devils by two points!

Butler, the hometown heroes, the Cinderella team that many people considered to be better than your normal Cinderella, the No. 5 seed in the tournament, played well, but could not quite win. They did gain so much admiration and respect from college basketball fans and the college basketball world. So many people watched them and were cheering for them, something that Butler had never experienced before.

Finally, you have the start of the baseball season and for Twins fans, Monday was the start of a new chapter for the franchise as Target Field opened. What a site this stadium is! It already has brought so much excitement to the state and to the team and fans (including myself) can’t wait to get a chance to go up there and see a game.

The best part is the Twins won the first ever regular season game Monday against the Boston Red Sox 5-2.

That brings me to my main point. How can you not love sports? I know there are some people who aren’t that competitive and like the arts and science and all of that other stuff. Yeah, yeah, I get that. There is always a story in sports. There is always something big going on, and there is always a player, a team, or an event to rally behind.

Think in the last week of all that has happened: men’s and women’s national championship games, baseball opening day, the Masters, the opening of Target Field. Later in the week for sports geeks like me, the NFL schedule comes out with full dates and times of when your favorite team plays. It is a great time to be a sports fan.

What’s wrong with sports? How can anyone hate every single sport? You can’t. There are so many stories, so many good guys to cheer for, so many teams to cheer and hate, so many rivalries. Are there some negative headlines in sports? Sure. Ben Roethlisberger’s sexual assault cases come to mind, though he won’t be criminally charged as we learned Monday. Tiger Woods’ sex rampage definitely was a black eye to his reputation, but also to golf which saw terrible ratings for its tournaments early on. Steroids are always a problem in sports.

However, don’t most aspects of life have both their negative and positive stories? Yes! Sports just bring a certain joy to most people that you wouldn’t get from a play, opera, or even a concert.

When the city of New Orleans was cleaning up after getting destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, the New Orleans Saints became a source of pride and an escape for people for three hours every Sunday so that they could forget their troubles, at least for a little while. Then when the Superdome reopened and the Saints played their first game since Katrina on September 25, 2006, the people of New Orleans made it a symbol of how much New Orleans had recovered since the storm more than a year before.

When the Saints won the Super Bowl this year, Bourbon Street was instantly packed with thousands of Saints fans, ecstatic that their team had finally won a Super Bowl for the first time in its 43-year history. The Saints are a source of community pride that cannot be found anywhere else in the country.

In the coming days and months, the playoffs will start for both the NHL and NBA and many people will watch, wanting to see the best players and teams perform at their best.

For a month, in June and July, the world will descend upon South Africa for soccer’s World Cup. There, countries will unite and form bonds with one another watching the best soccer players and teams in the world try to win for their country.

The fans and countries live and die with their soccer clubs in most of the world. You will see the passion from the players and the fans. You will see just how much people love soccer (football to the rest of the world) and how much sports is a part of their lives.

I’m not saying sports is the only thing to love (far from it) or that anyone who doesn’t like sports doesn’t have a soul. But I find it very difficult to understand how anyone can not find at least one thing to like about sports.

There is just a passion and something about sports that draws people to them. Whether it is a feel-good story like Mickelson’s triumph, or something that is intriguing like Tiger Woods’ return to golf, sports has something for everyone. ESPN’s baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian has a book called Is This a Great Game or What? that talks about the great sport of baseball.

While I don’t have a book coming out, I’m going to go along those same lines and say, “Are sports great or what?” I think the majority would resoundingly say yes.

With no paper next week, I need to talk for a few minutes about Tiger Woods and his return to golf. Here’s the point I want to get out: Forget about the stuff in his personal life for now. Golf needs Tiger Woods and you want to watch him compete on the golf course, especially at the Masters.

Think about it. The Masters tournament will be the most compelling it has been in a long time. Golf ratings have been awful so far this year. No one wants to watch guys like Charles Howell III or Chris Couch or Steve Marino. Who are these guys? The avid golf fan probably knows all of them, but as the ratings indicate, there aren’t nearly as many avid golf fans as there are “American Idol” fans.

CBS, who covers the Masters on Saturday and Sunday, wants as big an audience as they can get, and they will get it with Tiger making his return.

The average golf fan will definitely watch if Woods is playing. People who don’t like golf but have heard about Woods and his ordeals will watch. People who hate Tiger now will tune in to watch in hopes of seeing Tiger fail.

Do a lot of people want Tiger to be more open about that fateful Thanksgiving night last November when his life turned from perfect to hell in a matter of days? Absolutely! I’d love to hear just what happened.

Why did he drive his car into a tree? Why did Elin (Tiger’s wife) have a golf club in her hand and break the back windows of the car? I’d like to get some more details on why Tiger did what he did and how many other women he had relations with.

He’s given a few interviews, but he’s been very cautious with his words. Clearly his public relations team, who at one point included former White House Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, is making sure he doesn’t damage his public image more than it is already (various polls have shown that Tiger’s public image has dropped in the 40 to 50 percent range).

Who knows when Tiger will completely reveal and tell everyone what happened. We may never find out, but when Tiger tees off on April 8 at the Masters, there will be very few people who will be thinking about that. Everyone will be watching Tiger making his return to golf. The cameras will be clicking, rolling, and flashing in hopes of getting a glimpse of Woods back on the course.

ESPN and CBS will have a camera crew on him every second he is on the course, and all of the people watching on television will want to see every second of Tiger Woods’ round.

Will Woods win? Say that five times fast, but it probably won’t help you decide whether or not he will win.

It has been more than five months since Woods played a round of competitive golf, and coming back to the Masters is not an easy thing to do. This is not a ho-hum sort of deal. This is not the Shell Open from Houston. The Masters is for the Green Jacket, which Tiger has four of. There is going to be so much pressure on Tiger. Will that factor into his performance? It certainly could.

If he comes out and pulls a drive or misses a five-foot putt, we’ll know that Tiger is nervous. However, he has such great concentration when he is golfing. He will be completely focused on the task at hand. This is the biggest story in golf, and golf needs Tiger to bring in people to watch.

Make no mistake about it; records will be shattered in terms of how many people watch the Masters should Tiger be in contention on Sunday.

And if he wins the Masters, it will be one of the greatest sporting achievements ever, and I think everyone else will be watching Tiger’s every move and I am looking forward to watching the greatest golfer in the world come back.

Forget about everything else involving Tiger Woods. The real story, at least for one weekend, will be Tiger’s return to golf.

I can’t believe it’s coming to an end. I can’t believe the teams that are in the Final Four. I can’t believe my pick of Kansas to win it all floundered in the first week of March Madness.

Enough of that. The Final Four is set, and what an unlikely group of Final Four teams we have. Two #5 seeds, a #2 seed, and a #1 seed make up this year’s Final Four which will be in Indianapolis. Games start on Saturday night shortly after 5 p.m. central time on CBS. Here are a few things to think about each of the Final Four teams:

Duke makes it back to the Final Four for the first time in six years.

For most teams, a six-year span between Final Four appearances is pretty good. Not so, in Durham, North Carolina where the Duke Blue Devils expect to get to the Final Four year in and year out. Coach K has gotten his team back to the Final Four after winning the South Regional in Houston, where the Blue Devils beat Purdue and Baylor. With the ability of Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer to shoot the three, and big man Brian Zoubek, Duke is a tough and talented team. They look like the favorites to win it all if they can get past…

West Virginia’s historic run.

The West Virginia Mountaineers are in the Final Four for the first time since 1959! Head coach Bob Huggins has taken his alma mater and turned it into a championship contender. This team plays great defense and they have a star in De’Sean Butler. Their starting pointguard Darryl “Truck” Bryant broke his foot last week in practice and missed their two games at the East Regional in Syracuse, but backup point guard Joe Mazzulla proved he is more than capable of leading this team. Duke poses some problems for West Virginia with their ability to shoot the three, but with West Virginia’s defense, I think they have a great shot to beat the Blue Devils.

Michigan State makes another surprise run to the Final Four.

Last year, there were some people that thought Michigan State could reach the Final Four. Quite possibly, no one thought that the Spartans would make it back this year.

The Midwest Region, or “The Region of Death” as some people called it, was loaded with good teams: Kansas, Ohio State, Georgetown, Northern Iowa, Maryland and even Tennessee.

Out of the rubble came…Michigan State. Almost everybody thought they were done except head coach Tom Izzo and the Spartans themselves.

Michigan State went to the Midwest Regional in St. Louis and beat Cinderella favorite Northern Iowa, and then beat Tennessee by making a free-throw with less than two seconds in the game.

Now they are headed to Indianapolis, looking like the team that some people might consider sentimental favorites except …

Butler comes back home, and not because their season is done.

Butler University, located in Indianapolis is headed to their first ever Final Four. The Bulldogs, a #5 seed, came out of the West Regional in Salt Lake City by beating #1 seed Syracuse and #2 seed Kansas State.

They got out to fast starts and were able to sustain the momentum through the second half of each game when both Syracuse and Kansas State made their runs, and got the lead in each case.

Butler battled back and now they head home to what should be a raucous crowd when they take to the floor at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis for their semi-final game against Michigan State.

Will the home crowd help? Michigan State had lots of support when they made their Final Four run last year in Detroit. They made it to the championship game, but lost to a much better North Carolina team. Butler has some good players like Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard.

Picks …

It’s tough to say. I do think they will beat Michigan State, though it will be a tough game and a close one. (I’ve been wrong before; remember my Kansas pick at the beginning of the season?) So I pick Butler with not a whole lot of confidence, and they will play the winner of West Virginia and Duke. What a great game this will be.

Both teams are great defensively, and they have great coaches. My pick at the beginning of the tournament was West Virginia, so I won’t change that pick. Whichever team wins, I won’t be too surprised. It should set up a great championship game Monday night shortly after 8 p.m. Enjoy the rest of the tournament.

It’s over. What a great 17 days of Olympic action. There were great stories and performances the likes of which may never be duplicated. Here’s a quick look back at some great Olympic moments:Canada-USA men battle in hockey’s gold medal game.If you watched the game, you know the level of excitement that the game generated and how great a game it was. Some people including NBC’s Al Michaels and Bob Costas said after the game that it was maybe the best hockey game they had ever seen. USA’s Zach Parise scored the game-tying goal with under 30 seconds to play in the third period, sending the game into overtime tied 2-2. Sidney Crosby, Canada’s next “Great One” scored what could be his biggest goal ever a little over seven minutes into overtime giving Canada the gold medal. The U.S. won silver, and considering that they were the youngest team in the tournament, that is quite an accomplishment. It was an exciting game and a lot of people in the states watched the game. Hopefully this tournament made some new fans of the NHL, because that is where most of the players on both sides will go back to, and continue their season. I think that the NHL has made more than a few fans after the wonderful spectacle that people saw in the Olympics.Kim Ya-Nu sets record.Figure skating is not a sport that I know much about, if anything. But Yu-Na, who is from South Korea and is hailed as one of the biggest celebrities South Korea has, set an Olympic record with her combined score in the short-program and long-program of 228.56, which is more than 18 points higher than her world record. I don’t know how they score and judge in figure skating, but anytime you beat your previous world record by 18 points, that says a lot. All of the pressure Yu-Na felt from her country is now a non-issue. Yu-Na’s performance will be remembered for a long time.USA four-man bobsled team ends long gold medal drought.Riding in the famous “Night Train” sled, Steve Holcomb and his teammates made history by winning gold in the four-man bobsled, the first gold medal for the U.S. in the event since 1948. Think about that, that is 62 years! The US had control of the track with their four runs totaling three minutes and 24.46 seconds. Hopefully it won’t be another 62 years between gold medals.The “Flying Tomato” strikes again.Only a few days into the Olympics, Shaun White won a gold medal in the men’s snowboard half-pipe. But it was his second run during the event that got everyone’s jaws to drop. Having already secured a gold medal before his second run, White went down for what people thought would be a celebration run. Instead, White tried the dangerous Double McTwist 1260? and nailed the landing. I can’t tell you why the move is called that, but watching live you could see why it is a dangerous move, and White had no troubles at all. White’s run scored a 48.4, which was almost two points higher than his first run. The “Flying Tomato” added one more reason why he is the best snowboarder in the world.Apolo Ohno becomes the most decorated Winter Olympian in U.S. history.I talked last week about Ohno’s success in winning the most medals in the Winter Olympics by an American. He added one more bronze medal and almost won another medal before being disqualified for allegedly pushing one of his competitors. Overall, Ohno has won eight medals in the Winter Olympics. NBC’s Bob Costas talked to Ohno before the closing ceremonies and asked him if he was considering skating in Sochi, Russia in the 2014 Olympics. Ohno did not say yes, and he did not say no. He said he would take his time and make the decision that is best for him. Ohno also said he would be in Russia for the Olympics in 2014, it’s just a question of whether or not he brings his skates with him. If it is the end, we have witnessed a great athlete and one of the best speedskaters of all time. I certainly hope he comes back for one last run in four years.Joannie Rochette skates for more than just the bronze.I know, another figure skating story, but this one deserves some space in the column. The Canadian figure skater’s mother died unexpectedly on Feb. 21, a couple of days before the start of ladies’ figure skating. It certainly would have been understandable if Rochette decided to withdraw. She didn’t though, and dealing with all of the emotions, she went on to set a new personal best in the short program portion of the event with a score of 71.36 that put her in third. She hung on for the bronze after the long program, but anyone who watched it knew, felt, and could relate to her in some way, and it was a really moving performance. What Rochette did inspired a lot of people and made her the darling of the figure skating world.Final thoughts ?There are so many other stories and athletes that I could talk about, whether it be Lindsey Vonn or Bode Miller or Canada’s “Michael Jordan” of curling, Kevin Martin, but we just don’t have enough time or space. It was a spectacular Olympics and I, like so many others was sad to see them go. The next Olympics are in the summer of 2012 in London, and the next Winter Olympics will be in Sochi, Russia in 2014. While it’s sad to see the Olympics go, I don’t think people will forget for a long time some of the performances they saw from some truly amazing athletes.One More Thing ?Sorry to switch gears so abruptly, but the sports world will now start to focus on college basketball and March Madness as conference tournaments start this week and continue into the next week, with March Madness starting on March 16 with the play-in game. That will be fun to watch, and I’ll have a preview of what to expect in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned for that.

Well that is it. The Super Bowl is over and the New Orleans Saints are champions. Their first trip to the Super Bowl in the franchise’s 43 years was a good one, as they beat the Indianapolis Colts 31-17, as I’m sure most everyone knows by now. Before we move on to different sports and different topics in the weeks to come, here are a few lasting impressions from the Super Bowl:

The onside kick in the second half completely swung momentum in the Saints’ favor.The Colts never saw it coming. Expecting to get the ball to start the second half, the Colts were fooled by Saints place kicker Thomas Morstead’s on-side kick. The Saints recovered and scored a touchdown on the following possession to take a 13-10 lead. The Colts scored to regain the lead, but I think most people watching sensed that the momentum shifted to the Saints when they recovered that kick. And according to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King, Morstead had never tried an on-side kick before in a game in his life and only just started practicing it twelve days ago. Talk about a miracle.

The Colts never were in rhythm after the first quarter.The Colts were up 10-0 at the end of the first quarter and the game looked like it was going to be a runaway. Both drives were 11 plays long and they seemed in control. But running only six plays in the entire second quarter hurt the Colts and when they fell behind 24-17 late in the fourth. Peyton Manning forced a pass to Reggie Wayne that was intercepted by Saints cornerback Tracy Porter who returned it for a the final score to put the Saints ahead 31-17. It just didn’t look like the same Colts offense we were so accustomed to seeing this season and in previous seasons? and it ended up costing them.

Drew Brees’ performance was truly MVP worthy.He started off slowly in the first quarter like the rest of his team, but from the second quarter on, quarterback Drew Brees completed 29 of 32 passes. Truly astonishing. He was patient and threw with tremendous accuracy to his receivers. Brees ended up throwing for 288 yards and two touchdowns, and also completed the pass on the successful two-point conversion. Some people may say that Porter should have won MVP, and I certainly understand that, reasoning that Porter returning an interception for a touchdown put the game out of reach. However, not only does Brees’ performance go down as one of the best performances by a quarterback in the Super Bowl in my opinion, but also he has put himself into the discussion as the best quarterback currently playing in the NFL. Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning would seem to be at the top of everyone’s list, but Brees now has a strong case having won the Super Bowl and leading one of the best offenses in football.

Wouldn’t you love to be in New Orleans?The party started Sunday night in New Orleans with the Saints Super Bowl victory and it will carry on right through Mardi Gras. Immediately after the game, Bourbon Street was packed with thousands of Saints fans celebrating their team’s victory. With all that has happened in New Orleans with Hurricane Katrina, this is a great time for the Saints, the city, and its fans. They have embraced this team since they first came into the league, and there will be a huge party and parade for the team and the week that follows with Mardi Gras. What a great time to be in New Orleans.

Final thoughts ?The commercials were O.K. The better ones were the E-Trade commercials with the babies. Doritos had some good ones, and Bud Light always comes through with some solid entertainment. It was a great game and an overall great football season, and I, like so many other people, look forward to next season.

Well, it is Super Bowl week, and there is a lot of excitement in the air. Of course there will be plenty of parties on Super Bowl Sunday. Thousands of bags of chips will be eaten. Hundreds of pizzas devoured. There will be too many empty beer and pop cans and bottles to count. But we aren’t here to talk about “Super Sunday” food. We’re here to talk about football and what to expect on Sunday. So, here are a few of the matchups to look for and things to think about on Super Bowl Sunday.

1. Peyton Manning vs. Saints secondary.

By far, the biggest improvement in the Saints team from last year is in their secondary. Safety Darren Sharper came over from Minnesota and played great during the regular season, intercepting nine passes. In the divisional round of the playoffs, he recovered a fumble that set the tone for the rest of the game and gave the Saints momentum. In the championship game, he recorded 11 tackles. Now Sharper faces Peyton Manning. Manning picked apart the Jets secondary and is playing great football right now. The Saints won’t stop Peyton Manning because no team can. But if they can slow Manning down and intercept a pass or two, that may be just enough to win this game.

2. Will Dwight Freeney play?

Freeney injured his right ankle late in the AFC Championship game against the Jets. It was thought to just be a sprain, but word came last Sunday that Freeney may have a torn ligament in his ankle. With all of the swelling in his ankle, it has been tough to get treatment, and Freeney is very questionable for the Super Bowl. If he can’t go, it is a huge loss for the Colts, who will want to pressure Drew Brees early and often in order to force a couple of early turnovers that could put the game away early. This will be a wait-and-see sort of thing, and we probably won’t know if he’ll play right until kickoff.

3. Are the Saints ready for this?

This is the New Orleans Saints’ first Super Bowl appearance in franchise history. No, they aren’t one of the latest expansion teams. They’ve been around since 1967. That is 43 years of futility! Fans used to call them the New Orleans Ain’ts. Now the city is wrapped up in the success of this team and is emotionally invested in the Saints. That is a lot of extra pressure on the Saints in addition to the pressures, excitement and jitters of it being their first Super Bowl. The first few minutes of the game will tell us a lot. Will Drew Brees overthrow a couple of wide receivers? Will the Saints miss a couple of tackles on the Colts wide receivers and running back Joseph Addai? Will there be a few more penalties? If they can overcome the jitters early on and not fall too far behind, that will prove to a lot of people that the Saints belong and that they very well could win the game.

4. Saints defensive plan to make Manning think.

Last week, Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams said on the radio that the Saints plan will be to rattle Peyton Manning by hitting him whenever they can, both during the play and after, maybe even trying to knock him out of the game. Williams said that his defense needs to give Manning a couple of “remember me” shots, meaning, “hey, we’re going to be hitting you a lot today, so remember that.” At least, that is how I interpret it. The Saints have hit both quarterbacks they faced in the playoffs, Kurt Warner and Brett Favre, and they roughed both of them up pretty good. Favre is still sore and aching from the punishment he took in the NFC Championship game. Manning is as mentally and physically tough as they come, so I’m sure he expects the Saints to hit him and hit him hard. If the Saints can force Manning to think, even a little more than he normally does, the Colts will be in a lot of trouble.

5. Whose legacy will be more enhanced with a win, Brees or Manning?

Peyton Manning has already won one Super Bowl and is considered one of the best regular season quarterbacks of all time. He has the stats to prove that. The playoffs have been a different story. He only has a playoff record of 10-8, and he didn’t play all that great during the Colts run to the Super Bowl three years ago. With the consecutive start streak and his stats, a lot of people liken Manning to Brett Favre. With a win on Sunday, I think Manning rises above Favre, Tom Brady, and Dan Marino and will be right up there with Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana as one of the best QBs ever to play the game. For Drew Brees, a Super Bowl victory would cement his legacy as the greatest Saints player of all time, but it also will solidify him as one of the top three quarterbacks in the game today behind Peyton Manning and Tom Brady. He has played great ever since putting on a Saints jersey, and a win can enhance his legacy to a degree few others have achieved, at least in New Orleans. So, both quarterbacks have a lot at stake in this game for their legacy, but I think a win for Peyton Manning will do more for him and his career in the eyes of others than will a win for Drew Brees.

6. The Super Bowl winner will be?

This is tough to pick. Both teams have prolific offenses and suspect defenses. At the beginning of the postseason, when Collegian reporters made their picks, I had the Saints in the Super Bowl, but I had them playing the Chargers. So up until last Sunday when I heard about the extent of Dwight Freeney’s ankle injury, I was thinking the Colts would win. The Colts have a vastly underrated defense led by linebacker Gary Brackett who will be ready for the challenge to stop Drew Brees. However, the Saints have this mojo going this year. Call it destiny or whatever else you want to, but it almost seems like the Saints can do no wrong. They have a balanced offense with Drew Brees leading the attack. Pierre Thomas and Reggie Bush are good running the ball, and Bush is a factor in the passing game as well. Can you imagine what New Orleans will be like if the Saints win the Super Bowl? My gosh! The city will party for days. I continue to go back and forth, and I just think that giving Peyton Manning two weeks to prepare is just too much time. The Colts have been in this spot three years ago (they won the Super Bowl in Miami in the same stadium against the Bears 29-17 back in 2007) so they know what to expect, and they are very comfortable with everything that Super Bowl week and the game brings. I’ll take the Colts in a close one, 31-27.

Welcome to another edition of the Stack Attack. The Super Bowl matchup has been set. It will be the Indianapolis Colts facing the New Orleans Saints on Feb. 7 in Miami. There will be plenty of time to look ahead to that game next week. For now though, here are some things that stood out to me from Championship Sunday last week:

1. Turnovers kill Vikings.

The Minnesota Vikings outgained the New Orleans Saints 475 to 257 in yards, seemingly out-playing the Saints on both sides of the ball, but they couldn’t hang onto the football. The Vikings had five turnovers to the Saints’ one, and the Vikings probably should have had more than just those five turnovers. They could not hang on to the ball at all and had two fumbles inside the red zone, including one at the end of the half when Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson muffed the handoff. Peterson had 125 yards rushing and three touchdowns, but he fumbled three times, losing two of them. He must address that in the offseason. Favre himself threw two interceptions including one at the end of the game that cost the Vikings a shot at a potential game-winning field goal. The Vikings had ample opportunities to put the Saints away and they did not. Now they have the entire offseason to think, “What if?” They were the better team last Sunday, and they have only themselves to blame for not facing the Colts in the Super Bowl.

2. Was this the last we’ve seen of Brett Favre?

Favre himself admitted that he does not know if he will come back for another season. He sounded deflated at his podium right after the game taking questions from reporters. Favre just needs to take some time to relax at his home in Mississippi, and let his batteries recharge both mentally and physically before he makes a decision. The Vikings should give him all of the time in the world to let him make his decision. Most Vikings fans would love to have him back for one final season to see if he can get the Vikings over the hump and to the Super Bowl. If we have seen the last of Favre, consider this. His last throw as a Green Bay Packer was an interception in the 2008 NFC Championship Game against the New York Giants? and potentially his last throw as a Viking was an interception in the 2010 NFC Championship Game. Just something to think about.

3. Saint’s win means so much for the city of New Orleans.

Four years ago, the Saints signed quarterback Drew Brees and hired Sean Payton to be the head coach of a football team that was as ravaged by Hurricane Katrina as the city. Together now, they have led the Saints to their first Super Bowl in franchise history and fans are loving it. No group of fans loves their team as much as New Orleans Saints fans. There is just a certain connection they have with this team. The Saints helped the city through Hurricane Katrina and when they played their first game in the Superdome 13 months after Katrina hit, it was a symbol of how much progress New Orleans has made. Bourbon Street was packed with thousands of ecstatic Saints fans minutes after their win on Sunday. The Saints know what this win means for the city, and they know just how much more a Super Bowl title would mean. It’s a little extra pressure, but they say so what. The fans have embraced this team with open arms, and the Saints are embracing the opportunity to bring the Lombardi Trophy back to the Big Easy.

4. Peyton Manning and the Colts look really good.

I know that sounds like common sense, but considering how many people were picking the New York Jets to win last Sunday, I think we need to take a few minutes to remember just how good the Colts are. The Jets had the league’s best running game during the season, but the Colts’ defense did a good job of not allowing the big run and forcing the Jets to beat them through the air. Reggie Wayne, the Colts’ best receiver, was covered by the Jets and the league’s best corner Darrelle Revis for much of the game. So Manning went about throwing the ball to rookie wide receiver Austin Collie and former Division III wide receiver Pierre Garcon who each caught a touchdown. The Colts scored the game’s last 24 points en route to their 30-17 victory and second Super Bowl appearance in four seasons. It is going to be awfully tough for the Saints to beat the Colts.

5. Quick look ahead to Super Bowl XLIV.

I’ll give you key matchups and players and storylines for the Super Bowl next week, but I’ll briefly talk about the Super Bowl. The Saints are appearing in their first Super Bowl in franchise history. The Colts are looking for their second Super Bowl victory in four years. The Saints are a feel-good story in the NFL. The Colts have the best quarterback in the NFL in Peyton Manning. This will be a Super Bowl with two high-powered offenses, so expect a lot of scoring. I sense that this will be a Super Bowl fans will really like, because both teams have likeable players and there is not that venomous hatred like there is for certain teams. Look for more on the Super Bowl next week.

Hello and welcome to a new year with the Stack Attack. A lot of people are still catching their breath after the epic game between the Green Bay Packers and the Arizona Cardinals Jan. 10. The Cardinals won 51-45 in overtime in the highest scoring game ever in the playoffs. Before we take a look at the divisional round of the playoffs this upcoming week, let’s take a look back at a few big things from wild-card weekend:

1. Once again, Cardinals are underestimated.

Last year, no one gave the Cardinals a chance of making it far in the playoffs, let alone the Super Bowl. This year, the same thing happened. People didn’t give the Cardinals a chance against the Packers. The Cardinals used that as a huge motivating factor and came out and played inspired football, getting the victory. Kurt Warner threw five touchdowns. He had more touchdowns than incompletes (5 TDs, 4 incompletions). With play like that, the Cardinals may be headed back to the Super Bowl.

Brett who? That is what a lot of Packers fans may be thinking after Aaron Rodgers’ performance against the Cardinals. Rodgers threw four touchdowns and ran for another. Five touchdowns should be enough to win a game. Unfortunately, the defense didn’t show up. Rodgers’ performance was incredible, and if there is a silver lining in the Packers’ loss, fans should know that their team is in good hands with Aaron Rodgers.

3. Cowboys continue to roll.

They got rid of the December demons. Last week, they got rid of the playoff demons. The Dallas Cowboys won their first playoff game since 1996 with their 34-14 win over the Philadelphia Eagles last Saturday. The defense confused the Eagles offense all game long, and Tony Romo played well for the Cowboys. The Cowboys are the hottest team in football right now and playing the best football of any team remaining in the playoffs right now. They will be tough to knock out when they face the Vikings this week, and if they win, they’ll pose problems for their remaining opponents for the rest of the postseason.

4. Baltimore dominates with rushing and defense.

The New England Patriots were not themselves Jan. 10 against the Baltimore Ravens. Tom Brady looked uncomfortable and the offense wasn’t in rhythm for most of the game. A larger part of that had to do with the way Baltimore came out on defense. They were tenacious, flying around and making plays. They hit hard and the Patriots seemed a little shocked by that. The Ravens also had 234 yards rushing. They thrashed the Patriots defense. Ravens running back Ray Rice was great. I don’t know if they can keep it up, but no team should take the Ravens lightly here on out during the remainder of the playoffs.

5. Jets lead with D to get to second round of playoffs.

The New York Jets defense dominated the Cincinnati Bengals Jan 9. Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer was under pressure all game long and made some mistakes. On the flip side, Jets rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez made no mistakes and threw a touchdown that helped push the Jets past the Bengals 24-14. If the defense and Sanchez play that good again this week against the Chargers, we may be talking about the Jets in the AFC Championship game. Hard to believe when just a few weeks ago their coach Rex Ryan said the Jets had no shot of even making it to the playoffs.

Divisional playoff week is considered by many the best week of football of the year. As we quickly look ahead to the games, keep in mind that it would not be a huge surprise if any of these teams won. Having said that, I like the New Orleans Saints to narrowly beat Arizona Cardinals. The Indianapolis Colts will beat the Baltimore Ravens in a slugfest. The San Diego Chargers will beat the New York Jets, and in the toughest game to pick of the four, I will pick the Minnesota Vikings barely over the Dallas Cowboys, though I say that with no certainty whatsoever. Enjoy the week.