That's Really Super, Super Bowl

Brief thoughts on the big game and the attendant hoopla:

• While Peyton Manning's courageous (but pedestrian) performance down the stretch of the season was a big story, I think the quarterback who mattered is John Elway. Elway saw his offensive juggernaut of two seasons ago get crushed by a strong Seattle defense and he determined that the Broncos should have a defense of similar talent and ferocity. He went out and acquired some tremendous talent to help MVP Von Miller succeed. You can win a championship in a number of ways, and it's easy to see the Broncos taking a step (or two) back next year, but winning a championship is the goal and the Broncos made it happen because they were willing to change.
• I'm not a fan of Cam Newton, but I would cut him some slack over his performance yesterday, both in the game and afterwards. He didn't have enough talent around him to win against the best defense he saw all season. I don't think any other team in the league could have handled that defense.
• The halftime show was just odd. I've heard most of the songs before, but it felt like a lot of sound and fury, signifying nothing. I suppose it was better than "Up With People," though.
• I don't have a lot to say about the commercials, either, although I was amused that NARAL got so upset about the Doritos ad with the ultrasound. Some unsolicited advice -- lighten up.
• Mostly a strong Hall of Fame class, although I continue to wonder why Eddie DeBartolo is going into the Hall -- his 49ers teams were great, but it's difficult to see what difference he made specifically. Brett Favre and Tony Dungy are the guys I'll be watching when the induction ceremony happens. Now we need to get going on Jerry Kramer for next year.
• And while it's a cold few weeks, pitchers and catchers report in about a week. Can't wait!

Lightning Round -- 122815

Random thoughts from a holiday weekend:

• I was going to complain about the snow we're going to get today, but then I saw what happened in Texas from this same storm. We have snowplows and the know-how to dig out from snowstorms, but a tornado is another matter entirely.
• We saw the new Star Wars movie over the weekend. Is it Great Art? Of course not, but it's a good popcorn movie and it hits most of the right notes for rebooting the franchise. I didn't bother with the Star Wars movies that came out around 2000 and from what I've been told, I didn't miss much. I'm irritated with Goth Vader, a/k/a Kilo Kylo Ren, the new bad guy, who is more hamdinger than Hamlet, but the rest is good clean fun. You can never go back to 1977, but the new movie is worth a look, especially at a matinee price. 
• Yes, I know the Packers played a miserably bad game yesterday. I don't think they're that good this year, but I reject the idea that it's time to clean house. The Vikings are coming on, though, and they're going to be a problem for the next few years.
• I don't know when we started looking to Al-Jazeera for sports coverage, but the reporting they are offering concerning Peyton Manning using Human Growth Hormone seems to be falling apart. I'm in the middle of reading a fascinating book on the rivalry between Manning and Tom Brady and the notion that Manning would use HGH doesn't ring true. Then again, I used to believe a lot of things about Tiger Woods that didn't turn out to be true.