The recent attention to USC and the Bush/Mayo era combined with the growth of NCAA investigations into the top football programs in the SEC (Florida, Georgia, Alabama) has prompted me to try and find the answer to this age-old issue. This is an issue that goes far beyond boosters, agents and under the table money and gifts – this problem is societal and needs to be fixed based on the underlying issues at the center of the corruption.

In order to grasp the issues that are being faced by the NCAA, the top athletic programs in the country and the young players who have been recruited to come to these schools we must work to understand the social significance of being 18 years old. Any 18 year old is legally obligated to register for the U.S. military and at any point can be called into service. The average 18 year old is also able to vote for elected officials, purchase a pack of cigarettes and a rifle if they see fit. In almost every case an 18 year old can also pursue occupation in any position they choose, unless of course they want to play professional football or basketball.

The NBA requires that players be one year removed from high school before David Stern will open his doors, and NFL has a similar rule that do not allow high school graduates to skip the level of collegiate athletics in order to pursue their occupation as professionals in sport. By doing so the leagues not only deny the athletes the opportunity to make money, but also force them into the NCAA, a broken system of corrupt athletics that is merely a feeder system for the professional leagues. These talented athletes who have no desire to attend classes or earn a degree are forced to play at the collegiate level as nothing more than a try out for the NFL and NBA. The NCAA does as much as it can to preserve the amateurism of college sports, but the professional leagues do not make their job easy. The money and fame that is promised at the next level of play is the desired goal of almost every top college star, not the bowl games and diploma that the NCAA can provide. The requirements that are arbitrarily constructed by the professional leagues keep colleges in a constant flux of talented athletes and inadequate students with little desire to attend class let alone learn.

With the money that can be made in the NBA and NFL the top recruits quickly become the target of agents and organizations concerned with the financial end of sports and not with the required academic end of collegiate athletics. By limiting even further the rules and regulations of recruitment, the NCAA will take strides to reform the integrity of college amateurism. It is not Reggie Bush, O.J. Mayo or any other top prospect’s fault that this is the way the NCAA works – the blame should fall squarely on the NBA and NFL.

Fortunately, with the cooperation of professional sports this situation can be resolved pretty easily. The NBA and NFL need to work by the same standards as society. They need to allow any qualified 18 year old pursue employment. Obviously the responsibility ultimately falls on the organizations to higher the best employees (sign the best players). Just as in the real world, having a GED or high school diploma can often get you a better and higher-paying job than if you had not completed school. Having a college degree does even more for the potential employee. The same could and should be said for professional sports.

Let the 18 year old into the league if he feels he has the skills needed to perform in his new job, but pay him accordingly. There should be no such thing as guaranteed money, especially not for unproven rookies. The NBA has taken steps in the right direction by enacting a rookie pay-scale, but the NFL has miles to go before it can ensure that JaMarcus Russell doesn’t happen to every team in the league. In much the same way, if an athlete proves through four years of NCAA participation and performance that he is ready for the pros then he should make more money and be rewarded for his commitment to improvement and the benefits of education.

This not only helps the NBA and NFL not spend millions on empty promises such as Maurice Clarett or Russell or the next high school basketball sensation who finds himself in the D-League after a third of a season and an off the court injury. The academic incentives that this plan affords the NCAA will keep the riff raff out of college sports and let the NCAA rebuild the image of itself as a governing body as well as the image of the student athlete. The amateur athletes of the NCAA will be there for not only the sports but also for the education they will receive. The academic eligibility standards can be raised and Div. I athletes will no longer be the weak links of the classroom.

The “one and dones” of college basketball and the departing sophomores of football will either find themselves in the NBA or NFL making their money if they have the talent or out on their own if they don’t make the cut. Agents and franchises will be free to pursue whomever they choose and 18 year olds with the athletic ability to progress in their profession will be forced to make adult decisions, leaving the NCAA and the top college athletic programs out of it and able to focus on a top academic recruiting class that just happens to be able to throw the ball 50 yards on a rope or put up a triple double as well as discuss Aristotle, write their own paper on the French Revolution, and work a microscope in the lab.

The issues are numerous, but not impossible to solve. The responsibility belongs to the NCAA, and more importantly the NBA and NFL.

The consensus about the Decision has been that LeBron could have picked a better way to go about dismissing his hometown team, and I’m pretty sure that is obvious. Watching the Decision felt like watching the Bachelor or maybe A Shot at Love to recall something similarly classless. James chose to make a global spectacle out of his choice to change teams and in doing so alienated himself forever from Cleveland and most of Ohio. Beyond the region I think LeBron lost a lot of fans because of his clearly insatiable ego and the fact that in so many ways he is still just a 25-year-old teenager.

All the hate and sorrow that is being felt in Northeast Ohio was magnified by the prime-time press conference in which no real questions were actually answered. James was thrown softball questions throughout the entire hour, and when he finally voiced his choice I could feel the energy in the bar take a sucker punch to the gut. Hope turned to sadness and then to anger, clearly articulated by Dan Gilbert in the scariest statement ever given by a sports owner ever.

LeBron turned his back on Cleveland, but his biggest mistake was turning down his shot at basketball immortality.

By leaving the franchise he rebuilt in order to take a paid vacation in Miami, James removed himself from the conversation of the greatest to ever play. All of the best players in the history of the NBA were successful and memorable because they always reminded the sporting world that it was in fact the player who kept the team going, not the other way around.

The Bulls of the 90s exist only because of Michael Jordan. Kobe has established that while the Lakers are rich with history, it is his team right now. Not to say that Paul Pierce is the same caliber of player as Bryant or Jordan, but ultimately he will be remembered more favorably than LeBron because he was willing to wait 9 seasons to get his title while making himself the top dog in Boston, even on a team loaded with other stars. Pierce suffered through some terrible Celtics teams, but he got his ring eventually. His willingness to take less money this offseason, in order to help the Celtics stay near the top in the East, is a selfless move furthering his reputation. LeBron took less money, but in doing so admitted that he isn’t cut out to be mentioned among MJ and the Black Mamba.

People will argue that the landscape of the NBA has shifted so that the belief that all great players stay with one team for their whole careers, but none of the “greats” would have thought of moving to play with rivals, even if they were friends. Jordan would never have even considered moving to Detroit to play along side Isiah, nor would Dr. J have thought coming Boston to play with Bill Russell was even a possibility.

LeBron may win a handful of championships with Bosh, Wade and the Heat, but he will do so knowing that not only did he kill the spirits of Cavs fan, he killed professionalism and the spirit of honest competition in the NBA and his chance to ever be grouped with Jordan, Bryant and Russell on the Mount Rushmore of NBA immortals.

In Miami, the Saints again, went marching down the field

With hopes of scoring on the Colts, their efforts knew no yield

And Drew Brees under center, reading all he sees

Never would he have guessed he’d end the game on his knee

Peyton Manning fought cautiously for position and control

But it was his errant pass that gave the Saints their goal

Peyton found his open men, his passes strong and straight

The one to Tracy Porter too, though he happened to be a Saint

An Indianapolis first half lead of only ten to six

Gave coach Payton a fleeting hope that this deficit could be fixed

And as the teams came back to play, awaiting the second half kick

Payton called his audible, an unexpected trick

And from the tee the ball did fly directly at the line

One could feel that it was now New Orleans’ time to shine

From that time on the Saints played great, moving with great precision

Leaving Manning with the loser’s fate, and Payton with a winning decision

In the third the teams did battle, exchanging blow for blow

With Brees and Manning in full force, the fourth would prove a show

With Manning’s lead of just a point and fifteen minutes to play

It took a Colts’ missed field goal for momentum to swing the Saints way

Brees took the field with confidence and a bit of Bayou swagger

Knowing well that this drive could be the only one to matter

In quick routine and with little bother the Saints were in position,

With six minutes to play and needing to score, nothing could stop Brees’ ambition

With cannon’s power and precision to match, Brees found his open receiver

Seizing the lead and going for two, the Saints did again deliver

Stone faced Manning observed from the bench, poised to work his magic

Little did he know right then that his end would wind up tragic

The interception sealed the deal, and the Saints took home the title

Upon reflection, the performance of Brees had proven to be vital

Manning shouldered his sorrow across the field, knowing what’s done is done

Yet in the end the Colts did not lose, but rather New Orleans had won

The New Orleans Saints emerged from the disorganized chaos of  Super Bowl XLIV with a 31-17 victory over the hapless Indianapolis Colts who displayed little skill in the final quarter of the game, allowing the Saints to stroll to the win.

The Colts, let down in the clutch moments of the game by their polarizing leader Peyton Manning, fell short of winning their second Super Bowl in four years.  The poor play of Manning down the stretch gifted the title to a Saints team that benefited from being in the right place at the right time.

As the game began, the atmosphere was bubbling with high expectations that both teams would fail to meet over the course of the game.  Many expected an explosive offensive flurry with the two top offenses in professional football on display, but the performances, specifically of Manning and the Colts, fell short.

In the first quarter things seemed to be going the way of the Colts as the New Orleans offense sputtered and stalled on both of its first possessions in a display of offensive ineptitude.  As Brees and the Saints failed to gain any substantial ground, Manning and the Colts managed to move enough to score twice in the first 15 minutes.

The first Indianapolis score came on a field goal attempt from Matt Stover, the ancient place kicker, who converted from 38-yards after Manning failed to execute from deep in New Orleans territory.

The Colts extended their lead to 10-0 after Manning found one of his inexperienced and unproven receivers, Pierre Garcon, in the end zone from 19 yards away.  The pass was executed well enough, but the score was made possible primarily because of confusion in the New Orleans’ secondary.  Between three defenders in the area, no agreement could be reached as to who should cover Garcon, who was left open for the score.

Just as all hope seemed to be lost for the Saints in the franchise’s first Super Bowl appearance, Brees managed, early in the second quarter, to put New Orleans in range to score points before being sacked by Colts defensive end, Dwight Freeney, who was a shadow of himself, limited by an ankle sprain.

The Saints sent their young kicker, Garrett Hartley, onto the field to attempt a 46-yard field goal.  Hartley, who struggled throughout the season, including big misses towards the end of the regular season, managed to convert, making the score 10-3.

After Manning and the Colts failed to respond the Saints moved deep into Indianapolis territory only to come up short.  New Orleans decided, illogically, to try for a touchdown on fourth down from the two yard line after being stopped on third down from the one.  The decision was inexplicable, but far from the most nonsensical of the day for Saints head coach Sean Payton.

As the New Orleans runner, Pierre Thomas, who is far from a goal line threat to score, looked to run off the shoulder of the Saints’ right tackle he was met by a barrage of Colts’ defenders.  The failed attempt not only resulted in no points being scored, but also gave the ball back to Manning with time enough for an Indianapolis scoring drive before halftime.

Fortunately for the demoralized Saints, Indianapolis decided not to risk their position on the field in favor of running out the clock, hoping to reach halftime with a seven point lead.  New Orleans received the ball with just enough time to reach field goal range, and again Hartley was called on to bail out the ineffective Saints’ offense, this time from 44-yards.  He was successful, and the teams headed to the locker rooms for halftime with the Colts holding only a slight 10-6 advantage despite dominating the majority of the first 30 minutes.

The second half began with what can only be described as perhaps one of the most specious decisions in the history of professional football.  Saints’ coach Payton opted to attempt an onside kick despite the unbelievably slim chances of its success.  The decision was the most ridiculous thing seen in Super Bowl XLIV, as an onside kick had never been attempted outside of the fourth quarter in Super Bowl history.

Luckily for Payton, who would have surely been fired had the Colts recovered, his team emerged from a disorganized and chaotic scrum for the ball, reflective of the primitive history of the brutal game, with possession despite the Colts seeming to have control of the ball before nearly every player on the field jumped into the massive pile.

The disheartened Colts bent easily to the will of the rejuvenated New Orleans offense as Brees marched the Saints to a touchdown, shortly after the onside attempt, to gain a 13-10 advantage early in the second half.  The Colts were paper tigers in the face of the New Orleans attack, which, while disjointed and unorganized, found the end zone.

Manning was able to respond with a scoring drive of his own as the Saints offered little resistance to the Colts, capped by the four-yard run of Joseph Addai, to regain a 17-13 lead in the third quarter.

The Saints, who relied heavily on their special teams in lieu of their offensive inefficiency, added yet another Hartley field goal to draw within one point, 17-16, with the final 15 minutes rapidly approaching.

Indianapolis had the chance, with possession, to put real distance between themselves and the inconsistent Saints at the beginning of the fourth quarter.  After constructing a 12 play drive, the Colts were held to a long field goal try.  Stover, who was lucky to convert earlier from 38-yards, sent the 51-yard attempt wide to the left, leaving the Colts without any points and giving the Saints the ball near midfield.

Brees took advantage of the Indianapolis errors and scored once again on a short pass to the controversial and often inconsistent tight end, Jeremy Shockey, who had no choice but to catch the pass which Brees blasted into his chest.  Once again the Saints threw caution to the wind with a risky play, choosing to go for the two-point conversion hoping to increase their lead to seven points.  The attempt was poorly executed and was ruled unsuccessful on the field as Lance Moore bobbled the ball on his way across the plane before losing possession.  The play was challenged, and the Saints were the benefactors of some luck as the ruling was reversed and New Orleans was awarded the two points, extending their lead to 24-17.

Manning took the field with the opportunity to lead his team back and tie the game late in the final stanza, but his efforts were insufficient.  After the drive found Indianapolis in position to get points, Manning made the poor decision of throwing to Reggie Wayne who, while usually dependable, did not run his route with a tremendous effort.  Manning’s ill-advised pass was intercepted by Terry Porter, the unknown Saints cornerback, and returned for a defensive touchdown that extended the New Orleans lead to 31-17.

The Colts disorganization and inability to execute in the waning minutes resulted in an embarrassing loss to a Saints team which played only well enough to steal a victory through the use of risky and unadvisable plays.  Manning left the field crushed with the burden of having let the Super Bowl slip through his fingers, basically giving victory to New Orleans in the form of a fourth quarter turnover, the only one of the game.

In what was surely one of the most exciting Super Bowls ever played, the underdog New Orleans Saints, led by the phenomenal play of their quarterback, Drew Brees, defeated the talented Indianapolis Colts, 31-17.

The game, which featured two of the most explosive and entertaining offenses to ever set foot on the gridiron, lived up to its high billing and fulfilled the expectations of fans and reporters worldwide.

Brees, the fearless and determined leader of the Saints offense which had scored points at will throughout the season, facing little competition in route to a 13-3 record and the top seed in the NFC, played spectacularly completing a Super Bowl record, 32 passes.

Despite his amazing achievements, victory was not always as sure as Brees’ abilities would let on, as Peyton Manning, the living legend and signal caller of the Colts performed equally as well through the majority of the game.

In the first quarter the teams fought with unprecedented passion reflective of the significance of such a historic game.  The Colts sought their second Super Bowl victory in four years which would have solidified them as the greatest franchise of the decade while the Saints struggled through adversity to reach their first Super Bowl in the 43 year history of the organization.

The Saints received the opening kick-off determined to assert their offensive dominance, but after meeting the heavy resistance of the Colts defense they were forced to punt the ball and let Manning and his powerful offense have a chance.

Manning led a methodical drive highlighted by the meticulous passing of one of the games all-time greats, moving the Colts into range for a field goal attempt.  Matt Stover, the aged veteran with experience and expertise to match his 42 years, converted a 38-yard field goal to put Indianapolis ahead of the Saints.

After yet another Saints drive failed to capture the talents of their top-ranked offense, the Colts regained possession.  Manning once again led his men down the gridiron, this time capping the impressive drive with a touchdown pass to his talented young receiver, Pierre Garcon.  Garcon showed his knack for finding an open space, exposing a hole in the New Orleans coverage just enough for the strong arm of Manning to find him in the back of the end zone.  Stover converted the extra point and the Colts led, 10-0.

The deficit did not daunt the fearless Brees and the resilient Saints as they took the field for the third time.  In the early minutes of the second quarter New Orleans found themselves in familiar territory, in position to put points on the board.  Garrett Hartley, the young kicker who performed so well in the playoffs for the Saints, sent his field goal attempt from 46-yards sailing clear through the uprights as New Orleans cut the Colts lead to seven, 10-3.

Following the field goal, it was the Saints turn to take a stand on defense against an impressive and proven adversary in Manning and the Colts.  After forcing a punt the New Orleans offense again returned to the field hoping to capitalize on their chance to draw even before halftime.

Brees utilized all of his weapons as the Saints strode down the field, picking up chunks of yardage and forcing the Colts to adhere to their every demand.  As New Orleans moved into the red zone the Indianapolis defense righted their ship and held their ground despite the flourishing attack of the Saints.  On a fourth down attempt just a yard form the end zone, Pierre Thomas, the Saints top runner, was met by Gary Brackett and Clint Sessions at the impenetrable Indianapolis line and was stopped short of the goal.

Manning and the Colts opted to play conservatively from within their own five-yard line in hopes of reaching halftime still in possession of their 10-3 advantage.  As the Colts decided to punt for the third time, the Saints saw an opportunity to add to their total.

Brees and the Saints moved into field goal range once again with under a minute remaining in the half. Luckily, the sure-footed Hartley was able to deliver a 44-yard kick to cut the Indianapolis lead to four.  The teams entered the locker room with the score standing at 10-6, in only the slightest favor of the Colts.

The second half began with just as much flurry and fanfare as the first as the Saints surprised everyone in attendance by attempting an onside kick, something that had never been done in Super Bowl history outside of the fourth quarter.  The New Orleans kicker launched the pigskin directly at the frontline of the Colts, and after a near 90-second melee, a Saint emerged from the pile with the ball.

The decision to risk the onside kick attempt paid off almost immediately.  Brees flipped a short screen pass to Pierre Thomas who, in the open field, made several quick decisions to elude the pursuit of the determined Indianapolis defense and convert for the score, giving New Orleans its first lead of the game.  Hartley added the point after and the Saints led, 13-10.

The stalwart Manning would not let the deficit stand for long as he led the high power Colts attack down the field in less than six minutes while converting on five passing attempts.  Ultimately, Joseph Addai, the under-used but highly effective runner for the Colts, scampered across the plane to regain the lead.

Manning took to the sidelines reassured in his abilities as perhaps the best to ever play the quarterback position, while the still unheralded Brees took the field and control of the ball.  The New Orleans drive resulted in yet another successful kick from Hartley, this time from 47-yards, which left the Saints trailing by only a point, 17-16.

As the game moved to the fourth quarter and the Colts drive continued into New Orleans territory it appeared as if Peyton Manning had his team right where he wanted them.  The drive stalled as the Saints’ defense buckled down and held the Colts to a long field goal attempt.  The 51-yard try would have been too much for any kicker that day, especially under the circumstances, and it proved to be too much for even the veteran, Stover as his attempt drifted ever so slightly to the left, leaving the Saints with possession close to midfield.

Brees led a defining drive down the field giving the Saints hope that their first Super Bowl victory was in sight.  The seventh completion of the drive found Jeremy Shockey, the boisterous tight end, on a quick slant as he crossed the goal line.  The Saints had regained the lead 22-17 with less than six minutes still to play in the game.

A two-point attempt to extend the lead to seven points initially was ruled unsuccessful until video review proved that Brees’ pass to Lance Moore was indeed caught and possessed in the end zone before being kicked loose by the Indianapolis defender.  The Saints led 24-17.

The Colts come from behind effort fell short as the Saints added to their lead with a defensive score coming off an interception of Manning.  The New Orleans defender made an impeccable play on the lightning attempt from Manning, stealing the pass and any hopes for an Indianapolis victory.

The victory gave the Saints organization and the city of New Orleans reason to celebrate as they overcame an early deficit to claim the Lombardi trophy and the team’s first Super Bowl victory.  Brees was named the game’s most valuable player after tying the Super Bowl record for most completions with 32 and adding on an impressive two touchdown passes in the win.  The performance of both teams made Super Bowl XLIV one that will be remembered as one of the greatest to ever be played.

The New Orleans Saints, anchored by the excellent play of Drew Brees, defeated the Indianapolis Colts and earned the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl victory.  Brees led a touchdown drive in the fourth quarter to put the Saints on top for good, 24-17.  The victory was insured when Tracy Porter returned a Peyton Manning interception for the final score of the game, 31-17.

The franchise once referred to as the ‘Aints, with only nine winning seasons in the team’s 43 year history, achieved the goal of winning Super Bowl XLIV, the pinnacle of what had been a long road of adversity.

While the victory is certainly grounds for celebration and a symbol of pride and unity for the city of New Orleans, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina still plagues the coastal city.  Almost five years ago Hurricane Katrina, the nation’s worst natural disaster in history, left New Orleans submerged under water and in desperate need of help.  The Crescent city, though recovering, is still in need of massive economic support and recovery efforts — a need which cannot be met with a 74-yard interception, a silver trophy or an enormous parade and celebration.

The devastating storm of August 2005 quickly became a disaster of epic proportion as over 92,000 square feet were affected and approximately $81.2 billion dollars of damage was done.  The deadliest storm the country has ever seen resulted in somewhere near 1,600 deaths and displaced over one million people, forcing them to leave their homes and head for higher ground.  The damages caused by the storm are not restricted to loss of life and property damage.  The vitality of New Orleans has continued to suffer through the rebuilding process.

The response to Hurricane Katrina was inadequate, but the preparation for the storm was equally insufficient.  A mandatory evacuation of the city was not ordered till it was far too late, leaving many residents stranded in their communities with no way of escaping the massive hurricane. To make matters worse the response to Katrina was delayed, uncoordinated, ineffective and riddled with corruption, leaving many areas of the city without aid for more than three days.

When the levees broke and the floodwalls were breached on August 29, 2005, a great surge of water came gushing through some of New Orleans’ poorest communities.  The flooding, which reached as high as 12 feet in some areas, caused unbelievable damages to the city and surrounding communities.  The New Orleans levee system was not built to handle a storm the size of Katrina.  Pulitzer Prize winning journalist John McQuaid wrote that the failure of the floodwalls was “one of the biggest engineering blunders in American history,” continuing his claim that “design errors, flawed decision-making, cost-cutting and political infighting resulted in the deathly flooding that destroyed much of the city.”

McQuaid’s sentiments are echoed in the Government Accountability Office reports that document the Army Corps of Engineers’ effort immediately following Katrina to repair and restore almost 169 miles of damaged levees and floodwalls to pre-hurricane levels of protection.  Even these measures did not insure the same problems would not happen again, and despite the $7 billion allocated for repairs in just the first year following the storm, many residents of the city are fearful of returning.

In the days following the storm, many New Orleans residents struggled to survive without aid from national, state or local governments.  Many were trapped on the roofs of their homes hoping to be rescued by anyone who could help them while others fled their homes and took refuge in the Superdome or the New Orleans Convention Center where makeshift evacuation centers had been formed.

Patricia Thompson, a resident and evacuee said that people “were abandoned. City officials did nothing to protect us … We saw buses, helicopters and FEMA trucks, but no one stopped to help us. We never felt so cut off in our lives … We slept next to dead bodies, we slept on the streets at least four times … panic and fear had taken over.”  Her statements in 2005 to a Select Committee of the House of Representatives reflect the chaos and devastation that Hurricane Katrina left in its wake.

Much of the blame for the lack of preparations has been focused upon the Department of Homeland Security and its division, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which was primarily responsible for the federal aid and response to the storm.

The Senate Homeland Security Committee concluded that “FEMA was unprepared and has never been prepared for a catastrophe of the scale of Katrina.”  At the time of the storm, FEMA was not only unprepared, but also under staffed and under funded leaving the agency vulnerable to all sorts of problems beyond response to the largest natural disaster the country had ever seen.

The House task force said that federal response to Katrina was marked by “fecklessness, flailing and organizational paralysis” all of which left the citizens of New Orleans without substantial relief efforts and aid for days.  Even in the months immediately following Katrina, members of the Department of Homeland Security recognized the inefficiency of relief efforts.

Mike Brown, the director of FEMA resigned just weeks after the catastrophe and Michael Chertoff, of the DHS said the overall response to Katrina was not an issue of money, but rather of how that money was allocated and used.  Chertoff recognized that many parts of FEMA were “antiquated and inefficient” in response efforts.

In addition to the ineffiecies in FEMA response to Katrina, many of the resources, not just monetary, were mismanaged and used improperly.  Government auditors found that FEMA lost more than $1 billion of its disaster relief funds to errors and fraud, issues which the agency was succeptable to across the board.  FEMA misspent millions in immediate relief efforts, but also, due to invalid registrations and the mismanagement of aid applications, gave away between $600 million and $1.4 billion in improper and fraudulent payments to individuals seeking aid.

The delay in delivery of relief services was also affected by the mismanagement of FEMA resources.  The coordinated efforts of FEMA and the Red Cross were disjointed and hindered communication making it much more difficult to utilize resources.  The Government Accountability Office said in June of 2006 that “FEMA did not have a comprehensive system to track requests for assistance it received from the Red Cross … the absence of such a system created more work for the Red Cross and slowed the delivery of relief services.”  The mismanagement, inefficiency and miscommunication that occurred in response to Katrina all factored greatly in the magnitude of the storm’s effect and the lack of immediate aid that was delivered.

The inefficiency does not begin or end with FEMA and the federal response to Hurricane Katrina.  State and local government floundered just as much in setting up relief efforts for the victims of the storm.  Shelters began to spring up wherever they could, but the immediate response was insufficient given the demand for aid.  The largest problem faced by state and local government was a lack of preparation for such an event and the delayed response to the news that Katrina could hit New Orleans with such force.  The inability for state and local officials, such as Mayor Ray Nagin and Police Chief Eddie Compass, to work ahead of the storm left many stranded.  As was written in the New York Times, New Orleans remained “in a state of emergency more than three months after it was officially declared.”

Almost five years after the storm has passed, many of the same problems still remain.  In addition to the billions of dollars in property damage, the infrastructure of the city is still in poor shape.  Hospitals are still not operating at pre-Katrina levels and public transportation has not come close to its pre-hurricane use with only 48 percent of their pre-Katrina routes in operation and almost 300 less buses running.

Two years after Katrina the population of New Orleans had dropped almost 300,000 people and the metropolitan labor force had dropped over 150,000 people.  Many people are still living in interim house provided by FEMA including trailers and apartments because of the irreparable damages done to their homes.  In Orleans and St. Bernard parishes, high numbers of vacant and blighted houses still remain even over four years after the storm.  In St. Bernard parish over 14,000 residences, nearly 53 percent, are still unoccupied, and three years later still only 72 percent of households were receiving mail service.

Many homes have been demolished and rebuilding efforts have continued, but many of the poorest communities have seen little assistance in terms of returning to a pre-Katrina way of life.  The Government Accountability Office said that when the demolition and renovation of damaged property is finally completed, more than 100 million cubic yards of disaster debris will have been generated, leaving much of New Orleans resembling a landfill or dump.

New Orleans is taking steps in the right direction, but much of the city is still in relative lawlessness and chaos with relief efforts and rebuilding focused primarily on the downtown areas.  While the historic French Quarter and metropolitan areas have been restored, much of the surrounding communities have been further neglected.  The city, which was once a cultural destination offering some of the best music, food and festivities to be found in the United States, is still struggling to provide basic services to all of its citizens.  The lack of real improvement for much of New Orleans is indicative of just how much work still needs to be done.

Many people have used the New Orleans Saints as an image reflective of the city.  The team, which had been perennial losers, has rebuilt itself into a contender on almost the same timeline as the city has attempted to recover from Katrina.  When Drew Brees came to New Orleans as a free agent before the 2006 season he made a point of saying that he hoped to lead the team to prosperity as the city rebuilt itself after disaster.  Only four seasons later, the Saints have won the Super Bowl, defeating the powerhouse Indianapolis Colts.  While some may see the parallels of these two stories, the connections are constructed sentiments that do not accurately reflect the situation.

The Saints have been touted nationally as the “feel good” story of a team that has raised the spirits of New Orleans in a post-Katrina era, rejuvenating not only the city but the citizens of the once waterlogged area.  While the team has been a symbol of local pride and hope, the Saints’ impact does not extend much further than that.  New Orleans has not benefited nearly as much as many would hope to believe from the success of the Saints.  Players have contributed to the community in outreach and rebuilding projects, but the city is still struggling to recover.

The spirits of New Orleans natives have been raised by the success of the Saints, but the city still needs so much more than a Super Bowl victory. The pride, unity and hope that the Saints’ title run have inspired are not insignificant. What is forgotten in all the hoopla surrounding “Who Dat” Nation is the fact that this city still has a long way to go before it will be back to the area of cultural vitality it was prior to Katrina.  It is imperative to understand that the victory is significant, but rebuilding a city is much more difficult and important than winning the Super Bowl.

In the midst of the weeklong media extravaganza leading up to the Super Bowl, every reporter was searching to find the newest angle or feature piece to satisfy the insatiable desire for insider information. From the increased demand, a set of specific storylines emerged as the most significant to the characterizations of and the build up to the NFL’s season finale.

Much was made of the story of New Orleans in the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl. The country had come together, with the exception of die-hard Indianapolis fans, to support the Saints who symbolized the rise and resurgence of the costal city of New Orleans, devastated just five years ago by Hurricane Katrina. The Saints emerged from the natural disaster as a sign of unity, resilience and hope for the city as it tried to rebuild and move on after the hurricane.

The connection between Brees and post-Katrina New Orleans also became a storyline of interest. Brees tore his labrum in his throwing shoulder and was not resigned by the San Diego Chargers after the 2005 season. After surgery and through free agency Brees came to New Orleans in 2006, one year after the disaster, and made it his mission to not only resurrect his career, but lift the spirits of a city that had not only struggled with Hurricane Katrina, but also a perennially bad professional football team.

In his four seasons with the Saints, Brees has emerged as a top-tier quarterback who has statistically dominated in all major passing categories. over the past three seasons. The Saints have developed into an offensive juggernaut and an annual playoff contender after a long history of losing seasons.

Another interesting story that was highly publicized leading up to the Super Bowl was the connection the Manning family had to the city of New Orleans. Peyton’s father, Archie, was the franchise quarterback of the Saints in the 1970s and Peyton as well as his two brothers, Cooper and Eli, had been born and raised in New Orleans. Peyton’s connection to the Saints and the city in which he was raised made for an interesting wrinkle to Super Bowl XLIV.

In addition to each quarterback’s personal story and the highly anticipated match-up of top offensive talent, the story of Pierre Garcon emerged as yet another “feel good” feature of the Super Bowl. Garcon, a product of Div. III Mount Union College, was a relative unknown until he emerged this season as a big time weapon in Manning’s passing attack.

Garcon’s story became increasingly compelling when his native country, Haiti, experienced a massive earthquake in the weeks prior to the Super Bowl. Garcon led the efforts to fund relief in his island nation, and his success became a story of significance as he proudly flew the Haitian flag after each Colts victory including the AFC Championship game in which he draped it around the Lamar Hunt trophy.

Reggie Bush was another player highly discussed in the pre-Super Bowl media frenzy. The Saints running back had begun to emerge in the playoffs as the player many had believed he would be coming out of USC. Bush has always been a threat to score every time he touched the ball, but it was only in recent games that he began to show the toughness and determination that many believed he lacked.

His two-touchdown performance in the NFC Divisional round against the Arizona Cardinals, in which he amassed 217 total yards, put him in spotlight again heading into Super Bowl Sunday. Whether or not Bush would play to his potential or again disappoint those who believed him to be an elite talent became a primary focus going into the game.

Despite all of the stories surrounding the game, three storylines emerged as the most significant in determining the outcome. As was expected, the play of Manning and Brees lived up to the high billing it had received.

Many believed that Manning was unstoppable, but Brees and the Saints outplayed the four-time league MVP and claimed the Lombardi trophy. While the offenses performed almost exactly as predicted the real stories that emerged were that of the defenses and the head coaches.

The New Orleans Saints and Indianapolis Colts defenses were a small sub-story to the highly anticipated offensive shootout that was predicted. The Colts defense, ranked in the top-10 in points allowed and top-20 in total defense, came into the game with the tough task of shutting down Brees and the New Orleans offense ranked first in points and total offense. The Saints had averaged 38 points per game in their two playoff games prior to the Super Bowl, more than six points higher than their season average of 31.9.

Not only did the Colts have to face the explosive offense of the Saints, but in the days leading up to the game it was unclear whether or not they would be without the services of their All-Pro defensive end, Dwight Freeney. Freeney’s ankle sprain, which turned out to be a torn ligament, was the primary cause for concern for Colts fans heading into Super Bowl XLIV.

Despite the injury, Freeney did play, but he and the Colts defense proved little opposition for the superb play of Brees and the Saints, who struggled in the first half, but found their offensive identity early in the second half. Freeney’s injury was a non-factor in the first half, as he looked explosive and recorded a key sack to force a New Orleans field goal attempt. As time went on the ankle injury became more of a hindrance for Freeney who was being attended to almost constantly on the sideline in the second half and who became visibly fatigued in the fourth quarter.

The Saints defense, which ranked 20th in points allowed and 25th in total defense during the regular season, came through in the clutch. As had been the case for much of the season, the Saints benefited from turnovers and were able to come up with a big play on defense. The team, which had a +11 turnover ratio during the season, was able to force Manning to make a critical mistake in the fourth quarter which resulted in a New Orleans score, sealing the fate of the Colts.

Relative unknown, Tracy Porter, returned the Manning interception 74 yards to increase the Saints’ lead to 30-17 with just over three minutes to play. It was the play of the two defenses which emerged as the second most significant storyline in a Super Bowl that was hyped as a great offensive battle.

The role of the head coaches also became a primary story in this Super Bowl. First-year head coach Jim Caldwell of the Colts stood across the sideline from what is considered by many to be one of the greatest offensive minds in the league, Saints coach Sean Payton.

The safe and sometimes predictable play calling of Caldwell limited the Colts’ ability to challenge the Saints defense while Payton’s daring and occasionally reckless decisions ultimately game New Orleans the momentum to pull off the upset. Payton’s most courageous decision came when he decided to open the second half with an onside kick attempt which caught the Colts entirely off guard and allowed the Saints to start on offense, drive and score, taking the lead 13-10.

This change in momentum, along with the outstanding play of Brees and the solid defensive effort of the Saints in the fourth quarter allowed New Orleans to emerge victorious, claiming the franchise’s first ever Super Bowl victory, 31-17 over the Indianapolis Colts.

@mattdario [Matthew Yannie]: THE PREDICTION: Colts 34 – Saints 28

@mattdario: After 7 hours of pre-game, I’m more than ready for kickoff… lets go, SBXLIV.

RT ProFootballHOF [Professional Football Hall of Fame]: For first time ever…new Hall of Fame Class to do pre-game coin toss.

RT mortreport [Chris Mortensen of ESPN]: There was no way either one of these teams was going to defer and play defense first.

@mattdario: Three and out, colts stop the run and don’t get hurt with a long pass

@mattdario: Peyton to Clark, 15 yards… going to see a lot of that tonight

@mattdario: Lots of spread offense for the colts to start, standard Manning audibles, two first downs, both to Clark

@mattdario: Pressure is good, but Manning is better

RT YahooSportsNFL [Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports]: Saints pressure is better than it looks right now. Manning is either moving in pocket or taking the short routes in his reads.

@mattdario: That’s a good stop for the Saints, field goal for the Colts

RT BobGlauber [Bob Glauber of Newsday]: Matt Stover, 42, not only oldest player to play in SB, but now oldest to kick a field goal in one. 38-yarder makes it 3-0 Colts. #sb44

@mattdario: 6 of 8 for Manning on that drive, but he doesn’t look at all satisfied…

@mattdario: Bush in the open field, he looks ready to go… Saints have to get him his touches

@mattdario: Exactly why special teams is so important…tough field position for the Colts here

RT YahooSportsNFL: We always talk about those relative unknowns who can impact a game. Saints’ Courtney Roby is playing that role right now.

@mattdario: Big plays for Indy running backs, Addai on the run and Brown on the screen, they are important and were slept on coming into today

RT fb_outsiders [Football Outsiders Inc.]: Vilma was changing the play as Manning was snapping the ball on first down. Interesting to see if that happens.

@mattdario: Joseph Addai!!! Who would have thought the colts would run so effectively early on?

RT KevinDurant35 [Kevin Durant, NBA Forward]: He put Darren Sharper in dat trick Bag

@mattdario: GARCON! Haitian sensation with the TD from Manning… 19 yards over the top splitting the double coverage

RT fb_outsiders: Jabari Greer leaves field. Colts immediately throw at Greer’s space, at Usama Young, for touchdown.

@mattdario: You have to think the Saints are worried if they can’t get something back here after the Colts just went 96 yards on them pretty effortlessly

RT ShaunPhillips95 [Shaun Phillips, NFL Linebacker]: #whodat say Manning is not a beast. Come on Brees make your mark now. I just wanna see a good game.

RT chucktodd [Chuck Todd of MSNBC]: That Colts drive belongs on Manning’s Hall of Fame tape; a thing of beauty.

@mattdario: If [Saints] Coach [Sean] Payton scripts his first 15 plays and the Saints have only run 9 so far, does he scrap the remaining 6 and make something happen?

RT SI_JimTrotter [Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated]: At the end of the first quarter, the colts lead 10-0 and have advantages of 8-1 in first downs, 154-36 in total yards and are 4-5 on 3rd down

RT YahooSportsNFL: FYI: 10 point deficit is the largest comeback ever in the Super Bowl.

RT shawnemerriman [Shawne Merriman, NFL Linebacker]: Saints can’t let this game get out of hand, Peyton will throw for 400

At the end of the first quarter the Colts seemed to be in total control of the game, dominating in all facets on route to a 10-0 lead. The sentiments of Shawne Merriman are reflective of the concern that he, as well as much of the sports world, had that this game would become lopsided with Manning leading an efficient and effective Indianapolis attack through the first 15 minutes of the game.

@mattdario: Colston recovering from the drop early, couple big catches this drive… that penalty was weak though, shouldn’t have been called

@mattdario: I like the Saints working on the run, but Bush and Thomas go east-west too much, they have to run down hill to get some yards

@mattdario: How’s Freeney feeling? Really good apparently, huge sack on third down… long field goal, 10-3

RT SI_JimTrotter: who needs spin move when u can bull rush the OT [offensive tackle]. the saints are going to have to give Bushrod help on Freeney, who deserves an Oscar.

RT Rachel__Nichols [Rachel Nichols of ESPN]: New Orleans streets have gone from total mob scene to flat empty – everyone here glued to their televisions…and at this point, nervous

@mattdario: That’s a good hold for the saints, lets see if momentum will hold

RT YahooSportsNFL: Oh man. Garcon is going to get it from Manning on the sideline after that drop.

RT BillPlaschke [Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times]: I think Saints should have a rule that Reggie Bush can never call for a fair catch

@mattdario: Big first down to Lance Moore on 3rd and 2, in field goal range again

@mattdario: Big loss on the end around, the colts are fast and pursue well… no idea why that play gets called

RT BillPlaschke: Terrible call by Payton…just when you’ve got momentum, you run a reverse? Against a quick defense?

@mattdario: FIRST AND GOAL!!! Colston is proving to be Brees’ favorite target, and that drop is old news now

RT fivethirtyeight [Nate Silver of www.fivethirtyeight.com]: Think you need to play this like you’re in 4-down territory here.

@mattdario: Big decision here for the saints, 4th and goal from the 1.5 yard line… take your points

@mattdario: You HAVE to kick the field goal! The saints running game has not been impressive enough or trustworthy to do that on 4th & Goal from the 2

RT YahooSportsNFL: Great play by the Indianapolis defense. Surprised by that call, I thought it would be a play action pass.

The Saints, facing a 10-3 deficit in the waning minutes of the first half decided to forgo the field goal attempt on fourth and goal after being stopped on third down. The New Orleans running attack was halted on consecutive downs and the Colts regained possession deep in their own territory. The decision to go for the touchdown was controversial as it seemed Indianapolis would now take at least a seven point lead into the locker room, but a defensive stop for the Saints gave them the ball back with under two minutes to play.

@mattdario: Saints, one timeout and 46 seconds to go… they have to get a field goal to make up for that terrible call going for it on 4th, go Reggie!

@mattdario: Big pick up over the middle to Devery Henderson, saints to the 32 with 20 seconds

@mattdario: 44 yard field goal attempt is…. GOOD! 10-6 at the half

@mattdario: Colts owned the first quarter, Saints dominated the second… low scoring and still competitive. i’m hoping for more points in the next 30

@mattdario: The first half difference was running yards… colts have the lead b/c they were able to establish the run as a legit threat, saints only 22

Going in at half time, the Colts still held a four point lead despite having very little possession of the ball in the second quarter. The Saints had shown some semblance of an offensive attack, but had failed to score touchdowns and were forced to settle for two field goals. The Colts were set to receive the opening kick off of the second half, and Manning was prepared to lead a scoring drive to begin the final 30 minutes of the game, in hopes of extending the Indianapolis lead.

@mattdario: ONSIDE KICK!!! SAINTS GET IT BACK! amazing call by Sean Payton! Some gall

@mattdario: WOW, so the saints had momentum after the field goal, now they absolutely have it with the ball after the onside kick

@mattdario: Peyton Manning is still sitting on the sideline for what has to seem like an eternity.

@mattdario: Saints taking control and driving the field through the air… Brees is picking apart the defense and finding the open receivers

@mattdario: Screen… TOUCHDOWN SAINTS!!!

@mattdario: Great work across the board for the saints, 13 unanswered… amazing start to the second half. I’m ready to see Manning’s rebuttal.

After scoring a field goal to end the first half, the Saints came out and shocked the world with an onside kick to open the second half. It was the first time in Super Bowl history that an onside kick was attempted outside of the fourth quarter. Saints head coach Sean Payton committed to his risky decision and it paid off for New Orleans as they regained possession and drove the field for a touchdown. Brees led a balanced attack to the end zone on a drive that was capped by a Pierre Thomas touchdown catch. The score put the Saints on top 13-10 and drastically shifted the momentum of the game, putting Manning and the Colts in a must score situation in fear of falling further behind.

@mattdario: That pass was SO nice, Manning is legit… dropping dimes to Dallas Clark

RT KevinDurant35: great pass

@mattdario: Manning and Clark are quite the duo… 5th catch, 1st and goal

@mattdario: Joseph Addai!!! Indy’s run game has been exceptional, way better than expected. Colts back on top 17-13

RT YahooSportsNFL: The running backs are stealing the show in this game.

@mattdario: 104 total yards for Addai and 69 for Pierre Thomas… both have been the difference makers though I think its still going to be decided by the QBs

RT FO_ASchatz [Aaron Schatz of Football Outsiders Inc.]: All these “Addai is great” tweets. Have you people not seen the Saints run defense this year?

RT YahooSportsNFL: Saints are moving toward a big play action pass.

RT BillPlaschke: No pressure on Brees…he can throw where he wants…the predicted shootout is on…

@mattdario: I like how the second half has opened up and the scoring is starting up, let’s keep it coming.

@mattdario: Garrett Hartley, good again… 3 field goals from 40+, first time in SB history

@mattdario: It’s Manning time, let’s see the response and if the saints can hold

After the two teams traded scores the Colts held a narrow 17-16 lead. Manning had responded to the New Orleans score that opened the second half with a touchdown drive of his own. Brees and the Saints added a field goal in response to the Colts’ touchdown. The stage was set for Manning and Brees to battle it out in the fourth quarter and with the offenses really beginning to find their rhythms, it was sure to be an entertaining final 15 minutes.

@mattdario: Fourth quarter, this is going to be a great finish… I’m hoping/predicting that there are 13-16 points left to be scored

RT BillPlaschke: Guess here is, first turnover in this game decides it…Amazing that there have been no fumbles or INTs so far…4th quarter should be a doozy

@mattdario: Colts going for it on forth and two

@mattdario: Big completion to Reggie Wayne, first down and no speculation on that call now

RT fb_outsiders: Cute that Phil Simms thinks Jim Caldwell made that decision and not Peyton Manning.

@mattdario: Colts FG, no good… tough break for the colts, good field position for the saints who can almost lock it up with a long drive and a TD

RT BillPlaschke: Surprised that Caldwell let Stover kick…out of his range…Saints now have great field position to take lead…Caldwell needed to trust D

The Colts moved the ball down the field, but the drive stalled on the boarder of field goal range. Head coach Jim Caldwell elected to have Matt Stover attempt a 51-yard field goal in hopes of putting the Colts ahead by four points. Manning was visibly disappointed in the miss as Brees returned to the field. The Saints got the ball in excellent field position with even more momentum, only down by one, looking for a Super Bowl victory.

RT YahooSportsNFL: Freeney is struggling. Looks winded, worn down, hurting.

RT YahooSportsNFL: Drew Brees’ accuracy right now is sick. The Colts are getting zero pressure.

@mattdario: Brees with a Manning-esque drive after the missed field goal… capped off with a TD to Shockey!!! saints take the lead

@mattdario: Great timing route there from Brees and Shockey. two point conversion is no good! that very well could come back to haunt the saints

RT sportswatch [Neil Best of Newsday]: Football writers breathe collective sigh of relief. No OT.

@mattdario: Hmm, maybe this is good… Lacey kicked the ball out after the fact, and an awesome display of athleticism by Lance Moore

@mattdario: Big overturn there, now the saints have a seven point lead… 24-17, the ball is now in your court Mr. Manning, show us you’re great

The Saints took advantage of good field position and took the lead 22-17 on a Brees touchdown pass to Jeremy Shockey. In order to extend the lead to a full seven points, New Orleans attempted a two-point conversion. The attempt was initially ruled unsuccessful on the field as Lance Moore seemed to lose possession of the football as he tumbled to the ground. After the play was reviewed it was shown that a Colts defender had knocked the ball loose after Moore had already gone to the ground, established possession and crossed the goal line to give the Saints a 24-17 lead over the Colts. It still seemed possible at this point for Manning to lead the Colts back to victory.

RT Wale [Wale Folarin, musician]: This superbowl = Drew Brees and Peyton Manning short pass contest

@mattdario: Real close to a pick there for the saints… Manning needs to be careful

@mattdario: Colts are in four down territory right now, third and five, too far for a field goal

@mattdario: PICK SIX FOR THE SAINTS!!!

After the Indianapolis drive had found the Colts in Saints’ territory after a series of meticulous passes from Manning, the outcome of the game was decided on one play. Manning’s third down attempt to Reggie Wayne was intercepted by Terry Porter of the Saints and returned 74 yards for a touchdown, putting New Orleans on top 30-17. The response to the Porter interception flooded Twitter with enough responses to overload the system. The interception all but determined the result of the game, and the outpouring of reactions caused the service to shut down for a few minutes.

RT fb_outsiders: Bad throw by Manning. Not his fault that it was returned for a touchdown, but bad, bad throw.

RT BobGlauber: I don’t believe what I’ve just seen.

RT YahooSportsNFL: Unbelievable!

RT Adam_Schefter [Adam Schefter of ESPN]: Saints CB Tracy Porter – born in Louisiana, went to school in Indiana, made history in Miami.

RT BobGlauber: I realize people have anointed Peyton Manning as the greatest QB ever, but the legacy takes a huge hit on this one, barring miracle finish.

RT YahooSportsNFL: Unreal: A Louisianan (Manning), tried 2 throw 2 a Louisianan (Wayne) & it was picked off and returned for TD by a Louisianan (Tracy Porter).

@mattdario: What a twist of fate, the first turnover of the day is a huge one… will ultimately decide the game. could not have been better executed

@mattdario: Manning doesn’t have enough left to make this miracle happen, and the saints get what they have worked so hard for

@mattdario: 43 season, 9 winning records, finally a super bowl win for the New Orleans Saints

After the interception and point after attempt, the Saints held a two touchdown lead over the Colts. Manning led a desperation drive the length of the field before his last ditch effort eventually fell short. The Saints regained possession and ran out the remaining time giving them the franchise’s first Super Bowl victory.

@mattdario: Incomplete on 4th and goal from the 5, saints in the victory formation, Brees takes the knee… who dat, I suppose

@mattdario: This is about to be the most ridiculous week of celebrations in New Orleans. Porter is the unsung hero and Brees is MVP, no question

RT JayElectronica [Jay Electronica, musician and New Orleans native]: Victory. Destiny. History.

RT chucktodd: [Sean] Payton outcoached Peyton [Manning].

RT fb_outsiders: Drew Brees isn’t any better because of what happened tonight, and Peyton Manning isn’t any worse

RT OGOchoCinco [Chad Johnson, NFL Wide Receiver]: Congrats to the city of NEW ORLEANS, may you all enjoy this super bowl victory-after all the city has endured this is much deserved.

The result of the Super Bowl was determined on the Porter interception, but the Twitter buzz about the game did not slow down until a few days later. The Saints cheer of “WHO DAT” remained one of the most posted sayings on Twitter into the middle of the week. And while the game may have been over, the responses before, during and after create a live timeline of events that captures the life of the game and the authenticity of immediacy and reaction.

Super Bowl XLIV, billed as the battle of two unstoppable offenses, was ultimately decided by the defenses as the New Orleans Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts, 31-17.

The offensively minded teams remained methodical when in possession of the ball, exchanging points and momentum cautiously. Peyton Manning and Drew Brees led the way with exceptional performances, but ultimately Brees came out on top, earning New Orleans its first ever Super Bowl victory.

Brees earned Most Valuable Player honors as he led the Saints from behind, overtaking the favored Colts. Manning, who seemed early on to be approaching to his second Super Bowl victory, would eventually falter just as Brees began to excel.

The first quarter was dominated by the Colts who controlled possession and held the Saints scoreless while managing a field goal and touchdown, establishing a 10-0 lead after 15 minutes.

After a Saints three-and-out on their first offensive possession, the Colts drove 53 yards on 11 plays using just under six minutes before settling for a 38-yard field goal from Matt Stover. The 42-year-old Stover, with the successful attempt, became the oldest player to score in a Super Bowl.

When the Saints second drive also sputtered, Manning took advantage, driving the Colts 96 yards in less than five minutes, finding Pierre Garcon for a 19 yard touchdown. The score put the Colts in front 10-0. The early deficit put the Saints in a must-score position.

The Saints recovered and responded in the second quarter, possessing the ball for over 12 minutes, limiting Manning to two possessions, both of which resulted in punts.

The Saints’ first points came from a Garrett Hartley kick of 46 yards, bringing the Saints within one score of the Colts. New Orleans seemed to be in position to get more than just three, but the drive was halted by a Dwight Freeney sack of Brees, and Hartley was called into duty.

After an Indianapolis punt, the Saints drove the length of the field, but failed to convert on fourth and goal from the two yard line. The Saints would not be able to break the plane after the Colts’ defense stuffed Pierre Thomas on runs off-tackle on both third and fourth down.

However, the Colts were unable to sustain any semblance of a drive after taking over on downs and were forced to punt. The Saints took advantage of good field position and drove into field goal range with less than 30 seconds to go in the first half.

Hartley again converted for three, this time from 44 yards, and the Saints went into halftime trailing 10-6.

Indianapolis expected to begin the second half in possession of the ball, but the Saints caught the Colts completely off guard with a successful onside kick, the first attempted in a Super Bowl not in the final quarter.

New Orleans recovered and Brees drove the offense 58 yards capped off by a screen pass to Thomas, who went 16 yards to the end zone. The score gave the Saints their first lead and first touchdown in Super Bowl history. After a successful PAT, the Saints held a 13-10 lead.

Manning and the Colts quickly responded with a touchdown drive of their own, going 76 yards in 10 plays. After precise passes from Manning to Dallas Clark put the Colts inside the five yard line, Joseph Addai punched it in from four yards out for the score, putting the Colts back on top, 17-13.

The Saints answered with a field goal to make it 17-16 with about two minutes left in the third quarter.

New Orleans dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring the Colts 15-0 in the final frame. When an Indianapolis drive stalled early in the fourth and Stover was forced to attempt a 51 yard field goal, one could almost feel the momentum shift in favor of the Saints. Stover missed.

Brees and company regained possession with excellent field position and just over 10 minutes to play in the game. A drive highlighted by the meticulous passing of Brees resulted in Jeremy Shockey reeling in a two yard touchdown pass to make the score 22-17.

The Saints successfully attempted a two-point conversion when Lance Moore caught a quick pass from Brees, tumbling acrobatically across the plane to give New Orleans a seven point lead.

The stage was set for Manning to lead a signature drive capped by a touchdown to force overtime, but the Saints had other things in mind. After a series of completed passes the Colts stood at the New Orleans 31 yard line with less than four minutes to play and what seemed to be a likely scoring drive well in order.

The play that effectively ensured the New Orleans victory came when Saints’ cornerback Tracy Porter stepped in front of a Peyton Manning pass intended for Reggie Wayne and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown that would add to the New Orleans lead, putting distance between them and the favored Colts.

The big play for the Saints defense, combined with Indianapolis’ inability to stop the New Orleans attack in the second half, proved to be the demise of the Colts.

Manning’s last ditch effort at a comeback fell short with the Colts turning the ball over on fourth and goal, failing to convert for the much needed touchdown. Brees and the Saints took the victory formation and ran out the rest of the clock, giving New Orleans its first Super Bowl victory in the organization’s history.

Manning failed to win his second Super Bowl in four years which would have solidified his position as the best active quarterback in the league and one of the greatest to ever play the position.

Brees was named MVP of the game as he led the Saints back from a 10 point deficit early and tied the Super Bowl record for most completions on 32-for-39 passing for 288 yards and two touchdowns in the victory.

The highly anticipated battle between Peyton Manning and Drew Brees lived up to the hype, with one quarterback falling short and the other exceeding expectations. Ultimately, Brees and the underdog New Orleans Saints would prevail over Manning and the Indianapolis Colts.

Manning and Brees are both excellent students of the game who know exactly where the ball needs to be thrown often before the play even begins. Both are highly accurate, completing over 60 percent of their passes — both are great under pressure, finding the open receiver and each leading their teams to 79 points in the final two minutes of first halves.

Both are also exceptional leaders who are able to utilize the full complement of backs and receivers on their respective teams. This season far less separated these two than held them together.

The two star signal callers came into the Super Bowl match-up on very similar paths. Each lead their teams through 13 weeks of the season without a loss with the Saints’ first coming in week 15 to the Dallas Cowboys and the Colts’ first a week later to the New York Jets after Manning and the other starters had taken a seat on the bench.

Manning led the Colts to a 14-2 record in the regular season and through effortless wins against the Baltimore Ravens and Jets en route to Super Bowl XLIV, the team’s second appearance in the past four seasons.

Manning won his fourth MVP award, with Brees finishing second in the voting. Manning’s season solidified him as one of the greatest to ever play the position, with seven fourth quarter comebacks, 4,500 yards and 33 touchdowns, but in the end it would not be his day to rejoice.

Brees, the leader of the resurgent Saints, led his team to its best season in franchise history, finishing the season with a record high 13 wins. Brees was the most accurate quarterback in the league, completing 70.6 percent of his passes for 34 touchdowns on the season.

Brees would emerge from the clash with Manning as the top quarterback this season, Super Bowl Champion and the clearly the second best quarterback in the league.

The careers of Brees and Manning took quite different paths in getting to Super Bowl XLIV, but once there the stars flourished as Brees’ Saints defeated Manning and the Colts 31-17.

The story of how Manning came to be the elite quarterback he is today is far more the expected route than that of Brees. While Manning was drafted with the number one overall pick in the 1998 draft by the Colts, Brees was taken with the last pick of the second round in 2001 by the San Diego Chargers. Manning started as the franchise quarterback from day one — Brees was the back up to veteran Doug Flutie until receiving his chance at the help of the Charger offense at the start of the 2002 season, only to be replaced by Flutie midway through the 2003 season.

While Manning struggled briefly to establish the Colts as the dominant team in the AFC South, Brees struggled to keep his job and secure his status as the starter. After a season in 2004 that earned him the NFL Comeback Player of the Year Award, Brees was given only a one year deal from the Chargers who had begun to take steps to replace Brees with the promising Philip Rivers. Brees was injured in the 2005 season, leaving his status with the Chargers up in the air. As a free agent, Brees opted to leave Southern California and head to Louisiana, signing with the Saints for six years and $60 million.

As Manning was stringing together consecutive 12 win seasons with the Colts, Brees was still adjusting to his new surroundings. Brees led the Saints to the NFC Championship game in his first season, but lost to the Chicago Bears who would end up losing to Manning’s Colts in Super Bowl XLI.

In 2008 Manning won his third MVP award while Brees passed for 5,069 yards, becoming only the second quarterback ever to break 5,000 yards passing in a single season.

The closely mirrored 2009 seasons produced a Super Bowl match-up featuring the four-time MVP and arguably the greatest quarterback in the game against the resilient leader of a franchise known for its struggles, but performing at the highest level with new found hope and pride.

Manning came into the Super Bowl touted as perhaps the greatest quarterback to ever play the game. A master of the two-minute, no huddle offense, Manning calls his own game utilizing audibles while picking apart even the strongest defenses the league has to offer. Manning had, up until last Sunday, been playing almost flawless football, good enough to be deemed unstoppable, but someone forgot to tell the Saints.

While Manning looked excellent at times in the Super Bowl, he ultimately cost his team victory and himself the opportunity to inch evermore closer to the title of greatest ever. The fourth quarter interception by Tracy Porter, with just over three minutes remaining, sealed the fate of the Colts and left Manning with a 9-9 career record in the playoffs.

Brees, the most prolific quarterback New Orleans has ever seen and the most popular since Peyton’s father, Archie Manning stood under center, came into Super Bowl XLIV in the shadow of Manning and the favored Colts.

While Manning may have stood at 6’5”, Brees was more than ready to cut the living legend down to size and claim his spot as the top quarterback on the day. He not only led his team to the victory, he did so while completing 32 of 39 passes, tying the Super Bowl record for most completions.

Brees, who came to New Orleans as a free agent in 2006, finally fulfilled his goal to lead the Saints to a Super Bowl victory, carrying the franchise and the city of New Orleans on his shoulders the entire way.

On a night where the quarterbacks were believed to be the deciding factor in the game, Brees stepped up to the challenge before him and outplayed Manning on football’s biggest stage.

Brees hoisted the Lombardi Trophy as Manning disappeared quietly into the locker room, completing the storybook ending for the Saints, the city of New Orleans and Brees. After a long road back from injury, Brees was able to guide a team which had never been in a Super Bowl to victory in only his fourth season at the helm.

It was certainly true that the game would be decided by the quarterbacks, but it would have been hard to predict an ending like the one seen late Sunday as Brees secured the victory and solidified himself as a legitimate star, the best quarterback in the league on this day.