SCORES AND MAJOR INCIDENTS (all times GMT)
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By Martin Gough
2203: New Orleans are bidding for their first NFL title in their 43-year history but, of course, all the talk has been about the team inspiring the city as it bids to recover from the devastation brought by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. If you haven’t yet readHaydn Parry’s featureor listened to themontage voiced by Arlo White, of the events surrounding Katrina, and the Saints’ march to the Super Bowl, there is still plenty of time to do it before kick-off.
This is a team that has been awful for much of its existence. The Saints played their first season in 1967 but didn’t record a winning season until 1987 and has never even appeared in the title game before.
Their 31-28 NFC Championship Game victory over Minnesota a fortnight ago was a wild one. As one radio commentator screamed: “Hell has frozen over, pigs have flown, the Saints are on their way to a Super Bowl!”
**2159: **Although the vagaries of American TV are sometimes difficult to decipher, we’re expecting kick-off at around 2325 GMT - that’s half-past six in Miami. Radio boys Arlo White et al are already under way on 5 live sports extra (which you can also listen to online in the UK). Jake Humphrey will welcome 49ers quarterback Alex Smith to the BBC TV studio at 2255 (and you can watch that online in the UK too).2155: It comes but once a year, it’s a happening to be missed on pain of death. Whole nations stop to observe the event. That’s right, it’s Mrs Gough’s birthday. But there’s no time for that, it’s Super Sunday folks! All you’re going to hear about around here for the next six hours is perfect passes, bruising runs and bone-crunching tackles as the New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts go head-to-head in Miami with the Vince Lombardi Trophy on the line.
Vince Lombardi was the no-nonsense coach who led Green Bay to five NFL titles in the 1960s. I bet he didn’t get his name on a trophy by staying at home on Marie’s birthday.
For the first time in 17 years, the two top seeds in the league based on regular-season record will meet in the Super Bowl, and there are great stories on both sides. It’s the “Who Dats” versus the Hoosiers as New Orleans face Indianapolis.