Are the Saints the biggest sentimental favorite in Super Bowl history?
Hurricane Katrina … their laughingstock history … their fun-loving city … and their under-sized, overachieving quarterback have created a near-perfect storm of sentiment for the ‘Aints in Super Bowl XLIV.
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The only way New Orleans could get more support? If its opponent was Bill “Darth” Belichick and the New England Patriots. But Peyton Manning and the Colts are one of the more likeable powerhouses in football.
So who were sentimental winners in past Super Bowls?
5. 2008 Giants » It wasn’t so much that the Giants were sentimental favorites, as it was who they were playing. In upsetting the undefeated Patriots, 17-14, the Giants denied Belichick’s place in history and handed it to a team that delighted in pounding foes into submission.
4. 1988 Redskins » Go ahead, call it a homer pick. But there’s no denying that when maligned Doug Williams had the greatest 15 minutes in Super Bowl history and became the first black quarterback to win the title, the Redskins were America’s Team, at least for one night.
3. 2002 Patriots » Was it really less than a decade ago that the nation was pulling for New England? But think back to 2001, post 9/11, when the red-, white- and blue-clad Pats were 14-point underdogs to Kurt Warner‘s “Greatest Show on Turf” Rams.
2. 1998 Broncos » In his 15th year, after three Super Bowl defeats and many other playoff disappointments, John Elway finally got his ring, out-dueling Brett Favre and the defending champion Packers, 31-24, in dreamy, confetti-raining style.
1. 1969 Jets » It wasn’t just that New York was an 18-point underdog. If you were under 30 and not rooting for the renegade quarterback (Joe Namath) from the renegade league (AFL), you were a pawn for the establishment or from Baltimore.
