# Super Bowl XLIV: Indianapolis Colts v. New Orleans Saints (2/7/2010) **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 25, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375 "2010-01-25T17:01:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 14
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2010, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/261 "2010-02-08T19:45:57Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Black folks comprise about 12% of the audience, so tailoring a halftime show to suit them would be silly. Country music would probably hit the mark for the highest percentage of viewers. Eh? Country is a smaller niche market than R & B and isn’t much bigger than rap. [QUOTE=Nielsen Soundscan] 2007 music sales by genre Genre 2007 2006 Alternative 88,604 109,672 Christian/Gospel 34,017 39,715 Classical 18,044 19,447 Country 62,696 74,886 Jazz 14,047 15,720 Latin 31,853 37,774 Metal 52,951 61,557 New Age 3,210 3,412 R&B 95,555 117,005 Rap 41,662 59,534 Rock 149,414 170,726 Soundtrack 24,570 27,177 [/QUOTE] ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/262 "2010-02-09T00:55:14Z")
Found out today I won the office pool. I had forgotten all about it. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/263 "2010-02-09T02:01:19Z")
> [@Rysdad](#): > > Found out today I won the office pool. I had forgotten all about it. > > 😃 What’s it filled with? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2010, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/264 "2010-02-09T02:22:40Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > Eh? Country is a smaller niche market than R & B and isn’t much bigger than rap. I suspect a large percentage of the buyers of R&B and rap is suburban white boys. How much of the rap sales are Eminem, for example, and how many black folks are buying Eminem CDs? Your point is well taken, but I would counter with the number of and total ratings for all country radio stations compared to all rap radio stations. The former will demolish the latter if we limit the rap ratings to just blacks. ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/265 "2010-02-10T00:47:46Z")
^If R&B and rap truly do have a more interracial, broad-based appeal then isn’t that an even better reason to book that kind of music for the big halftime show? ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/266 "2010-02-10T00:54:56Z")
Yes, absolutely. But it undercuts the original premise of appealing specifically to black folks. I admit I’m a little surprised by the record sales for country vs rap. I would have thought country would be a much larger segment of the population, mainly because NASCAR totally demolishes the NBA in ratings. Even regular season races trounce NBA playoffs. ([Cite](http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/10/saturday-ratings-nba-playoffs-no-match-for-nascar-sprint-cup/18390)) ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/267 "2010-02-10T00:58:56Z")
> [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](#): > > ^If R&B and rap truly do have a more interracial, broad-based appeal then isn’t that an even better reason to book that kind of music for the big halftime show? Lord have mercy. Janet Jackson was more than enough for me. If they book a R&B/Rap show I’m changing the channel. I know I’m not the only one that feels that way, too. Give me three guys in a wheelchair singing the greatest hits of the 1940s 10 years in a row before you inflict that stuff on me. Bring back the marching bands. Anything. Just spare me that nonsense. ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/268 "2010-02-10T01:06:50Z")
Throwing out another nomination for next year, assuming she’s still performing, how about Tina Turner? She could prolly stretch **Proud Mary** into 12 minutes and let that be the whole show… Woulda worked this year too…"We gonna take the start of this game nice and easy…then we gonna do the finish nice and rough. Because that’s the way we do Proud Who Dat…😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/269 "2010-02-10T03:23:08Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Yes, absolutely. But it undercuts the original premise of appealing specifically to black folks. > > I admit I’m a little surprised by the record sales for country vs rap. I would have thought country would be a much larger segment of the population, mainly because NASCAR totally demolishes the NBA in ratings. Even regular season races trounce NBA playoffs. ([Cite](http://tvbythenumbers.com/2009/05/10/saturday-ratings-nba-playoffs-no-match-for-nascar-sprint-cup/18390)) What you’ve got to understand about NASCAR events is that every fan has a dog (their favorite guy) in each race. I’m a college football fan, and I try to watch every Alabama game (as well as some of others), but I don’t/can’t watch every college football game. So, for any given sport, while [sport] might have more fans that NASCAR, NASCAR has more fans than [team]. ---
**Author:** ![Rucksinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/898d66/32.png) [@Rucksinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rucksinator)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/270 "2010-02-10T03:38:55Z")
Upon further reflection, I guess I overlooked the most important word in your post: “Playoffs”. However, the biggest flaw in your logic is equating NASCAR with country, and NBA with rap; while, apparently and inconsistently, not equating NFL with any genre. Speaking of ratings, I don’t know if anyone has talked about the fact that this game’s ratings finally broke the record set by the MASH finale. They say it’s in part bacause of how many people were snowed in. I’d say it’s also because it was one of the better Superbowl matchups. That said, I don’t know exactly how the Nielsen ratings work, but I strongly suspect that the only reason that several previous Superbowls didn’t break the record is because people tend to go to parties, where ~10 to 20 people will be watching one TV, while their TV’s at home are off. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/271 "2010-02-10T05:32:43Z")
> [@EllisDee](#): > > Yes, absolutely. But it undercuts the original premise of appealing specifically to black folks. He didn’t say they should “appeal to black folks”. He said “play something black people like”. That doesn’t mean white people won’t also like it. > [@](#): > > However, the biggest flaw in your logic is equating NASCAR with country, and NBA with rap; while, apparently and inconsistently, not equating NFL with any genre. Well, since the NFL is by far the biggest draw, I guess we could call it pop. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/272 "2010-02-10T06:20:03Z")
Incidentally, I feel like pointing out that if that onside kick failed, everyone in the fucking world besides like 8 people would be screaming WTF ONSIDE KICK IN THE SUPERBOWL THAT WAS THE DUMBEST COACHING MOVE IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND!!!1111111111 But since it worked… IT’S GENIUS I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DO THAT ALL MY LIFE! ---
**Author:** ![ekweizn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7c8e57/32.png) [@ekweizn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekweizn)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/273 "2010-02-10T07:55:10Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Incidentally, I feel like pointing out that if that onside kick failed, everyone in the fucking world besides like 8 people would be screaming WTF ONSIDE KICK IN THE SUPERBOWL THAT WAS THE DUMBEST COACHING MOVE IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND!!!1111111111 > > But since it worked… IT’S GENIUS I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DO THAT ALL MY LIFE! [Over 60% of unexpected onside kicks are successful.](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/sports/football/09gambles.html) ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/274 "2010-02-10T11:39:49Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Incidentally, I feel like pointing out that if that onside kick failed, everyone in the fucking world besides like 8 people would be screaming WTF ONSIDE KICK IN THE SUPERBOWL THAT WAS THE DUMBEST COACHING MOVE IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND!!!1111111111 > > But since it worked… IT’S GENIUS I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DO THAT ALL MY LIFE! Actually, I would have been in favor of the kick regardless of the outcome. The Saints defense did very well in the second quarter, and the announcers had just gotten done saying how handing the ball to Manning’s offense to start the half was not something the Saints were going to want to do. ---
**Author:** ![SenorBeef](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senorbeef/32/2220_2.png) [@SenorBeef](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SenorBeef)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/275 "2010-02-10T13:51:30Z")
> [@ekweizn](#): > > [Over 60% of unexpected onside kicks are successful.](http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/09/sports/football/09gambles.html) Facts and objective analysis don’t actually matter. If someone bucks conventional wisdom and does something unusual, and it fails, then it’s THE WORST COACHING DECISION EVER OMG. The most recent example was the big uproar over Bellichick’s 4th down decision in the Colts game this year. After really breaking it down, the worst you can say is “it’s about even” or even “it’s a slightly bad decision”, but the common hyperbole associated with it was that it was the worst coaching decision ever seen. I’m not exaggerating - lots of people said that. Had it worked, however, it would be “omg genius!” ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/276 "2010-02-10T14:24:57Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Actually, I would have been in favor of the kick regardless of the outcome. The Saints defense did very well in the second quarter, and the announcers had just gotten done saying how handing the ball to Manning’s offense to start the half was not something the Saints were going to want to do. I would have been in favor of the onside kick if the Saints’ kickoff specialist _had previously attempted one at any level of football_. He had not. He practiced kicking onside for the first time ever during Super Bowl practices. ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/277 "2010-02-10T15:44:24Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > Incidentally, I feel like pointing out that if that onside kick failed, everyone in the fucking world besides like 8 people would be screaming WTF ONSIDE KICK IN THE SUPERBOWL THAT WAS THE DUMBEST COACHING MOVE IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND!!!1111111111 > > But since it worked… IT’S GENIUS I’VE BEEN WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO DO THAT ALL MY LIFE! On the onside kick: [Saints Win Super Bowl, but Onside Kick Was Dirty Pool](http://bleacherreport.com/articles/342457-onside-kick-was-dirty-pool) > [@](#): > > When the Saints won the coin toss and elected to receive the ball to start the game, they made their choice. The other team gets to receive the ball to start the second half, but the Colts never received the ball. It was stolen from them on a cheap and dirty onside kick. > > Although it was a legal play by existing NFL rules, there has always been an unwritten rule, a gentleman’s rule that you do not attempt an onside kick to start a half. > > At any other time on a kickoff, fine, but when you win the coin toss, you only get to receive the ball to start a half once. You don’t get to break the rack in nine-ball 2 times in a row. > > That would be greedy. It doesn’t get any better from there. In fact, I nominate this article as the worst article of 2010. I don’t see how it could possibly be beaten. ---
**Author:** ![astorian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ad7895/32.png) [@astorian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astorian)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/278 "2010-02-10T15:58:26Z")
If a play is legal, and wasn’t intended to cause injury, how can it possibly be dirty pool? The Saints took a big gamble- if they’d failed to recover the kick, they’d have given the Colts great field position. There is no “gentlemen’s rule” regarding onside kicks. There’s just a general reluctance to use them, since coaches tend to be ultraconservative and prefer to avoid risk. Sean Payton is gutsier/more reckless than most coaches, and tried something most of his colleagues would have been too sane/cowardly to try. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/279 "2010-02-10T16:12:19Z")
Yeah, it’s such a dirty trick that Andy Reid did it against the Cowboys in successive seasons. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2010, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375/280 "2010-02-10T16:15:22Z")
> [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](#): > > On the onside kick: > \ > It doesn’t get any better from there. In fact, I nominate this article as the worst article of 2010. I don’t see how it could possibly be beaten. I had a Bleacher Report RSS feed for the last year. I took it down - it’s nothing but a bunch of hacks trying to out-outrage each other for attention and site hits. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375.md?page=13) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/super-bowl-xliv-indianapolis-colts-v-new-orleans-saints-2-7-2010/526375.md?page=15)