During Jordin Sparks' performance of the national anthem, fans held up placards to make a wavy flag that could be seen from above by NBC cameras.
At first I thought that it was pretty coincidental that everyone at Lambeau color coordinated their sweatshirts enough to make this happen. Then it dawned on me that all that Packers green and gold would probably make a Jamaican flag instead and that they were actually holding red, white and blue placards that had been left in their seats.
The visual was even cooler when seen from the blimp covering the game:
These sorts of displays rarely impress me and I realized tonight it's because there are too many fans in the crowd who either aren't in their seats or don't care enough to participate. That's not a problem in a place like Green Bay, where I'd imagine love of America runs second only to love of Aaron Rodgers (notes) and the Packers.
Sparks did a fine job with the anthem, much better than the last time the song was sung at an NFL game (cough, Christina Aguilera , cough). But, for my money, the best part of the festivities was the flyover by four F-16s immediately after the conclusion of the song. Flyovers by military jets always get the goosebumps going but this one was even more special, perfectly timed by the 115th Fighter Wing of the Wisconsin Air National Guard.
We've all seen what they look like on television. This YouTube clip shot outside a house in Green Bay provides a different angle.
Funny, when you watch the game on TV, you never think that those planes have to come from somewhere.
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The NFL season opener came down to one final untimed play.
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After a pass interference play in the end zone with no time on the clock, the New Orleans Saints had one yard between them and a potential overtime situation with the Green Bay Packers .
One play.
What to do? Put the game in the hands of Drew Brees (notes) , who had thrown for over 400 yards and three touchdowns, or put in the jumbo package and try to punch it in on the run?
New Orleans went with the run, it failed and the second guessing began. Brees had been nearly flawless during the game and was in the midst of leading the Saints on an improbable 79-yard drive with almost no time on the clock. Why not spread the field and give him the opportunity to put the game in his hands? Or at least open the formation so the line of scrimmage wasn't so bunched? Rookie Mark Ingram (notes) , the former Heisman Trophy winner from Alabama, was met by at least five Packers at the line of scrimmage. Wouldn't he have had a better chance to get in if it wasn't so stacked?
Pick the cliche: Hindsight, retrospect, 20/20, woulda, shoulda, coulda. If the Packers defense doesn't collapse so quickly or New Orleans' offensive line got a little more push or Ingram was able to squeeze through the hole for a little more yardage, we'd be talking about Payton's gutsy call. Green Bay's linebackers jumped the snap, the Saints o-line didn't get much of a push and Ingram was stopped on first contact.
In the third quarter, the Saints faced a similar situation. The team was down eight points and faced fourth-and-inches from the Packers seven-yard line. Payton called for a play-action pass and the Packers defense was all over it, sacking Brees for a change of possession.
Two short-yardage situations, one run, one pass, two failed opportunities.
You can blame the Saints, the playcalling and the execution. Or you can credit the defending Super Bowl champions for making two crucial stops and scoring 42 points against one of the best defenses in the NFC.
One play. And a whole lot more to go in an NFL season that already is living up to the hype. |
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