Bob Costas somehow wanted to mention the St. Louis Cardinals’ World Championship, so he used the St. Louis Rams’ surprise upset over the New Orleans Saints to do it. Certainly not one of my favorites that Costas has done since beginning the halftime commentaries last season. Here’s the text of this week’s monologue. Bob has certainly done better. This seems to be mailed in.
BOB COSTAS’ HALFTIME ESSAY ON ST. LOUIS RAMS
The Rams beat the Saints today in St. Louis, 31-21. The outcome was so stunning, the city threw a parade immediately after the game. All right, so the parade was for the Cardinals, and, in fact, the win by the Rams, a prohibitive underdog at home, was only the second-most miraculous thing that happened in St. Louis this week.
But still, how do you figure this?
A week ago, the Saints treated a winless Colt team like a Pop Warner squad facing the varsity. The final? 62-7. A few hours earlier, the Rams had dropped to a fully deserved 0-6 by losing 34-7 in Dallas. So, coming in to today, the Saints were averaging 37 points a game. The Rams had averaged nine. Until today, the Rams had often looked as if it would have taken them several plays to score even if the opposition had left the field. And to make matters worse, when it seemed they couldn’t possibly be, they were without last year’s Offensive Rookie of the Year, Sam Bradford. A.J. Feeley looking for all the world like a lamb being led to slaughter.
Instead, it was the Saints who got slaughtered. Down 24-0 at one point, and doing almost all their scoring after the issue had been decided. Feeley’s performance was efficiency personified: 175 yards, a touchdown and no picks. Meanwhile, Steven Jackson, a great player plagued for years by injuries and a weak supporting cast, had a mid-career flashback, reeling off 159 yards and two touchdowns.
Does any of this make sense? About as much sense as two comebacks from two runs down with two outs on the same night, twice down to your last strike in the World Series. In St. Louis this week, some things don’t have to be explained, just enjoyed.
That will close our posts for Sunday. Back tomorrow.
