My Super Bowl XLVIII recap

As the most casual of NFL fans, I started to lean on the idea the Denver Broncos were probably going to roll past the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLVIII and with no rooting interest - was just hoping the team from Seattle had enough plays on offense to make things interesting, if not pull an upset to make a good game happen.

This was Peyton Manning's Super Bowl, this was where he was going to put the finishing touches of his legacy as the best quarterback whose ever played in the NFL - if I had a dollar for every time I read a Facebook comment [on ESPN stories] or other forums about Manning was going to throw at least 3 or 4 touchdowns with 300-400 yards passing, while giving Richard Sherman his comeuppance, maybe I'd be a hundred dollars richer by now.

Every fan, every pundit made it so much about Manning - not that Manning hasn't deserved the accolades as an all-time great, but the love has gotten to be too much at times and it's nice to see the narrative flipped.

There was such intense feelings of schadenfreude when the game was unfolding in an eventual 43-8 thrashing of Manning's Broncos - I'd pump my fist or yell when Manning's duck passes would be picked off or the Broncos' drive would fall short.

It reminded me when Manning was at his postseason peak and I had this irrational desire to see him get smacked around [probably for the same reasons I wanted to see him fail on Sunday] - when his Indianapolis Colts played the New England Patriots in the mid 2000's.

Cardboard curiosity - Russell Wilson

I didn't know much about this guy - I might have pulled one or two 2010 Bowman Draft cards picturing the one-time minor leaguer and put them away in my 'two-sports star' collection, since he apparently played college football too.

It's not too hard to label him a baseball bust since he isn't playing professional baseball anymore - but apparently he has enjoyed a breakout season as a rookie NFL quarterback [not named Luck or RGIII] and his one-time baseball playing career is in the rearview mirror.

Drafted by the Seattle Seahawks, he ended up outplaying the team's key free agent signing at quarterback - he threw up a controversial Hail Mary 'non-touchdown, TD pass' that sealed the replacement officials' fate and then has managed to throw 25 touchdowns and lead his team to a playoff berth in 2012.

Autograph request through the mail received: Warren Moon

Warren Moon c/o business address - the former professional football player signed my four cards in black Sharpie and returned one card unsigned.

This request took about two weeks - also enclosed a card [looks like a bookmark] promoting Moon's Twitter, Facebook and official Web site.