ShareThisNot one word about the unfairness of the NFL overtime rule, and we mean it. Not one word.
The Minnesota Vikings had their chances, and tons of them. They gave up the ball 13 or 14 times, we can't remember which. They very nearly got their Walter-Huston-in-Treasure-of-the-Sierra-Madre impersonator quarterback killed. They played poorly enough to lose three games, so if they or their supporters are thinking of grousing about the overtime rule being unfair, they can belt up.
Whining about the NFL overtime has been a staple of amateur rules makers for years, because it isn't what they like to call "fair." The proper response to that is, "So what? You had 60 minutes. Make another tackle. Don't fumble. Shut up."
But in this specific example, the Vikings were so appallingly substandard Sunday that overtime should not have been offered as an option. Brett Favre was clocked so many times that even the NFL's quarterback-in-the-plastic-bubble rules couldn't save him. The Saints were ordinary; the Vikings were drunken sailors.
In short, the right thing happened Sunday.
As for the overtime rule, well, it's exactly what it needs to be. It's not a matter of fairness, it's a matter of do-the-job-you've-been-handed. Make the stop, force the punt, knock the ball loose. Defense gets to play the game, too.
The Saints are going to Miami because they were more efficient, and because they did more to disrupt the Vikings than the Vikings did to disrupt the Saints. The better team won. Justice was done. And somewhere, Al Davis is telling someone, "I saw a lot of greatness in that Sean Payton." See, something for everyone.
The Super Bowl is an intriguing match, although most folks will like Indianapolis more than New Orleans. It won't be as good as the NFC Championship Game, but it will fill in the gaps between advertisements well enough.
And now, the bad news. The clock just started on FavreWatch 5. Our long national nightmare is back on.
(E-mail Ray Ratto at rratto(at)sfchronicle.com.)
(Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.scrippsnews.com.)
columnMust credit the San Francisco Chronicle
You must be a band wagon saints fan.
This article clearly shows that you and all your little band wagon saints fans think dirty football is ok just as long as it yields the results you were looking for. You make me f***ing sick and Drew Brees and the Katrina survivors should have been killed when God cleansed that city. Nobody really wants the Saints to win anything. They are losers and they showed that the only way the could beat the top team in the NFC was to hit Favre late and hope it didn't get called. Payton Manning will destroy the Saints in the Superbowl and Favre will be back next year with a Minnesota offense that finally knows who they are that will dominate the NFL. Get ready for Favre to lead the Vikings to the first perfect season in the 16 game era. 19-0 with no win by less than two TDs. Favre 4ever. Saints enjoy it while it last. Hurricane season is coming soon, maybe you will get a consolation prize category 5 hurricane after you lose to the Colts. And to the idiot who wrote this article, San Fransisco Ray says it all. Ray, why don't you head on down to the local Gay bath house faggot.