Super Bowl XLVIII turned out to not be as “super” as most had imagined, especially if you’re a Denver Broncos fan.

            Just in case you missed it, the Seattle Seahawks soared high above the Broncos, dominating Denver 43-8 to win the Lombardi trophy for the first time in franchise history.  The ‘Hawks win was the largest margin of victory in a Super Bowl in 21 years.

            A record-breaking 111.5 million viewers tuned in for this championship matchup between the NFL’s No. 1 offense and No. 1 defense, making this Super Bowl the most-watched telecast in U.S. history; and I think it’s safe to say that the old saying “defense wins championships” still holds true.  But unfortunately, no one seems to be talking about the Seahawks masterful victory, but instead about the Broncos embarrassing defeat.

            There has been a lot of talk about Peyton Manning and how his performance may have cost the Broncos the game, and that may be partially true, but I think that Denver was simply both outplayed and outcoached by Seattle.

            Let’s address Manning for a second.  Prior to his lackluster performance on Super Bowl Sunday, his name was dropped as one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.  Though Manning is a very talented player, having a losing playoff record and being 1-2 in Super Bowl appearances doesn’t help his case.  After all, it is not how you start, it is how you finish, and Manning seems to be lacking in that department.

            Though Manning had an opportunity to establish himself as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, this is overall a team loss for Denver.  There is no question that the better team won on Sunday.  With four forced turnovers, including two interceptions and a fumble, the credit should be going to Seattle and their relentless defensive play.  They really never gave Manning and his offense a chance to gain momentum, and by doing so, the ‘Hawks disarmed the highest-scoring offense in NFL history.

            Other good news for Seahawk fans is that Seattle is a very young team; an average age of 26 years.  They will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come. A younger, hungrier and faster Seahawks team won. They deserved it.  As poor as the Broncos played, Seattle should be recognized for their incredible triumph.