2007 has been a pretty good year for Peyton Manning. He quarterbacked the Colts into the playoffs with a twelve and four record, and then proceeded to thrash my Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. Along the way, he appeared in a few Directv commercials and won the hearts of everyone outside of the Chicago area. This almost legendary year will continue tonight when he joins the likes of Chris Evert, OJ Simpson, and Wayne Gretzky as athletes who have hosted ‘Saturday Night Live.’
I’ve read so many articles in the last week about the perceived decline in ‘Saturday Night Live’, and honestly, it’s really pissing me off. I’m not claiming ‘SNL’ has improved since the first five seasons of Belushi, Akroyd, and Murray madness, but it is still worth watching. ‘Weekend Update’ is usually spot on, and some of the parodies of pop culture still really hit the mark. Andy Samberg’s short films ‘Dick in a Box’ and ‘Lazy Sunday’ have also been near perfect.
Historically, ‘Saturday Night Live’ episodes hosted by athletes have been below average at best; however, there have been some gems in the past. Charles Barkley playing basketball against Barney was glorious, and Paul Simon’s one on one match against Connie Hawkins is probably one of my favorite sketches of all-time.
Peyton Manning has proved his comedic timing in the past, and he seems very willing to poke fun at himself. This should add up to a funny episode, and besides, what else are you going to Tivo at 11:30 on a Saturday night? No word yet on how many sketches will mock Peyton’s redneck heritage.
