Chris Thompson   Chris Thompson on the internet

Some of the best moments the NFL has had to offer over the last ten years are up here. There is less variety than I had expected; of course some memorable records are featured – the Patriots almost-perfect season springs to mind, in particular – and it starts off with these impressive feats, with records broken and streaks etched in history. But then, as it gets closer to the more prestigious numbers, the ones that score highest are all ones where someone has overcome an emotional hardship, and gone on to perform exceptionally well.

I think the most emotional performance is the one chosen for number 1: the New Orleans Saints, in their first game back in the Superdome after Katrina. For so long, the Saints had been an average team, and the fans branded by it. But here, with this game, with so much loss and devastation around the city, was the first time the Saints truly brought everyone together and gave people something to believe in and support. The fans were rumbling the rafters, and it was absolutely epic.

But there are other moving scenes, too. Right behind the Saints, there is Brett Favre playing so dominantly after his father passed away, for one. And with this in mind, I find it slightly strange that they included Bill Belichick’s decision to go for it on 4th and 2. As one of the top 10 moments of the decade? Why? Were they even watching that game?

The Patriots were up, and they could have either punted the ball, or gone for it on this 4th down. But the fact remains that if they punted, they were giving it back to Peyton Manning with two minutes left. Peyton Manning, possibly the best player to ever play the game; Peyton Manning, who had already driven the field countless times on them and scored with seeming ease. Bill Belichick knew this, so he decided to try and make 2 yards, which would have secured the win. As it is, they didn’t make it, and they lost – but they very probably would have lost anyway. There is always a point in any game where the match is on the line. What makes this one rank up there with Favre, with the Saints’ Superdome win, with all those emotional, moving performances?