Sooner or later, virtually every season gets a host from the world of professional sports. When it was first announced the job was going to Peyton Manning, most media outlets (especially ESPN) used it as a chance to further compare him to Tom Brady. This is fine in sports where they’ve both won a Super Bowl and SB MVPs, but I seriously hope Manning can do a better job than Brady when it comes to live sketch comedy. In a word, Brady’s 2005 episode was pretty lackluster. If it wasn’t for two solid Guero-era performances from musical guest Beck and a great installment of The Falconer, some say it was downright junk*.

Be prepared for tons of cue card help and the inevitable next sketch in the tradition of Derek Jeter’s Taco Hole (12/1/01) and Tom Brady’s Falafel City (4/16/05). It is also interesting to note this episode falls on Manning’s 31st birthday. I’m guessing this equals a monologue joke or two.

When Keith Urban was musical guest last month, it was the first country musical act SNL had seen since the Dixie Chicks in 2003. Just over a month later, we’re already getting the second of this season with Miss Carrie Underwood. I’m guessing the 24-year-old American Idol winner will do a pretty good job. Jenn and I saw her back in 2005 and she definitely proved her worth. Buzz.

*Junk for me, but The Grizz still swears by Brady’s “Behind the Music - The Super Bowl Shuffle” sketch.