When the Super Bowl kicks off this Sunday, Ralph Cindrich will be watching two of his clients’ battle for the Lombardi Trophy.

Long time client, Jeff Saturday, will take his usual spot at Center anchoring the Colts offensive line and allowing Peyton Manning to work his magic.  Prior to the season, Cindrich was able to negotiate a new three year deal making Saturday one of the highest paid Centers.  Saturday has spent his entire 11 year career with the Colts and won his first world championship in Super Bowl XLI when the Colts beat the Bears.

On the other side line, Saints Offensive Tackle and Special Teamer, Zach Strief, will be gunning for his first Super Bowl ring.  Since the Saints selected Strief in the 2006 draft, he’s played in 57 games, including all games the past three seasons.  When asked who he was rooting for, Cindrich remarked that he doesn’t play favorites; he wants to see a hard fought game by both clients.

Pretty depressing, isn’t it? Can I get you a Kleenex?

Since 1999, Saturday has felt only one man’s supple hands under his ample backside — at least that’s the prevailing rumor — and it’s Peyton Manning. It would have seemed like some kind of a cosmic betrayal if Manning tomorrow was taking snaps from, say, Jamey Richard.

I only bring up this nightmare scenario because it almost happened. Saturday and the Colts came this close to parting ways last winter. After turning down a contract proposal that wasn’t to his liking, Saturday was just days short of entering free agency and doing something he really didn’t want to do: leave Indianapolis.

Everything changed, though, in late February when the salary cap was fortuitously increased by $4 million. On Feb. 26, Saturday signed a three-year, $13.3 million contract that included a $7.45 million signing bonus.

How close was he to leaving?

“Real close,” Saturday said this week. “The way it was presented to me, if that extra cap space hadn’t become available, there wasn’t going to be an agreement. It was that close. I never wanted to leave. I’ve always wanted to finish my career here. But it almost happened.”

In fact, Saturday prepared his family — his wife, Karen, and three kids (ages 9, 7 and 3) — for the possibility they would soon be moving. He didn’t want to go, but business is business. A paycheck is a paycheck.

“I don’t think there is any question that Peyton (Manning) came in and said, ‘Get it done,’ ” said Ralph Cindrich, Saturday’s Pittsburgh-based representative. “You look at (Manning’s) stats when Jeff was out, and it was worse looking at the film.”

When asked about the role he played in Saturday’s return, Manning was a bit uncomfortable and circumspect. He doesn’t want anybody to think he’s one of those mega-stars who moonlights as a general manager and tells management how to do its business.

He has power — shoot, he should have power and they should seek his input — but if Manning were truly the master puppeteer, the Colts would be shooting for 17-0 on Saturday night.