The New York Giants face off against the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII. This was a match that many regard as the greatest in

The New York Giants face off against the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII. This was a match that many regard as the greatest in Super Bowl history.

New England came into that game as overwhelming favourites looking to become the first team since the 1972 Dolphins to go an entire season undefeated. After an exciting 60 minutes of football the Giants eventually came out on top 17-14 thanks to a fourth quarter touchdown by Plaxico Burress.

That loss is still a wound many Patriots fans and players still feel four years on and several of them are out for revenge. If this game can live up to that standard we will be in for a cracker.

Let’s look at how these teams match up this time around:

Quarterbacks

Many laughed at the beginning of the season when Eli Manning said he believed he, like Brady, should now be considered amongst the leagues elite quarterbacks. The laughs have since been quietened with the quality of Mannings play this year.

As much as Manning has grown this year, I simply can't go past Brady.

With the Giants running game struggling for most of the year, it fell to Manning to throw the G Men to victory.

He stepped up and accepted this new level of responsibility and has looked a more complete and confident quarterback this year because of it. Eli’s play in the fourth quarter in particular has been outstanding this year.

Tom Brady is already considered by many as one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game. His experience is almost unparalelled with Superbowl XLVI being his fifth appearance on the biggest stage in sport. Only the legendary John Elway has played in as many Superbowls as Brady.

If he comes out on top this Sunday, it will be his fourth championship which will place him alongside hall of famers Terry Bradshaw and Joe Montana as the only quarterbacks in the Superbowl era to win four championships.

Tom Brady and Eli Manning are two of the premier quarterbacks in the NFL. As much as Manning has grown this year, you simply can’t go past Brady.

In the most important position in the game i’m giving the Patriots the nod.

Offensive Line

The Giants offensive line has struggled this year. This has been due in large part to the fact that New York couldn’t keep their linemen healthy. Constant rotation of linemen early in the season didn’t allow for combinations to be formed, leading to struggles in the passing and running games.

The Giants O/Line unit has come together in the post season.

The unit has come together in the post season now the injuries are a thing of the past and they have begun to play solidly in recent weeks, particularly in the running game.

The Patriots offensive line has been one of the best units in football for years. Tom Brady would not be able to consistantly put up MVP numbers without the excellent pass protection provided by the big men in front of him. Some of the guys might be getting on a bit in age drawing unfair criticism of their play, but they still continue to perform at a high level.

Matt Light will need to have a big game to keep that pressure off Brady’s blind side. As long as they can keep Brady upright and give him time in the pocket, the Patriots will go close to winning this.

I’ll have to go with the Patriots in this one. I’m not jealous that they’re facing that Giants pass rush though. Yikes.

 Running Backs

The New England running game is somewhat limited by the play calling as the Patriots are undeniably a pass orientated team. With Tom Brady under centre, the Pats will want the ball in his hands as often as possible, meaning the backs will be making more of an impact in the passing game rather than on the ground.

Green-Ellis has had a limited impact this year

Despite having one of the best nicknames in the league, BenJarvus Green-Ellis has had a limited impact this year, turning in solid performances rather than game changing ones.

In spite of their somewhat limited opportunities, when Green-Ellis and other backs Danny Woodhead and Steven Ridley do get their chances to run, they are effective. The Patriots will be looking to run the ball more often than many might expect in an effort to slow down the New York pass rush.

The speed and elusiveness of Ahmad Bradshaw coupled with the powerful downhill running of Brandon Jacobs gives the Giants one of the best backfield tandems in the league. It took a long time to get going but the New York running game is starting to resemble the force that it was in previous seasons.

The constant turnover of players on the offensive line earlier in the season obviously contributed to their poor numbers to a degree but that will not be an issue this week. Bradshaw and Jacobs will see alot of ball this week in an effort to control the clock and keep Brady on the sidelines for as long as possible.

It was always going to be the G Men in this one.

Receivers and Tight Ends

Rob Gronkowski’s ankle inury has been the talk of the town this week.

After suffering a high ankle sprain against the Ravens in the AFC Championship game Gronkowski has had limited participation in practice. He is currently listed as questionable for the game and reports are that even if he does take the field, his movement will be limited by his injury. Depending on the severity of the injury, this is could be a massive blow for the New England offence.

The Pats will do their best to eliminate endzone celebrations by the Giants receiving core.

Gronkowski has been the Patriots best receiver all year and much of their offense is based on the two tight end system utilising Gronkowski and the Patriots other exceptional pass catching tight end Aaron Hernandez.

If Gronkowski is limited, dynamic slot receiver Wes Welker will get alot more looks. Gronkowski and his record breaking season has distracted many from the fact that Welker had another outstanding season this year. He finished second in total receiving yards this year (1,569) and will be a major threat in this game.

The Giants three pronged receiving core is one of the most dangerous in the league. Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham are all explosive and can produce a big play at any time. The Patriots will have a hard time deciding which one of the trio to double up on as all three are capable of being the ‘go to guy’ for Eli Manning.

The attention these three garner from defences allow tight end Jake Ballard to be the quiet acheiver of the team. Ballard is not the quickest or most explosive tight end in the league but he manages to find gaps in coverage, has a safe pair of hands and has become a nice safety blanket for Manning this year.

The injury to Gronkowski is massive. If he was not injured i was prepared to call this a draw, however taking the injury into consideration i’m going to have to give this one to the Giants.

Defense

The area the New England defence has really struggled all year in is generating a decent pass rush. This has alot to do with the fact the Pats don’t have a class pass rushing end on their roster.

Wilfork is coming off one of his best ever games & will need to keep that form up to limit Eli's time in the pocket.

Vince Wilfork does a great job generating pressure up the middle but New England struggle to get pressure coming off the edges. Because of this they will more than likely adopt a 3-4 defence, typically sending only the three down linemen and flood the backfield with defenders.

This will reduce the windows for Eli Manning to throw into. The effect of this will be twofold in that the Patriots will be better equiped to take away the deep ball and the extra pressure on Manning to make tighter throws may force him into more mistakes that he has been prone to making in the past.

New York has one of the best defensive lines in the game. The Giants generate the majority of their pass rush through their front four allowing their secondary more freedom to play man coverage or drop extra defenders into the backfield.

While the front four garner the majority of the attention, the New York secondary will decide this game. If they can smother the Patriots receivers long enough to allow their linemen to get to Brady consistently and get some contact on him the Giants will come out on top. Easier said than done when you have two of the best tight ends in the game and arguably the leagues best slot receiver opposite you!

As much as I admire Bill Belichick as a defensive mind and his ability to devise a great defensive system, I look at the personnel of both teams and I just can’t go past the quality of the Giants defensive line. Giants are my pick.

Coaches

Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick, despite both ending up in the Super Bowl, have experienced very different seasons. Belichick and the Patriots performed strongly all year and finished the seasonwith a 13-3 record.

Coughlin has outmastered Belichick before but can he do it again with 2 weeks preperation?

Despite poor showings in the playoffs over recent years, Belichick’s position was never considered to be in jeopardy.

Considering his imposing regular and post season records this is more than understandable. Belichick has brought a great amount of success to the franchise and his Super Bowl experience will be invaluable to the Patriots come game time.

While Belichick has enjoyed a season of little pressure or criticism, the same cannot be said for Coughlin. After winning the 2007 Superbowl, it has been a couple of lean years for the Giants.

Coughlins position as head coach has been consistently under threat this year with many fans and experts calling for his head. None more so then when the Giants suffered a week 15 loss to the lowly Redskins that left them at 7-7 and looked to have cost them a playoff birth. Rather than throw in the towel under the immense pressure he was facing, Coughlin rallied his troops and has led them to 5 consecutive wins and a Super Bowl appearance.

Despite both coaches having led their teams to Super Bowl victories, I have to bow to the hoodied one. Belichick has 5 Super Bowl rings (2 with the Giants under Parcells- Editor Dom) and his combination with Tom Brady is one of the greatest in league history. Another ring each would only further boost their claims to be the best of all time.

Verdict

When it comes to the Super Bowl, you can throw all the stats and data out the window. It ultimately comes down to which team matches up better against the other. When I look at the match ups in this game I think the Giants narrowly have the better of the Patriots.

My Tip: Giants by 3

For the unfortunate ones like me that can’t make it to the official NFL Down Under Super Bowl ]]>
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Yes! It’s Super Bowl time. That also means it is Super Bowl Party time!

For the unfortunate ones like me that can’t make it to the official NFL Down Under Super Bowl Party, we will be camping in or heading to a friends houses to watch the sporting highlight of the year.

Outlined below are my key ingredients everyone needs for a good Super Bowl XLVI party as well as a few of the characters I usually see that pop up every Super Bowl day and how you can handle them.

Drinks

For starters all the drinks should be American.

The normal party fare of Tooheys and Carlton should be replaced by the iconic Budweiser and Miller brands. You may even take it up a notch by sticking a few bottles of the rarely seen Samuel Adams in the ice buckets (Samuel Adams is actually perfect for the SB because it’s from Boston! Also, it’s not awful! – Editor Dom).

Don’t even think of dragging the case of Tooheys Gold left over from Christmas out of the garage. You’ll just end up bloated and sober and it clashes with the American theme of the party. Coke and Pepsi are your best bets on the soft drink front for the designated drivers. It could also come in handy when the bottle of Captain Morgan makes an appearance after the game.

Food

The food should also have an American feel to it. Ditch the Aussie favourites like party pies and sausage rolls and go for the classic American Hot Dogs, chicken wings and nachos instead.

For maximum effect, you could back the ute into the back yard and do a bit of tailgating. Nothing says America like watching gridiron while cooking half a cow on a grill on the tray of your ute (sorry, pickup).

Clothing

I feel that every person attending the party should at least have one item of NFL related clothing.

It helps create a party atmosphere and gets people more into the feel of the day. Plus it’ll be fun to take the mickey out of your mates when they turn up in their Colts jerseys.

Characters

As far as who will be at the Super Bowl party, no two parties are ever exactly the same.

You can however almost guarantee that there will be certain characters making appearances at Super Bowl parties across the country. So you know what to expect, here’s a shortlist of some of the people you are likely to run into:

The Sprinter

This guy is easy to spot. He’ll be the guy with a stubby in his hand at 9 in the morning asking everyone else why they aren’t sucking down their beers like they’re going out of fashion like he is (I’m not out of fashion! – Editor Dom).

The sprinter doesn’t realise that a Super Bowl party is a marathon, not a sprint. Don’t succumb to his pressure to keep pace with him otherwise you and the sprinter will be passed out in a corner by the time the Lombardi Trophy is being hoisted.

The Wife

Straight off the bat she isn’t going to be happy that you took a day off work to sit around a TV with your mates, watch sport and drink (well some of us will be drinking, I don’t want to tar you all with my alcoholic brush). If your wife works, you are fortunate in that aside from the odd sarcastic remark before she walks out the door, the fireworks won’t start until she gets home when she discovers the house is destroyed. Probably best to be in bed asleep or at least pretending to be in order to avoid this mess.

If your wife doesn’t work, it isn’t going to be pretty. Expect dirty looks, sighs, possibly the odd finger gesture and constantly being asked when everyone is leaving. It will be difficult but try not to let it detract from the fun that is Super Bowl day.

The Encyclopaedia

Did you know that the highest scoring Super Bowl of all time was the San Francisco 49ers 49-26 victory over the San Diego Chargers in 1995? No? The Encyclopaedia does.

In fact the encyclopaedia will go out of his way to prove that he is the most NFL savvy person at the party. Be careful not to get cornered by him because he has a million mind numbing NFL facts that he can’t wait to tell you.

The AFL/NRL Fan

The type of fan you will get at your party is going to depend on which state you are watching the game in. Whatever his code of choice is, this guy will be probably the most annoying bloke at the party. His constant comparisons with our native more familiar codes will really wear thin by about the second quarter.

Some of the more common quotes spouted by this partygoer include “Look at these fairies, they’re wearing pads”, “God the clock’s stopped again” and “This isn’t a real sport.” If he just won’t shut up and a violent response becomes unavoidable, look to pelt the guy with chips and pretzels rather than beer cans as emergency rooms probably won’t be showing the game.

The Head Scratcher

There is always one guy at a Super Bowl party that just doesn’t get the game. He’s never watched an NFL game in his life but he’s been coaxed into having a day off by his mates who convince him that he’ll pick up the basics of the game within 10 minutes. He’ll make a genuine effort to make sense of what’s going on but unfortunately two quarters in, the head scratcher will still have the ‘what’s goin on here’ looked slapped over his face. At this point he will give up watching the game and start playing Angry Birds on his phone.

The Pyromaniac

For Sydney based NFL fans, the pyromaniac may be a concern this Super Bowl day thanks to the unseasonably cold weather they’ve been experiencing. Normally only making appearances in winter, the pyromaniac is the most dangerous bloke at any party. The pyro loves to get a fire going and will throw anything that isn’t bolted down into it to keep it going. Timber, kerosene, mower fuel, small dogs. You name it, he’ll burn it. Come the fourth quarter he’ll likely be eyeing off your outdoor furniture so before you lose everything it’s best to identify who he is and keep him away from the matches.

Well that about does it for my Super Bowl party guide. Now I’ve upset half the readership I’d like to end by making a few points.

• I want to make it clear to all the readers that I don’t hate the Colts. I just had to use an example of a team that went poorly this year. So I apologise to all the Colts fans out there.
• I’d also like to apologise to all the loving wives out there who are happy to let their husbands spend the day watching the game with their friends. You girls are alright.

If I missed any apologies I apologise for that.

So until next time have a great day watching the Super Bowl and please don’t get in trouble with your boss!

For more Super Bowl Party guides check out:

• Ten Sport/One HDs Super Bowl Planning Slideshow
• CBS Super Bowl Party Do’s & Don’ts
• NFL.com’s Super Bowl Party Infographic

Three days ago we asked for some of your predictions for the upcoming Super Bowl. While it’s all well and good for us to hammer you with what we think, it’s your thoughts – those of the public – that are really important.

We ]]>

Three days ago we asked for some of your predictions for the upcoming Super Bowl. While it’s all well and good for us to hammer you with what we think, it’s your thoughts – those of the public – that are really important.

We wanted to hear three things: the final score, the MVP and the opening touchdown.

Well, the results are in and are as follows:

Final score 

24.4% of you said the New England Patriots will win Super Bowl XLVI by 7 points. 18% said Patriots by 3, and another 18% went for the Giants by 3.

Brady for MVP? The readers certainly think so!

Frankly, this is the perfect result as it means one thing: the game is set to be a close one. Who wants to finish an epic NFL season with a total blowout?

Super Bowl MVP

34% went for Tom Brady (boring!), 29% for Eli Manning, and 10% said either Rob Gronkowski or Victor Cruz.

No surprises here, QBs are always the front-runners for the award. All non-QBs will have to play absolute blinders to steal it.

First touchdown

 22% said Eli Manning to Victor Cruz for the opening TD, 19.5% went for Brady to Gronk and 19.5% Brady to Welker.

It’s interesting to note that the air attack features prominently – it says just as much about the two teams’ passing games as it does their running games. It’s fair to say that if another team in the Super Bowl such as the Jaguars (lol) or Seahawks (lol again) clashed, you’d expect TDs to come from pounding the ball into the endzone.

My Thoughts

As for me, I’m taking the Giants by seven points.

Will Eli be the MVP of Super Bowl XLVI?

It’s not an easy one to predict, but I think New York has proven themselves gallantly throughout the playoffs, especially given they were never wholly threatening in the regular season. Knocking off the 49ers and Packers – both away – can do nothing but boost team confidence/morale/swagger (especially swagger).

As for the MVP, I really can’t go past Eli. The reason being, I think he has more to prove than anyone. Throughout his whole career he’s been known as ‘Peyton’s little brother’, and while I don’t believe he’ll ever be able to shake that tag, a second Super Bowl ring is certainly going to give him more of the credit he deserves. It’s going to make him hungry, and it’s going to make him perform. Also, he’s been known as a brilliant clutch player to step up in big moments, and what bigger stage is there than the Super Bowl?

And as for the opening touchdown? Who knows. It’s not something you can try and strategically predict. So for me, I’m sticking with my classic Vince Wilfork ‘Fat Guy’ touchdown in the first quarter. Don’t pretend you don’t want to see that happen…

Anyway, enough predicting for now. It’s time for the players to do their thing.

I’ll leave you with one final thought – who has more to play for in XLVI: Eli or Brady?

One of the more popular aspects of the Super Bowl, especially for non-NFL fans, are the infamous half time Super Bowl ads.

Due to the huge number of viewers watching each Super Bowl, an ]]>

One of the more popular aspects of the Super Bowl, especially for non-NFL fans, are the infamous half time Super Bowl ads.

Due to the huge number of viewers watching each Super Bowl, an absolute premium ($3.5 million on average) is put on every single ad slot year in and out and with all that money going on a 10-30 second advertisement…it better be pretty amazing!

Last years ads saw some of the funniest and most viral ads aired (who didn’t see the VW mini Darth Vadar ad?) so this years better be able to take it up a notch.

I will follow the same format as last year in that I will rate and post what is available now and then update and re-rate the ads after they are shown on Monday.

Lets have a look and see what we have in store for the 2012 Super Bowl XLVI half time ads:

The Bark Side – Volkswagen

VW have doubled up on their success of last years Stars Wars themed ad…but this time with dogs instead of kids.

At first watch I did not get this at all. I didn’t laugh and I didn’t think it really sounded like the Star Wars theme.

But then I went back and watched it and watched each individual dog for about 5/10 seconds each and absolutely cracked up in hysterics. Add to that my dog started barking aswell when I turned my volume up and this got boosted to a 9 as I wiped tears from my eyes.

All the little nuisances start appearing after a while like the dogs wearing Star Wars costumes and some of them not doing much at all and then BAM…they bark, amazing! Oh and there is a pug in there and pugs rule!

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: 9/10

Matthew’s Day Off - Honda CR-V (Extended Version)

I’m sure Ferris Buehler/Matthew Broderick fans will like this and it was sort of entertaining but it definitely lacked the memorable factor for me and had no x-factor

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: 4/10

Seduction - FIAT 500 Abarth

Fiat are going with the whole sex sells angle this year and do a good but not great job. Yep the model is hot and the ads a good idea overall but is nothing special and to me just seems like a normal/above average ad.

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: 7/10

Ned’s Journey To The Super Bowl - Visa NFL

Love, Love, Love. To start with its mostly every guys dream of winning Super Bowl tickets for friends and running around in a frantic frenzy with no regard for anything to anyone else to tell everyone, and it is narrated by Morgan Freeman.

Not exactly viral and mind blowing but still great.

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: 8/10

Chevy Happy Grad – Chevrolet

The actual concept and story of this ad is pretty lame, but the execution and acting by the college grad is amazing. Love it and the excitement is captured so well…oh yeah and the cars nice aswell!

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: 7.5/10

Transactions – 2012 Acura NSX (Extended Version)

Ok I’m a big Seinfeld fan and there are lots of Jerrys trademark moves, phrases and expressions in here so its a winner for me. Plus there is the Soup Nazi!

Another car company = another great ad!

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: 8/10

Vampire Party – Audi

Audi try and cash in/write off the whole Vampire craze but fail to execute. The car looks really nice though…might have been a better idea show the car a bit more haha.

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: 6/10

Check-Out – Pepsi Max (Extended Version)

Lame! I’ll stick with my Coke thanks haha

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: 3/10

Sonic “Joy” – Chevy

A nice animated, short, fun, colourful, humorous, and light hearted ad from Chevy.

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: 8/10

A Dream Car. For Real Life - Kia

Victorias Secret Supermodels, Motley Crue, a Nascar track, the biggest sub in the world…yep this is a guys ad for guys and its awesome haha. If you like Adriana Lima make sure you scroll to the bottom for more!

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: 8/10

The Dog Strikes Back – Volkswagen

Hey look…another car company doing a Stars Wars + dog ad! This one was good but it doesn’t compare to the other VW ads from this year and last.

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: 6/10

All For One – Hyundai

Yep the whole Hyundai team comes together to hum the Rocky theme song to inspire a Hyundai designer…too bad they didn’t do the same to inspire their advertising team.

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: 2/10

Marvel’s The Avengers (Preview)

I’m not much of a sci fi guy but this was a pretty impressive little preview. Will have to wait for the whole ad to be released before I make any ratings.

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: TBA

Performance Balls and Puck – Bridgestone (Preview)

This looks cool because:

a: It has Neon Deion
b: It has a cool voiceover
c: Its a big company that doesn’t take itself seriously

Look forward to seeing the full version on Monday

Andys Critical Super Bowl Ad Rating: TBA

Bonus Content

Adriana Lima waiving a flag in slo-mo for 5 hours…EPIC!

So there you have it for the Super Bowl XLVI ads so far…which is your favourite so far and why?

Super Bowl XLVI is here. It’s that time of year where the majority of diehard sport fans tune into one of the most glamorous and most watched sporting events on the planet.

Whether you despise or love the

Super Bowl XLVI is here. It’s that time of year where the majority of diehard sport fans tune into one of the most glamorous and most watched sporting events on the planet.

Whether you despise or love the New York Giants or the New England Patriots, or you simply don’t know anything about either team, we have put together a guide to help you get up to date and impress your friends with a few serious and fun facts for the big day!

Game Info & Stats

The 46th edition of the Super Bowl has been one of the most anticipated in recent memory. The game features the AFC Champion New England Patriots taking on the NFC Champion Giants of New York in a rematch of Super Bowl 42.

• Date: Monday February 6th 2012
• Kickoff: 10.30am (Melbourne / Sydney timezone)
• Finish: 2pm (times may vary)
• Channels: ESPN (Foxtel), One HD (Free To Air)  - View Australian Super Bowl TV Guide
• Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth

The Stadium

The game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis who will host their first Super Bowl.

Indianapolis is the capital of the US state of Indiana and used to be well known for its government and industry, particularly manufacturing history. These days the city is more famous for its involvement in big sporting events such as the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar race, NCAA Tournaments & of course the Colts. Indianapolis is the largest city to be land-locked—which means that there is no body of water near the city.

The stadium, which opened at the start of the 2008 NFL season, is commonly referred to as ‘The Stadium Peyton Built’ after some believe Peyton Manning single-handedly turned the Colts franchise into one of the most dominating forces in the NFL over the past few years, attracting large crowds & sponsors to help with stadium costs.

Ironically Tom Brady, who is Peyton Manning’s biggest rival, and Eli Manning, Peyton’s little brother, will both be playing against in each other in his stadium for Super Bowl XLVI.

The Indianapolis skyline can be seen through the movable window feature

Currently it holds a seating capacity of 63,000 and contains two massive high definition scoreboards, each one 97 feet (30 m) wide and 53 feet (16 m) tall, which are situated in the northwest and southeast corners of the stadium.

The stadium is referred to as an inside dome and has a retractable roof which divides lengthwise into two retractable panels, with each half sliding down the sloping roof into the open position.

A large windowed gate at one end of the stadium is perhaps one of the stadiums most distinctive features and allows additional light while closed. It was the largest movable glass wall in the world until Cowboys Stadium was completed in 2009.

The Teams

The rivalry of Boston and New York continues with Super Bowl XLVI. Both teams come into this game in outstanding form with the Giants winning their last three playoff games against quality opponents such as the Atlanta Falcons, San Francisco 49ers and the defending Super Bowl champions, the Green Bay Packers. This is a great result for a team who was pressured by its fans to fire its coach in the early stages of the season.

The New England Patriots, meanwhile, are currently riding a 10-game winning streak following victories over the Denver Broncos and Baltimore Ravens.  Its 31st-ranked defense improved dramatically during the span of the playoffs and despite giving up a lot of yards both through the air and rushing, are very strong in the endzone. I expect the defense to once again show up strong in the endzone against a potent Giants offense.

Which Team Gets To Wear A Home Jersey?

The New England Patriots are the designated home team which gave them the choice of wearing their home dark blue jerseys or their white away jerseys.

There was speculation that the Patriots might wear their white away jerseys in order to switch the jerseys from Super Bowl XLII and to perhaps to throw off the Giants who are 4-0 in playoff games in their white away jerseys since 2007 but the Patriots decided to go with their dark blue home jerseys instead as the home team.

The Players To Watch

Every year there are certain players you want to sit in awe at their brilliance, or some ‘under the radar’ guys who you just want to barrack for.

Here are a couple of guys to watch out for on Monday:

Tom Brady
One of the most well known athletes in the league and perhaps America, Mr Brady is vying for his fourth Super Bowl ring which will distinguish him as only one of three quarterbacks with this honor. The Golden Boy of Boston has led his side to the Super Bowl 50% of the time in his ten year career, quite the accomplishment!

Eli Manning
Being the most key position in football, both of the competing quarterbacks will either get the chance of being the hero or the villain. Manning has the chance to become the hero in twice in as many Super Bowls. Manning led New York to a Super Bowl win over the Patriots four years ago, and with a win on Monday, Manning has a chance to surpass his brother for his second Super Bowl ring (Peyton only has one). This will be very intriguing for Eli’s so-called ‘legacy’, as Peyton has commonly referred to as the better QB however an argument can be made that Eli is a better clutch and playoffs performer.

Rob Gronkowski
The ‘Gronk’ is a freak. The former basketballer turned tight end had one of the most impressive statistical seasons from any player this year, let alone for his position. He broke the single season record for the most receiving touchdowns for a TE, and led all tight ends in receiving yardage. Unfortunately for the Patriots, Gronkowski is under an injury cloud and while he is expected to play he may not be at full strength. Something to watch for.

Mark Herzlich
For those of you not really sure who to follow in this game and love a great underdog story, here is a player for you. Herzlich, the Giants linebacker, was once told he would never walk again after being diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer before his senior season at Boston College in 2009. After being cleared of any cancer in September of last year, Herzlich was signed as a free agent to become a part of one of the best defences in the league and playing in a Super Bowl. Simply astonishing!

Halftime Entertainment

A huge halftime show is slated for this year, with Nicki Minaj and M.I.A joining Madonna (all three are featured on Madonna’s upcoming single “Give Me All Your Luvin’” which will be performed as part of the show) in a big line-up. Other collaborators on the half time show include longtime Madonna collaborator Jamie King, Cirque du Soleil, and Moment Factory.

Former American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson is to sing the national anthem pre-game, and I’m sure the organisers didn’t think twice to possibly bringing back Christina Aguilera after last year’s performance. Husband-and-wife country musicians Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert will perform “America the Beautiful” as another part of the opening ceremonies. American Sign Language translation for both songs will be performed by Rachel Mazique, the currently reigning Miss Deaf America and the Indiana University Marching Hundred will be performing during the pre-game show.

Half Time Ads

The ever-popular Super Bowl ads were all sold out by Thanksgiving 2011, at an average price of $3.5 million per thirty-second ad, the highest rate for Super Bowl advertising in the history. At least one thirty-second advertisement commanded a price of $4 million.

You can view this year’s Super Bowl ads here: Click here to see all of this years ads & our ratings

Ticket Info

A ticket to the game ranges between $560-$1130 (AUD). However, if you were a little late organising yourself and were planning to buy your tickets now, it would cost you around $2,000 for the cheapest seats. Additionally, RV Tailgaters have to fork out roughly $900 for a parking spot.

Player Payment

All players of the winning side receive a bonus to the tune of $88,000. In comparison, the losing side receives $44,000 each. Comparatively players who played in the winning AFC Pro Bowl this year earned $50,000 and the losers a paltry $25,000.

New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora recently missed a mandatory Super Bowl media session and the NFL fined him $20,000 for missing the single session!

Food & Drink

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On the day of the Super Bowl, it is estimated Americans will consume:

• 50 million cases of beer.
• Pizza Hut is predicting that it will sell more than two million pizzas – more than 16 million slices – on the big day.
• According to the Calorie Control Council, the average armchair quarterback will consume 1200 calories (5000kj) and 50g of fat, just from snacking during the game.
• The US National Chicken Council reports that more than 1.25 billion chicken wings will be consumed during this weekend. If they were laid end-to-end, they would circle the circumference of Earth more than twice over.
• According to the Nielsen Company, the most popular snack food is potato chips. Nearly 20.9 million kilograms of chips are sold in the run-up to the game. Add in other snack foods – like tortilla chips, pretzels and popcorn – and there are about 80.3 million kilograms of snacks sold for Super Sunday!
• It is predicted that American football fans will eat around 69.6 million pounds of avocados during Super Bowl Sunday.
• 7-Eleven predicts that Americans will purchase 20% more antacids on Super Bowl Sunday and the day after.

Overtime Rules

If a game goes into overtime, the first team to score a touchdown wins the game. The match cannot be won on a field goal unless the receiving team fails to score at all. In the event the game isn’t determined in the first 15 minute period, play will continue in 15-minute periods until there is a result.

Did you know?

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• For the first time in NFL history, we’ll have two former Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks starting against each other.Eli Manning, who won Super Bowl MVP back in 2007, vs. Tom Brady, who won Super Bowl MVPs in 2001 and 2003.
• It is estimated the the game will be shown in 180 countries, at least 30 different languages with 100million viewers worldwide.
• The average number of viewers for Super Bowl XLV was a total of 111,010,000.
• According to SaveonBrew.com, 58% of Americans have a toilet break during the game so they don’t miss the famous SuperBowl commercials.
• 7 million people will call in sick the day after the game.
• The city of Indianapolis has 6,000 hotel rooms, fewer than typical for a Super Bowl host city. During Super Bowl week, some rooms in downtown Indianapolis reportedly cost more than $4,000 a night, three times the price at the Park Lane Hotel in London during the 2012 Summer Olympics. Hotels close to the stadium in previous Super Bowls were usually available for about $200. The room shortage and high prices caused some attendees to plan to stay in Chicago, 180 miles away, and ride buses to events.

Super Bowl iPhone & Android App

The NFL have put together a series of very cool Super Bowl XLVI mobile apps with loads of videos, history and features.

Here is a list of the available apps for download:

iPhone Apps
	Super Bowl XLVI Commemorative App A detailed guide to local restaurants, nightlife, and official Super Bowl events A 3D map of Indianapolis and an interactive 3D map of Lucas Oil Stadium for gameday You can follow all of the social media buzz with NFL Huddle Pin your parking spot and find your seating section in the stadium And much more!
iPad Apps
	Super Bowl XLVI Official NFL Game Program – NFL Enterprises LLC The official Super Bowl XLVI Game Program Presented by Chevrolet is here for your iPad. Download this FREE souvenir program from the NFL! With additional interactive content, the Super Bowl XLVI Game Program chronicles the Giants’ and Patriots’ road to the championship, captures memories of past Super Bowls and recaps key moments from the 2011 season.This app is packed with over 400MB of exclusive NFL video and other multimedia.
	Super Bowl XLVI Commemorative App A detailed guide to local restaurants, nightlife, and official Super Bowl events A 3D map of Indianapolis and an interactive 3D map of Lucas Oil Stadium for gameday You can follow all of the social media buzz with NFL Huddle Pin your parking spot and find your seating section in the stadium And much more!
	Super Bowl XLVI Commemorative App – NFL Enterprises LLC The app includes each team’s road to Super Bowl XLVI, a breakdown of the game, written recaps and key stats, and bonus feature content like all-time, all-star teams and Super Bowl history. When the game is over, celebrate Super Bowl XLVI with official video highlights of the game as well as interviews, pictures, animated plays, stadium shots and much more.
Android Apps
	Super Bowl XLVI Commemorative App – NFL Enterprises LLC The app includes each team’s road to Super Bowl XLVI, a breakdown of the game, written recaps and key stats, and bonus feature content like all-time, all-star teams and Super Bowl history. When the game is over, celebrate Super Bowl XLVI with official video highlights of the game as well as interviews, pictures, animated plays, stadium shots and much more.
	Super Bowl XLVI Game Program The official Super Bowl XLVI Game Program Presented by Chevrolet is here for your iPad. Download this FREE souvenir program from the NFL! With additional interactive content, the Super Bowl XLVI Game Program chronicles the Giants’ and Patriots’ road to the championship, captures memories of past Super Bowls and recaps key moments from the 2011 season.
	Super Bowl XLVI Guide A detailed guide to local restaurants, nightlife, and official Super Bowl events A 3D map of Indianapolis and an interactive 3D map of Lucas Oil Stadium for gameday You can follow all of the social media buzz with NFL Huddle Pin your parking spot and find your seating section in the stadium And much more!
	Super Bowl Trivia You think you know about the Super Bowl? This unofficial National Football League Super Bowl Trivia Game maybe easy for some, but tough for others. The difficulty ranges from easy to difficult at random. Questions include trivia about the coaches, MVPs, game scores, Super Bowl winners, losers, and everything in between.
	Super Bowl Live Wallpaper Equipped with vibrant team colors, a cool interactive 3D helmet and an animated team flag, this dazzling collection of live wallpaper allows you to stay connected to your NFL team of choice regardless of whether you’re at home or on the road. Face paint your phone today with the only officially licensed live wallpaper series by the National Football League.

Hopefully this guide helps and can give you fans a better understanding of the game come Monday morning.

If you’re an Australian NFL fan, celebrate in whatever way you can, and enjoy the biggest stage in the game we all love.

Links For More Super Bowl Info

• Super Bowl XLVI page on NFL website
• Super Bowl XLVI Host Committee
• Indy2012.com – An independent blog offering news on Super Bowl planning
• Super Bowl 2012 Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium
• Super Bowl XLVI Information at USASuperbowl.com

Infrographics courtesy of CheapSally.com
Sources/Credits: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Bowl_XLVI 

Super Bowl week is without doubt one of the most anticipated times of the NFL season. It’s a time where all fans, either passionate or neutral, come together to witness the biggest sporting event in the US calendar while watching hyped-up men in tights go ferociously at each other for 60 full ]]>

Super Bowl week is without doubt one of the most anticipated times of the NFL season. It’s a time where all fans, either passionate or neutral, come together to witness the biggest sporting event in the US calendar while watching hyped-up men in tights go ferociously at each other for 60 full minutes. Bliss.

As for this year, it’s also a time for handfuls of New England ‘fans’ to come out of the woodwork and start flogging the typical “Go Brady! Go Gronk! Go…. *Google search: ‘Patriots roster’*… Jerod Mayo! (who’s that?)”.

And so, given it’s a time where all fans share their love of the game, we again want to hear your thoughts on the upcoming Super Bowl.

We ask you to share three predictions with us – the game score, Super Bowl MVP and who scores the first TD.

Have Your Say:

Do you believe the Pats can win the rematch?

Deion Sanders believes in Eli...do you?

Pretty good chance this guy might be involved with the 1st TD...but how?

When we’ve gathered all of your answers, we’ll shoot another article up this Saturday with everyone’s responses. This will undoubtedly open the floodgates to heated – yet intellectual – discussion, and the occasional laughing at some ridiculous answers.

Fill out the polls above to submit your answers.

Just to spice it up a little, drop a comment below or on the Facebook update to let us know what you voted and why. For example, “I voted Giants by 3, Eli Manning deep to Cruz for an absurd one-handed catch for the first TD and Manning for Super Bowl MVP”.

Make it serious, make it fun, make it witty, whatever you like.

As for me, I’m hoping for another thrilling (and hilarious) Vince Wilfork fat guy TD interception for the opening score of the game. Wouldn’t that be the best?

Vote away!

I believe no matter what happens to the
Super Bowl XLVI is finally upon us and once again we have brilliant coverage, replays and special features all week long on Australian TV this year!

I believe no matter what happens to the NFL on Australian Free To Air in the future, Super Bowl week will always be a huge priority for all Australian broadcasters as it only appears to be growing every year…just look at our Super Bowl XLVI party listing for proof!

Along with the live coverage across free and paid platforms, there are also multiple replays of the big game and ESPN will be showing a special ‘Super Bowl Highlights’ series featuring some of the best Super Bowls from the past decade or so. Also make sure to tune into ESPN every weeknight from 6:30-7pm as aussie Dallas Cowboys punter Mat McBriar will be a special guest on the Australian Sportscenter and new show Mike and Mike in the Morning which will also be hosted live from Indianapolis all week.

As always with our TV Guides if you notice something has changed, or there is an error please let us know in the comments below.

Thanks to everyone that has read and told us how much you enjoyed our TV Guides for the season and hopefully I can meet some of you at our Victorian Super Bowl party on Monday.

Have a great Super Bowl!

Sort by TV format:

Please note times are in Sydney/Melbourne EDT timezone and are subject to change

Aloha everybody and welcome to quite possibly the most entertaining Top Plays of the season.

Don’t worry, the lack of competitiveness certainly did not stop the great plays both athletic and humorous (look for the quarterback failing miserably at converting an extra point).

Whether or not you are a fan I’m sure the theatrics of the event can make even the most ]]>

Aloha everybody and welcome to quite possibly the most entertaining Top Plays of the season.

Don’t worry, the lack of competitiveness certainly did not stop the great plays both athletic and humorous (look for the quarterback failing miserably at converting an extra point).

Whether or not you are a fan I’m sure the theatrics of the event can make even the most adamant hater have a good laugh or two.

Here are the Top Plays from the Pro Bowl.

Aaron Rodgers Short Pass To Himself

Aaron Rodgers says “NO!” to the interception.

NFC Punt Fake – Andy Lee To Patrick Peterson

Apparently doing things like this in the Pro Bowl is classified as being a bad sport. I call it beautiful arrogance.

Drew Brees Attempts to Dropkick The Extra Point & Fails Badly

This is why you should stick to your position. This was actually a disgusting effort. However humorous none-the-less!

Eric Weddle Interception and Laterals For An Amazing Runback Touchdown

I love Cam Newton at the end of this as it captures the Pro Bowl perfectly. He was thinking about the tackle then thought “I don’t need to do anything here. I’m just gonna take me and my 50million dollar arm elsewhere.”

Brandon Marshall Insane Must See Juggling Circus Catch

Wow. Catch of the year? What do you think?

The “Other 3″ Brandon Marshall Touchdowns

The word “other” is used lightly. If there was ever a unanimous MVP of anything it would be Brandon Marshall on this day. (I apologize for this farce of a video it’s all I could find.)

On another note thank you to ESPN Australia for allowing us to see the Pro Bowl and these Top Plays after last year’s shame. Let’s hope Channel One can take a step forward next year.

Next week I hope to be showing the Top Plays that helped lead the Giants into Super Bowl glory. I think it will be a Super Bowl to remember much like that of 07/08!

Well I’ve got good news and bad news this week. The good news is there’s only one week left until the Super Bowl. The bad news is there’s no NFL on free to air TV this week.

So for those of you fortunate ]]>

Well I’ve got good news and bad news this week. The good news is there’s only one week left until the Super Bowl. The bad news is there’s no NFL on free to air TV this week.

So for those of you fortunate enough to have Foxtel, here’s a preview of this week’s Pro Bowl.

TV Time: Monday 11:00am EDT (Eastern Daylight Time)

For the uninitiated prior to the Super Bowl both teams enjoy a bye week giving them time to shake off nagging injuries and fulfil the plethora of media commitments they are bombarded with. The bye week used to have no football at all, which meant that rather than watching the best players in the NFL take to the field fans were forced to interact with family and loved ones (perish the thought! – Editor Dom).  Thankfully the NFL remedied this glaring hole in their scheduling by moving the Pro Bowl game into this vacant spot.

The Pro Bowl takes place every year and brings together the best players from the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC) to face off against each other in Aloha Stadium, Hawaii. The game itself has long been touted as irrelevant and unnecessary and certainly there are some negatives associated with it that reinforce this mantra: often top players pull out of the game with injuries or for other minor reasons, players taking part in the Super Bowl do not participate in the Pro Bowl and when it comes down to it, it’s an exhibition game and ultimately meaningless.

Taking into account all the aforementioned points, I believe considering the Pro Bowl a non-event is a really negative way to look at this game when there are so many positives. Even with some notable absentees, the line-ups for both teams are always outstanding and well worth the price of admission to see (this year is no exception).

It’s always intriguing to see the natural chemistry that is there between top-line players who play on different teams in vastly different offensive and defensive systems when they are thrown together. If you love offence, you’ve come to the right place as most of the games are high scoring and highly entertaining. Without the pressures of needing a result, you often see players and coaches try adventurous things you wouldn’t normally see on a field during the regular season. The bottom line is if you come into this game with an open mind and a love of the game, you will enjoy yourself.

Players to Watch

I’m going to change tact a little this week and rather than preview the game as a whole, I’m going to give you a couple of guys I’ll be looking for on both sides of the ball that I haven’t had the chance to talk about in great detail, alongside players you may not have seen on free to air this year that you should sit back and admire.

Cam Newton – QB (Carolina Panthers)

There is no question Newton will be the rookie of the year. He smashed several rookie league records and has given hope to a franchise that had taken a massive downhill turn recently. The dual threat he poses causes massive headaches for defensive coordinators and if you watch Newton play, you could be peeking into the future of what a prototypical quarterback will be in the NFL. Perhaps the best thing about watching Cam play is the look of terror in a cornerbacks’ eye when they realise they have to tackle a rampaging Newton breaking free from the pocket.

LeSean McCoy – RB (Philadelphia Eagles)

Eagles fans (I prefer the term ‘disgruntled bandwagon onlookers’ when referring to Philly supporters- Jim) coming into this season afraid they didn’t have an adequate replacement for long-time running back Brian Westbrook in LeSean McCoy soon had their fears allayed by the quality of his play. McCoy was enormous for the Eagles this year racking up 1,300 rushing yards and scoring 20 touchdowns. Watch for his electric speed when hitting the open field and his evasiveness which often leaves defenders grasping at thin air.

Darelle Revis – CB (New York Jets)

Watching Revis work is a thing of beauty. Week after week he lines up with the best receivers in the league and manages to starve them of the ball. His positioning is always spot on and his recovery speed often leaves you thinking ‘how the hell did he get to that?’ You don’t earn the nickname ‘Revis Island’ without being an outstanding player.

Haloti Ngata – NT (Baltimore Ravens)

The intimidation factor Ngata brings to a team is what needs to be watched. Standing at 6′ 4″  and weighing 330 pounds you won’t miss him out there. This man-mountain can fill multiple gaps at the same time and routinely draws two offensive linemen to cover him. Expect him to be a disruptive force whenever he is on the field.

Jared Allen – DE (Minnesota Vikings)

If you haven’t heard of Jared Allen, crawl out from the rock you’re under and look up some of this guy’s highlight footage. Allen is a beast with a motor that just refuses to stop. He was the bright spark on a disappointing Vikings team this year, putting up 22 sacks, four forced fumbles and an interception over the regular season. If you want to see how the Defensive End position should be played, keep an eye on Allen.

Joe Thomas – Left Tackle (Cleveland Browns)

Thomas is considered by many as the best left tackle in the game. He was drafted 3^rd overall by the Browns in 2007 and has been selected to the Pro Bowl every one of the five years he’s been in the league. Offensive linesmen don’t get the headlines that their ‘skill position’ teammates get but they are just as, if not more, important to their team’s success.  So if you are looking for a lineman to watch on Monday, keep your eyes on Cleveland’s big man.

Sebastian Janikowski – Kicker (Oakland Raiders)

Yes, I’m talking about a kicker, but Janikowski really does deserve some kudos. Much like offensive linesmen, the importance of kickers is often underrated. But they are vitally important members of any team (just ask the Baltimore Ravens). Some kickers around the league struggle to consistently make 40-yarders while Sebastian is plotting 60-yard bombs like they’re chip shots. Sit back and admire the leg strength of the man.

So there are a couple of guys you should keep an eye out for in the Pro Bowl. Feel free to let me know who you guys will be watching.

Rosters

The Pro Bowl rosters are featured below. These were accurate as of the 23^rd of January 2012, but may be subject to change.

OFFENSE

DEFENSE

SPECIAL TEAMS