So said Giants.com earlier on Saturday afternoon as it publicized sales for the Super Bowl winning t-shirts, hats and other items.

Intrepid Patriots fan, Jeff Frias, caught the site, made a screen grab and passed it on to the Boston media.  For good measure, I sent it to the Patriots.

I’d bet my private parts that Bill Belichick has this item in his possession and will mention it this evening at the team meeting.  He is a master motivator and prior to Super Bowl XXXVI he used the Rams victory parade announcement and route to tweak his team.

I leave you with this from Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez’s Twitter account. “One more day until they let me out of my cage.”

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: Jeff Frias @SOURCE_FRIAS

This Week

The New England Patriots face the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

The Patriots (15-3) were 9-1 at home, 6-2 on the road, 5-1 against the AFC East, 1-1 against the AFC North, 1-0 against the AFC South and 5-0 against the AFC West for a 12-2 record vs. the AFC.  They are 3-1 against the NFC East.  They are the AFC Champions and the conferences top seed.

The Giants (12-7) were 7-3 on the road, 5-4 at home, 3-3 vs. the NFC East, 1-1 vs. the NFC North, 1-1 vs. the NFC South and 3-2 vs. the NFC West for a 8-7 record vs. the NFC.  They were 4-0 vs. the AFC East.  They are the NFC Champions and the conferences 4th seed.

Officiating Crew

John Parry is the game referee for Super Bowl XLVI.  He will work with an All-Star crew of officials from other NFL crews.

Parry has not officiated a game involving the Giants or the Patriots this season.

The other on field officials for the game are:

• Umpire – Carl Paganelli
• Head Linesman – Tom Stabile
• Line Judge – Gary Arthur
• Field Judge – Gary Cavaletto
• Back Judge – Tony Steratore
• Side Judge – Laird Hayes

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo! Sports has the Patriots at MINUS 3.  The over under is 54.

My Prediction is PATRIOTS 30, GIANTS, 28. Take the points (GIANTS) and take the over.  I am 10-7-1 against the spread and 13 of 18 on calling the over/under in 2011.

MVP: WR Chad Ochocinco, New England

Tickets

Looking for Super Bowl tickets?  The Boston Globe has some information on what is available through Ace Ticket the official Patriots ticket agency.

Getting to the Game

If you’re lucky enough to be going to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis make sure you check out the links.

A list of Super Bowl XLVI hotel deals and Indianapolis visitor information.

Here is the up to date weather forecast from the Weather Channel for Indianapolis IN.

Click for all the game day information including stadium directions, parking information and map and a Lucas Oil Stadium seating chart.

Game Entertainment

Former American Idol winner and pop recording star Kelly Clarkson, backed by a children’s choir, will sing the National Anthem prior to the game.

Pop Icon Madonna is the halftime entertainment for Super Bowl XLVI.  She will possibly perform with M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj who are on her new single.

Husband and wife country artists Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert will perform “America the Beautiful” prior to the game.

The Indiana University Marching Hundred will perform during the pregame ceremonies.

Tailgating

Here’s a bunch of different tailgating recipes from Tailgating.com.  There’s something there for everyone and every type of meal or snack.  I’ve tried some of the recipes and they’re very good.

And with tailgating many people enjoy some adult beverages.  With that in mind check out Drink Nation for how to make all sorts of great drinks.  You can look things up by name, ingredient(s) or theme.

Whether it’s at the game, a bar or a friend’s house moderation is always the key to a great time.  Please don’t drink and drive and designate a sober driver.  Remember You Drink, You Drive, You Lose.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television

NBC is televising the game nationally and Al Michaels will do play by play, Cris Collinsworth will provide the game analysis while Alex Flanagan and Michele Tafoya will work the sidelines.  You can look here for your local affiliate.

Here are all the rules on NFL TV broadcasts including explaining the blackout rules, flex scheduling and commercial breaks.

Radio

The Patriots Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station WBZ-FM, 98.5 the Sports Hub in Boston. Gil Santos handles the play-by-play, former Patriot Gino Cappelletti does the color and new this year Scott Zolak will man the sidelines. It all starts with Gary Tanguay, Andy Gresh and Zolak with the pregame show at 3 p.m. along the network. The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours along the network.

The Patriots radio network call is available on Sirius Channel 86, XM Channel 226 and on SiriusXM Internet Channel 879.

The Giants Radio network has Bob Papa calling play-by-play and former Giant Carl Banks provides the color via their flagship station WFAN.  Their call is available on Sirius Channel 92, XM Channel 225 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 881.

The game will also be broadcast to a national audience by Westwood One Radio Sports. Kevin Harlan and Boomer Esiason will call the game, while James Lofton and Mark Malone will provide sideline analysis.  You can hear the Westwood One feed on Sirius Channel 88, XM Channel 88 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 88.

You can also pick up the following feeds on the game as well:

• BBC – Sirius Channel 93, XM Channel 227 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 861.
• Spanish – Sirius Channel 149, XM Channel 234, XM in Espanol Channel 550 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 870 and 950.
• Chinese – Sirius Channel 139, XM Channel 231 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 866.
• Japanese – Sirius Channel 94, XM Channel 228 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 862.
• German – Sirius Channel 138, XM Channel 233 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 865.
• Hungarian – Sirius Channel 113, XM Channel 235 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 869.
• Portuguese – Sirius Channel 137, XM Channel 230 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 864.
• Russian – Sirius Channel 117, XM Channel 236 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 868.
• Dutch – Sirius Channel 134, XM Channel 229 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 863.
• French – Sirius Channel 136, XM Channel 232 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 867.

Patriots All Access

Patriots All-Access features behind the scenes looks, interviews and breakdowns with head coach Bill Belichick and in depth features on the team.  It’s hosted by Steve Burton of WBZ-TV (Boston) and airs weekly in most New England television markets.

• Boston MA on TV 38 Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.
• Providence RI on WNAC Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.
• Manchester NH on WMUR Saturday at midnight
• Portland ME on WMTW Sunday at 5 a.m.
• Hartford CT on WCTX Saturday at 5 p.m.
• Springfield MA on WFXQ Saturday at 7 p.m.
• Bangor ME on WVII Sunday at 11 a.m.

You can also watch it anytime on the teams website in the media section.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you’re on the home page.

Last Game

The Patriots defeated the Ravens 23-20 in the AFC Championship Game in Foxboro; while the Giants edged the 49ers 20-17 (OT) in the NFC Championship Game in San Francisco.

History

• The all-time series is tied 5-5 including the post season.
• The Giants are 1-0 in neutral site games having won Super Bowl XLII in Glendale AZ, 17-14.
• The Patriots have won the last four of the last five regular season meetings between the teams.
• In Week 17 of the 2007 season the Patriots beat the Giants 38-35 at Giants Stadium to complete the first 16-0 season in NFL history.
• The teams met earlier this season in Week 9 with Giants winning in Foxboro, 24-20.

Super Bowl Notes

Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis will be the fifth Super Bowl rematch in NFL history.

The New England Patriots and the New York Giants faced each other in Super Bowl

XLII on Feb. 3, 2008 in Arizona with the Giants prevailing 17-14.

SUPER BOWL REMATCHES

Miami vs. Washington – Super Bowl VII, Super Bowl XVII

Pittsburgh vs. Dallas – Super Bowl X, Super Bowl XIII, Super Bowl XXX

San Francisco vs. Cincinnati – Super Bowl XVI, Super Bowl XXIII

Dallas vs. Buffalo – Super Bowl XXVII, Super Bowl XXVIII

New York vs. New England – Super Bowl XLII, Super Bowl XLVI

This is just the third rematch in Super Bowl history among starting QB’s.  The others were Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach (Pittsburgh-Dallas, Super Bowl X & XIII) and Troy Aikman and Jim Kelly (Dallas-Buffalo, Super Bowl XXVII & XXVIII).

The two previous rematches were won by the same QB both times, Bradshaw and Aikman.

The 2011 AFC Championship was the sixth conference championship for Robert Kraft as Patriots owner. Kraft is the first NFL owner to bring his team to six Super Bowls and his six conference championships are the most of any NFL owner in the Super Bowl Era (since 1966). Seven NFL owners brought their teams to five Super Bowls, but Kraft is the first NFL owner to lead his team to six Super Bowl appearances.

MOST CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS BY AN OWNER IN SUPER BOWL ERA

Owner	Team(s)	#	Super Bowl Appearances
Robert Kraft	New England	6	XXXI, XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX, XLII, XLVI
Pat Bowlen	Denver	5	XXI, XXII, XXIV, XXXII, XXXIII
Jack Kent Cooke	Washington	5	VII, XVII, XVIII, XXII, XXVI
Al Davis	Raiders	5	II, XI, XV, XVIII, XXXVII
Eddie DeBartolo	San Francisco	5	XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV, XXIX
Clint Murchison	Dallas	5	V, VI, X, XII, XIII
Packers Stockholders	Green Bay	5	I, II, XXXI, XXXII, XLV
Joe Robbie	Miami	5	VI, VII, VIII, XVII, XIX
Art Rooney	Pittsburgh	4	IX, X, XII, XIV
Dan Rooney	Pittsburgh	4	XXX, XL, XLIII, XLV
Ralph Wilson	Buffalo	4	XXV, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII
Max Winter	Minnesota	4	IV, VII, IX, XI
Georgia Frontiere	Rams	3	XIV, XXXIV, XXXVI
Jerry Jones	Dallas	3	XXXVII, XXXVIII, XXX
Wellington Mara	N.Y. Giants	3	XXI, XXV, XXXV

The Patriots have the most Super Bowl titles since 1994, when Kraft took ownership.  The Packers, Steelers and Broncos each have won twice in that time frame.

New England head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady won their fifth conference championship together, becoming the first head coach and quarterback tandem to win five conference titles in the Super Bowl Era (since 1966). Three other coach-quarterback duos have qualified for four Super Bowls – Dallas’s Tom Landry and Roger Staubach; Buffalo’s Marv Levy and Jim Kelly; and Pittsburgh’s Chuck Noll and Terry Bradshaw.

This is Belichick’s fifth Super Bowl appearance as a head coach, that is second all-time to Don Shula who had six with Baltimore and Miami.

Brady is now tied with John Elway for most Super Bowl appearances by quarterback with five.

He is tied with Troy Aikman for second in Super Bowl wins with 3.  Joe Montana and Terry Bradshaw are tied for 1st with 4 Super Bowl wins each.

Patriots Deion Branch (XXXIX) and Wes Welker (XLII) share the Super Bowl record for receptions in a game with San Francisco’s Jerry Rice (Super Bowl XXIII) and Cincinnati’s Dan Ross (Super Bowl XVI) with 11 each.

The Patriots have the most Super Bowl appearances in the last 30 years (1982-2011) with 7; the last 25 years (1987-2011) with 6; the last 20 years (1992-2011) with 6; the last 15 years (1997-2011) with 5 and the last 10 years (2002-11) with 4.  In the last five years (2007-2011) they are tied with Pittsburgh and the New York Giants with 2 appearances.

Patriots players who have won Super Bowl MVP Awards are QB Tom Brady in Super Bowl XXXVI & XXXVIII and WR Deion Branch in Super Bowl XXXIX.

This is the first time the Super Bowl has been played in retractable roof stadiums in back-to-back years.

Indianapolis is only the 4th time a “cold weather city” has hosted the game.  Detroit has had it twice, Super Bowl XVI and XL and Minneapolis hosted Super Bowl XXVI.

This is the fifth match up of head coaches who had previously won a Super Bowl.  Tom Coughlin (Giants) and Bill Belichick (Patriots) would join Tom Landry (Dallas) and Chuck Noll (Steelers) who met in Super Bowls X and XIII; Tom Flores (Raiders) and Joe Gibbs (Redskins) in Super Bowl XVIII and Bill Walsh (49ers) and Don Shula (Dolphins) met in Super Bowl XIX.

Super Bowl XLVI is the first Super Bowl in which the opposing QB’s have won the Super Bowl MVP Award.

Patriots Team Notes

Here is the Patriots roster, depth chart and injury report for the game.

2011 Patriots Schedule/Results

The Patriots overall franchise record is 414-366-9.  They are 23-15 in the post season and have won three Super Bowls (XXXVI, XXXVIII, XXXIX) in six appearances.  They last appeared in the playoffs in 2010 when they lost at home to the New York Jets in the AFC Divisional Playoff, 28-21.  They last appeared in a Super Bowl in 2007 losing to the New York Giants 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.  They won the AFC Conference championship that season with playoff wins over Jacksonville and San Diego.

This season they defeated Denver in the AFC Division Game and Baltimore in the AFC Championship Game.

The Patriots are dedicating the 2011 season to the memory of Myra Hiatt Kraft, the late wife of owner Robert Kraft. Every Patriots player and coach will honor Myra’s memory by wearing a patch with her initials on it in recognition of her lifelong contributions to the local and global community and her influence on the charitable mission of the entire Patriots organization. The patch will be worn on the left chest of every player throughout the season.

The Patriots are the defending AFC East Champions they have won the division 9 of the last 11 seasons and 3 years in a row.

New England is the top seed for the second consecutive season and 4th time overall.

This is the Patriots 7th Super Bowl appearance as a franchise, they are 3-3 in their previous Super Bowl games.  The seven appearances rank second most in history after Dallas (5-3) and Pittsburgh (6-2), which both have been 8 times.

They are the first AFC team to have the top seed two years in a row since Buffalo in 1990 and 1991.

This is the 9th straight season the Patriots have had 10 wins or more and 10th time in the last 11 years.

Overall in the playoffs they are 23-15.

PATRIOTS PLAYOFF RECORD BY ROUND

• First Round                   0-1
• Wild Card Round            4-3
• Divisional Round            9-6
• AFC Championship         7-1
• AFL Championship          0-1
• Super Bowl                   3-3

New England is MINUS 3 in playoff turnover differential. The offense has given up 3 INTs and 2 fumbles, while the defense had 1 INT and 1 fumble recovery.  They finished the regular season as a PLUS 17.

The Patriots are 8 of 17 in 3rd down efficiency and 1 for 1 on fourth down attempts in the playoffs.

New England is 7 of 11 in the red zone and 3 for 4 in goal to go in the post season.

At one point in the regular season series the Patriots and Giants went 13 years between meetings.  The played on September 22, 1974 at the Yale Bowl a 28-20 Patriots win and didn’t face each other again until November 8, 1987 at Giants Stadium a 17-10 win for the Giants.

The Patriots have a .605 post season winning percentage it is third best in the NFL behind Green Bay .630 and Pittsburgh .611

If the Patriots lose, they will be the first team to lose a Super Bowl in four different decades (1986, 1997, 2008).

The Patriots last Super Bowl victory in January 2005 kicked off a string of championships in Boston.   The Red Sox won the World Series in 2007, the Celtics won the NBA title in 2008 and the Bruins wont he Stanley Cup in 2011 a period of six years, four months and nine days since Super Bowl XXXIX.

Should the Patriots win on Sunday it will shorten the span it took the four teams to win championships to four years, 3 months and eight days from the end of the 2007 World Series.

This is the Patriots first indoor game this season.

Here’s a recap of the jersey’s worn by the Patriots during their previous six Super Bowl appearances.

NFL uniform rules do not allow teams to wear their alternate, throwback or third jerseys in post season play.

Owner Robert Kraft graces the cover of this week’s “Sports Illustrated”.

In the playoffs the Patriots were flagged 3 times for 25 yards in penalties, while the Giants saw the yellow hanky 19 times for 163 yards.  That’s a lot of hidden yardage.

Patriots Staff Notes

This is the link to head coach Bill Belichick’s Wednesday press conference transcript.

Bill Belichick is 2-4 vs. the Giants in his career.  He is 2-2 against them as the head coach in New England and that includes one Super Bowl (0-1).

Overall in his NFL career Belichick is 175-97 in 16 NFL seasons.  He is 139-53 with New England and 36-44 with Cleveland.  He is 17-6 in the playoffs, 16-5 as head coach of the Patriots in the post season.  When you combine his regular season and post season records he is 192-103.

Belichick’s 192 wins are good for 9th all-time.  Chuck Knox, who coached the Rams, Redskins and Seahawks, is 8th all-time with 193.

He is the first coach in NFL history to have his teams win 10 games or more in 9 consecutive seasons.

Belichick is 3-1 in Super Bowls as a head coach.

Belichick is one of five head coaches in NFL history whose father (Steve Belichick) played in the league.  The others are former Kansas City head coach Todd Haley (Dick Haley), former San Francisco head coach Mike Nolan (Dick Nolan), former Cincinnati head coach David Shula (Don Shula) and former NY Jets head coach Joe Walton (Frank Walton).

New England has only failed to make the playoffs three times under Belichick in 2000, 2002 and 2008.

New England offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien has accepted the head coaching job at Penn State University, he will remain with New England through the Super Bowl.

The Patriots have hired Josh McDaniels as an offensive assistant for the remainder of the season.  McDaniels was the offensive coordinator in St. Louis this season but was available when ownership said they wouldn’t hold him to his contract after firing head coach Steve Spagnuolo.  McDaniels will be the offensive coordinator starting with the 2012 season replacing O’Brien, who had replaced him.

Belichick was the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants during their wins in Super Bowl XXI & XXV.

Belichick motivates through humiliation and it doesn’t matter who you are.

Belichick isn’t always orthodox when it comes to his coaching moves.

Defensive line coach Pepper Johnson played for the Giants and won two Super Bowls (XXI & XXV).

Patriots Possible Starters

Offense:

LT: Light

LG: Mankins

C: Connolly

RG: Waters

RT: Vollmer

TE: Gronkowski

TE: Hernandez

WR: Branch

WR: Welker

QB: Brady

RB: Green-Ellis

Defense:

DE: Ellis

DT: Love

DT: Wilfork

DE: Deaderick

LB: Mayo

LB: Spikes

LB: Ninkovich

CB: McCourty

CB: Arrington

S: Chung

S: Ihedigbo

Patriots Players Notes

This is Tom Brady’s 12^th NFL season he is 2-2 vs. the Giants including 0-1 in the playoffs.

Overall Brady is 124-35 as a starting QB and is 16-5 in the playoffs for an overall record of 140-40.  Brady is a 7 time Pro Bowl QB; two time NFL MVP and has won 3 Super Bowls while twice being named the games MVP.  He is also listed as the 21^st Greatest Player in the History of the NFL according to the NFL Network.

Including the post season, Brady is 100 games above .500

Brady is now tied with John Elway for most Super Bowl appearances by quarterback with five.  He is 3-1 in the previous games.

He is now 16-5 in the post season and is tied for most all time post season wins with his idol Joe Montana.

Brady has the 3rd most post season TD passes all-time with 36.  Brett Favre is 2nd with 44 TD passes in the post season. Montana is first with 45.

WR Wes Welker now has catches in 100 consecutive games including playoffs, 83 as a Patriot.  The last time Welker did not have a catch in a game was 12/24/05 as a Dolphin.

Both teams tied a NFL record this year with a 99-yard scoring play.  The Patriots did it in Week 1 at Miami when Brady threw a pass to Welker who went 99-yards for the touchdown.

WR Deion Branch is enjoying his role with the Patriots.

What would C Dan Connolly be if he wasn’t an offensive lineman?

Patriots G Donald Thomas has a rubber ducky collection and he plans on taking them to Indianapolis.

Thomas is playing wherever the Patriots need him to.

Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez has played for some famous coaches, Bill Belichick, Urban Meyer and UConn’s Geno Auriemma.

D.J. Hernandez, Aaron’s older brother, embraces his brothers success.

There are only 8 players on the Patriots roster that played in Super Bowl XLII vs. the Giants in February 2008.  They are: C Dan Koppen (IR); WR Wes Welker; K Stephen Gostkowski; G Logan Mankins; DT Vince Wilfork; T Matt Light; QB Tom Brady and RB Kevin Faulk.

On Wednesday New England listed 16 players on the injury report. Only TE Rob Gronkowski (ankle) did not practice.  Listed as having limited participation were T Sebastian Vollmer (foot/back); T Marcus Cannon (ankle); S Patrick Chung (knee); LB Dane Fletcher (thumb); DL Kyle Love (ankle); G Logan Mankins (knee); LB Rob Ninkovich (hip); LB Brandon Spikes (knee); WR Wes Welker (knee) and LB Tracy White (abdomen).  WR Deion Branch (knee); C Dan Connolly (groin); S James Ihedigbo (shoulder); T Matt Light (illness) and WR Matthew Slater (shoulder) were listed as having had a full practice.

On Thursday the following players were listed as “QUESTIONABLE” for the game.  They are WR Deion Branch (knee); T Marcus Cannon (ankle); S Patrick Chung (knee); LB Dane Fletcher (thumb); TE Rob Gronkowski (ankle); S James Ihedigbo (shoulder).  Also DL Kyle Love (ankle); G Logan Mankins (knee); LB Rob Ninkovich (knee); LB Brandon Spikes (knee); T Sebastian Vollmer (foot/back); WR Wes Welker (knee) and LB Tracy White (abdomen).  The following players were listed as “PROBABLE”, they are C Dan Connolly (groin) and WR Matthew Slater (shoulder).

The New England team captains are Tom Brady, Logan Mankins, Vince Wilfork, Jerod Mayo, Devin McCourty and Matthew Slater.

The Patriots have five New England natives on the roster they are LB Niko Koutouvides (Plainville CT); TE Aaron Hernandez (Bristol CT); OL Donald Thomas (New Haven CT); S James Ihedigbo (Northampton MA) and DE Ron Brace (Worcester MA).  They have 12 players who played for a New England school or a Big East Conference member.  They are WR Deion Branch (Louisville); WR/TE Dorin Dickerson (Pitt – Practice Squad – IR); S James Ihedigbo (UMass); CB Nathan Jones (Rutgers); C Dan Koppen (Boston College – IR); CB Devin McCourty (Rutgers); NT Vince Wilfork (Miami), OL Donald Thomas (UConn); DE Mike Wright (Cincinnati – IR); DE Ron Brace (Boston College); WR Tiquan Underwood (Rutgers) and DE Alex Silvestro (Rutgers – Practice Squad).

The Patriots have 7 retired numbers: 20 – Gino Cappelletti, 40 – Mike Haynes, 73 – John Hannah, 78 – Bruce Armstrong, 79 – Jim Lee Hunt and 89 – Bob Dee.

Giants Team Notes

Here is the Giants roster, depth chart and injury report for the game.

2011 Giants Schedule/Results

The Giants all-time record is 645-531-33 and they are 23-24 in the playoffs with their last playoff appearance coming in 2008.  That season the Giants lost to Philadelphia in the NFC Divisional round, 23-11. The Giants last appeared in a Super Bowl following the 2007 season and defeated the previously undefeated New England Patriots, 17-14 to win Super Bowl XLII. It is considered one the biggest upset in sports history.  The Giants have won three Super Bowls (XXI, XV, XLII) in four appearances and have also won 4 NFL Championships (1927, 1934, 1938, 1956) prior to the Super Bowl era.

This season they defeated Atlanta in the NFC Wild Card Game, Green Bay in the NFC Division Game and San Francisco in the NFC Championship Game.

New York is one of three NFL teams with at least 600 wins as a franchise.

The Giants have a huge New England following due to the fact that they were the closest pro football team to the region prior to the formation of the AFL in 1960 and the birth of the Patriots franchise.

This is the Giants 5th Super Bowl appearance as a franchise they are 3-1 in the previous games.

When New York beat New England in Week 9 at Gillette Stadium it snapped a 20-game home winning streak for the Patriots.

Since beating the Patriots the Giants are just 6-5, but three of those wins are playoff wins, with two of the playoff wins coming on the road.

The Giants are only the third team to play in a Super Bowl with less than 10 regular season wins (9-7).  The others were the Arizona Cardinals in 2008 and the Los Angeles Rams in 1979.

If the Giants win they will be the first team to win a Super Bowl in 4 different decades (1987, 1991, 2008).

The Giants will join the Steelers and Broncos as the 3rd team to have played in at least one Super Bowl televised on all four major broadcast networks. The Giants appearances in Super Bowl XX & XXXV were on CBS, Super Bowl XXV was on ABC, Super Bowl XLII was on FOX and NBC will carry Super Bowl XLVI.

New York is PLUS 5 in playoff turnover differential. The offense has given up 1 INTs and 0 fumbles, while the defense had 1 INT and 5 fumble recoveries.  They finished the regular season as a PLUS 7.

The Giants are 23 of 52 in 3rd down efficiency and 1 for 2 on fourth down attempts in the playoffs.

This will be the Giants 4th indoor game this season.  The others were at Dallas (W 37-34), at New Orleans (L 49-24) and at Arizona (W 31-27).

Giants Staff Notes

Read what New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin, offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride and defensive coordinator Perry Fewell had to say to the media about the match up.

Tom Coughlin is 142-114 in his 16th season as a head coach.  He is 74-54 in 8 seasons with the Giants and was 68-60 in 8 years with the Jacksonville Jaguars. He is 11-7 in the playoffs with one Super Bowl victory for an overall record of 153-121.

Coughlin coached teams are 3-4 vs. New England including 1-1 in the post season.

Coughlin was a one time assistant coach at Boston College and coached with Belichick on the Giants staff for three seasons (1988-1990).

Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride is from New Haven CT and played and coached at Southern Connecticut State University.

Giants President/CEO John Mara is a Boston College alum as is his son, Chris Mara, the Giants Vice President of Player Evaluation.  The younger Mara also spent some time at Springfield College playing football before transferring to BC.

Assistant Offensive Line Coach Jack Bicknell, Jr. played college ball at Boston College under his father, Jack Bicknell.

Running Backs coach Jerald Ingram once held the same position at Boston College.

Secondary Coach Peter Giunta is a native of Salem, MA.  He also played college football at Northeastern.  He also coached at Swampscott High School and for Brown University in Providence.

Giants Possible Starters

Offense:

LT: Diehl

LG: Boothe

C:  Bass

RG: Snee

RT: McKenzie

TE: Ballard

WR: Cruz

WR: Nicks

QB: Manning

RB: Bradshaw

RB: Hynoski

Defense:

DE: Tuck

DT: Joseph

DT: Canty

DE: Pierre-Paul

LB: Boley

LB: Blackburn

LB: Kiwanuka

CB: Webster

CB: Ross

S: Phillips

S: Rolle

Giants Players Notes

Eli Manning is 69-50 as a starting QB and is 7-3 in the playoffs.  In his 8 seasons he has an overall record of 76-53.  Manning was the Number 1 overall pick by the San Diego Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft out of Mississippi.  He was then traded to New York for QB Philip Rivers and additional draft picks.

Manning is 2-1 vs. the Patriots in his career including the Super Bowl.

Manning was the MVP of Super Bowl XLII.

Eli and his brother, Peyton of the Indianapolis Colts, are the only brother QB’s to lead their teams to Super Bowl wins.  They are also the only brothers to both win the Super Bowl MVP Award.

Manning’s father is the legendary New Orleans Saints QB, Archie Manning.

Manning’s funny story on his relationship with his big brother, Peyton.

Both teams tied a NFL record this year with a 99-yard scoring play.  The Giants did it in Week 16 at NY Jets when Manning threw a pass to Victor Cruz who went 99-yards for the touchdown.

Cruz traveled a long path to stardom with Giants and it went through UMass.

Giants WR Mario Manningham can’t wait to face Patriots two-way player Julian Edelman.

For not participating in the Wednesday morning media session, the NFL fined New York DE Osi Umenyiora $20,000.

There are 17 players remaining on the Giants from Super Bowl XLII team.  They are LB Chase Blackburn; G/C Kevin Boothe; RB Ahmad Bradshaw; LS/LB Zak DeOssie; G Dave Diehl; RB Brandon Jacobs; LB Mathias Kiwanuka (IR); QB Eli Manning; RT Kareem McKenzie; CB Aaron Ross; G Chris Snee; DE Dave Tollefson; DE Justin Tuck; K Lawrence Tynes; DE Osi Umenyiora; RB DJ Ware and CB Corey Webster.

On Wednesday New York listed 5 players as having limited participation in practice on the injury report.  They are DE Osi Umenyiora (ankle/knee); RB Ahmad Bradshaw (foot); WR Hakeem Nicks (shoulder), CB Corey Webster (hamstring) and LB Jacquian Williams (foot).

On Thursday the following players were listed as “QUESTIONABLE”, they are CB Will Blackmon (knee); WR Hakeem Nick (shoulder); CB Corey Webster (hamstring) and Jacquian Williams (foot).  Listed as “PROBABLE” was C David Bass (abdomen/neck); Ahmad Bradshaw (foot); LB Chase Blackburn (calf); DE Osi Umenyiora (ankle/knee) and S Tyler Sash (concussion).

The New York captains for 2011 are Manning, DE Justin Tuck and LB/LS Zak DeOssie.

Zak DeOssie is the son of Steve DeOssie, who played for the Giants, Cowboys and Patriots in the NFL.

The Giants have two New England natives on the roster they are: LB/LS Zak DeOssie (North Andover MA) and LB Jonathan Goff (Peabody MA). They have 10 players who played for a New England school or a Big East Conference member.  They are: DB Will Blackmon (Boston College); WR Victor Cruz (UMass); OT Will Beatty (UConn –IR); RB Henry Hynoski (Pitt); LB Mathias Kiwanuka (Boston College); DE Jason Pierre-Paul (USF); G Chris Snee (Boston College); LB/LS Zak DeOssie (Brown) LB Jacquian Williams (USF) and LB Mark Herzlich (Boston College).

The Giants have 7 retired numbers: 1 – Ray Flaherty; 4 – Tuffy Leemans; 7 – Mel Hein; 11 – Phil Simms; 14 – Y.A. Tittle; 16 – Frank Gifford; 32 – Al Blozis; 40 – Joe Morrison; 42 – Charlie Conerly; 50 – Ken Strong and 56 – Lawrence Taylor.

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Author’s Note: I’d like to thank Ian for letting me bring you all the Patriots news again this season, it’s been enjoyable writing the weekly In The Red Zone post, the game recaps and all the In The Red Zone Weekly Game Previews, like the one above.

I have no clue what these pieces grab for readership numbers but even if only one person reads these it’s worth putting out.

I’d also like to thank the Patriots beat writers especially Ian Rapoport, Shalise Manza Young and Mike Reiss.  Those three are great writers and we link a lot back to their blog posts, web and paper articles.  The Patriots PR Staff who put out a great weekly press release and have a wonderful website, as well as the other sites I get stats and information from through the year like FOX Sports, Yahoo Sports, Pro Football Reference, SiriusXM, Wikipedia, ESPN, NFL and opponents websites and beat writers.

Most of all thanks to you, Patriots fans first and the fans of opponents who visit through the year and football fans in general. It’s the largest sport in America and if you don’t believe me just take a look at the media coverage numbers between the World Series and the Super Bowl, there’s no comparison, the NFL is King.

I can’t believe after this week there are no more games, but we shall meet again on the other side of free agency.

Tuesday was media day at the Super Bowl as both the Patriots and Giants met with the media, legit and otherwise.  There were 18 podium stations set up for the major players and coaches while others milled about being interviewed.

As with any media day there are always some nuggets that come from it.

Giants safety Antrel Rolle said that the Giants team has come to Indianapolis expecting to win the game. “We are not going to be denied.”

New England TE Rob Gronkowski came out of his walking boot on Monday night and it won’t go back on the rest of the week.  As Gronk continually put it he and his injury are “day-to-day”.

Extra’s Maria Menounos, who was wearing a Patriots jersey, told Gronk that she has a wager that if the Giants win she has to wear a Giants bikini. Gronk said it was nice to know there could be a positive if the Patriots lose.

Giants LB Matthias Kiwanuka is an Indianapolis native and gets to play the biggest game of his career in front of his family and friends.  He missed out on Super Bowl XLII due to a fractured left fibula that put him on the IR.

Patriots T Matt Light and G Sebastian Vollmer did not partake in the media day due to illnesses and offensive assistant Josh McDaniels was not made available.

New York DE Osi Umenyiora said “Matt Light please get well soon, I hope to see you on Sunday.  You are one of my greatest friends.”  Umenyiora and Light go at each other pretty good on the field.

New England offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia loves rookie T Nate Solder. “How could you want anything more out of a young kid than we have this year?”

Scarnecchia added in his comments that T Sebastian Vollmer who has been hurt is expected to play on Sunday.  “Sea Bass” and Pro-Bowl G Brian Waters make a formidable right side of the offensive line.  Vollmer has played in just 6 games this season.

New York RB Brandon Jacobs said during media day that WR Plaxico Burress wanted to sign with Giants, not the Jets, when he was a free agent last summer.  He added he doesn’t see Burress returning to the Jets next season due to all the locker room turmoil.

He didn’t have a podium but Patriots WR Chad Ochocinco drew a crowd of nearly 50 reporters on the field after he slinked in a little late for media day.  Taking up some space between the podiums for WR Matthew Slater and TE Aaron Hernandez he answered questions.

Asked several times if he was disappointed to finally reach a Super Bowl in a season when his production was down, Ochocinco replied, “if I had 100 catches and 1,000 yards I’d probably be home in January.  After a ten-year span I finally had a year where it didn’t go well.  I did everything I was supposed to do.  I bought in…But I didn’t write the script.”

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

With the Super Bowl quickly approaching, there’s lots of little nuggets and tidbits of information you may have missed. So this is our attempt at trying to keep you informed of the minutia.

Let me know what you think about the rematch, I’m interested in your thoughts I’d love to use some in another post.  You can leave them in the comments of this post, email them to me or tweet them to me.  I look forward to your opinions regardless of what team you root for.

When the Patriots and Giants meet on February 5th it will be 3 months since the Patriots last lost a football game.  That was Week 9 in Foxboro to the Giants.

According to Bill Belichick’s girlfriend Linda Holliday’s twitter account, there will be no red hoodie in Indy.

The Patriots under Belichick are 7-2 in the playoffs when having a bye week.  Their only losses are in Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants and in the 2010 playoffs to the New York Jets.

The Patriots also average nearly a full touchdown more in margin of victory when coming off a playoff bye.

How last years debacles in Dallas lead to this years Social Media monitoring hub at the Super Bowl via Fang’s Bites.

Fang’s Bites gives us this as well, NBC Sports Group coverage plans for Super Bowl XLVI.

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry has bet New England clam chowder against a New York cheesecake from New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

Senator Kerry urges Sunbeam Television and DirecTV to come to a settlement before the Super Bowl or some Boston area fans will be blacked out from the game.

The NFL will be tracking tweets about the Super Bowl under the primary hashtag of #SB46.

The NFL owners have extended Commissioner Roger Goodell’s contract through 2018.

Will Chad Ochocinco dress for the Super Bowl after being inactive for the AFC Championship Game?

Tom Brady graces the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated.

This is just the third rematch in Super Bowl history among starting QB’s.  The others were Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach (Pittsburgh-Dallas) and Troy Aikman and Jim Kelly (Dallas-Buffalo).  The two previous rematches were won by the same QB both times.

WR Wes Welker got engaged to the former Miss Hooters, Anna Burns.

The Patriots placed practice squad WR Dorin Dickerson on the IR and signed TE Carson Butler to the practice squad.

On Thursday the only players missing from practice were TE Rob Gronkowski and practice squad TE Carson Butler.

Do you want to hear Rex Ryan’s Super Bowl prediction?  Well as of right now you’re going to have to wait.

Baltimore’s Bernard Pollard hopes the Giants “put a thrashing” on the Patriots.

The seating capacity has been set at Lucas Oil Field at 67,000, that’s 35,000 seats less than Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

Ann Mara breaks shoulder and is ‘probable’ for the Super Bowl.

Giants Justin Tuck is preparing for an epic Super Bowl.

Looking for Super Bowl tickets?  The Boston Globe has some information on what is available through Ace Ticket.

Which Patriots team is your all-time favorite?  Personally I like the 1-15 Rod Rust squad…hey I’m hopped up on antihistamine.

A list of Super Bowl XLVI hotel deals and Indianapolis visitor information.

Why the Patriots and Giants are the perfect match up.

A portrait of faith for the Patriots.

The Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian has a look back at Super Bowl XLII and it’s affect on the Patriots.

Why everyone else hates the Patriots.

ESPN’s Sports Science took a look at Sterling Moore’s game saving play from the AFC Championship Game.

The Patriots will face the New York Giants on February 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium in Super Bowl XLVI.  Look for the Sox & Dawgs “In The Red Zone Game Preview” available on the Friday before the game.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

The New England Patriots have announced that they will have their send off rally on Sunday at Gillette Stadium.

The rally will be held inside the stadium with gates opening at 10:15 a.m. and the team will show a replay of the AFC Championship game at 10:30 a.m.

The rally program will begin at noon with President Jonathan Kraft and Head Coach Bill Belichick expected to speak to the crowd.

The event is free and open to the public, the parking is free as well but tailgating will not be allowed.

Follow Steve on Twitter  @SteveMichaelsII

We’ve all seen the credit card commercials.

$2,000 per ticket

$1,000 per person airfare

$500 a night hotel

Getting an ulcer when you see the credit card bill…Priceless.

If you are a New England Patriots fan looking to attend the Super Bowl in Indianapolis on February 5 you better be prepared to pay, and pay big.

Tickets to the game are starting around $2000 per and go up from there to as much as $7500.  Then throw in roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, food, rental car and incidentals are you’re looking at spending the gross national product of a small third world country.

If you look around you can find some cheaper overnight options, maybe skip the rental car by staying closer to the venue but hey you still need to eat right?

While some have other plans, that include staying farther away from the venue to save hotel money and making a longer drive for the game and eating as cheaply as possible.

One of the things I do when traveling on a budget is to try to combine meals.  I might do more of a brunch type meal in the morning and skip lunch in exchange for a light snack.  Or find a buffet-style restaurant that’s all you can eat for a set rate.  If you can find a place that has a breakfast buffet and you can load up on heavier foods, like pancakes and waffles, it will hold you over longer when you can get that snack.  Then do dinner a little later than normal.

One of the other travel tips is to stay in a hotel that gives you a free breakfast of some sort.  There are plenty of chains that do this and you should take advantage of that offering as you can save anywhere from $5-$8 or more on a breakfast alone.  They also generally offer fresh fruit as well.  Grab that banana or apple to go as a midday snack, stretch that included “free” meal as far as it will go.

Also when going out to dinner at night, skip the cocktails.  This will easily add an additional 25%-30% to your meal tab.  If you need to have a cocktail at night, do your self a favor and stop at a local liquor store or grocery store and buy an 18 pack or a bottle of booze and drink in your room with your friends or family after dinner.

There are lots of little ways to save some money here and there and if you are like most people and really want to go to the game you are going to need to cut some corners in some areas.  But above all soak in the atmosphere and have fun you never know when you’ll get back.

Follow Steve on Twitter  @SteveMichaelsII

A lot of New England Patriots fans are interested in the team itinerary for the next few weeks preparing for Super XLVI in Indianapolis .  The team released its schedule to media here it is.

Early this week players will be studying film, working out and getting treatment for injuries.  They will also use these days to get their family settled with the travel plans for the game.  The team will practice on Thursday and Friday in Foxboro with a possible Saturday practice as well.  They will use those days to install a majority of the game plan.

On Sunday they will travel to Indianapolis and there will be a sendoff rally of some sort with the details to be announced soon by the Patriots.  In the past they have been done at Gillette Stadium as the players have gotten ready to board the buses to the airport.

Next week in Indianapolis they will have some regular practices and film sessions plus media day at the stadium.  And it looks like possibly a Saturday walk through with the team photo being shot in there as well.

Follow Steve on Twitter  @SteveMichaelsII

New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski rolled his ankle during the team’s 23-20 win over Baltimore in the AFC Championship Game on Sunday.  It happened late in the game when Ravens S Bernard Pollard tackled Gronkowski after a pass and Gronk’s ankle got tangled up with Pollard and he rolled it.

He was taken from the field to the dressing room, had it re-taped and returned to play.  He was on the field when Tom Brady scored the go ahead touchdown on a one yard dive.

Every Patriot fan should remember Pollard.  He was with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2008 and he hit Tom Brady in the knee in Week 1 tearing his ACL.  In 2009 while with the Houston Texans he was covering Wes Welker and was about to him when Welker tried to cut and tore up his ACL.  Now Gronkowski, I think Bill Belichick needs to sign this guy and soon before he kills the whole team.

Generally injured players do not speak with the media after the game, including an attempted bilingual interview with ESPN Deportes but Gronkowski was allowed to although he did avoid the media on Monday while at the team facility.

According to a league source, his ankle will be fine and it should not affect his availability for Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis on February 5.

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Photo credit: Reuters Pictures

From the Patriots’ media relations staff:

Patriots Chairman and CEO Robert Kraft today announced the opening of a “Super Bowl for Super People” online sweepstakes to recognize outstanding individuals in the public service sector as an extension of the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation’s season-long “Celebrate Volunteerism” campaign.

Ten winners will be randomly selected from a pool of police officers, firefighters, teachers, military personnel and nurses in New England who have been identified as “Super People” by their superiors.

Two winners from each category will receive the “Super Bowl for Super People” package, an all-expenses paid, one-day trip to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis for them and a guest, including game tickets, round-trip airfare, transportation to and from the game and tickets to the Patriots’ postgame party.

“Throughout a season dedicated to my sweetheart [Myra Kraft], we recognized outstanding individuals for their many contributions to our community through ‘Celebrate Volunteerism,'” said Kraft. “In New England, we’re all part of the same community and part of the same family, and we all benefit from the dedication of hard-working public servants. We’re glad that through this sweepstakes we can reward those who have chosen a career in public service and through their commitment to giving back have earned the recognition of their superiors. We’re excited to have them in our day-of-game travel party as representatives of their professional communities”

Police chiefs, fire chiefs, school superintendents, commanding officers and doctors/head nurses are invited to nominate one outstanding contributor from their team via Patriots.com/community.

The sweepstakes opens Monday, January 23 at 6 p.m. and closes at 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, January 25. Nominees must be 18 years of age or older, have transportation to the departure location on February 5 and live in New England. The randomly-selected winners will be contacted by Saturday, January 28.

Follow Steve on Twitter  @SteveMichaelsII