Gather round chil’ren and let the Bandit tell you a football tale. About 50 years ago, there was a man named Lamar Hunt he was a son of an Oil Baron and was a sports fan, so much so that he wanted to own a football team. He approached the one team that was in fairly dire financial straits the Chicago Cardinals (yes Chicago had two teams at one time). The Bidwell family was casting a longing eye to moving to St. Louis though and more or less rebuffed Hunt’s inquiries. With the NFL at the time showing no signs of expanding beyond its 12 teams, Hunt looked to be out of luck. Undaunted he recruited five other businessmen (they were call sportsmen at the time) to form what they called “The Foolish Club” Their aim was to create a new football league in cities that didn’t have them. At first the NFL was happy to lend a hand and even gave a copy of its league charter and rules for the new league to base itself from. With the addition of owners in New York and hotel magnate Barron Hilton creating a Los Angeles team the new christened American Football League looked ready to go. But the NFL seeing that the AFL was a viable threat moved quickly, expanding by two teams with one going to the would be owners of the Minnesota AFL franchise and putting another in Dallas in direct competition with Hunt’s team. The move nearly killed the AFL before its first game. But after finding owners in Oakland the AFL started with 8 teams in 1960. Its first game was between the Denver Broncos and the Boston Patriots. After showing its viability over their first five years, the AFL garnered a big TV contract with NBC in the mid-sixties and started a bidding war for players. It wasn’t uncommon to see top name players drafted by teams in both leagues. Joe Namath was drafted by the Cardinals, Gale Sayers by the Chiefs (Hunt’s team moved to Kansas City in 1963) but when Charlie Gogolak was signed by the Giants in 1965 after playing out his option in Buffalo the war for established players was on. And it got costly real fast. With one time Oakland Raiders GM Al Davis was  named AFL Commissioner with the sole intent on a high priced bidding war with the NFL, peace had to be found. Leave it to Lamar Hunt and Cowboys GM Tex Schramm to broker a peace deal. When the deal was brought to NFL commish Pete Rozelle he was initially against it but when told that the NFL owners were going to go with it with or without him was at the forefront of getting the merger approved. The result of the merger would be a newly created championship game between the two league champions. Rozelle initially thought of calling it the Pro Bowl but the NFL’s All-Star game already had that title. So an unwieldy AFL-NFL World Championship Game title was used for the first two. Though some journalists were calling it the Super Bowl. Hunt coined that name from watching his children play with a Super Ball. Rozelle thought the term too slangy and not regal enough for a “World Series of Pro Football” Rozelle however couldn’t come up with another name and going forward from the third game the name was made official. After the first two games being blow outs by the Packers there was talk about reseeding the teams like a tournament, especially given that the Baltimore Colts were looking like a stone cold lock to throttle the AFL champ New York Jets, but led by their brash but talented QB Joe Namath the Jets turned the football world on its ear with a 16-7 upset win, add a 23-7 win by Chiefs over a supposedly superior Vikings team in the last AFL-NFL game and the AFL and Super Bowl had arrived. For many a player their career is defined by this game and there are legendary players who have never even got to this point while no-names sport the gaudy baubles that go to the winning team. “If it’s the ultimate game, why do they play it next year?” The famously withdrawn Cowboys RB Duane Thomas asked before the 6^th Super Bowl. But he is one that proudly displays his Super Bowl Ring. The winners share is about $90K but it’s the championship ring, which to the man seems to be the overriding thing. 49ers reserve RB Johnny Davis summed it nicely saying “The money is nice but I’ll spend that, the ring is what lasts forever.”

Fast Facts about the Super Bowl after 46 games.

There has never been a shutout or overtime. The Dolphins 3 points in the 6^th game and the Vikings 6 in the 9^th game the lowest totals and the only time a team has been held without an offensive touchdown. The Patriots won two of their three Super Bowls on last second field goals to avert overtimes.

The two combatants have played in 12 of the past 26 Super Bowls (Giants 21, 25, 35, 42, 46) Patriots (20, 31, 36, 38, 39, 42 & 46)

This is the 5^th Super Bowl Rematch (Mia-Was, Pit-Dal 3x, SF-Cin, Dal-Buffalo)

There have been a number of kickoff and interception returns for touchdowns, but never a punt return.

Super Bowl 46

NFC Champion New York Giants (12-7) vs. AFC Champion New England Patriots (15-3) for the NFL Championship and the Vince Lombardi Trophy

Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis 6:30 (NBC)

Favorite Patriots by 1½

Coaches NY: Tom Coughlin 81-57 in 8 seasons in New York 153-121 overall in 16 seasons in Jacksonville and New York 1-0 in Super Bowls

NE: Bill Belichick 153-58 in 12 seasons in New England 202-103 in 16 seasons with Cleveland and New England 3-1 in Super Bowls

How they got Here

New England: AFC #1 seed 13-3 AFC East Champions

Earned First Round bye as AFC’s top seed

Defeated AFC West Champion Denver Broncos 45-10 in Divisional Round

Defeated AFC North Champion Baltimore Ravens 23-20 in Conference Championship

New York:  NFC #4 seed 9-7 NFC East Champions

Defeated  NFC Wild Card Atlanta Falcons 24-2 in Wild Card Round

Defeated  NFC North Champion Green Bay Packers 37-20 in Divisional Round

Defeated NFC West Champion San Francisco 49ers 20-17 in OT in Conference Championship

Fast Facts NE: Only the third team to reach the Super Bowl without beating a team with a winning record in the regular season (74 Steelers, 99 Rams who both won their respective Super Bowls)  NY: Coach At 65, Tom Coughlin is oldest to coach a Super Bowl

Key Players:  NE: Tom Brady 5235 Yds Passing 39 TDs, Rob Gronkowski 90 Rec 1327 17 Rec TD , Wes Welker 122 Rec 1569 yds, Vince Wilfork 52 Tackles 3.5 sacks Andre Carter 10.5 sacks, Jerrod Mayo 95 tackles

NY Eli Manning 4933 Yds Passing 29 TDs , Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz 82 Rec 1536 9Tds, Jason Pierre-Paul 16.5 sacks, Justin Tuck 5 Sacks 37 Tackles

Last Meeting (regular season) Giants won 24-20 in week 9, (Super Bowl) Giants beat Patriots 17-14)

When the Patriots Have the Ball

Without question, Tom Brady is the heart and soul of the Pats offense, his deft touch, strong arm and leadership are what makes the high powered offense run. The two tight end set is a real headache to plan for but with Gronkowski hobbled with a high ankle sprain a key cog is slowed. The fearless and dependable Welker seems to always make the clutch catch. The Pats have no real burner threats as the again Deion Branch and little used Chad Ochocinco have been little used. The Giants have a solid pass rush with the freakishly athletic Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and run clogger Osi Umenyiora providing push up front. The Giants will employ much of the same strategy that they did in their Super Bowl meeting four years ago. Hit Tom Brady as often as possible, knock him down make him as uncomfortable as possible

When the Giants have the Ball

Eli Manning has shed the “little brother” status and has stepped into his own as a bona fine big money quarterback. He doesn’t look the part to be sure, but time and time again he makes the big plays, hits the key throws and has become the indispensible part of the Giants offense. In any other year his nearly 5000 yards passing would be lionized and celebrated. But with the exploits of Rodgers, Brees and his counterpart Brady; Manning has toiled in the shadows. As many shadows as can be as a New York QB. But in the playoffs he has sparkled and with Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw giving him a decent running complement, the Giants offense while not flashy can put points on the board. The Pats defense while much maligned bends deeply but doesn’t break often. Vince Wilfork is a dependable run clogger while Jerrod Mayo and Andre Carter have become solid defenders in their own right. It’s easy to point at the frightening amount of yardage the Pats defense gave up in the regular season at north of 400 yards a game. But in two postseason contests they have given up a more tolerable 325 yards per contest

Coaching

Bill Belichick seems to keep coming up with a winning formula, aside from Brady you can shuffle players in and out and the Pats machine keeps rolling with it laconic almost brooding coach. A win here will only solidify his position as this generation’s best coach. Tom Coughlin always seems to be under fire for his job but unlike his preening grinning jeering Gotham coaching counterpart, can win the big games and steal the thunder.

The Final verdict

Contrary to the records this is a fairly even matchup. Both teams have big game quarterbacks who have won this before. Both are fairly veteran laden teams who have experienced the hubbub of footballs yearly Holy Grail, the question is which teams defense will step up. The Giants defense has been stellar over the playoff run but they have that tendency to turn in a snoozer in games you expect them to play big. The Pats defense hasn’t been that much to write home about themselves but seem to hold up just enough to allow Brady and the offense to cover the points. Conventional wisdom is playing up the Giants being the underdog again, but I’m not buying it. Manning is far from the wide-eyed QB he looked to be in the last Super Bowl matchup. Brady is looking to join a very exclusive fraternity with a fourth Super Bowl win. I’m seeing a tight duel between two of the league’s best QB’s against defenses that while serviceable can be strafed. Whoever gets last licks may take the hardware home. Flip a coin as this one is really too close to call but for some reason the Manning winning a trophy in the house his brother built seems a little too hokey and storybook. Just on straight gut my pick is…

Patriots 27 Giants 23