These last few days leading up to Super Bowl XLII (42) have been chocked full of tabloid stories reporting on Tom Brady's hair plugs, his ankle brace and his refusal to get married to a Latina reporter. There are, of course, the requisite arguments on Brady and his team's "all-time greatness" as well as Coach Bill Belichick's "cheating" scandal. There are even conversations about Randy Moss (did playing in Oakland hurt his legacy? -- By the way... No).

And, most recently Giant's WR Plaxico Burress guaranteeing (complete with a final score nonetheless) a Giants win (23-17). But come Sunday at 6:17 pm. that's all unimportant nonsense. What does matter is the actual game, and while we all love Super Bowl commercials, there is a healthy amount of in-game drama to fixate on, so here we go:

1) The Patriots are clearly the Juggernaut, but Giants star WR Plaxico Burress has said that the Giants actually have a better receiving corps. This is, of course, heavily debatable, but they are certainly underrated -- and you, the viewer, should take note. Plaxico could be considered one of the top 5WRs in the league, and Eli Manning has a healthy dose of clutch receivers to choose from (Amani Toomer & Steve Smith). The focus has been on the Pats offense, but those Giants receivers may wind up being the ones you remember 5 years from now.

2) Wes Welker (Patriots WR). Sure, you know him. But did you know he barely made his High School Football team? That he had to persuade a college coach to recruit him? Went undrafted? Got cut by the Chargers after one game? And now -- there is a very real chance he will be named Super Bowl MVP. Now that's an inspirational story. Here is a great article about his past from ESPN's Elizabeth Merrill.

3) The Giants Defense. The Patriots offense has been unstoppable, but this Giant defense is TOUGH. Defensive End, Osi Umenyiura (pronounced OH-see yoo-men-YUR-ah), has played like an energy-infused mutant, and their leader, Michael Strahan, knows that this is probably his last chance to win a Super Bowl.

4) The Secret Weapons. We know about Brady, Moss, and Eli Manning, but the ones who could make the games' most important plays might be unfamiliar names. For the Pats -- Kevin Faulk (their 3rd string running-back, who always seems to get that crucial 3rd down conversion. For the Giants -- Amani Toomer (a seasoned veteran who always goes low in fantasy drafts, but at the end of close games always seems to make an appearance in the end zone. Plus, Burress is the all-star, but Toomer is Manning's go-to guy.

5) Eli Manning. He has taken a lot of criticism ever since he was drafted No. 1 overall, especially on account of comparisons to his brother. However, while he has played great in the playoffs (winning 3 road games), this is his chance to really step into his brothers' shoes, and finally garner permanent respect. Many expect him to choke in this game, but stepping up big would silence his naysayers. Plus, if he wins, whenever he has a bad game in the future, they will say, "Oh, Eli is having a bad game", as opposed to "Eli Manning stinks and should be replaced." And, more importantly, if he wins, I bet we'll see him hosting Saturday Night Live (well, assuming the writer's strike ever ends).

6) And ultimately -- Tom Brady. He's won 3 Super Bowls thus far. But people still aren't convinced that he belongs with the likes of Joe Montana & Joe Namath. If he wins 4, we may hear talk that he's the best quarterback of all time.....and we might hear the Patriots are the Greatest Team of all Time and that Bill Belichick is the Greatest Coach of all time (which I will never ever concede....it's Bill Walsh of course). If you are a Giants fan, it is likely that you just spat at the computer, but if you are a Pats fan, you are whooping it up just thinking of the possibility of this "greatness".... well, we'll know on Sunday!

So, whether or not you plan to watch the Game or are just watch the commercials and eat the food, the good news is that come Sunday around 10:00ish, someone is going to Disneyworld!

(In the New York Post section, Weird but True, I read a couple of funny tidbits: Tom Brady keeps his locker stocked with Palmer's Cocoa Butter and he eats Vegan before games.....who knew?)

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