The Boys in Bristol are Drooling with Anticipation

Assorted thoughts following today's NFL conference championship games:

* Why was there such little on-air criticism of R.W. McQuarters after his two fourth-quarter fumbles? He coughed it up on interception return and the punt return, yet Joe Buck and Troy Aikman basically let it slide each time. These were two crucial mistakes that could have easily cost the Giants the win but McQuarters was let off the hook.

* Cheer up, Charger fans. At least Nate Kaeding finally shook off those playoff jitters!

* Having a New York-New England Super Bowl is going to be just plain painful for the rest of the country. You just know some overzealous Sportscenter producer is going to try to tie this matchup to the Sox-Yanks rivalry.

* On the bright side, thank goodness we have been spared the "Brett Favre's Last Stand" Super Bowl storyline. If there's one thing even more unbearable than East Coast media fawning, it's Brett Favre media fawning. Peter King is probably crying into his pillow right now.

* I hope the Media Day reporters are ready for the least-charismatic coaching duo in Super Bowl history. Belichick and Coughlin will combine for about three smiles during the next two weeks.

* It's appropriate that the Pats and Giants must travel all the way to Arizona for the Super Bowl-- the two teams are a combined 18-1 on the road.

* Speaking of which, I have a theory on Eli Manning's road success. He's been criticized most of his career for being passionless and detached ("Why can't Eli get mad!" has been the refrain). But there's an upside to his apathetic demeanor- he doesn't get nervous. It's almost like he's blissfully unaware of the stakes involved and that serves him well in what would normally be pressure-packed environments. Eli is like a naked toddler happily wandering through a crowded room-- he just doesn't know any better.

* This could be the most popular Super Bowl of all time. In terms of demographics, you have two of the biggest media markets in the country. In terms of media coverage, you have two cities that are in extremely close proximity to ESPN headquarters (groan). In terms of football, you have two teams that just played an exciting, closely-fought battle in Week 17. In terms of storylines, you have the Patriots going for immortality, Brady vs. Manning Jr., Tom Coughlin's improbable escape from the coaching hot seat, and Michael Strahan's tumultuous year. I fully expect this to be the highest rated Super Bowl of all time.

* Let's not forget the gambling angle-- Boston and New York probably have the greatest population of degenerates in the country. I could easily envision a massive wave of Pats and Giants fans making the trip to Glendale for Super Bowl week, then making the short drive up to Vegas for Super Sunday itself. More money will be wagered on this game than any sporting event this side of the World Cup. As for the spread, the Patriots will obviously be a substantial favorite, but I think the sheer number of Giants fans is gonna skew the line. I think the spread will open with Patriots favored by 6.5, but the line will shift down to 5 by game time.

* Based on the past month of games, I don't see how Patriots fans should be all that confident going into the Super Sunday. The Giants have been clicking on both sides of the ball in this playoff run-- their defensive front four has consistently pressured the QB, they've developed a punishing, Tiki-less running game and Eli has been uncharacteristically free of all mistakes. Meanwhile, the Patriots haven't played a dominant game since early November and Brady is coming off a 3-interception game. On top of that, these teams just met three weeks ago and the Giants played the Pats without any fear. I'd be shocked if this Super Bowl were a blowout. Pats 23, Giants 17.