Staff Commentary

On Sunday, Feb 3, the New England Patriots will attempt to win their fourth Super Bowl in the past seven years. Standing in their way are the New York Giants, a team that fought its way against formidable opponents to win the NFC Championship. The Patriots are making an attempt at the first-ever 19-0, undefeated season, while Eli Manning is making an attempt to prove to the world that he is a superstar NFL quarterback that should not be taken lightly.

The Spectrum sports staff has a plethora of predictions on all things Super Bowl; from the pageantry to the commercials, the nightlife to halftime, and football action commentary sprinkled in for flavor.

What are the odds that Plaxico Burress' guess for the game will come true and the Patriots will be held to under 20 points?

ALEX RUBIN (Senior Sports Editor): It's not very likely at all, and the Patriots will get their points. I will be shocked if they score less than 30. The only way this game remains close is if the Giants can score with the Patriots. With their tag team running attack of Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs, that is a distinct possibility.

EVAN NEMEROFF (Sports Editor): I highly doubt that Plaxico Burress' prediction will be accurate. I see the Patriots scoring more than 17 points against the Giants' defense. If I had to take a guess on how many points New England is going to score, my estimate would be at least 27 points.

CHRIS RYNDAK (Sports Editor): Ten thousand to one. Don't players know not to taunt the Patriots by now? If anything, this is going to send the Pats off.

STEPHEN MARTH (Assistant Sports Editor): As much as I'd love to see the Patriots get smashed and score only 17 points, it's not going to happen. The Patriots will score 30 points, but not much more than that. Tom Brady isn't as sweet as, let's say, Trent Edwards.

DAVE SANCHIRICO (Assistant Sports Editor): Stranger things have happened, but I give it 30 percent. Tom Brady said Plax should have at least made it 45-42, but I guess Burress has confidence in his defense. I believe that this game will mirror the game from the regular season. Even if both defenses play well, they'll have a tough time holding the opposing offenses to under 30 points.

How many times will FOX analyst and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman mention that, despite the fact the Giants won, they are still an inferior team to the Dallas Cowboys?

AR: Between five and 10 times. Aikman made the Giants-Cowboys Divisional Playoff Game impossible to watch because he refused to give any credit to the Giants, and blamed every positive play the Giants made on a mistake that the Cowboys made. For some reason, I was under the incorrect impression that an analyst's job was to give unbiased opinions on what is happening during the game. My mistake.

CR: Three hundred and twenty-four times.

EN: When was the last time the Cowboys went to the Super Bowl? They are no longer America's team. That title right now might go to the team that has made the big game in four of the past seven years.

SM: Eight times. Troy Aikman needs to seriously stop having a man-love relationship with Tony Simpson-Romo. My ears bleed every time I hear that trash spew from his mouth.

DS: Troy Aikman will announce the game wearing his old helmet. This will not prevent him from getting another concussion when Joe Buck smacks him across the face after a stupid Cowboys comment.

Who will be the X-Factor of the game?

AR: The Patriots linebacking corps of Teddy Bruschi, Mike Vrabel, Junior Seau, Ray Nitchske, and the omnipresent Mike Singletary. The only way the Giants have a chance at winning is if they keep the Patriots off the field, and hope their elderly linebackers break down attempting to bring down Brandon Jacobs' 6-foot-5 frame.

CR: Asante Samuel. He's a vital piece of the Patriots' defensive scheme and should be able to have a big day disrupting the Giants passing game.

EN: Ahmad Bradshaw. The backup running back will come in and run right past the New England defense. He will be too quick for the old, slow Patriots to stop. He also might make an impact on special teams on kickoff returns.

SM: For the Giants, Ahmad Bradshaw. Have you forgotten the performance Bradshaw gave as he played the Bills? He ran 88 yards for one touchdown, not to mention he produced 151 rushing yards. Alongside Brandon Jacobs during the playoffs, he's had 39 carries for 163 yards. For the Patriots, I'd say Bill Bellichek's pay-by-the-hour cameraman. You never know what a wide-angle lens can do for you.

DS: Kevin Boss. The Patriots will line up one of their aging linebackers to cover him one-on-one. Once Eli establishes Boss as a receiving threat, this will open up the possibility of hitting Plaxico, Amani, and Steve Smith deep.

Who will be MVP of the game?

AR: Tom Brady. Is there any other option?

CR: Tom Brady. Like Manning last year, Brady will need to be just good enough to earn the honors. He's been the catalyst of the Patriots assault all year, and he'll win voters hearts over if he can play a decent game, especially on his supposed sprained ankle.

EN: Dominic Hixon should set the Giants up with great field position on punts. I can see Hixon returning a punt late in the fourth quarter with a game-winning touchdown, sending the Giants to the Big Apple with the Vince Lombardi Trophy.

SM: Eli Manning. Laugh all you want, but the man has not thrown an interception or had a fumble in the playoffs thus far. Tom who?

DS: Michael Strahan will have a couple sacks and numerous hurries in his last game as a Giant.

Who will be the player most likely to choke?

AR: After all the talking that he did throughout the week, I see Plaxico Burress dropping several key passes early in the game, forcing Eli to throw the ball late in the game.

CR: Brandon Jacobs, the Giants running back will bumble, stumble and fumble.

EN: Randy Moss will not live up to the hype and be the superstar player that he was during the regular season. He will drop clutch passes and fall in the biggest game of his career. I can't wait to see him crying as he sits on the bench because he will be the sole reason the Patriots lose.

SM: Tom Brady. There, I said it. Watch him choke twice as bad as President George W. Bush did on that pretzel. I will admit, he is a fantastic quarterback, but the man's head is too big to think straight during the big game.

DS: Wes Welker. He killed the Giants in the regular season, but it won't happen again. His 5-foot-9, 185-pound frame won't be able to handle the pressure.

Who will win the "Eugene Robinson Award" for staying out too late the night before and get caught trying to solicit sex?

AR: Donte' Stallworth takes this award hands down, but he will blame it on his alter-ego, Nicco.

CR: Joe Buck.

EN: Tom Brady will decide to drive to Las Vegas on Saturday Night and get marred to Ines Gomez, from "TV Azteca." She proposed to Brady at Media Day on Tuesday, and Brady will accept the offer. What Brady doesn't know is that his new wife is framing him and is a die-hard Giants fan. She is going to get him really drunk after their wedding so Brady won't wake up in time for the game.

SM: Osi Umenyiora. Now that his ex-girlfriend came out to the media about how Umenyiora would defecate on her for pleasure, one can only imagine what his next endeavor will be.

DS: Stephen Gostkowski will make it rain at all the Phoenix strip clubs all night long, and it will cost him when he is hung-over while kicking a last-second kick to win the game.

Who will win the "Jim Kelly Award" for looking like a deer in headlights during their introduction?

AR: Giants coach Tom Coughlin.

CR: Eli Manning. It's the biggest game of his life, of course he will be a bit overwhelmed when it all begins.

EN: Steve Spagnuolo, the Giants defensive coordinator, will be shocked when the Patriots drive down the field for a touchdown on their first drive. The Giants defensive line won't come to Brady and he will have a field day once again in the first half.

SM: Giants Coach Tom Coughlin. He, like the rest of America, thought he would have been roasted like a Thanksgiving turkey after his team didn't make the playoffs. Miracles can happen. If this award was for after the game, I'd go with the Boston Globe sports staff after they wasted time and money publishing the book 19-0: The Historic Championship Season of New England's Unbeatable Patriots. Wouldn't that suck?

DS: Eli Manning will be as nervous as a 14-year old at his first crush's house, but he will eventually calm down.

How old will Tom Petty look during halftime?

AR: O-L-D.

CR: About 57.

EN: Who cares about Tom Petty? I want the Lingerie Bowl back!

SM: He's going to look like a cross between Jimmy Carter and Cher. Sounds delicious!

DS: Couldn't tell you. I'll be watching Scrubs during halftime.

Which beer company will provide the best commercial during Super Bowl XLII?

AR: I'm going with Budweiser taking this category with the triumphant return of the "WAZZZUP?" commercials.

CR: Bud Light always has some pretty solid ads.

EN: Budweiser always has the best commercial. I can't wait to see what they have lined up for this year.

SM: Bud Light. The rest of our favorite beer companies can never compare.

DS: Bud Light usually has some solid commercials, so I'll pick them.

Who will win the game, and what do you think the score will be?

AR: The Patriots will win and cover the spread 38-17.

CR: New England 31, New York 20. If the Giants win, we will have to live in a world where Eli Manning is a world champion, and will have to deal with the fact that we all wasted our time watching the Patriots all season only to see them lose in the only game that really counts.

EN: I'm rooting for the Giants, so of course I think they are going to win. I say a 31-27 victory for the G-Men! If that occurs, the Patriots don't cover the 12-point spread.

SM: The Giants will shock the world and win Super Bowl XLII 34-31. Lawrence Tynes pulls an Adam Vinatieri and kicks the winner in the final seconds: a classic for the books.

DS: This will be a good game and might mirror the Patriots-Rams game a couple years back. Gostkowski will miss a 49-yard field goal at the end of the game to give the Giants a 37-35 victory.