(Commenting on the games yesterday, because I've got nothing better to do.)

As a Vikings fan, both of the games yesterday were difficult to watch. In that I am all too aware of the feeling of having your gut mangled in several different ways, and both of the games yesterday were stomach punchers similar to many Vikings games of year's past. Moreso the Ravens/Patriots game, because it managed to finagle multiple what-ifs out of the game (what if Lee Evans put forth a little extra effort on the TD he later dropped, what if Cundiff had a little bit extra time to prepare for his kick, or what if he actually made the damn thing) in a way that reminded me all too closely of the 98 NFC Championship game. But the 49ers/Giants game was also miserable, in that the Niners would have won were it not for one single player.

Somehow I was reminded of Charlie Brown and his baseball team, and all the times in which they were on the verge of victory only to have Charlie Brown fail in the absolute pivotal moment.

In essence, the games were riveting, but they were riveting not because of triumph but of abject failure. Which happens... but usually not on the same day in two of the most important games of the season.

Anyway, Giants/Patriots is the Super Bowl. I'll probably end up going for the Patriots, because I appreciate sports villainy through sheer mad genius. But I'm already sick of the "Super Bowl XLII rematch" talk, because it happened 4 years ago and no one cares if the Patriots can exact revenge for the Giants dismantling their perfect season. I mean, no one cares outside of the Northeast (which, conveniently, is where mainstream media is centered).

In any case, the most interesting story this Super Bowl is Peyton Manning, and how screwed he is no matter what happens. If the Patriots win, then Brady will have won another Super Bowl--this time on Manning's turf--providing yet another dagger in that little rivalry. If the Giants win, then Peyton is no longer the best Manning QB of all time. I might find this to be the most interesting storyline since I used to really dislike Manning (for all his brilliance, it annoyed me to no end whenever he would throw a pick and immediately blame the WR), and others might not find it as compelling (since Peyton was probably the second most discussed/analyzed/shouted about topic in the NFL other than Tebow this year)... but it's at least better than talking about the David Tyree catch nonstop for approximately the next 315 hours.