Congratulations to the New York Giants and it's fans on their Super Bowl XLVI win over the New England Patriots.

Be sure to get your NY Giants Super Bowl XLVI championship merchandise.

Here are our predictions for who will win Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday night between the New York Giants and New England Patriots. We will also give our picks for who we think wins the Super Bowl XLVI MVP.

Ian: New England Patriots 34 New York Giants 23

Coming off of a great defensive effort against the Ravens in the AFC Championship, I think the Patriots defense will step up again in this one.

MVP: TE Aaron Hernandez

With Rob Gronkowski seemingly healthy, I think the Giants will be focused on him as well as Wes Welker leaving Hernandez open for Tom Brady to find and put up some great numbers.

Steve: New England Patriots 30 New York Giants 28

The game will be a tight battle with teams pretty much answering each other when they score.  In the 4th quarter the Giants forge a small lead only to see it vaporize in the final seconds on Patriots field goal.

MVP: WR Chad Ochocinco, New England

You see that right.  Something tells me he could very well be a house on fire on Sunday and if he is it will be spectacular.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII.

The New England Patriots made a roster move on Saturday, just 24 hours before Super Bowl XLVI against the New York Giants.

In what to some seems like a shocking move, the Patriots cut WR Tiquan Underwood and signed DE Alex Silvestro from the practice squad.  The move was not disciplinary in nature and was made to give New England depth on the defensive line as the game goes deeper.

Look at the move this way, by cutting Underwood now, he was able to spend the entire week in Indianapolis with his teammates and family.  He got to be involved in all the team and league activities, he is in the team picture and should New England win on Sunday, he will surely be awarded a ring for his contributions this season.

While to many it seems like a cold and heartless move by Bill Belichick, it really should be looked at as a reward by doing it now.  Belichick could have cut him a week ago and left him in Foxboro but he came along was part of the team.  Tomorrow will be no different for him then if he were inactive and not dressing.

I’m sure Underwood is disappointed, personally and professionally, but he is a professional and went on Twitter and made these statements:

“This Is Nothing But MOTIVATION…I Been Thru A LOT…But There Are Ppl in This World w/More Serious Problems So I Can’t Hang The Head…Thank You Lord.  Good Luck to The New England Organization, The Coaches, & All My Teammates.”

For those out there who are saying the Giants should claim Underwood, they can't. They'll have to wait until Monday when he clears waivers.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: AP Photo

The Professional Football Hall of Fame made the call for Curtis Martin on Saturday making him the 29th modern-era running back to be elected to Canton,

Martin, a 3rd round pick by the New England Patriots in 1995 out of the University of Pittsburgh, spent his first three seasons with the Patriots.  In 1995 he was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and following the 1996 season he played in his lone Super Bowl, a Patriots loss to Green Bay in Super Bowl XXXI.

After playing for New England in 1997, he left as a free agent signing with the rival New York Jets, rejoining his former Patriots coach Bill Parcells in the Meadowlands.  He was a restricted free agent and signed a six-year, $36 million contract, which New England declined to match.

In his first seven years in New York, he missed just one game allowing him to rush for 1,000 yards or more in each of his first 10 NFL seasons.

Martin finished his career with 14,101 rushing yards, fourth all-time and 90 TD’s.  He was a 5-time Pro Bowl selection and a 5-time All-Pro.  He is a recipient of the NFL’s Ed Block Courage Award, FedEx Ground Player of the Year, Bart Starr Man of the Year Award and is in the New York Jets Ring of Honor.

After saying many times, “don’t put him in the Hall of Fame just yet”, Bill Parcells, Martin’s former coach, will get to exactly that as he will present him for induction on August 4 in Canton OH. Others being inducted that day will be Jack Butler, Dermontti Dawson, Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy and Willie Roaf.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: NESN.com

So said Giants.com earlier on Saturday afternoon as it publicized sales for the Super Bowl winning t-shirts, hats and other items.

Intrepid Patriots fan, Jeff Frias, caught the site, made a screen grab and passed it on to the Boston media.  For good measure, I sent it to the Patriots.

I’d bet my private parts that Bill Belichick has this item in his possession and will mention it this evening at the team meeting.  He is a master motivator and prior to Super Bowl XXXVI he used the Rams victory parade announcement and route to tweak his team.

I leave you with this from Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez’s Twitter account. “One more day until they let me out of my cage.”

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

Photo credit: Jeff Frias @SOURCE_FRIAS

This Week

The New England Patriots face the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana on Sunday at 6:30 p.m.

The Patriots (15-3) were 9-1 at home, 6-2 on the road, 5-1 against the AFC East, 1-1 against the AFC North, 1-0 against the AFC South and 5-0 against the AFC West for a 12-2 record vs. the AFC.  They are 3-1 against the NFC East.  They are the AFC Champions and the conferences top seed.

The Giants (12-7) were 7-3 on the road, 5-4 at home, 3-3 vs. the NFC East, 1-1 vs. the NFC North, 1-1 vs. the NFC South and 3-2 vs. the NFC West for a 8-7 record vs. the NFC.  They were 4-0 vs. the AFC East.  They are the NFC Champions and the conferences 4th seed.

Officiating Crew

John Parry is the game referee for Super Bowl XLVI.  He will work with an All-Star crew of officials from other NFL crews.

Parry has not officiated a game involving the Giants or the Patriots this season.

The other on field officials for the game are:

• Umpire - Carl Paganelli
• Head Linesman - Tom Stabile
• Line Judge - Gary Arthur
• Field Judge - Gary Cavaletto
• Back Judge - Tony Steratore
• Side Judge - Laird Hayes

The Line/Prediction

As of Thursday the line on the game from Yahoo! Sports has the Patriots at MINUS 3.  The over under is 54.

My Prediction is PATRIOTS 30, GIANTS, 28. Take the points (GIANTS) and take the over.  I am 10-7-1 against the spread and 13 of 18 on calling the over/under in 2011.

MVP: WR Chad Ochocinco, New England

Tickets

Looking for Super Bowl tickets?  The Boston Globe has some information on what is available through Ace Ticket the official Patriots ticket agency.

Getting to the Game

If you’re lucky enough to be going to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis make sure you check out the links.

A list of Super Bowl XLVI hotel deals and Indianapolis visitor information.

Here is the up to date weather forecast from the Weather Channel for Indianapolis IN.

Click for all the game day information including stadium directions, parking information and map and a Lucas Oil Stadium seating chart.

Game Entertainment

Former American Idol winner and pop recording star Kelly Clarkson, backed by a children’s choir, will sing the National Anthem prior to the game.

Pop Icon Madonna is the halftime entertainment for Super Bowl XLVI.  She will possibly perform with M.I.A. and Nicki Minaj who are on her new single.

Husband and wife country artists Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert will perform “America the Beautiful” prior to the game.

The Indiana University Marching Hundred will perform during the pregame ceremonies.

Tailgating

Here’s a bunch of different tailgating recipes from Tailgating.com.  There’s something there for everyone and every type of meal or snack.  I’ve tried some of the recipes and they’re very good.

And with tailgating many people enjoy some adult beverages.  With that in mind check out Drink Nation for how to make all sorts of great drinks.  You can look things up by name, ingredient(s) or theme.

Whether it’s at the game, a bar or a friend’s house moderation is always the key to a great time.  Please don’t drink and drive and designate a sober driver.  Remember You Drink, You Drive, You Lose.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Television

NBC is televising the game nationally and Al Michaels will do play by play, Cris Collinsworth will provide the game analysis while Alex Flanagan and Michele Tafoya will work the sidelines.  You can look here for your local affiliate.

Here are all the rules on NFL TV broadcasts including explaining the blackout rules, flex scheduling and commercial breaks.

Radio

The Patriots Radio Network broadcasts the game from flagship station WBZ-FM, 98.5 the Sports Hub in Boston. Gil Santos handles the play-by-play, former Patriot Gino Cappelletti does the color and new this year Scott Zolak will man the sidelines. It all starts with Gary Tanguay, Andy Gresh and Zolak with the pregame show at 3 p.m. along the network. The post game starts after the final gun and continues for three hours along the network.

The Patriots radio network call is available on Sirius Channel 86, XM Channel 226 and on SiriusXM Internet Channel 879.

The Giants Radio network has Bob Papa calling play-by-play and former Giant Carl Banks provides the color via their flagship station WFAN.  Their call is available on Sirius Channel 92, XM Channel 225 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 881.

The game will also be broadcast to a national audience by Westwood One Radio Sports. Kevin Harlan and Boomer Esiason will call the game, while James Lofton and Mark Malone will provide sideline analysis.  You can hear the Westwood One feed on Sirius Channel 88, XM Channel 88 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 88.

You can also pick up the following feeds on the game as well:

• BBC - Sirius Channel 93, XM Channel 227 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 861.
• Spanish - Sirius Channel 149, XM Channel 234, XM in Espanol Channel 550 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 870 and 950.
• Chinese - Sirius Channel 139, XM Channel 231 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 866.
• Japanese - Sirius Channel 94, XM Channel 228 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 862.
• German - Sirius Channel 138, XM Channel 233 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 865.
• Hungarian - Sirius Channel 113, XM Channel 235 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 869.
• Portuguese - Sirius Channel 137, XM Channel 230 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 864.
• Russian - Sirius Channel 117, XM Channel 236 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 868.
• Dutch - Sirius Channel 134, XM Channel 229 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 863.
• French - Sirius Channel 136, XM Channel 232 and SiriusXM Internet Channel 867.

Patriots All Access

Patriots All-Access features behind the scenes looks, interviews and breakdowns with head coach Bill Belichick and in depth features on the team.  It’s hosted by Steve Burton of WBZ-TV (Boston) and airs weekly in most New England television markets.

• Boston MA on TV 38 Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.
• Providence RI on WNAC Friday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 9 a.m.
• Manchester NH on WMUR Saturday at midnight
• Portland ME on WMTW Sunday at 5 a.m.
• Hartford CT on WCTX Saturday at 5 p.m.
• Springfield MA on WFXQ Saturday at 7 p.m.
• Bangor ME on WVII Sunday at 11 a.m.

You can also watch it anytime on the teams website in the media section.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

With Super Bowl XLVI between the New England Patriots and New York Giants approaching quickly, it's time for us to hear from our pal and yours, Fitzy, about the Big Game. As usual, Fitzy's video's are NSFW.

Follow Ian on Twitter @soxanddawgs. And be sure to like us on Facebook as well.

Tuesday was media day at the Super Bowl as both the Patriots and Giants met with the media, legit and otherwise.  There were 18 podium stations set up for the major players and coaches while others milled about being interviewed.

As with any media day there are always some nuggets that come from it.

Giants safety Antrel Rolle said that the Giants team has come to Indianapolis expecting to win the game. “We are not going to be denied.”

New England TE Rob Gronkowski came out of his walking boot on Monday night and it won’t go back on the rest of the week.  As Gronk continually put it he and his injury are “day-to-day”.

Extra’s Maria Menounos, who was wearing a Patriots jersey, told Gronk that she has a wager that if the Giants win she has to wear a Giants bikini. Gronk said it was nice to know there could be a positive if the Patriots lose.

Giants LB Matthias Kiwanuka is an Indianapolis native and gets to play the biggest game of his career in front of his family and friends.  He missed out on Super Bowl XLII due to a fractured left fibula that put him on the IR.

Patriots T Matt Light and G Sebastian Vollmer did not partake in the media day due to illnesses and offensive assistant Josh McDaniels was not made available.

New York DE Osi Umenyiora said “Matt Light please get well soon, I hope to see you on Sunday.  You are one of my greatest friends.”  Umenyiora and Light go at each other pretty good on the field.

New England offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia loves rookie T Nate Solder. “How could you want anything more out of a young kid than we have this year?”

Scarnecchia added in his comments that T Sebastian Vollmer who has been hurt is expected to play on Sunday.  “Sea Bass” and Pro-Bowl G Brian Waters make a formidable right side of the offensive line.  Vollmer has played in just 6 games this season.

New York RB Brandon Jacobs said during media day that WR Plaxico Burress wanted to sign with Giants, not the Jets, when he was a free agent last summer.  He added he doesn’t see Burress returning to the Jets next season due to all the locker room turmoil.

He didn’t have a podium but Patriots WR Chad Ochocinco drew a crowd of nearly 50 reporters on the field after he slinked in a little late for media day.  Taking up some space between the podiums for WR Matthew Slater and TE Aaron Hernandez he answered questions.

Asked several times if he was disappointed to finally reach a Super Bowl in a season when his production was down, Ochocinco replied, “if I had 100 catches and 1,000 yards I’d probably be home in January.  After a ten-year span I finally had a year where it didn’t go well.  I did everything I was supposed to do.  I bought in…But I didn’t write the script.”

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII

With the Super Bowl quickly approaching there’s lots of little nuggets and tidbits of information you may have missed so this is our attempt at trying to keep you informed of the minutia.

Let me know what you think about the rematch, I’m interested in your thoughts I’d love to use some in another post.  You can leave them in the comments of this post, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or tweet them to me.  I look forward to your opinions regardless of what team you root for.

A Hartford, CT animal control officer was one of the winners of the Patriots “Super Bowl for Super People” contest.

Patriots G Donald Brown has a rubber ducky collection and he plans on taking them to Indianapolis.

Patriots TE Aaron Hernandez has played for some famous coaches, Bill Belichick, Urban Meyer and UConn’s Geno Auriemma.

Gifts were all around in the Patriots locker room this weekend before leaving for Indianapolis.  Apparently QB Tom Brady bought each player a pair of the Uggs Boots he endorses, while WR Chad Ochocinco bought 70 pairs of Dr. Dre’s Beats Headphones, valued at $400 each, for all the players and coaches.  That’s $28,000 worth of headphones.

Here is a picture of the Lucas Oil Stadium field with the end zones and logos painted.

Patriots director of pro personnel Jason Licht lost out on the general managers job with Chicago Bears, who selected Kansas City Chiefs director of college scouting Phil Emery.  Emery, a former area scout for the Bears, has worked with former Patriots execs Thomas Dimitroff in Atlanta and Scott Pioli in Kansas City.

To continue reading, click on the read more button below if you're on the home page.

With the Super Bowl quickly approaching, there’s lots of little nuggets and tidbits of information you may have missed. So this is our attempt at trying to keep you informed of the minutia.

Let me know what you think about the rematch, I’m interested in your thoughts I’d love to use some in another post.  You can leave them in the comments of this post, email them to me or tweet them to me.  I look forward to your opinions regardless of what team you root for.

When the Patriots and Giants meet on February 5th it will be 3 months since the Patriots last lost a football game.  That was Week 9 in Foxboro to the Giants.

According to Bill Belichick’s girlfriend Linda Holliday’s twitter account, there will be no red hoodie in Indy.

The Patriots under Belichick are 7-2 in the playoffs when having a bye week.  Their only losses are in Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants and in the 2010 playoffs to the New York Jets.

The Patriots also average nearly a full touchdown more in margin of victory when coming off a playoff bye.

How last years debacles in Dallas lead to this years Social Media monitoring hub at the Super Bowl via Fang’s Bites.

Fang’s Bites gives us this as well, NBC Sports Group coverage plans for Super Bowl XLVI.

Massachusetts Senator John Kerry has bet New England clam chowder against a New York cheesecake from New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.

Senator Kerry urges Sunbeam Television and DirecTV to come to a settlement before the Super Bowl or some Boston area fans will be blacked out from the game.

The NFL will be tracking tweets about the Super Bowl under the primary hashtag of #SB46.

The NFL owners have extended Commissioner Roger Goodell’s contract through 2018.

Will Chad Ochocinco dress for the Super Bowl after being inactive for the AFC Championship Game?

Tom Brady graces the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated.

This is just the third rematch in Super Bowl history among starting QB’s.  The others were Terry Bradshaw and Roger Staubach (Pittsburgh-Dallas) and Troy Aikman and Jim Kelly (Dallas-Buffalo).  The two previous rematches were won by the same QB both times.

WR Wes Welker got engaged to the former Miss Hooters, Anna Burns.

The Patriots placed practice squad WR Dorin Dickerson on the IR and signed TE Carson Butler to the practice squad.

On Thursday the only players missing from practice were TE Rob Gronkowski and practice squad TE Carson Butler.

Do you want to hear Rex Ryan’s Super Bowl prediction?  Well as of right now you’re going to have to wait.

Baltimore’s Bernard Pollard hopes the Giants “put a thrashing” on the Patriots.

The seating capacity has been set at Lucas Oil Field at 67,000, that’s 35,000 seats less than Super Bowl XLV at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas.

Ann Mara breaks shoulder and is ‘probable’ for the Super Bowl.

Giants Justin Tuck is preparing for an epic Super Bowl.

Looking for Super Bowl tickets?  The Boston Globe has some information on what is available through Ace Ticket.

Which Patriots team is your all-time favorite?  Personally I like the 1-15 Rod Rust squad…hey I’m hopped up on antihistamine.

A list of Super Bowl XLVI hotel deals and Indianapolis visitor information.

Why the Patriots and Giants are the perfect match up.

A portrait of faith for the Patriots.

The Boston Herald’s Karen Guregian has a look back at Super Bowl XLII and it’s affect on the Patriots.

Why everyone else hates the Patriots.

ESPN’s Sports Science took a look at Sterling Moore’s game saving play from the AFC Championship Game.

The Patriots will face the New York Giants on February 5 at 6:30 p.m. at Lucas Oil Stadium in Super Bowl XLVI.  Look for the Sox & Dawgs “In The Red Zone Game Preview” available on the Friday before the game.

Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveMichaelsII