The Acorn's Super Bowl XLII showdown: Giants vs. Patriots
Sportswriters Thomas Gase and Stephen Dorman discuss Sunday's big game in Arizona

Gase

Outlook: In his biography "The GM," former New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi apologizes for his team's performance in Super Bowl XXXV, a 34-7 loss to the Baltimore Ravens in January of 2001, by saying, "I'd like to blame our offensive game plan, but I'm not sure we had one."

If you thought that Super Bowl was terrible, I've got some bad news: It's going to be even more difficult to watch New York in Super Bowl XLII.

Since the Giants were blown out in their last trip to the title game, their opponent Sunday, the New England Patriots, have won three championships. By the time Tom Petty is playing "Free Fallin'" at halftime, New England will be well on its way to another Lombardi Trophy.

Look, let's get one thing straight, I think New England will win, but I don't like those guys one bit. They've admitted to cheating, they run up scores, and for me, being an Oakland Raiders' fan, Randy Moss is public enemy No. 1.

And I know I'm biased, but I've looked at every camera angle in the world, and the controversial neverbeforehaveweeverusedthistuckrulebutwe'regoingtocallitnowsoOaklanddoesn't-win-this-playoff-game call in the 2002 postseason is still a fumble.

Dorman

The Giants, who've won all three of their playoff games on the road much like the Pittsburgh Steelers did two years ago, proved they can compete with New England when they lost to the Patriots, 3835, in Week 17.

New England, however, will not be denied this weekend. They've done too much and gone too far to lose a game now. It would be like Meriwether Lewis turning to face William Clark before reaching Oregon and saying, "You know what, I'm good. Let's go. I've seen enough."

Face it, the Patriots are the best team of all time. Better than the 1975 Pittsburgh Steelers, the '85 Chicago Bears and, yes, even the '72 Miami Dolphins, who have officially run out of champagne glasses.

Tom Brady is the best quarterback in the league, and Moss is the best wide receiver (when he's not playing in Oakland). The Patriots' running game isn't too shabby, either, with Laurence Maroney and Kevin Faulk toting the rock.

During the regular season, New England's defense ranked second in the NFL by allowing 20 points per game.

Most importantly, I don't think Patriots head coach Bill Belichick can lose a game if he's been able to study his playbook- and possibly the Giants'- for two weeks.

MVP: Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.

Final score: 38-17, New England.

Best Super Bowl snack: Mrs. Finkle's football cookies (laces out) from "Ace Ventura: Pet Detective."

Contact Thomas Gase at tgase@theacorn.com.

Outlook: I remember the last time the New York Giants won the world championship of professional football. It was on Jan. 27, 1991.

Super Bowl XXV between the Giants and Buffalo Bills is remembered for a lot of things- Whitney Houston's mindblowing rendition of the national anthem and Bills kicker Scott Norwood pushing the gamewinner wide right in the final seconds immediately come to mind.

For me, though, there is one lasting image of that game that still haunts my life to this day- and, no, it wasn't the kick, even though I was a Bills backer at the time.

What killed me about that Super Bowl was the halftime show, which has to go down as the game's worst of all time- way worse than Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction and slightly worse than Mick Jagger's 60-year-old-in-a-belly-shirt act from a few years back.

Let me refresh your memories, friends: It was New Kids on the Block.

It's difficult to fathom, I know. But why bring this terrible tragedy up now, more than 17 years after the fact?

Well, the first reason is because none of us need to worry about another lame halftime show this year, a la the '91 fiasco. That's because Tom Petty is on stage, and you know he'll deliver.

The second reason is because Petty's probably the only person I'm rooting for on that Arizona field.

Like many of my countrymen, I can't stomach the perfect Patriots. Tom Brady? The guy's a modern day Richard Grieco with a cannon right arm. Yuck.

Could Patriots head coach Bill Belichick be any more unlikable outside of Boston? Granted, the man is an unbelievable coach, but he's also as smug as they come and a convicted cheat- let us never forget "Spygate."

Do I have an axe to grind with New England? You bet I do. They've knocked my team out of the playoffs for two straight years. Boo!!! Patriots!!! Boo!!!

And then there's New York quarterback Eli Manning, brother of Peyton.

Ever since Eli stabbed San Diego in the back prior to the 2004 NFL Draft I've loathed the kid. Today my bubbling nausea hasn't subsided an inch.

Still, Eli is only one man, and I thoroughly enjoyed the people of New York upon a recent visit to the city. So, with that in mind, I, along with many other hardworking Americans, am pulling for the Giants, winners of an NFL-record 10 consecutive road games.

And rest assured that if the Patriots win, I'll be the first to claim conspiracy theory.

MVP: Giants wideout Plaxico Burress.

Score: 28-27, New York.

Best Super Bowl snack: Crockpot spicy pecans. Oh yeah.

Contact Stephen Dorman at sdorman@theacorn.com.