Brady Wins MVP in Landslide

But in Super Bowl XLVI, Manning made a hero of himself

(NEWSER) - Last night's big game was intensely fought, undeniably exciting—and a little mystifying, thanks to Eli Manning's unusual brand of heroism. Analysts weigh in on the game's place in football history:

• Last night brought us "the most Eli Manning moment of Eli Manning’s career." During the game-winning touchdown, we saw "a hero shot in which the conqueror looks totally confused by his conquest," with "arms half-raised in quasi-triumph." His quiet humility was the polar opposite of Tom Brady's "aggro posture," but it remains "difficult to understand," writes Josh Levin at Slate .

Bundchen defends Tom Brady after Patriots' Super Bowl loss

(NEWSER) - Gisele Bundchen made headlines last week when she asked friends and family to pray for her husband's team to win the Super Bowl, but as we all know, those prayers went unheard. Bundchen was decidedly less sappy in her post-game comments last night, caught on tape as she left the VIP suites on her way to comfort Tom Brady. "My husband can not f****ing throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time," she said as she was heckled by Giants fans. "I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times." The Insider has the video. More»

Fans ignore poor weather for send off at Foxboro

(NEWSER) - There's been a Tom Brady sighting—and this time he was neither limping nor wearing a boot. The star quarterback and his teammates today took part in a pep rally at Gillette Stadium before leaving for next week's Super Bowl XLII in Arizona. Today he proclaimed himself ready to play, certainly to the delight of Pats fans everywhere. More»

After subpar game, Patriots QB pops up in NYC, limping in walking boot

(NEWSER) - Tom Brady appears to be a little banged up. Gossip photographers spotted the Patriots QB wearing a walking boot and limping noticeably as he visited girlfriend Gisele Bundchen yesterday in New York City, the Boston Globe reports. Brady dodged questions about the limp and promised to play, saying, “I’d have to be on a stretcher to miss this one.” More»

Ravens miss last-minute, 32-yard field goal

(AP) - Tom Brady has the New England Patriots back in the Super Bowl. The Patriots beat the stunned Ravens 23-20 in the AFC championship game today after Baltimore's Billy Cundiff missed a 32-yard field goal attempt with 11 seconds remaining that would have tied the score. Brady scored the winning touchdown when he leaped over the vaunted Ravens defense in the fourth quarter. More»