NFL Nixes Super Bowl Church Parties

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»

Bizarre Super Bowl myths busted

(NEWSER) - Do Super Bowls really predict presidential elections? Or the stock market? Do they make you hit your wife? People have claimed all of these things over the years, so the Guardian decided to take a look at what it calls "Super Bowl-ology," the "science" of making weird claims about the big game. Here's the score:

• The stock market: This one was invented by sportswriter Leonard Koppet as a joke. He noted that whenever an NFC team won, the Dow rose, and whenever an AFC team won, it tanked. People took it seriously. Upon further review: This actually has worked 80% of the time. Perhaps enough investors are trading on this superstition to make it happen, or maybe it's a coincidence.

2016 could be the year of losers

(NEWSER) - XLVI—the number of Sunday's Super Bowl—may be clunky, but at least it doesn't come with baggage. The NFL is preparing for the 50th Super Bowl in 2016, which will be Super Bowl L. Insiders are wary of T-shirts emblazoned with giant Ls: It could look like fans are just big losers, the Wall Street Journal notes. The "L" hand gesture is more recognizable than ever after TV's Glee adopted it in its logo. Maybe 2016 would "be a nice time to switch over to Arabic numerals," says an ad exec. More»

Mark Herzlich wasn't supposed to walk again after cancer diagnosis

(NEWSER) - Rookie Giants linebacker Mark Herzlich is happier than most to be playing in the Super Bowl: “2 yrs ago I was told I might never walk again. Just WALKED off plane in Indy to play in the Super Bowl. Take That Sh*t Cancer," Herzlich tweeted after arriving in Indianapolis yesterday. Herzlich was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer in 2009. He had been expected to be a first-round draft pick from Boston College, but instead spent the year undergoing treatment, choosing chemotherapy and radiation over a leg amputation that would have ended his dream of playing in the NFL, ABC reports. More»