49ers Fumble Super Bowl Chance, Giants Win 20-17

Big game miscues lead to angry online backlash

(NEWSER) - San Francisco fans weren't happy with Kyle Williams last night—and they let him hear it online. After Williams fumbled two punts to essentially cost the 49ers the NFC Championship game, fans lit into him on Twitter, telling him to kill himself and/or "burn in hell," Mashable reports. Perhaps the most ridiculous came from @javpasquel, who tweeted, "@KyleWilliams_10. I hope you, youre(sic) wife, kids and family die, you deserve it." More»

Victim wore 'F*** the 49ers' shirt

(NEWSER) - Wearing a "F*** the 49ers" T-shirt to a 49ers game wasn't the brightest idea, but it could prove deadly for a man shot two to four times in the stomach last night following a preseason game against the Oakland Raiders. The 24-year-old is in critical condition, reports the San Francisco Chronicle . Police detained a 20-something in Raiders attire on a party bus a short time later. A second man was shot in a parking lot; it's unclear if the two shootings were related, though police believe all three men attended the game at Candlestick Park. More»

Struggling QB overcomes three turnovers to improve playoff chances

(NEWSER) - Eli Manning pulled his team out of a hole he helped dig, leading the Giants on two long fourth-quarter drives to dig out of a 9-point deficit, then watching his defense close out a 21-16 victory over Chicago. Manning had three turnovers despite a more conservative offense that saw more rushing attempts and short passes, reports the Times. Derrick Ward had 154 yards rushing for Big Blue. More»

Lighter, sleeker look, but only Seattle made big changes

(NEWSER) - The NFL unveiled its new, Nike-designed uniforms yesterday, bringing a sleeker look and new, drier fabrics to the gridiron, reports CBS News . The Nike partnership with the NFL is new, taking over after years of Reebok uniforms. "I love them,'' said Commissioner Roger Goodell. "I love them, first, because it starts with the performance part of them. Talking to the players, they don't want to take them off. They love 'em." More»

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 .