And it all comes down to this... Super Bowl XLVI

I am no Patriots fan. And I am certainly no Giants fan.

However, I'm sure Patriots and Giants fans alike can agree that the references to the '08 Super Bowl are getting old, to say the least. As a practicing sports journalist, I understand that storylines and making connections to the great history of the game are ever important, but enough is enough.

Photo retrieved from Google Images

Once the Conference Championship matchups were set--Ravens-Patriots and 49ers-Giants--there was essentially no hope. The Super Bowl was destined to be one of two things: "The Harbaugh Bowl" or "The Rematch." To be honest, I was hoping for the former because that would have at least made for a justified media hysteria, and it's just an intriguing story. "The Rematch," on the other hand, is an over-emphasized story that really has nothing to do with the guys who will be on the field Sunday.

Aside from my little rant about the media, there is a game to be played.

Who would have thought it would be Eli who would be playing in his second Super Bowl in the house that Peyton built against Peyton's former rival, Tom Brady? Seemingly out of nowhere, Eli has become one of the game's elite quarterbacks armed with three outstanding receivers--Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham. With the double-teams and covering packages that are expected from the Patriots' secondary on Nicks and Cruz, look for Manningham to have a big game. Plus, with Ahmad Bradshaw and Brandon Jacobs getting back into form lately, the G-Men's offense has been almost unstoppable.

Not to mention their elite defensive front line with guys like Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora.

With all that being said, it must seem like I am picking the Giants to win. False. The Patriots have one thing the Giants don't... Tom Brady.

Patriots win 28-24.