I have done two New York-area shows this week and two more in Massachusetts, close enough to New York to ask them the following question:

Who are Jets fans rooting for?

Ever since I read this, I thought about it, and I suspected that it would be about 50-50. But I think that might be wrong.

After these radio shows and after talking to some New York friends of mine, I think most of the J-E-T-S people want the Giants. In retrospect, it makes sense. In fact, I think about two-thirds of the country or more are against the Patriots, who have reached the point of toleration in many football fans' minds as far as how much they are winning. Plus, Spygate didn't help.

So I am guessing that about 60 percent or more of Jets fans are rooting -- and that might be too strong a word -- for the Giants, as hard as that might be, to beat the Patriots. Sure, Jets and Giants fans have to see each other every day, but their teams don't face very often. And when it comes down to it, I suspect they would at least feel some pride for their city winning a title.

It also could have a residual effect if the Giants in fact win the game. It puts major pressure on Mangini and Co. to get back to a winning season, seeing as how the Giants went all the way and did so in a season in which they faced serious adversity.

Thoughts? I'd love to hear from Giants/Jets fans on this. 

You know who you are. You called into WFAN at least once a week at some point during the past four years. You wrote a letter to Ernie Accorsi/Jerry Reese explaining why it was time to "end the Eli experiment" and draft Brian Brohm. You once made a "Ten Reasons Why Eli (Insert Word Here)" list and posted it on your Facebook page. You sided with Tiki Barber.

You did all that. Now you are sitting back, basking in the Giants' glory? Do you deserve to?

Aw, sure you do. It's a team game; they always say that. They mean it. Even Tiki has to feel a little proud this morning, doesn't he? (Hmm ... let me think about that one for a moment.)

But it's time to admit it: You, one of you out there, hated Eli at some point. Let's hear from you now.

The guy made his fair share of risky throws last night, but boy, what a performance. He was special. I try not to root in this business, but I was very happy for the guy last night. 

Someone corrected me this morning — it was a great game, but it was an amazing fourth quarter. True enough. One of the best I have seen. In reality, although the first half was captivating from a storyline perspective, the game itself got a little slow.

So today’s mission: Come up with a list of the best four quarters in Super Bowl history.

Here’s a very quick — emphasis on the very, since we are a little busy this week — take on the best fourth quarters in Super Bowl history. I am sure I missed/misevaluated some because of how quickly I threw this together, so please let me now.

I. Super Bowl XXXVIII: Patriots 32, Panthers 29 — Just in terms of sheer insanity, the one that produced 37 combined points and a game-winning kick in the final moments get the vote. This was the game that officially stamped Tom Brady and Adam Vinatieri as two of the greatest clutch players at their respective positions. Doing it twice is not a coincidence.

II. Super Bowl XLII: Giants 17, Patriots 14 — How do you improve on that? Two stagnant offenses finally burst to life, we see improbable catches by No. 4 receivers, Houdini acts by the least limber of quarterbacks and two fantastic drives. Really great drama, finished off with a last-minute touchdown. Eli Manning outplaying Tom Brady? It really did happen, though the Giants' swarming defense had a little something to say about that.

III. Super Bowl XXXVI: Patriots 20, Rams 17 — The gutsy Patriots start running out of gas, and you can just feel the Rams starting to pick up momentum. I remember when Bill Belichick called his final timeout with 6-7 minutes left, I thought it was a silly error. But his team was whipped. The Rams come back to tie it, and if the game goes to overtime, they win. Period. Instead, the then-boyish Brady “goes out there and slings it” as Drew Bledsoe tells him to, and Vinatieri hits the piece-of-cake 48-yarder.

IV. Super Bowl XXXIV: Rams 23, Titans 16 — Really, it was a boring first half. The Rams dominated yet led only 9-0. They made it 16-0 before the Titans put on one of the more gutsy comebacks in Super Bowl history, tying it at 16-all with 2:12 to play … only to watch Kurt Warner strike immediately back with a 73-yard bomb to Isaac Bruce … only to see Steve McNair and Co. race back themselves … only to see their dreams of tying the game — Would they have gone for two? Sources say no — come up one yard short. I moved this one up the list from where I had it originally: seventh.

V. Super Bowl XXV: Giants 20, Bills 19 — It played out almost like the game above, only the losing team got the ball last. Belichick used the same gameplan in this game as he later did to the Rams in XXXVI. It might actually have been the best overall fourth quarter’s worth of action, but I hate to rank one so high with a missed kick at the end. By you know who.

VI. Super Bowl XXXII: Broncos 31, Packers 24 — People might forget just how good this one was, but it ended a classic. It was tied three times, at 7-all, 17-all and 24-all, the last time in the fourth when the Packers allowed Terrell Davis to score with just under two minutes left to give Brett Favre a chance. Before that, of course, there was the great John Elway helicopter scramble. And John Mobley’s batted pass ended the game.

VII: Super Bowl XXIII: 49ers 20, Bengals 16 — Another one that I almost put higher on the list, and it was a great game overall, but this one can be boiled down to the final drive — the “John Candy Drive” as I like to call it. You know what? Eli’s final drive last night was a lot like Joe Montana’s drive in this game. Let those words sink in for a moment.

VIII: Super Bowl X: Steelers 21, Cowboys 17 — One of the most watched Bowls ever (last night surpassed it), X was a classic of two heavyweights, and who could forget the bomb to Lynn Swann that made his career? He’s in the Hall of Fame for many reasons, but that play, I feel, got him in. Look at his career numbers compared to other HOFers; they are not close. The Cowboys, though, stormed back and could have won on the final play, but Steelers S Glen Edwards picked off Roger Staubach in the end zone.

IX: Super Bowl XIII: Steelers 35, Cowboys 31 — Another great rally. Down 35-17 with under seven minutes left, Staubach threw for two TD passes; the Cowboys even recovered an onsides kick to get the ball back, a Super Bowl rarity. They tried another one, but Rocky Bleier fell on it to end the game. And I hate to say it, but the signature moment was Jackie Smith’s dropped pass in the end zone. The Cowboys kicked a field goal and lost by four. Ouch.

X. Super Bowl V, Baltimore Colts 16, Cowboys 13 — Unofficially the ugliest Super Bowl of all time with all the turnovers and penalties, but V still came down to a last-second kick by Jim O’Brien, a rookie. The Cowboys led, 13-6, at half. But the Colts intercepted two passes in the second half and took the game. I put this one on reluctantly. I almost chose Super Bowl XVI, the first Bengals-49ers matchup, but that was a weird game. I also thought about XIV, Rams-Steelers, but the third quarter was the meat. XVII was pretty solid football, with about 34 John Riggins gut runs, but it lacked drama. What can I say? I go for the cheap thrills over substance every time!

Seriously, if I was a Giants player who worked his tail off to win this Super Bowl, I would be pretty pissed that one of the lamest celebrities of the 20th century is in the front row and I am in the back. What a joke.

So far, this post-parade celebration is seriously lacking so far. I expect far more out of angry New Yorkers! 

Teams can begin franchising their players today. Here are the one-year salary numbers for each position:

Quarterback: $10.7 million
Cornerback: $9.5 million
Defensive end: $8.8 million
Linebacker: $8.1 million
Wide receiver: $7.8 million
Offensive line: $7.4 million
Running back: $6.5 million
Defensive tackle: $6.3 million
Tight end: $4.5 million
Safety: $4.4 million
Kicker: $2.5 million

Among the players who likely could be franchised include Jared Allen, Randy Moss, Albert Haynesworth, Nnamdi Asomugha, Terrell Suggs, Marcus Trufant, Jordan Gross, Dallas Clark and others. Players such as Asante Samuel, Lance Briggs and Justin Smith are not expected to be tagged, either because of a previous agreement by their respective teams to not take that action or because the team is expected to go in a different direction. 

This from the New York Giants' PR department:

Steve Spagnuolo To Remain With Giants
By Michael Eisen
 
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – In a decision that will thrill his players, fellow coaches and fans, Steve Spagnuolo will remain the defensive coordinator of the Super Bowl champion Giants.
 
Spagnuolo spent Tuesday night and much of yesterday speaking with Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder about that team’s head coaching position. But after much thought, he has decided to stay with the Giants.
 
“I appreciated Mr. Snyder giving me the opportunity to visit with him,” Spagnuolo said. “I have a great deal of respect for him and the Washington Redskins organization. I was happy to have the opportunity to explore that situation, but I am equally happy to be staying in New York and look forward to continued success with the Giants.”
 
The 2007 season was Spagnuolo’s first as the Giants’ defensive coordinator. Under his direction, the defense improved from 25th to seventh in the NFL rankings, allowing 305.0 yards per game compared to 342.4 the previous season. The Giants rose from 29th to 11th in pass defense (going from 228.1 yards allowed a game to 207.3) and from 14th to eighth in run defense (114.4 to 97.7).
 
Spagnuolo and the Giants defense did their best work in the playoffs, particularly in last Sunday’s 17-14 victory over New England in Super Bowl XLII. The Patriots’ 14 points was their lowest output in 25 games (since Dec. 10, 2006). New England had averaged almost 37 points a game in the regular season. The Patriots averaged 411.3 yards a game, but totaled only 274 in the Super Bowl. They rushed for only 45 yards and did not have a run longer than nine yards. Tom Brady, sacked just 21 times all year, was tackled for losses five times in the Super Bowl and was hit another 18 times by the relentless Giants defense.
 
The unit’s success brought Spagnuolo some newfound fame. When the Giants’ players and coaches were introduced Tuesday at a ceremony at City Hall in Manhattan and later in Giants Stadium, the ovations Spagnuolo received were among the longest and loudest.
 
Now those same fans can cheer the fact that he’s staying put.
 
“I thought Steve and our defensive staff and players did an outstanding job this season,” Coach Tom Coughlin said. “It was the first season for that group to work together, and they challenged themselves to get better every week, and they did. Steve is a hard worker who has quickly earned the respect of the players and coaches, and he has earned the consideration he is being given. Needless to say, I am happy that he will be remaining here.”
 
"A year ago, Tom hired Steve because people that Tom trusts told him that Steve is a no-nonsense, hard-working, energetic young coach,” team President and Chief Executive Officer John Mara said. “And Tom liked the fact that Spags had earned his stripes every step of the way in his coaching career. Steve demonstrated all of that and more this season, and we have made the appropriate adjustments in our commitment to Steve in recognition of what he and the defensive coaches and players achieved this season.”

And he was, as I at one point suspected but naturally forgot to add this morning ... enjoy your "new" toy, Donovan.

From the Eagles' PR staff:

The Philadelphia Eagles today announced they have placed the franchise tag on TE L.J. Smith. Smith was scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent on February 29. 
 
If Smith were to receive a contract offer from another club, the Eagles would have 7 days to match the offer. If they choose not to match the offer, then the Eagles would receive two first-round draft choices as compensation. If Smith re-signs with Philadelphia, he would receive a one-year contract equivalent to the average of the top five highest paid players at his position in the league.
 
“L.J. Smith has been a very productive tight end in our offense,” said head coach Andy Reid. “He is healthy and working his tail off so he can have a very successful 2008 season.”
 
Smith, 27, has caught 194 passes for 2,227 yards and 15 touchdowns during his five-year career in Philadelphia. A 2nd round draft pick from Rutgers in 2003, Smith has played in 73 games (53 starts) and 7 playoff contests. Smith endured an injury-plagued season in 2007 to post 22 receptions for 236 yards and one touchdown in 10 games. 

We're going to be doing a little site maintenance, and that includes this blog, so I will not be posting until Sunday. I expect a few moves to happen over the weekend that we can talk about then. In the meantime, with the draft a mere 78 days away, I leave you with this important training video:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=nd0ToNwccl4 

First, a tip of the cap to the Washington Post for their quite apt headline: Quarterback Sneak. Perfect. Couldn't have done better. I wonder if my old friend Cindy Boren had a little something to do with that. Cindy? Did ya? Even Jim Zorn, in his press conference, made mention of it.

OK, so let's talk about what lies ahead. First of all, I don't think the guy will be over his head, but he does have some things working against him. The biggest is that he has never run a team before. That's the thing about a head coach that few owners realize: they essentially are project managers. They might have been the best laborers for their entire careers, specialists at a given task, but that doesn't mean that they can run an entire ship.

Even though the Redskins have a front office that deals with such things, the salary cap will cause some early headaches. The team is well over now, and though some smart bookkeeping -- especially with Chris Cooley's contract -- should alleviate a good chunk of that immediately, the team won't have as much success taking the fantasy-football approach to offseasons as it has before.

The second is the draft. Though the Redskins have all but one of their 2008 picks as of now, the team depth has been hindered drastically by the dearth of picks (most given away in poor trades) in the past five years. Zorn will have a talented but lean roster.

And getting this staff in order, which includes hiring an offensive coordinator, is a big chore. The team has to get together quickly in order to move on the offseason. Free agency starts in two-and-a-half weeks, and the Combine is closer than that.

We'll have more on this fascinating development later on the main site ... 

We find ourselves in an era of our sports waging their battles as much in courtrooms and government buildings as we do in arenas and stadiums. Baseball's folly took center stage with the Roger Clemens hearings yesterday, and now Roger Goodell and Arlen Specter are meeting about a ruling that was done and over in mid-September. There is no separation of sport and state these days.

Specter wants to know why Goodell destroyed the tapes from Spygate. I want to know why Specter only now is questioning the commissioner on this. Because he's upset that his Eagles lost the Super Bowl three years ago? Any why is the commish relenting to Specter? Because it's the offseason and he has more time on his hands?

How about the timing of Specter's rant? Hmm, right before the Super Bowl. Had to be a coincidence that the Patriots were playing in the game that beholds the nation's attention like no other.

I have had no prior reason to suspect that Specter is grandstanding for his own benefit, unless you count the Bush White House wiretapping stuff of a couple years ago. I just think the man has overextended his reach with this time- and headline-consuming investigation.

Someone needs to explain to me why he is so heavily and personally involved in this. Explain to me why he is taking issue in a private business that already has been settled. I am sure I will hear from some old friends of the blog who believe Bill Belichick is a lying, guilty thief on this, and if new evidence surfaces, perhaps I'll eat crow.

But for now, I don't see why the senior senator from Pennsylvania is making it his personal mission to investigate something that the league had closed its books on.