Super Bowl 46: Indianapolis Earns Rave Reviews As Host City For Patriots-Giants

Super Bowl XLVI will be remembered for a lot of things -- from the second win for Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin to the Manningham catch -- but one thing that many are talking about is how great the city of Indianapolis was for those who had to cover the event. The day after the Super Bowl, many sportswriters were buzzing about the tremendous job the city did in hosting a sporting event of this magnitude. Check out the tremendous feedback via Twitter.

Jeff Darlington of NFL.com writes, "I'm convinced all Indy citizens were required to attain a 4-year degree in "How to be Nice" before being allowed into the city. Refreshing."

Jason La Canfora writes, "Biggest winner this week - above and beyond Eli and the Giants - has to be Indy. There will be another Super Bowl here. Tremendous hosts"

ESPN's Adam Schefter says, "Every NFL official and media person I spoke with agreed Indianapolis should become a regular part of Super-Bowl rotation. Super job, Indy."

Will Brinson of CBS Sports writes, "Even the security guards at the Indy airport are super friendly with their pat downs"

Andrew Brandt of the National Football Post posted, "Indy was great, with a major assist from Mother Nature. Humble, Midwestern kindness on display. "Have a Super day!"

Judy Battista of the New York Times wrote, "Heading home...take a bow, Indy. You were spectacular hosts. Hope the game is back here soon."

Perhaps the Indianapolis gig wasn't a one time thing after all.

Super Bowl 46: Average Ticket Price For Giants-Patriots Was $2,500

Super Bowl ticket prices were sky high at one point. For most of us, they remained that way until the end. However, ticket prices did fall to the point where the cheapest available on Stubhub by game time was $750 that someone bought, according to Darren Rovell. The median price, he says, was $2,500 for a ticket. These figures were listed by Stubhub.

"Ticket prices are about 10 percent lower than last year," Stubhub's Joellen Ferrer told CBS Sports. "Which is interesting because you've got Boston, you've got New York and you've got rabid fans. The economy's a little better but I think a couple factors play in: you've got Indianapolis, which is not exactly the easiest city to go into and it's not the destination city that, say, New Orleans or Miami could be."

Next year that could change with New Orleans as the host of the 2013 Super Bowl.

For more on the Giants and their improbable run to become Super Bowl champions, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl appearance, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For news, recaps, videos, GIFs, and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

Super Bowl TV Ratings: Giants And Patriots Not Expected To Set Viewership Record

Super Bowl XLVI was certainly an unforgettable world championship game, with the outcome determined on the final Hail Mary pass from Tom Brady, but it may not have broken last year's record viewership to become the most watched event in American TV history.

Sports Business Journal's John Ourand is reporting that the overnight rating for the game is a 47.8 rating, which is one tenth of a point less than last year's 47.9 rating. In addition, Ourand predicts that the total viewership numbers (released later today) won't eclipse last year's record setting mark by the Steelers and Packers (106.5 million viewers).

The overnight numbers were huge in Boston and New York, obviously, with Beantown scoring a 56.7 over New York's 49.7 rating. So far the biggest ratings winner is Madonna - the overnight rating for her halftime performance is a 48.3, higher than the game's total 47.8.

For more on the Giants and their improbable run to become Super Bowl champions, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl appearance, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog, Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For news, recaps, videos, GIFs, and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

Best Super Bowl 2012 Commercials: Movie Trailers The Avengers, The Dictator Among Best

Movie trailers for the upcoming Summer's suposed big hits are typically released during the Super Bowl and the two that deserve attention is the long-awaited The Avengers film which is to come out May 2012, and after five movies leading up to release Marvel decides to release a mere 10-second teaser trailer, so if you took a bite of pizza or a sip of your beverage you missed it. It doesn't even show all of the key characters in the movie, but here it is anyways:

However, for those who want more here is an official trailer for the film.

The other movie trailer comes form Sasha Baron Cohen who is best known for his role in Borat, and is now playing Shabazz Aladeen who is the most beloved leader from the Republic of Wadiya. The spot was specifically for the Super Bowl as it starts out with Aladeen saying he bought NBC and "I know the final score."

Need more? Check out our full list of Super Bowl 2012 ads and all of our Super Bowl XLVI coverage.

Super Bowl 46: Tom Brady Admits Patriots 'Couldn't Make Enough Plays' With Giants

Tom Brady was able to congratulate the New York Giants for yet another Super Bowl win over his New England Patriots in the last four seasons. This time, he also realized that the Patriots just didn't do enough to win.

"We just didn’t make enough plays," said Brady. "First quarter we didn’t have the ball a ton, second quarter was a little bit better. Third quarter we started well. it came down to the fourth quarter, and they made some plays at the end. We just didn’t make the plays."

The issue for the Patriots were dropped passes down the stretch. Wes Welker, Aaron Hernandez and Deion Branch all failed to grab passes from Brady at key moments down the stretch. While Mario Manningham made an incredible catch down the stretch to get the Giants in position to win, the Patriots' receivers were letting Brady down and kept the Pats from doing the same.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

James Harrison Insults New England Patriots Over Twitter After Super Bowl Loss

There's a time to talk trash. Then there's a time to be classy. James Harrison, for all of his talent playing linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, apparently hasn't learned the art of silence. The Steelers star took to Twitter today to vent an insult against the New England Patriots who lost the Super Bowl to the New York Giants tonight. The offensive statement? Harrison wrote, "Told you, cheaters never win!!!!!!!!!"

Not only does Harrison use exclamation points like a sixth grade girl in his Twitter account, but he also fails to realize that he's sitting at home while others are playing. There's a way to be classy and carry yourself as an icon and high-profile athlete. Then there's a way to look silly if you're in Harrison's shoes.

It's clear that Harrison told everyone long ago that he could care less by the way he carries himself. He's shrugged off fines for his style of play and it's clear he could care less about having the right PR for himself. Still it's a bit ridiculous to even call attention to yourself when you're not remotely involved.

Jake Ballard Tears PCL And Meniscus In Separate Knees In Super Bowl Win For Giants

The New York Giants were down two tight ends at one point in tonight's win over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 46 in Indianapolis, but that didn't stop Eli Manning and company from doing what needed to be done. Now Jake Ballard will have time to do what needs to be done on his injuries, which are unfortunately many for the Giants' tight end.

Ballard reportedly tore his PCL in one knee and his meniscus in the other knee according to Adam Caplan.The Giants will be monitoring his progress, so it might not be surprising to see them address the position in the draft. Still Ballard has a home here for a long time.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

Madonna Makes Super Bowl Halftime Show One Of Best Appearances In Years

While opinion is obviously subjective and Madonna is going to have her detractors, even among some in our SB Nation network, It’s our take that Madonna put on one of the finest Super Bowl halftime shows in recent years — at least since U2 put some heart into the game with the 9/11 tribute.

While Madonna is definitely an older performer whose best days (and hits) are behind her, that’s the case every year besides the mess known as the Black Eyed Peas. Fergie and company were the worst Super Bowl halftime show possibly ever, so anything is a step up there. And Madonna’s provided at least a nice spectacle when watching someone older.

The reality is that Madonna’s crew put on a great show with decent showings of newer artists around her that never detracted from the main performer. In fact, they were likely underused. But this was Madonna’s show and she did well with it.

The stage was perfect and provided her dancers alongside her the chance to create a modern spectacle out of songs that have become iconic. From “Vogue” to “Like a Prayer,” the show flowed with unbelievable graphics all around and a strong stage presence that never went over the top while also never getting overrun by the sheer size of it all.

While it might not have been for everyone, it provided the perfect blend of entertainment for everyone while not becoming over the top like Janet or Prince and also didn’t bore like watching old rockers try to look young again like the Stones or The Who. Springsteen could perhaps stand along with Madonna as one of the best in recent years, but Madonna did just fine. Some have forgotten too easily how bad recent Super Bowls have been.

Super Bowl XLVI MVP: Eli Manning Wins Second Super Bowl MVP

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning can now be considered one of the leagues elite quarterbacks as he won his second Super Bowl MVP award, both coming against the New England Patriots. Manning had a stellar game and started the game off hot by completing his first 12 passes to start the game.

Manning completed 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards with one touchdown pass and no interceptions. Manning's touchdown pass was on their first drive of the game and a 2-yard pass to Victor Cruz. Manning also completed a classic Super Bowl catch to Mario Manningham which was a 38-yard pass on their game-winning drive, and went five of six for 74 yards on their final drive.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

2012 Super Bowl Final Score: Giants Defeat Patriots To Win Fourth Super Bowl, 21-17

The winner of Super Bowl XLVI is the New York Giants who came back from an eight-point third quarter deficit to win 21-17. The Giants offense was having trouble once they got into the New England Patriots side of the field throughout most of the game and particularly in the third quarter where the Giants were held to two field goals.

In the fourth quarter the first two possessions for each team were lengthy drives, but the end result was each team punting. The Giants second drive of the fourth quarter ended up being the game winning drive. The drive was a nine-play 88-yard drive with the key play being the first play which was an amazing catch by Mario Manningham who caught a 38-yard pass along the sideline while being doubled team and somehow he got both feet down while remaining possession.

The game-winning touchdown was a 6-yard Ahmad Bradshaw run, and Bradshaw actually wanted to down the ball at the one, but he fell into the end zone which allowed the Patriots one last chance.

The Patriots had one last chance to win the Super Bowl with 57 seconds left and Tom Brady drove them to midfield and had to attempt a Hail Mary on the last play, but the Patriots in the area were not able to come down with the ball.

Eli Manning led the Giants tonight by completing 30 of 40 passes for 296 yards and a touchdown. This is the Giants second Super Bowl win in four years and their fourth overall.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

2012 Super Bowl Score Update: Giants Trail Patriots 17-15 Heading Into Fourth Quarter

The New England Patriots entered the the third quarter the same the way they ended the second quarter, which was shredding the New York Giants defense. Tom Brady led the Patriots on an eight-play 79 yard touchdown drive which was capped on a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight end Aaron Hernandez.

The Patriots offense is clicking on all cylinders over their past two drives, which happened to lead to touchdowns. On this third quarter drive Brady completed all four of his passes and has now completed 15 straight passes which is a Super Bowl record.

On the Giants fist possession in the second half they had a 34-yard kick off return by Jerrel Jernigan who set up the Giants with good field positoin at the 35-yard line. The Giants offense moved the ball into Patriots territory but they stalled on a 3rd and 10 play where Eli Manning's pass to Mario Manningham was only good for five yards, so they had to settle for a Lawrence Tynes 38-yard field goal to make the score 17-12.

The Giants were able to get more points on the board, but it was another field goal. After having their best field position of the game at the Patriots 48-yard line after a punt. However, the Giants did make it to the red zone at the 15, but that is where the drive stalled. On 3rd and eight Eli Manning was sacked for a loss of six yards. The end result was a 33-yard field goal to make the score 17-15 after three quarters.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Volkswagon Uses Dogs, Star Wars

Volkswagon is following up their popular 2011 Star Wars-themed spot where a little boy is dressed up as Darth Vadar and tries to use the force on everything with no success. This time around they are using a chorus of barking dogs to replicate the Imperial March.

The second spot features an overweight dog that can not go after and chase the Volkswagon that speeds by in front of their house. Well, the dog decides to get in shape and trains with a series of workouts featuring swimming, running, weights and avoiding unnecessary snacks on the ground.

The next time the car comes around the dog makes it through the doggy door to chase down the car. However, the spot does not end there as the spot cuts to a bar with a Star Wars-theme discussing what ad is the best.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

2012 Super Bowl Halftime Score: Patriots Lead 10-9 On Tom Brady Touchdown Pass

The second quarter featured a lot of punting and defense as the New York Giants were forced to punt twice with the New England Patriots having to punt once. However it was only the Patriots who were able to put points on the board as they scored all 10 of their points in the second quarter as they scored on their first and last possession of the quarter. The first points was a short 29-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski to give the Patriots their first points of the game.

In between that field goal neither the Giants or the Patriots were able to move the ball that much as the defenses were stopping each other teams offense.

On the Patriots touchdown scoring drive they began at their own 4-yard line and easily made their way down the field against the Giants defense. The Giants vaunted defensive line was not able to get pressure on Tom Brady who was a perfect 11-for-11 on the scoring drive. The touchdown was a 4-yard pass to Danny Woodhead.

So far in the first half Brady is 15-for-18 with 147 yards and Eli Manning is 13-for-17 for 120 yards. Both quarterbacks also have thrown one touchdown pass apiece.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

2012 Super Bowl Prop Bets: The Rare Safety Happens

Super Bowl prop bets are a huge part of the game and a lot of them are sucker bets, such as a defensive player will score the first touchdown, will there be a fumble return for a score and one of the biggest money wasters is predicting that a safety will happen.

However, a safety did happen in this Super Bowl and it happened on the first play of the game for the New England Patriots. Tom Brady dropped back for a pass on his first play into the end zone and threw the ball away down the middle of the field, and there was no receiver in site. By being in the endzone a safety was called. The odds for a safety were 50-1 and this was the first safety since Super Bowl XXV.

Here are other prop bets that happened in the first half:

• The first play of the game was a run by the Giants.

• The first reception of the game was by Jake Ballard on the Giants' opening drive.

• The first touchdown of the game was by Giants wideout Victor Cruz. The odds were 12/1 against Cruz being the first player to record a TD.

• The first touchdown was two yards with the prop bet being over/under 10.5 yards.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

2012 Super Bowl Score Update: Giants Out To 9-0 Lead After One

The New York Giants are leading the New England Patriots 9-0 after the first quarter in Super Bowl XLVI. The Giants got on the board first when Tom Brady was called for intentional grounding when he was sitting in the endzone and threw the ball away down field where there was no receiver in site, and that was the Patriots first play of the game.

The Giants then received the ball on their next possession and were able to carve up the Patriots secondary and scored a touchdown on a nine-play 78 yard drive. The drive almost came up for naught when the Patriots Sterling Moore stripped the Giants Victor Cruz, but the Patriots had 12 men on the field so the penalty trumped the fumble.

The Giants then scored on a 2-yard touchdown pass form Eli Manning to Cruz to give the Giants a 9-0 lead.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

Super Bowl Commercials 2012: Chevy Teams Up With OK Go

The band OK Go is known for creating unique and original music videos which include using treadmills, an extremely low budget video, performing the Muppets theme song and using trained dogs.

The bands latest music video is along the same uniqueness as their prior videos and this one they team up with Chevrolet with their latest song "Needing/Getting" to showcase the Chevy Sonic. Part of this music video will be featured as a commercial for Super Bowl XLVI and it the music is made nearly entirely from the car.

Of course the band succeeds in making another great music video.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

Super Bowl Recipes: Former Chief Bobby Bell's Sweet Potato Pie

Former Kansas City Chiefs linebacker/defensive end Bobby Bell was a Chief from 1963-74 and was a key player in the two AFL champions that the Chiefs won in 1966 and 1969. Bell also was named to the all-time AFL team and was named to six AFL all-star games and three NFL Pro Bowls.

One of Bell's favorite foods growing up to have for special occasions was sweet potato pie, and the Super Bowl certainly counts as a special occasion. Here is the recipe he and his family used:

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds sweet potatoes (about 4 medium sweet potatoes)
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, or less to taste
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
4 large eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teasppon cinnamon
2 (9-inch) pie shells, unbaked

Special equipment: pressure cooker

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Peel sweet potatoes and cook in pressure cooker until tender. Alternatively, boil sweet potatoes in water until tender when poked, about 20 minutes. Run under cold water until cool enough to handle, then peel.

Put the cooked potatoes through a food mill. Using electric mixer, mash potatoes. Blend in butter, sugar, sweetened condensed milk, 4 eggs (1 at a time), vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

Brush the pie crusts with beaten egg yolk and bake 3 to 4 minutes to seal the crusts. Let cool, then pour filling mixture into pie shells and bake 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake 40 to 45 minutes more, or until set.

This pie freezes well.

For more on the Patriots and their Super Bowl run, check out SB Nation's Patriots blog,Pats Pulpit as well as SB Nation Boston. For more on the Giants and their Super Bowl appearance, visit Giants blog Big Blue View and SB Nation New York. For all news and information regarding Super Bowl XLVI, please stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated Super Bowl hub.

2012 Super Bowl Kickoff Time, TV Schedule, Live Stream

Even for those without teams in the finals, the Super Bowl still holds a mystery, even if you're only in it for the commercials. Here's all of the information you'll need for tonight.

2012 Super Bowl Odds, Lines and Prop Bets

Sometimes to add a little spice to your Super Bowl watching experience, placing a bet (or five) on the big game can help. The New England Patriots enter Sunday as a three-point favorite over the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLVI. Iniitally, the Patriots opened as three and a half point favorites but the line has shifted down throughout the week.

The oddsmakers have set the over/under for Giants versus Patriots sits at 54 which should give fans optimism for a high-scoring contest, although in Super Bowl XLII these two teams were only able to muster up 31 points in a Giants victory.

Here are a couple of additional prop bets, courtesy of Bovada, to have fun with. Including:

Odds on who will win the Super Bowl MVP

Tom Brady - 7/5
Eli Manning - 9/4
Victor Cruz - 8/1
Hakeem Nicks - 12/1
Wes Welker - 12/1

Odds on who will score first in the Super Bowl

Rob Gronkowski - 13/2
Aaron Hernandez - 7/1
BenJarvus Green-Ellis - 15/2
Victor Cruz - 15/2
Ahmad Bradshaw - 8/1

Who will the Super Bowl MVP of the Game thank first?

Teammates - 1/1
Coach - 12/1
Family - 8/1
God - 4/1
Owner - 6/1
Does Not Thank Anyone - 5/2

For the latest Super Bowl updates, be sure to follow this StoryStream. Also be sure to check out Patriots blog Pats Pulpit and Giants blog Big Blue View.

Super Bowl Recipes: Chiefs Tackle Branden Albert's Slow Cooked Hot Wings

While everyone is preparing for Super Bowl XLVI, snacks will be prepared, drinks will be served and flat-screen TVs will be tuned in to the biggest football game of the year. For some, there will be nothing more vital than the game itself. For others, the only reason they came is for....the wings.

Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Branden Albert gets it, you make phenomenal wings and everyone wins. "Without question [wings] make the perfect Super Bowl meal," says Albert. His trick? The slow-cooker. Here's a simple recipe courtesy of Delish for some delicious wings while you protect yourself from starvation on Super Bowl Sunday.

INGREDIENTS

3 pounds chicken wings
2 tablespoons butter
1 (12-ounce) jar hot sauce or hot pepper sauce
Blue cheese dressing for dipping

DIRECTIONS

1. Put wings, butter, and hot sauce in a slow cooker set on medium and cook 3 hours.
2. When finished cooking, set slow cooker to warm and serve (out of the pot) with blue cheese dressing for dipping.

For more on the Chiefs, check out SB Nation blog Arrowhead Pride. For more news and updates on Super Bowl XLVI, checkout SB Nation's Super Bowl XLVI hub page.