Eli Manning Has Never Been a 'Marlboro' Man

Arriving in big brother Peyton's town, of course Giants quarterback Eli Manning was going to field questions about the Colts quarterback. And whether it was conscious or not, he did exact a little payback—by painting him in a less than flattering light.

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Michael Gelen

Peyton, Eli said Monday, would pin him down, rap his knuckles on his chest and make him name all of the 12 Southeastern Conference schools. From there, Peyton moved on to the then-28 NFL teams ("I had to get my studying on for that," Manning quipped) and then to 10 brands of cigarettes, which Eli said he never got. "When he really wanted to torture me and knew I had no shot of ever getting it, that's when I just started screaming for my mom or dad to come save me, or maybe Cooper," he said, naming his eldest brother. "That was his go-to move," Manning said.

— Aditi Kinkhabwala

Reed Albergotti/The Wall Street Journal

Chris Herring

Covering the Super Bowl—Without Going Outside

One of Indianapolis's claims to fame as a host city for major events is that its compact downtown and intelligently designed system of indoor walkways and skyways allow visitors to accomplish a lot without having to brave the elements.

As an experiment, Journal football writer Chris Herring will attempt to cover the entire Super Bowl week—from practices to press conferences to parties—while wearing nothing but a T-shirt, shorts and flip-flops.

Look here for regular updates from our "inside man."

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Given that there's a New York team playing in this game, we couldn't help but wonder: Would it be cheaper to take a taxi?

Attention Flyers: It's Cheaper to Take a Taxi to Indy

Even if you're lucky enough to secure tickets to the Super Bowl, you still have to get there—and plane tickets aren't cheap. A nonstop flight from New York to Indianapolis this weekend costs about $1,800, according to Kayak. A cheaper alternative through the air, according to the site, is a 7 ½-hour journey that includes a connecting flight in Denver. Another, less mind-numbing alternative: taking a flight to Chicago (180 miles away) or Cincinnati (115 miles) and renting a car. But given that there's a New York team playing in this game, we couldn't help but wonder: Would it be cheaper to take a taxi?

The estimated fare, according to NYC Taxiwiz, would be $1,436, which is slightly more than the $1,540 Carmel Car and Limousine Service quoted us for a luxury sedan excluding gas, tolls and 20% gratuity for the 700-mile drive.

Of course, anyone who does decide to hire a car to Indianapolis will still have to find a hotel room.

— Jim Chairusmi

The Giants Will Win... And So Will the Patriots

In the world of videogames, the Giants are already Super Bowl XLVI champions. EA Sports ran its annual Super Bowl simulation on Madden NFL 12, with the game picking the Giants to beat the Patriots, 27-24, on a 40-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes as time expires. Eli Manning earns an MVP nod in this alternate universe, completing 25 of 39 passes with two touchdowns.

The Madden franchise has accurately predicted the Super Bowl winner in six of the last eight years—though it incorrectly picked New England to beat the Giants in Super Bowl XLII.

But not every imaginary Super Bowl ends happily for the Giants. WhatIfSports, a website that predicts the outcome of sporting events, picks a 27-25 Patriots win, while the simulators at AccuScore envision a 32-27 New England victory. (Like the Journal, WhatIfSports is owned by News Corp.)

— Jared Diamond