All four teams left in the NFL playoffs are producing NFL Championship game memorabilia. They are selling shirts, hats, commemorative coins, etc.  You can even bid on the kick-off ball from the AFC Championship game on the Colts web site; but no one does it like NY......

If you go to the Jets Website you can pre-order all kinds of stuff that assumes they've won the AFC Championship game and are participating in the Super Bowl!

My guess is that if they win today, tomorrow you'll be able to pre-order stuff declaring that the Jets are Worlds Champions.  That's New York, that's the way we do things here.

New York's own way of doing things is part of the reason that the majority of the nation both envies us and hates us at the same time; something that I can certainly understand.

Everyone understands that the stuff has to get made so that if the team wins it can immediately be worn on the field after the game, that's the way society is these days; no one can wait for anything and we have to have everything now.

While all four teams have produced the stuff, only the Jets are selling it BEFORE THE GAME.

There are many people around the country that are offended by the type of marketing that the Jets are doing, but not me.  I'm a huge Jets fan and I was only two years old the last time they won.  Whether they win today or not, I'm accumulating my "Jets Super Bowl memorabilia."

I'm used to playing pretend, I've been pretending all these years that my team is worth rooting for, I don't have any problem pretending longer if I have to.

Either way, this year has been a nice surprise. J E T S, Jets Jets Jets...- Mike Cardano

Mike is the founder of the Around the Horn Baseball Blog and the Extra Point Football Blog.

If you haven't voted in our poll on the site yet please do so. We are trying to get a feel for how our readers are looking at the game of NCAA Football so we can write about things they want to hear. The poll question is, "Do you think the NCAA should have a Playoff to determine the National Champion rather than the BCS / Bowl System?" - Please vote.

Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

We have complete coverage of both the AFC and NFC Championship games from A to Z. If there is an angle to the game, we have it.

Sunday is one of the most exciting days of the year for sports fans. There are some very interesting story-lines within this year's NFL Championship games and Xtra Point Football has them all. Check out these headlines items:

• Jets vs. Colts, What to watch for: AFC Championship Game Breakdown

• Vikings vs. Saints, What to watch for: NFC Championship Game Breakdown

• A Peyton Manning full game puts an end to the debate

• Brett Favre has a lot to prove...., or does he?

• Deja vu all over again? 41 years later, Jets look to shock the Colts...again

• After Katrina, the Saints look to put New Orleans back on the map

• If the Indianapolis Colts win the Super Bowl, are they the team of the decade?

• Will the Jets let Brad Smith throw the ball?

• Jets vs. Colts - Super Bowl III Revisited (See the entire game here)

Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Denver Broncos Ty Law on Darrells Revis (who has the most career interceptions against Manning, with four regular-season picks and a record five postseason thefts - the most playoff picks by one player against another):

"He's the best in the game. He is a true shutdown corner because of the way they use him," said Law. "It's just the confidence they have in him, for the coach to say we're going to put you on their top receiver every game. He doesn't take that as pressure. It's not for everyone out there on that island."

Reggie Wayne on Darrelle Revis:

"One thing about (Darrelle) Revis is he's going to challenge you. "He's going to make you play your best. I accept that challenge. I feel like he's one of the best. He's going to make me play at my best, so it's going to be exciting."

Colts coach Jim Caldwell on Peyton Manning:

"When you have an individual that is here, within your franchise, that does things the right way in every single aspect - a guy that loves the game, has great respect for the game, and handles himself in a way that's exemplary," Caldwell said, "it makes it very easy for us to tell our young guys, if you want to understand how to prepare for the game, how to play this game, you can watch this guy."

Mark Sanchez on how he's handling the week:

"Just treating it like any other game, doing the same stuff throughout the week on and off the field, being smart, getting my rest. I think that's the most important thing that I've seen, just make sure you get your rest."

"It's just been important for me to understand that you don't always get to come back here, that it really is a privilege to be here. And once you get here, boy, all of the excitement of it and distractions, really, you just focus on playing. It's going to be great. We're very excited for the opportunity and definitely want to take advantage of it."

Rex Ryan on the Jets taking pre-orders on merchandise commemorating a win in a game that has yet to be played.

"I understand that we are selling the AFC Championship merchandise, so I like that thinking. Unfortunately, every team in the league is.  You have Indy doing it, New Orleans and Minnesota, just so everybody is clear on that. I'll be honest, I was like, 'What? I like it, I like it.'"

Some revealing quotes from Peyton Manning:

What's different about Rex Ryan's defense with the Jets, compared to his Baltimore Ravens units?

Manning - "I'm probably not going to get into too much of that."

How will Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis dictate where the ball goes?

Manning - "I can't tell you."

Will you know exactly where he is on the field?

Manning - "I can't tell you that. I usually try to know where all 11 of 'em are before the play."

What is your reaction to Ryan's confident statements?

Manning - "I can't speak to that."

Ever wonder why anyone would bite on your play-fakes?

Manning - "I can't tell you that."

Rex Ryan on Shonn Greene:

"That's a big rascal right there. Once he starts getting to that second level, it's a long day."

Adrian Peterson

Last year, Adrian Peterson led the league with 1,760 yards rushing. Peterson entered his third NFL season averaging more than 100 yards per game. Over the last six games, Peterson is averaging just 60 yards a game.

Peterson is well aware of the people who believe he is having a down year. He's been asked about it several times, despite finishing fifth in the league with 1,383 yards rushing. But he is maintaining a positive attitude even as the questions continue.

Some have pointed to his weight. Last season, he averaged 4.8 yards per carry weighing, he said, 208 pounds. This season, the 6-foot-1 Pro Bowl running back, playing at 218 pounds, has averaged 4.4 yards per carry. Peterson said he has no regrets about adding 10 pounds. "The extra weight has helped make me stronger in the upper body." Peterson claims that he is as quick and fast as ever and that he intends to keep his weight at 218 for next season.

The Vikings did finish second in the league in scoring with 470 points, second only to the New Orleans Saints who scores 510 points, so as far as I'm concerned the entire "Peterson didn't rush for 2,000 yards" thing is bull dinky.

The bottom line is, when Adrian Peterson is not fumbling the ball, he is one of the top running backs in the NFL. You'll see his best on Sunday.

Reggie Bush

Reggie Bush has had a hard time staying on the field as a pro, and when he has been on the field, he hasn't been 100%.

Two knee injuries wrecked the second half of his 2008 season and a microfracture procedure on his left knee hampered him this year. But Sean Peyton used Bush sparingly during the regular season setting the table for a healthy Reggie Bush to unleash his potential in this year's NFL Playoffs. Last weekend against the Cardinals in the NFC Divisional round, Bush showed what he could do.

Bush set the tone for the Saints' physical style of play on their first series when he plowed into Cardinals' Pro Bowl cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie to finish a 7-yard run, then went on to pile up 217 all-purpose yards to help his team advance to the NFC Championship Game against the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.

Included in Bush's big day was an electrifying 46-yard touchdown run that gave the Saints a 21-7 lead late in the first quarter and an 83-yard punt return that turned out to be the final score of the night in the third quarter.

Reggie Bush is healthy now, this is not something we've seen in quite a while. It should be fun to watch. - Michael Gross

Michael, in conjunction with a prominent sports agency runs a strength, conditioning and agility program that many agents send their "to-be-drafted" athletes, prior to being drafted. Many pro athletes have also used the facilities for rehabilitation after injury. Over 120 professional athletes including current MLB and NFL ball players have attended his institution during the past 4 years.

If you haven't voted in our poll on the site yet please do so. We are trying to get a feel for how our readers are looking at the game of NCAA Football so we can write about things they want to hear. The poll question is, "Do you think the NCAA should have a Playoff to determine the National Champion rather than the BCS / Bowl System?" - Please vote.

Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

Kevin Manning broke his right thumb this morning and is out for Sunday's Championship racket-ball match.

For those who are interested, we play in racket-ball league every Sunday morning and this Sunday is our Championship match. Kevin cannot grip his racket and is out for Sunday's big match. His wife Cindy will be filling in for him.

How did he break it you ask? Kevin, while trying to get out of his car at the office and navigating his keys, coffee, briefcase and cell phone, slammed his thumb in his car door.... Ouch!

Tough break for Kevin, but his wife is pretty good so we shouldn't miss a beat. Won't you please join me in wishing Kevin a speedy recovery.

If you are wondering why we posted this here, our league rules require that we make public any roster changes 24 hours prior to each match listing a reason valid for the change. The 24 hour period gives the other team time to protest the change if they feel the roster move is not valid to prevent ringers from showing up on game day.

I figured hey, what better way to make a public announcement than a public posting on the Internet, right? 

For those of you who came here interested in the health of Indianapolis Colts QB Peyton Manning, as far as I know he has no known issues and barring anything unforeseen, should be ready to go for HIS big game on Sunday.

We do have some football here for you though. We have complete coverage of both the AFC and NFC Championship games from A to Z. If there is an angle to the game, we have it.

Sunday is one of the most exciting days of the year for sports fans. There are some very interesting story-lines within this year's NFL Championship games and Xtra Point Football has them all. Check out these headlines items:

The NFC Championship Game pits the two best teams in the Conference in 2009 against each other. The Minnesota Vikings (13-4) travel to the Bayou to take on the New Orleans Saints (14-3). The game features two of the best QBs in the game: Drew Brees and Brett Favre.

The Vikings, after stumbling down the stretch and backing in to the No.2 seed, dismantled the red hot Cowboys 34-3 in the Divisional Round.

The Saints, after losing their final three games of the regular season, came out roaring in the Divisional Round and demolished the Cardinals 45-14.

When the Vikings have the ball

When the Vikings are on offense they'll look to keep things balanced. The Saints defense has been especially effective when they can turn opposing offenses one dimensional, so look for Minnesota to get RB Adrian Peterson involved early and often.

New Orleans is vulnerable on the ground and we see No. 28 picking up big chunks of yards all day. When New Orleans is forced to bring a Safety into the box, it's Brett Favre time.....

When Favre takes to the air his primary targets will once again be WR Sindey Rice and Percy Harvin, both of whom should have strong games against the Saints secondary.

Harvin will be targeted primarily on short crossing routes and screens while Rice, who has developed into a top threat in 2009, will give the Saints smaller DBs fits all afternoon. Rice is coming off a three TD game vs. Dallas and we see more success coming on Sunday.

In the red zone, keep an eye on TE Visanthe Shiancoe as Favre loves to look his way near the goal line.

When the Saints have the ball

When the Saints have the ball, Drew Brees will come out firing. When this team is hitting on all cylinders, as they were in their win over Arizona, he's spreading the ball around to multiple receivers and picking up yards in bunches. He'll need to do so this week.

Facing the Vikings front four, look for New Orleans to incorporate a quick passing game to neutralize Defensive Coordinator Leslie Frazier's aggressive blitzing attack and keep Jared Allen and Co. off of Brees. Screen passes and draw plays to Reggie Bush will be the antidote to the big pass rush keeping the Vikings from pinning their ears back and rushing.

Using that attack, Brees should have a lot of success locating Colston, Henderson, Shockey and Bush on slants and quick outs. And once he gets into a rhythm, expect a few shots deep.

The AFC Championship game features the NY Jets (11-7) once again taking their show on the road against the (undefeated when their starters play) Indianapolis Colts (15-2). The Jets have taken the Wild Card route here beating the Cincinnati Bengals (24-14) and the San Diego Chargers (17-14) in the AFC Divisional round. The Colts beat the Baltimore Ravens (20-3) in their AFC Divisional game.

When the Jets have the ball

When the Jets are on offense, not much is going to change from last week's approach against the Chargers. They're going to run the ball 65-70% of the time and try and keep Mark Sanchez in manageable (3rd down) passing situations.

The Colts possess a much fiercer pass rush than the Chargers and New York doesn't want to get into a situation where Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis can pin their ears back and come after Sanchez, so look for rookie RB Shonn Greene, the new star in town, to get plenty of carries along with veteran Thomas Jones.

The Jets expect to have success against the smaller Colts defense. Look for Sanchez to locate Braylon Edwards, Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller on quick passes to break things up.

In the course of the game, they'll most certainly take a shot or two down the field and provided they're having success on the ground. They love to do this on first down out of a running formation against run coverage particularly when they cross the 50 yard line. The theory there is to not take any chances on your own side of the field should there be a turnover.

Indianapolis had tremendous issues stopping the wildcat vs. the Dolphins in Week 2 so look for QB /KR / WR Brad Smith to get a number of direct snaps. I don't know if the Colts expect it or not but it seems like the entire world is waiting to see when they will let Brad Smith throw the ball. There's no point in holding anything back and every play in the playbook will be available so this just might be the day.

Then

January 12, 1969 - Orange Bowl,  Miami, Florida
(To see Super Bowl III in its entirety with commentary from the participants, click HERE.)

Forty One years has passed since the 19-point underdog, New York Jets defeated the Baltimore Colts in the third AFL/NFL Championship Game; the first such a contest to be called Super Bowl. It was the story of the brash, new, and rebellious versus the old, guarded establishment in a time when similar battles outside of sports were commonplace. In the span of an afternoon almost 50 years of pro football history was altered, and by evening everything that had come before would look different.

The Jets represented the upstart American Football League, an alternative pro league that in 1960 challenged the 40-year monopoly of the NFL. The AFL had battled for five years to establish franchises, procure talent, and gain an audience in the shadow of the NFL. It took a bright, shining star to finally burn away the shadows and put the junior league on the map.

In 1965 that star shined on New York Jets owner, Sonny Werblin when he offered the richest contract in the game ($427,000) to potential NFL number one pick, Joe Namath. Although he never saw him throw a pass for the University of Alabama, the showbiz mogul had a hunch that with his piercing good looks and distinct persona, Namath would be just what the AFL's big market city needed. "The star system," Werblin argued "is the only thing that sells tickets."

Jets doctors felt signing Namath would be a risk, with his many knee operations, but Werblin's marketing instincts and record offer paid off. A year after Namath signed with New York, league attendance rose, and television ratings increased, prompting the NFL to call for a meeting that would iron out a deal to quit their war over talent and franchise rights. Both leagues would merge in 1970 and it was decided that for the four remaining years an annual title game between league champions would be played at the end of each season. "On that day," said AFL founder Lamar Hunt, "We established what we wanted, and that was parity."

Unfortunately, for Hunt, Werblin, and the AFL, the deal did not include mutual respect. The prevailing sentiment among the media, fans, and most insultingly, the NFL players, was that the merger was a big favor for the lesser league. The outcome of the first two championship games seemed to put to rest any doubts of this as Vince Lombardi's legendary Green Back Packers made short work of the Kansas City Chiefs (35-10) in the first and the Oakland Raiders (33-14) in the second. Lombardi, the man for whom the Super Bowl trophy would be named, felt the NFL had more than adequately proved its case.

By the time Joe Namath led his Jets through a solid 11-3 season and an AFL title in December of 1968, everyone in the football world thought New York would be fodder for the 15-1 Baltimore Colts. The Colts finished their season by winning 10 straight with a devastating defense that had broken the NFL mark for the fewest points allowed in a season. Unlike the Jets thrilling 27-24 victory over the Raiders, the Colts destroyed the Cleveland Browns 34-0 in the NFL title game. "This is the hungriest team I ever saw," said Baltimore's all-pro tight end, John Mackey. The so-called experts agreed. The Jets, they all said, would have no chance.

Namath seized the moment. Upon arriving in Miami, the man the media dubbed, 'Broadway Joe' ripped the Colts' defense for being "predictable and easy to deceive." He told the eager press that although Colts quarterback, Earl Morrall did a bang up job winning the Most Valuable Player honors in the NFL, he would have had a hard time cracking the top five signal callers in his AFL. Then, on the Thursday before the big game at a dinner honoring him as the AFL's MVP, Namath stood at the podium and boldly announced, "We're going to win Sunday, I guarantee you."

The Colts, many of whom had already spent their winner's share, wanted nothing better than to embarrass New York and their loudmouthed quarterback. Jets head coach Weeb Eubank, having led the Colts to an NFL crown ten years earlier, reminded his team that many of them were once considered "not good enough" for the NFL. "Now you have the opportunity to show them otherwise," he told them.

At 3:00 PM on January 12, 1969, the long-haired wild bunch from the Big Apple and the God-fearing crew cuts from the working class town, stood 53 yards across the great divide of respect. The Jets received the ball first; and on their second play from scrimmage powerful fullback, Matt Snell slammed into Colts safety, Rick Volk. Volk was recognized as one of the toughest tacklers in the pros. "When Rick hits you," said young Colts head coach Don Shula, "you might not get up." This time it was Volk who did not get up.

The story of Super Bowl III had begun.

On August 29, 2005 the city of New Olreans and surrounding areas where nearly washed away.

Forgetting all the damage to the tangible assets that can eventually be repaid, the last published reports show that the confirmed death toll (total of direct and indirect deaths) stood at 1,836, mainly from Louisiana (1,577) and Mississippi (238). However, 705 people remain categorized as missing in Louisiana (which is pretty hard to fathom.)

If anyone remembers watching Mike Piazza's HR in the first MLB game in NYC after the 9/11 attacks, you know how important sports are to the people of a devastated city.

The citizens of New Orleans would benefit greatly from having a team that they could call Super Bowl Champions. It would be something that no one could take from them, something they could call their own.

The Saints aren't my team, but I can't say that I would be terribly disappointed to watch the citizens of New Orleans and the surrounding metropolitan areas celebrate, even if it were to come at my expense.

There are no words to describe what the people of the Bayou have gone through since that unfortunate day. As if the wrath of nature wasn't cruel enough, our own government compounded the problem by not handling their pre and post storm responsibilities correctly.

There are communities that are still not rebuilt, some that were lost permanently and nothing can ever be done to make right the lives that were lost and affected.

Whether you are a Saints fan or not, I'm sure you would agree that a smile brought to the citizens of those areas affected my Katrina from a Saints Super Bowl win would be a nice thing to see.

The Vikings and Saints both dominated in the divisional round, reminding everyone why the NFC's top two teams ruled all season before late skids. Big games by Favre and Brees over the weekend set up a tantalizing matchup in this NFC Championship Game.

Good luck to both the Vikings and Saints and good luck to the citizens of the Bayou. I'll be rooting for you. - David Ross

David, a paraplegic since a 1986 car accident, has been providing volunteer sports coverage for his local community paper in Mission, KS for over 20 years.

If you haven't voted in our poll on the site yet please do so. We are trying to get a feel for how our readers are looking at the game of NCAA Football so we can write about things they want to hear. The poll question is, "Do you think the NCAA should have a Playoff to determine the National Champion rather than the BCS / Bowl System?" - Please vote.

Have a Fantasy Football or Rotisserie baseball question? Want to know who to pick up, who to activate and who the hot prospects are? Ask Dr. Roto. Let Dr. Roto guide your team to a league championship.

I don't know how many of you actually saw the game, or remember it if you did. I was just a little kid at the time and while my dad told me I saw it, anything I remember is from highlights I saw through the years. I'm going to be 43 this year and I realize from listening to sports talk radio and going to the games that I'm actually older than many of the fans, so there are many of you who have likely never seen the game.

I know almost everyone has heard about the game, but for all of you (even if you are not a Jets fan) who have never seen the game that changed football here it is in all its glory......

You'll notice a few things from watching the game that are drastically different than today's NFL games.

• No headsets in the QB's helmet. (For the younger generation) Peyton Manning isn't the first one to call his own plays, all the QB's used to have that responsibility. The coach put in the game plan during the week of practice before the game with the play choices that should be used and the QB called the plays on the field as he felt appropriate.
• Kickers all used the straight on style and not all teams even had players that specialized in kicking. Very often "The best player who could kick" handled the kickoff, filed goal and punting duties. It was not uncommon to see a lineman kicking the ball.
• The goal posts were on the goal line. An extra point that would normally be spotted on the three yard line and put down by the place holder on the ten yard line was a ten yard kick, not a twenty yard kick. So that 61 yard field goal that Sebastian Janikowski kicked from his own 49 yard line a few weeks ago would have only been a 51 yard field goal. A 61 yard field goal would be from your own 39 yard line!
• The hash marks are spread outside the goal posts (college and high school are still like that today). You'll notice when Jim Turner of the Jets has to kick a short field goal from the left hash mark it creates some unique problems.
• No net catching the field goals as they come through the uprights and apparently no such thing as NFL security either (sign of the times) as the ball just goes through the uprights and fans and children kids come running on the field to fetch the ball.
• While there may have been some trash talking in the trenches (it was football), there was no end zone dancing, no first down celebrations, no sack dances or anything of the like that could be misconstrued as unsportsman-like.
• And watch the referees. There would never be a blown call in the NFL if they hustled like you'll see here. They are literally part of the play....

Super Bowl III was the third AFL-NFL Championship Game in professional American football, but the first to officially bear the name "Super Bowl". (Although the two previous AFL-NFL Championship Games came to be known, retroactively, as "Super Bowls".)

The game was played on January 12, 1969 at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida - the same location as Super Bowl II. Entering Super Bowl III, the NFL champion Colts were heavily favored to defeat the AFL champion Jets (the Jets were a 19 point underdog). Although the upstart AFL had successfully forced the long-established NFL into a merger agreement three years earlier, the AFL was not generally respected as having the same caliber of talent as the NFL. Plus, the AFL representatives were easily defeated in the first two Super Bowls.

This game is regarded as one of the greatest upsets in sports history as the (AFL) champion New York Jets (11-3) defeated the (NFL) champion Baltimore Colts (13-1) by a score 16-7. It was the first Super Bowl victory for the AFL.

The game itself wasn't a particularly well played game and it didn't have a dramatic finish. How exciting could the game have been when the MVP, Joe Namath, didn't throw any touchdown passes and didn't even throw a pass in the 4th quarter? In certainly didn't finish with the drama of either of the last two Super Bowl's we had.

Statistically the game was just about a dead heat in every category (except for the turnovers.) There were six turnovers in the game, 5 by the Colts. In fact, in large part the 5 turnovers by the Colts more than anything is the reason that they lost. Two of the INT's were in the end zone.

Some other Super Bowl Facts before your show starts...........

• Anita Bryant sang the National Anthem
• The Florida A&M University Marching Band played "America Thanks" (you know, like "The Who" is this year's Super Bowl half time entertainment.
• The Attendance was 75,389
• It was televised on NBC (in Technicolor) with Kurt Gowdy, Al DeRogatis and Kyle Rote announcing the game.
• A 30 second commercial cost $55,000
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