It's Italian and, as his father would say, the 'g' is silent.

``Spah-NYOO'-loh,'' said the New York Giants defensive coordinator and the man responsible for coming up with a Super Bowl game plan to stop Tom Brady and the New England Patriots' run to a perfect season.

The 48-year-old Spagnuolo has made a pronounced difference with the defense in his first year after making the trip up from Philadelphia, where he spent eight seasons learning the Eagles' attacking defense under veteran c

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) -Mike Vrabel's hands are big, thick and scarred - and they might just be the most reliable pair on the New England Patriots.

He only has 10 career catches, including two this season, but they've all been for touchdowns. Not too shabby for a Pro Bowl linebacker.

``If you're saying I can catch the ball when I'm wide open, yeah, I think I can do that,'' Vrabel said with a grin Thursday.

If Tom Brady and Randy Moss weren't enough to worry about, the New York Giants also have to keep thei

The 8 a.m. news conference drew several dozen reporters, even though it conflicted with the New England Patriots' availability three days before the Super Bowl. Also on Thursday, Majority Leader Harry Reid spoke on the floor of the U.S. Senate in support of ex-players whose bodies are battered and bank accounts drained.

The events were testament to the succe

He and fiancee Wiande Moore are spending two days doing interviews before flying to the Super Bowl, courtesy of an invitation from NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. Moore said the couple will root for the New York Giants against the unbeaten New England Patriots because they're the underdogs.

As Everett has proven these last five months, never count out an underdog.

``I just saw it as a temporary little injury,'' he said. ``It's not anything that's going to hold me back.''

He is, though, trying to fig

Lofton lost out on the Raiders' top job to Art Shell in 2006 and to Kiffin last year.

Lofton was fired as the San Diego Chargers' wide receivers coach on Jan. 22 after the team lost to the New England Patriots in the AFC championship game. He had been with the Chargers six seasons and had one season remaining on his contract, working as wide receivers coach since 2002 - when he was hired by then-coach Marty Schottenheimer.

Lofton played 16 seasons, catc

CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) -Justin Tuck didn't need to conduct a survey to figure out who America expects to be the Super Bowl MVP.

``Tom Brady,'' he said.

If Brady plays well, the New England Patriots are going to cap an undefeated season and certify their claim to being a dynasty.

The biggest obstacle in his way is a band of brothers who form the New York Giants' defensive line.

There's Michael Strahan, the NFL's active sacks leader and the group's emotional linchpin. Fellow defensive end Osi Umenyiora is th

And while there may not be loud music, fans are subjected to numerous advertising announcements during games. Fans have complained about commercials running instead of replays on the outdated video boards, which are scheduled to be repl

PHOENIX (AP) -What was once the sleepy home of the NBA's Phoenix Suns, the Fiesta Bowl and baseball's spring training has blossomed into a national sports capital.

This year's Super Bowl between the New England Patriots and New York Giants is the latest in a growing list of national sports events that have landed in the desert. And more are on the way as Phoenix contends with Los Angeles to become the West's top destination for major events.

``I think Phoenix is just growing into itself,'' said Jerry Colange

The New York mayor will be rooting against a repeat of that feat when he travels to Arizona to cheer on the Giants against the unbeaten New England Patriots on Sunday.

``It's one of those things where we can all root for our team against the other team and there's nothing nasty about it,'' Bloomberg told reporters Wednesday. ``It's all in good fun.''

The billionaire, mentioned as a possible independ