LAS VEGAS -- Patriots fans in need of some good news on this day of mourning will be happy to know that the Patriots are the favorites to win Super Bowl XLIII, according to the current odds at the sportsbook inside the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The Patriots, who opened with 5-2 odds on Jan. 13, hold that line in the most current update, Jan. 29 (and the big board at the MGM Grand still showed that line Monday morning). For those curious, the Indianapolis Colts are next at 5-1, while the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers are both at 6-1.

The champion New York Giants still get no respect and are at 8-1.

The Patriots are actually one of three Boston teams that are currently favorites to win their respective championships. The Celtics, who opened at 80-1 odds (a sign you can never quite trust preseason odds, particularly before teams retool their roster in the offseason), are the current favorite at 2-1. Meanwhile, the Red Sox are the World Series favorite at 5-2 odds.

As for the Bruins, they are the area’s long shot at 30-1.

PHOENIX -- Sky Harbor Airport was about as much fun for Patriots fans this morning as the final second of Sunday's Super Bowl XLII.

Not only were there ridiculous lines at both check-in and security, but every shop in the airport seemed to have the official New York Giants' Super Bowl champion shirt out front. Heck, they were even selling championship gear at the off-site rental car return building.

Undeterred, Patriots fans showed up wearing their team apparel a day after what some are dubbing the biggest upset in Super Bowl history. Most Giants fans seem to let them go with a comforting nod, maybe acknowledging that they were just as shocked as Patriots fans with the way Sunday played out.

But some of the louder characters wondered out loud if Tom Brady got sacked on his way to the team bus. They didn't mind the long lines, either. As one announced to no one in particular, "We gotta get back to New York for the parade!"

And, for one last stomach punch, at least for your humble blogger, our bags didn't make it to our first stop in Las Vegas. Note to self: Never, ever travel the day after a Super Bowl.

Oh well. If only the 2007 Patriots could lose the baggage they'll carry from a crushing defeat Sunday.

It’s a day of celebration in New York today, where they’re celebrating the Giants’ 17-14 upset over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII last night.

And of course, reveling in the misery of New Englanders.

The Giants used a sizzling speed rush attack all evening, leaving Tom Brady helpless. In the biggest game of his storied career, the Patriots quarterback came up short in his team’s bid at 19-0.

The New York Daily News refers to Ellis Hobbs as a “Paper Tiger” for getting burned by Plaxico Burress on the game-winning touchdown. The New York Post skewers Bill Belichick for not kicking a 50-yard field goal in the second quarter.

But it is Belichick’s departure from the field with one second left on the clock that is garnering the most criticism today. “Bill Belichick, classy to the end,” writes the New York Daily News’ Tim Smith. “Maybe we should forgive Belichick for heading to the locker room before the game was over. He didn't get any practice losing this season - until last night. Maybe Belichick had taken a lesson from the Receiver, Moss, who once left a game before the final gun with Minnesota. Why stick around when things aren't going your way?”

Spygate is also, not surprisingly, getting plenty of play, as Patriot haters are getting their fill of comeuppance. The New York Post’s George Willis thinks this is only the beginning:

Why do I get the feeling this Spygate controversy is going to be football's steroids scandal, something that could ultimately question the integrity of the very game celebrated last night.

It may never come to the shame baseball has cast on its sport. Maybe Spygate is contained to just one coach, one team and one season. But that sounds naive at a time when this story is growing more legs than a caterpillar.

The Daily News’ Bob Raissman details how cheating allegations heated up the airwaves in the hours leading up to kickoff.

Elsewhere: The New York Daily News fires up the Asante Samuel to the Jets train. Giants owner John Mara called last night, “The greatest victory in the history of this franchise.” The New York Post details how the Pats fumbled away their chance at immortality.

Here’s how the tabs looked this morning:

First the 1972 Dolphins, now Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning and his father, Archie, offer their two cents:

Peyton Manning

• (On his brother, Eli, winning the Super Bowl) "Being in the league 10 years, you certainly don't take it for granted. I am really proud and happy for my brother."

• (On the Giants beating the Patriots) "The Patriots had an unbelievable year. I can't tell you how good of a football team they are. For the Giants to have beaten them in this game tonight -- and in these surroundings -- it is going to go down as one of the greatest games of all time. Eli's pass to (David) Tyree, I think, was one of the greatest plays of all time. You always see (Pittsburgh's Lynn) Swann's catch, but I am curious to see if a couple of the Patriots players actually stopped thinking that he was down and they had him in the grass. All of a sudden (Manning) pops out of nowhere and Tyree catches it on his helmet. The Patriots were in zone-deep coverage up until that point once they got that big play. Then they finally blitzed and went all out man-to-man. There is no doubt in my mind where (Manning) was going with the ball to Plaxico (Burress on the game-winning TD). The corner squatted on that route thinking it was going to be a slant. It was just an unbelievable drive by Eli and that team."

Archie Manning

As if enduring a 17-14 loss to the New York Giants in Super Bowl XLII wasn't tough enough to endure for Patriots fans, here come the 1972 Dolphins...

• Head coach Don Shula: "There was a tremendous amount of excitement. You know, I haven't had the opportunity to do this a lot, to sit up here and watch a football game. I've been down on the sideline trying to figure out what to do next. But here you're powerless. You're just up here watching the swing of the game, hoping to make plays happen to help your football team."

  "I'm sure they are going to use it as motivation because that's a proud group. Tom Brady -- what more can you say? What a great year he's had. He broke all the passing records. Bill Belichick is a proud guy. Their football team is a team that really knows how to win. So I'm sure they are going to realize what they accomplished this year, and then what they failed to accomplish at the end of the year."

• Running back Mercury Morris: "I'm happy for the New York Giants. They were the ones who did it, and they deserve to win because they did what it took to win; which is exactly what we did 17 times in 1972. I guess for the people who weren't around then and don't understand that we are so proud of the fact, not that the Giants knocked off the Patriots, but that people now will get an idea that the only way you can go undefeated is to win every game. You can talk about it all you want, but you still have to win every single game."

• Offensive lineman Larry Little: "Over the years, people have been putting us down, calling us grumpy old men. We never wanted to see the Patriots or any other team lose. We are just happy about our accomplishments. We're a very proud football franchise and a very proud football team. Going an entire season without losing a game is a very proud accomplishment for the football team and the franchise. It goes to show you how tough it is to go undefeated through an entire season. We accomplished something no one else has done in 36 years, and we are very proud of that."

• Tight end Jim Mandich: "First of all, congratulations to the New York Giants. They played a fabulous football game and I really thought they deserved to win. I really feel the better team won. Congratulations to Tom Coughlin and congratulations to Eli Manning. The drive Eli put together at the end of the game will go down in Super Bowl history as one of the great drives ever. As for the 1972 Dolphins, I don't take joy in the fact that the Patriots lost -- period. But I do relish and savor the fact there has only been one unbeaten team in the history of the NFL, and it is the 1972 Dolphins."

• Running back Jim Kiick: "Obviously, we're proud to still be the only undefeated team in the history of the National Football League. We're proud of it. Why shouldn't we be? We never were against the New England Patriots. We have our accomplishments. We're not comparing ourselves to anyone else from other generations. We're happy with our own accomplishments. The Patriots are a great football team. Unfortunately, they didn't win this Super Bowl."

There was a large group of Patriots fans next to the press area up here in the 400 section and many of them are still in the area, just searching for an explanation for what happened.

One fan just stood shaking his head before pulling off his Tom Brady jersey and sitting back down in his chair to watch the Giants celebrate on the field.

Somewhere, we suspect, Mercury Morris and the 1972 Dolphins are partying harder than these Giants, who almost seem in shock of what they've accomplished.

Those elected into the NFL Hall of Fame Saturday were displayed on the scoreboard during the TV timeout before the start of the fourth quarter and Patriots fans saluted Andre Tippett with a nice ovation when his image was shown.

Preemptive disclaimer: We're Tom Petty fans. But, if we're being honest, his halftime performance won't exactly be one we're talking about for years to come.

That said, Petty put together a quaint four-song set, opening with "American Girl," before bursting through a Full Moon Fever hit collection of, "I Won't Back Down," "Free Fallin'," and "Running Down a Dream."

Ironic, of course, that Petty played three songs from a so-called "solo" album during his halftime performance with the Heartbreakers.

Again, a solid effort from Petty (and a nice light show to supplement). Just won't leave us with the goosebumps that U2 did in 2002, or the "what just happened?" reaction of Janet Jackson's wardrobe malfunction in 2004.

Props to the sound guys here for working a little "Ruby" by the Kaiser Chiefs and "Move Away" from the Killers into the recent musical offerings.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- We've got the local Fox feed on the TVs here in the press area and every so often they run a crawl on the broadcast alerting of a winter storm warning for the Northwest plateau and Northwest deserts.

Colorado City, which is about 350 miles north of Glendale along the Utah border, is reporting about 3 inches of snow this afternoon and a cold front pushing into the area will lead to 6 to 12 inches of total accumulation in the higher elevations.

For those tourists that packed nothing but shorts and sandals, this probably wasn't the type of message they expected for this part of the country.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- U2's "Elevation" blared through the stadium PA following Laurence Maroney's touchdown on the first play of the second quarter. A nice touch of home for New England.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- It truly is amazing watching all those flashbulbs at the opening kickoff. Seeing it on TV just doesn't do it justice. It sort of looks like little sparklers illuminating both sides of the stadium.

The first play from scrimmage for the Giants might have had just as many flashbulbs popping. They're like little fireflies fluttering atop the stadium.

We're experiencing some Internet woes here at University if Phoenix Stadium. We've got some pregame video and more to bring you whenever our connection stops dropping.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Gladys Knight had the Pips. Ray Charles had the Raylettes. Ed Lasater has the Maroneys.

Lasater, a former New Englander now calling Jacksonville home, is well known by Patriots fans for his Super Bowl shrine of a hat (it's made of foam and quite durable, he assures us), as well as his familiar silver face paint and authentic Tedy Bruschi jersey.

But what often gets overlooked are Lasater's sidekicks. Searching for a way to get in on the act, but not overshadow their fearless leader, three of Lasater's friends, including his brother-in-law Dan Vanderpyl, decided to buy wigs with Maroney-like dreadlocks and wear them with the No. 39 jersey of New England's star running back and sunglasses.

The result? A rock band-like entourage that sorta looks like what would emerge if you stuck Robocop, the Ramones, and some Patriots jerseys in a blender.

Fortunately, people can't get enough of Lasater and his crew. They pose for pictures before games and count owner Robert Kraft among their biggest fans.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Wonder why the Patriots are thinking about a victory parade on Super Tuesday? Clearly it could be to announce a new entrant to the political parade.

OK, maybe not. But the Brady/Moss ballot was met with much enthusiasm outside University of Phoenix Stadium.

In fact, we planned to toss these placards in the trash after grabbing a quick snapshot, but a cluster of fans eagerly approached asking if they could take the signs off our hands.

Turns out it was the family of Patriots assistant strength and conditioning coach Harold Nash, who gleefully posed for a picture in exchange for the signs.

This Giants fan crafted an outfit that sort of made him look like Darth Vader in a Michael Strahan jersey. The get-up was enough to draw the attention of a TV cameraman.

But quicker than you can scream, "Go Big Blue!", the Patriots faithful hopped into action.

A fast-moving fan darted into the shot and sneaked a "Go Pats!" sign in front of Vader Strahan.

Patriots fans 1, Giants fans 0.

They start from afar, typically when a passerby notices her Patriots apparel clashing with the New York Giants gear typically sported by Rivers's longtime friend, Aldo Barbieri.

But then you get closer and notice Rivers is wearing a Giants viser. Somebody's got some 'splainin' to do.

"My dad's from Massachusetts," said Rivers, who grew up and lives in New Jersey.

"It's my favorite team in the AFC and my favorite team in the NFC. It's the best of both worlds."

But she has to be leaning one way or another, right?

"It's history, either way," said Rivers. "If the Giants win, it's the biggest upset. If the Patriots win, they're 19-0."

But having the best of both worlds is a costly experience. Rivers and Barbieri bought their tickets off eBay for a cool $5,000 total. The duo doesn't even want to think about their budget for the week. So instead of worrying about the charges on their MasterCard, they just borrowed the company's tagline.

"It's priceless," said Rivers.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- John Foreman used to be a Giants fan. After moving to the states from New Zealand, he adopted the Big Blue as his favorite football squad and often attended games with his friend, Vincent McBride.

But, nowadays, Foreman is a Patriots fan. After hopping around the tri-state area, he settled in Wellesley and latched onto the Patriots.

"Support your local team," said Foreman. "That's what you gotta do.

"I'm a reformed Giants fan. I'm a reformed Yankees fan. Now it's Sox and Pats."

The remark draws a playful elbow from McBride, who's clad in a Mark Bavaro jersey for Super Bowl XLII. But has the switch in loyalty really hurt their friendship at all?

"Friendship? I'm married to a Patriots fan," said McBride.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- We've arrived at University of Phoenix Stadium and are walking around the parking lots talking to Patriots fans. We'll check in with a little flavor of the scene in a bit ...

Here’s a look back at the transcripts from our daily chats leading up to the Super Bowl:

Patriots fan and New Orleans bar owner Brad Darr has created a voodoo ritual of burning the jersey of the opposing team's quarterback before each of New England's Super Bowl appearances since 2001.

The Patriots have won all three Super Bowls they have appeared in since the ritual began and Darr led the festivities of torching an Eli Manning jersey Saturday night in Phoenix. The Globe's Bill Greene provides the video:

Click HERE to watch the video.

The Globe's Keith O'Brien details the very different paths taken by Patriots fans to attend Super Bowl XLII:

PHOENIX - You knew things were starting to get out of hand when the DJ began playing "Sweet Caroline" every 20 minutes - or sometimes twice in a row - and the crowd at the bar didn't complain.

With every rendition of Neil Diamond's accidental anthem to Boston, New England Patriots fans - many of whom are spending a small fortune to attend the Super Bowl today or still desperately seeking tickets to the game - sang along. They stood on wobbly bar chairs waving Coors Light bottles and, of course, chanting on cue. Good times - at a bar inside a strip mall north of downtown Phoenix - had never felt so good.

"So good! So good!" the people shouted.

Click HERE to read the rest of the story from Sunday's Globe.

Ever wonder about the preparation that goes into producing the most-watched television program of the year? The Globe's Ann Silvio watched Fox's dress rehearsal Friday afternoon at Univeristy of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Click HERE to watch the video.

Photos from this morning's walkthrough at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale indicate that Brady and Pini have not yet crossed paths today. Still plenty of time before kickoff, however, for your superstitious fans.

Click HERE for more photos from Saturday's walkthrough.

The TV weathermen here in Arizona are reminding locals to bundle up if they're attending Super Bowl XLII. Temperatures are supposed to dip to the low 40s, a bit cooler than the folks around here are used to at this time of year.

One network weatherman suggested that layers would be the key to keeping warm at the big game, especially with a strong chance of precipitation.

The message seems to be lost on the out-of-towners, for today at least. With temperatures crawling towards the 60s this afternoon in downtown Phoenix, some fans are wandering around in shorts, while others have opted for just jeans and T-shirts.

To be fair, frost did twice delay the start of the FBR Open in Scottsdale on Thursday. And a chilling wind made things a bit chilly here Wednesday evening.

But we can't help but wonder how some of these folks would fare against a typical New England winter.

• Click HERE to take a visual tour of the NFL Experience

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- As one Patriots fan clad in a Tom Brady jersey said Friday inside the NFL Experience, "It's a bit like Disneyland for sports fans."

Indeed, the league's interactive football theme park, set up in the shadow of the University of Phoenix Stadium, site of Sunday's Super Bowl XLII, is a place for fans to immerse themselves in gridiron goodness.

The main attractions are the carnival-like games set up to test your football skills. You can kick field goals, test your passing accuracy, or run a combine-like obstacle course. And these games aren't just limited to kids as adults seem downright giddy to jump into the fray as well.

Who needs Space Mountain and Mickey ears? The NFL Experience has the "Run to Daylight" challenge and everybody seems to be wearing their favorite player's jersey.

You can read more about the attractions and events at the NFL Experience on the league's website.

• Click HERE to tour the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa

SCOTSDALE, Ariz. -- The Westin Kierland Resort & Spa served as the Patriots' team hotel during Super Bowl week. Click the link above to see a quick tour of the grounds and how the resort made the team feel right at home with some Patriots-themed amenities.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- God bless our marketing department.

Some clever mind had the foresight to send a bunch of our red and blue "Go Pats!" signs, along with a swarm of those cardboard hats with the Flying Elvis on each side (think: the Burger King crown if there was a Patriots promotion going on).

Anyhow, there are locals handing these items out up here at University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the NFL Experience and Sunday's Super Bowl XLII. People are grabbing these things as if we're giving away dollar bills. Are we sure Pacman Jones isn't in town? If he were to make it rain with these things, he'd probably trigger a stampede.

So you've got Arizonans decked out in Matt Leinart jerseys with a Flying Elvis hat on and Packers fans wearing Brett Favre replicas with "Go Pats!" signs under each arm.

But nothing was quite as entertaining as the Giants fan wearing a Plaxico Burress jersey and trying to get his Flying Elvis headwear to stay on as he walked toward the gates.

"It was free," he said, as if trying to explain his egregious display of team disloyalty.

It's understandable. The only thing people like more than a winner is free stuff.

***

One other note from the NFL Experience, there are loads of scalpers outside the main gates. No, they're not scalping Super Bowl tickets. They're scalping NFL Experience tickets.

The line for tickets just to get inside the NFL Experience stretched off the stadium's property this afternoon. You'd think a game was going on the way the parking lot is loaded up.

Those who don't want to wait until you get to the stadium to scalp your NFL Experience tickets, can also find them on eBay.

We'll have more from the NFL Experience later.

(Kara Bussabarger/Louisville Zoo)

A camel picked the Giants. But fear not, Pats fans. Another member of the animal kingdom has made a prediction for Sunday's Super Bowl.

Amber the Orangutan likes the Pats, according to WLKY.com, the website for a television station in Louisville, Ky.

"Amber was given a choice between Patriots and Giants t-shirts," the station reports. " She first grabbed the Giants shirt, but then grabbed the Patriots shirt. After going back and forth between the two, she finally chose the Pats shirt and put it on."

Unlike the camel, who had been predicting games all season, this was Amber's first such prediction. Whether experience making predictions outweighs an edge in innate intelligence is up for debate.

In response to the news that the Patriots applied for trademarks on "19-0" and "19-0 The Perfect Season” three days prior to the AFC Championship game, the New York Post announces today that they have spent $375 on their own trademark application for “18-1.”

Their application, No. 77385477, is pending, according to Chuck Bennet, who writes:

The Post had no luck contacting David Johanson, the attorney who applied for the New England trademarks on Jan. 17. The woman who answered his telephone yelled, "We can't talk about this!" and hung up.

Several hours later, Pats spokesman Stacey James called to say the trademark filing was to protect profits, and is not a pre-emptive writing of history.

"These are defensive tactics taken so people can't brand with our logo," he said.
The "19-0" trademark has not yet been approved.

And all James had to say about his team's patent-office prophecy was: "I am confident that we are 18-0 and we play on Sunday."

The Post touts Sunday’s matchup as the Giants vs. * in its online edition. The back page of its paper edition reads, “Beat the Cheats.”

• Click HERE to watch Maroney in action at Madden Bowl XIV

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The last place Patriots running back Laurence Maroney wanted to taste defeat was at Super Bowl XLII. Fortunately, the only game that matters this week isn't until Sunday.

Maroney endured a first-round exit at the eight-man Madden Bowl XIV tournament when Baltimore Ravens running back Willis McGahee won their virtual battle Thursday night at the Martini Ranch.

McGahee went on to win the Madden Bowl title at a tournament that featured pro football players competing head-to-head on the virtual gridiron using EA Sports's Madden NFL 08 for the xBox 360 console.

Maroney had a perfect excuse for losing, however.

"I let him win because I've got curfew," he said. "I gotta get back to the hotel so I don't get in trouble."

McGahee and his Baltimore Ravens may have come closer to handing the Patriots a loss than any other team to date during a Monday-night meeting in early December. That night, the Patriots produced a feverish rally -- and caught a couple of breaks -- to pull off a 27-24 triumph.

On Thursday night, McGahee extracted a measure of virtual revenge. Playing as the Jacksonville Jaguars ( a team the Patriots bested in an AFC Divisional playoff matchup this season), McGahee rumbled to a 21-7 victory over Maroney and his virtual Patriots.

The two star running backs were locked in a defensive stalemate until late in the first half when a pair of Tom Brady interceptions helped McGahee score two touchdowns and open a 14-0 advantage at the intermission.

Maroney and the vaunted Patriots offense couldn't rally this time. Decked out in the same cherry-red Kool-Aid gear from the morning media session, Maroney seemed more concerned with his cell phone and the bevy of text messages he was receiving in the second half than the outcome of the game.

Maroney laughed off the defeat before departing for the night. McGahee, a Madden Bowl finalist three times in recent years, went on to claim his first title by topping Buffalo running back Marshawn Lynch in the finals.

Players and celebrities mingled in a crowded setting as part of Scottsdale's hopping nightlife. Other Madden Bowl competitors included Chad Johnson, Patrick Willis, Jason Witten, Kellen Winslow, and Shawne Merriman.

Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress was scheduled to attend, but did not appear.

Much like our own Boston.com Super Bowl simulation , host EA Sports distributed tapes that featured their own big-game simulation and the Patriots prevailed again.

We'll have video from the Madden event and reaction from Maroney, later in the day.

Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson continues to shower the New England Patriots organization with praise.

Colleague Mike Reiss wrote in Thursday's edition of the Globe's Super Bowl Insider how Johnson joked to a Boston reporter, "I'm going to be playing for your team next year," before putting his hands together as if praying and looked to the heavens.

We caught up with Johnson at Madden Bowl XIV Thursday night in Scottsdale, Ariz., where he continued to compliment the Patriots, paticularly coach Bill Belichick.

"I'm in love with Belichick," he said.

"We hit it off since we met. I think our first time meeting was down in Hawaii (for the 2007 Pro Bowl)... I have a lot of respect for him. Not because of what he's done with that ball club, but for what I've learned from him in our own personal conversations, on and off the field."

Click HERE to see a portion of our video interview with Johnson, which includes his hope that New England polishes off a 19-0 season and a declaration that he is the best Madden player in the NFL. (Apologies for the boombastic audio, but the music was blaring at the Martini Ranch throughout the festivities).

You'll remember players like Adalius Thomas, then with the Baltimore Ravens, praised Belichick following the game. A year later, Thomas is part of the Patriots' Super Bowl run. Could Johnson be next in a Patriots' uniform?

"It would be fun; I would love to play there," he said Wednesday. "But right now, I'm in Cincinnati. That's where I am."

Jump over to our message boards to share your opinion on seeing Chad Johnson in New England.

We'll have more on the Madden Bowl later, including how New England Patriots running back Laurence Maroney fared in the eight-man tournament. New York Giants receiver Plaxico Burress, who was scheduled to compete at the event, was not spotted at the start of the event. Maybe he was busy having dinner with his family.