FanNation - The Republic of Sport

With all of the underlying stories swirling around the Patriots and Giants, rooting interest in the Super Bowl might have reached an alltime high in Super Bowl XLII. That interest stretched throughout the NFL, well beyond the Northeast. There were no fewer than nine team's fans other than those of the Giants or Patriots who had good reason to be either exhilorated or disgusted by the outcome of the contest. Here's why in order from nine to one:

9) Bears fans have often compared their quarterback, Rex Grossman, to Eli Manning and are disgusted this morning thinking that had Grossman kept his composure under fire in Super Bowl XLI against the Colts, they might have won a second title.

8) The Ravens came so close to being the first team defeat the Pats, with only a poorly-timed Rex Ryan timeout standing between a fourth quarter fourth-down victory and being just another notch on the New England gun. Now their fans feel vindicated that the Giants used their team's strategy of being extremely physical with New England to finally take them down.

7) Eagles fans usually don't root for the Giants, but they also came so close to defeating the Pats that there was a feeling of brotherly love heading up the Jersey Turnpike, hoping that New York could finish what the Eagles started. 

6) The Manning family has been a big part of the New Orleans community for over 30 years and with one of their own, Eli, playing in the big game during Mardi Gras, you'd better believe Saints fans in the Crescent City were rooting hard. In the last 24 hours more than a few hurricane's have been raised to toast proud papa, Archie . 

5)  The Patriots have vanquished the Chargers in consecutive seasons but in San Diego Junior Seau still has favorite son status. Couple that with the whole Eli Manning-Philip Rivers saga and there was some pain to see the Giants holding up the Lombardi Trophy.

4) Unlike most intra-region rivalries, there's not much animosity between Jets and Giants fans. In fact, few fans have more of a distaste for Bill Belichick and the rest of the spygate crew than Gang Green. Plus they get to dream about what a Jets ticker-tape parade might be like. 

3) Redskins fans shouldn't be rooting for the Giants but with all of the rumors swirling about Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnoulo becoming the next Washington coach, 'Skins fans had to be licking their chops everytime they saw the nearly untouchable Tom Brady crumbling under Spagnoulo's defensive schemes.

2) There's no more hated rivalry in the NFL right now than the Colts and Patriots, so there was no doubt who Colts fans were rooting for no matter who the NFC representitive would have been. Having Peyton Manning's kid brother at the helm, made all of Colts nation bleed Giants Blue last night.

1) Pop the Champagne Dolphins fans, the perfect season is safe for another year. It's sad that all Miami followers could root for this season was a bunch of greybeards who went undefeated 35 years ago, but was also sweet to be able to keep the distinction all for themselves. .