In the past week, all the stories leading up to the Big Game were about Manning vs. Brady, Manning vs. Belichick, how the undefeated Colts would finally get their reality check against the dynastic Patriots. Despite all his deadly offensive success, the Patriots were the one team that could still give Manning fits (despite four Colts wins in the last five meetings) as they had ruined many a magical season during his career. And all the focus would still be on Manning today, if it weren't The Call.

"Wrong."
"Folly."
"Dumb."
"Quizzical."
"Gaffe" and "Hubris."
"Bobble."
"The worst decision ... ever."
"Lack of Faith."
"Disrespect"
"A Bummer."
"Arrogantly Boneheaded."

[Screengrab via]

Pretty much everyone is in agreement that Belichick's decision to go for it on 4th-and-2 from his own 28 is the most arrogantly boneheaded (see?) coaching decision since Julius Caesar woke up on March 15 and said, "I think I'll go into work today." When your only two intellectual defenders are Merrill Hoge and Deion Sanders—noted fan of "swagger"—that's got to lead to some soul searching. (But hey, they covered! That's what's really important.)

As for Manning, his fourth quarter interception appeared to doom him to yet another big defeat against New England, but two more touchdowns in the final four minutes completed a 17-point comeback and his season remains perfect. So what if he needed Football's Einstein to momentarily turn into Andy Reid for one drive? Everyone keeps expecting Manning and his Colts to fold—no Bob Sanders, weaker home field, do they even have a coach?—and they just keep winning. (For now.)

Just as long as he stays away from the Lucas Oil hotdogs.

Belichick gaffe unrivaled [Shaughnessy]
Colts make Pats pay for Bill's unusually dumb decision [CBS]
Bill Belichick And The Art Of Second Guessing [Sussman]

* * * * *

Manny Pacquiao: Greatest fighter ever? I'll just take your word for it, because I'm still not paying $40 to watch a boxing match on TV. [Telegraph, GMANews]

Jimmie Johnson: Johnson all but locked up an unprecedented fourth straight Winston NASCAR Sprint Solo Cup Chase championship victory. And the man has never once used his turn signal. [LA Times]

The Bengals: They are officially "for real." So when do the knee injuries start again? [AP]

Jim Harbaugh: Two wins in three tries against not-so-mighty USC, both at the Coliseum (complete with a nice FU to Pete Carroll) and a big fat contract extension coming his way. Also, you wouldn't believe the luck this guy has getting good parking spots in Palo Alto. [Ray Ratto]

Brandon Jennings: I think we could all benefit from a summer in Europe. [Yahoo! Sports]

And the Weekend Loser?: Umm ... duh.

•A Stanford booster built coach Jim Harbaugh a private bathroom that cost between $50,000 and $70,000. Despite the university being in the midst of budget cuts, it's a wise investment: it'll keep Harbaugh from shitting the bed, like he did so many times in his playing career.

•This week's Sports Illustrated promises fans it will be "100% Favre-Free." Translation: he signed with the Vikes right before deadline, and we didn't feel like rewriting our NFL previews.

•Your toothless lede: "Animal rights groups and the Philadelphia Eagles are looking at ways they can join forces to combat dogfighting." A humble suggestion: don't pay convicted ringleaders of dogfighting rings millions of dollars.

•The Dodgers came to Colorado, and got beaten by the best team in the NL West. Two-game deficit be damned, the rolling Rockies have two-straight walk-off wins, all the momentum, and for some reason, Jason Giambi.

•What we've all been waiting for: the WWE is planning to launch their own TV network. Now the long-past-their-prime wrestlers like Shawn Michaels, the Undertaker and Tommy Dreamer will live on forever in classic matches, instead of dragging on forever on the damn PPVs.

•Seahawks sign old and crappy Edgerrin James. This will not remove the stink of past running back options young and crappy Maurice Morris, or old and crappy Shaun Alexander.

•And let's all laugh at Serena Williams as she tries and fails to win the carnival "hammer game:"

"Perhaps the reason it's been up and down here [Stanford] is that no one has stayed here 20 years," Harbaugh told CBS Sportsline. "... Charlie Weis is going to do that at Notre Dame. [Jim] Tressel at Ohio State. Pete's doing it. He's only got one more year, though. He'll be there one more year. That's what I've heard. I heard it inside the staff."

Carroll responded thusly:

"If he's going to make statements like that, he ought to get his information right," Carroll told the Times. "And if he has any questions about it he should call me."

Did anyone see an actual denial in there? Anyway, our initial thought is that Harbaugh should be more worried about getting through one year at Stanford than he is over Carroll's tenure at SC.

Harbaugh Says Carroll Leaving USC After Season [MSNBC]

But someone really should tell him that there's such a thing as overselling yourself.

"I dedicate my life's work to building the foundation here at Stanford, the foundation that will lead to great success, continue the tradition and restore the legacy that Stanford has in college football," Harbaugh said. "I vow that I will attack this endeavor with an enthusiasm unknown to mankind."

Wow. Even Matthew McConaughey is saying that many have been over the top.

Fun fact: Harbaugh's last job at Stanford was stenciling the numbers onto the football field. But we don't mean to mock: Those numbers were goddamn gorgeous.

Harbaugh Ready For Challenge At Stanford [SFGate]
Failure To Launch [Deadspin]
Jim Harbaugh Is Back In Town [Deadspin]
Small Quake Shakes Bay Area [SF Gate]

That's the safe choice. Harbaugh's dad, Jack, was an offensive coordinator for Stanford coach Paul Wiggin in the early 1980s. That's how Jim landed in the area, playing his junior and senior years of football at Palo Alto High, which is directly across El Camino Real from Stanford. That's how they do things in the Bay Area (see: 49ers head coach Mike Nolan, son of former 49ers head coach Dick Nolan). Stanford's other coaching finalist? Former Cardinal receiver James Lofton.

We just looked at the San Francisco Chronicle story on Harbaugh, and this was our favorite part:

Harbaugh was arrested in November 2005 in Encinitas for driving under the influence after being pulled over for running a stop sign. Harbaugh, who refused to take a field sobriety test, pled guilty to a lesser charge of reckless driving. He was sentenced to three years' probation, a $1,300 fine and attendance at an educational program for first-time drunk-driving offenders. Harbaugh was given a four-year contract extension at San Diego after the incident.

Well, as long as he was punished.

Stanford's Hail Mary [SFGate]