The National Football League (NFL) crowns a new champion this month with LIVE coverage on ESPN of Super Bowl XLVIII.
Hosted by New York and New Jersey, this year's event marks firsts in all sorts of categories: it's the first outdoor, cold-weather Super Bowl, the first in the region, the first to be hosted by two states and the first to be jointly hosted by two teams, the New York Giants and the New York Jets, neither of which look likely to be on the field.
The parity this season has been noticeable, with the AFC as wide open as it has ever been. The Denver Broncos and Kansas City Chiefs - both at 11-3 and into the playoffs by mid December - have led the charge, joined by Andrew Luck and the Indianapolis Colts, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots and the tough Cincinnati Bengals. In the NFC, the Seattle Seahawks stormed into the playoffs first, followed by the surprisingly tough Carolina Panthers, and with the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers still deep in the hunt.
ESPN features coverage of the NFL's biggest event, Super Bowl XLVIII, airing LIVE on February 2 at 6:00pm.