Considering that Pittsburgh already nabbed "one for the thumb," it's safe to say they're just going for history now. The Steelers and Cardinals didn't meet during the regular season this year (a shame, we know), but you can bet both clubs are ready for what's coming when February 1st rolls around. In fact, the only question remaining is this: are you? If you've suddenly found yourself shocked and unprepared, follow us past the break for our guidance on blowing out Super Bowl XLIII.

Simmer down athletic supports, we didn't just call your beloved NFL boring. But Thursday night's matchup between the Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers wasn't going to generate this much interest on its own. As described by the LA Times who attended the 3D broadcast of Thursday night's "football" game at Burbank's 3ality Digital cinema,

"The experience wasn't jaw-dropping, but it was noticeably better than a conventional broadcast. The game was drama-free, yet the novelty of 3D made it hard for me to take my eyes off the screen... The effect was subtle at times, but just as compelling as in "U2 3D," 3ality's concert film of the Irish rockers. The most striking thing in both cases was how much more you could see in three dimensions than in two."

The event wasn't glitch free, however. Two hiccups caused the satellite feeds to go black in Boston, New York, and LA. and a few quick camera pans and poorly executed transitions had viewers convulsing behind their polarized glasses. As a proof of concept though, viewers generally seemed impressed which means more of this in the future.

[Via Yahoo]

It's two things that are inevitably tied to one another each Sunday -- LCD TVs and alcohol. Now, Micro Matic is bringing them together like never before, and only the most serious of in-home bartenders need apply. The v-POD comes in a couple of shapes and colors to best suit your needs, with the stainless steel Kool-Rite boasting a half-dozen taps, stereo speakers and an inbuilt 10-inch LCD. Now, if only these were available with slightly larger HDTVs and price tags nowhere near the three grand mark, we'd be talking.

[Via Engadget Chinese]

As the NFL gobbles up even more market share in the United States, it follows logic to see the next big in-home entertainment push side with it in order to garner attention. With every company and its third subsidiary twice removed trying to shove 3D into the home, we'd say starting with the NFL is a brilliant move. In a closed-to-the-public "proof of concept" demonstration, next week's matchup between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders will air live in 3D to select theaters in Los Angeles, New York and Boston. Third-dimension mainstays 3ality Digital and RealD will play critical roles in the delivery, though it remains unclear what exactly the NFL and 3D backers in general plan to do afterwards. If you'll recall, this isn't the first pro sporting event this year that was beamed in 3D to nearby theaters, but we can't think of anything more appealing than 300-pound gentleman crushing each other just inches from your retinas.

[Thanks, Jesse]

The National Football League and Sprint have been tied up in one form or fashion for years now, but the relationship is finally rounding third and heading for home. All mixed analogies aside, what we're saying is that the feature you've been clamoring for has finally arrived, and beginning tonight, select Sprint subscribers will be able to watch the entire Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos tilt on their handset. Obviously, you'll need a Sprint TV-capable handset and an Everything Plan (or a $15 per month add-on) in order to tune in, but tonight's game -- which kicks off at 8:00PM ET on the NFL Network -- will be the first of eight games (televised solely on that network) to air via Sprint. Whether or not The Now Network can keep up with the action, however, remains to be seen.

We already knew that pigskin fanatics in 223 countries would be able to catch Super Bowl XLII this Sunday, but thanks to Raytheon's Global Broadcasting Service (GBS), even sailors and Marines stationed aboard ships in the Pacific Ocean will be able to catch the Giants attempt to mar the Patriots' currently unblemished record. The aforementioned technology has been in use for over a decade delivering "high-speed, multimedia broadcasts of mission critical information to military and government decision makers," but this weekend, it'll be used to bring home entertainment to folks far, far away from home. Sadly, it doesn't sound like the broadcast will be in HD this go 'round, but we suppose any football is better than none at all, right?

[Via DailyWireless, image courtesy of ProJo]

Just in case you've been living under a rock (or mounds of year-end spreadsheets -- same difference), we reckoned you should know that you've but four days left before Super Bowl XLII kicks off from Arizona. Besides the obvious necessities -- an HDTV, lots of seating space, a truckload of junk food and an HD DVR attached to a battery backup system -- you may also need to cross a few unnoticed "t"s to ensure the best game day experience possible. Of course, Engadget HD is lookin' out for you and yours, and we're here to make sure you aren't scrambling for an HD signal from your local FOX affiliate three minutes after kickoff. Hit up the checklist here while you still have time.

Further Super Bowl XL II reading:

• Poll: Did you (or will you) buy a new HDTV for the Super Bowl?
• CEA expects Super Bowl to drive over two million HDTV sales
• HD DVD ad to air during Super Bowl XLII, BDA sez it's futile
• Check for HD before RSVP-ing that Superbowl party
• How to get geared up for Super Bowl XLII

It's no secret that Comcast and the NFL Network don't have the rosiest of relationships, and now that Comcast won a ruling (that's being appealed, to no one's shock) over what tier the channel was being placed on, the carrier has shot out a cease and desist letter demanding the network stop persuading customers to switch providers. Reportedly, the note contends that the channel's iwantnflnetwork.com "violates the contract between the network and Comcast," as it coaxes customers to ponder switching with a message reading "Switch to a TV provider that will bring you NFL Network, not hold you hostage." The NFL Network has responded by stating that the arguments are "without merit," and even proclaimed that users dropping Comcast "did not need encouragement from them." Apparently, the cable operator is calling for the network to "confirm in writing" that it has halted its attempts to influence consumers by Friday, but a spokeswomen said she "didn't want to speculate what the company would do if its demands were not met." Ooh, that'll show 'em.

[Thanks, Ryan G.]

You can now watch NFL football over the interwebs, free from regional restrictions! Excited? We thought so -- here's what you'll need. First, sign up for DirecTV's Sunday Ticket ($269/year). Second, add in the "SuperFan" program (an additional $99/year). Third, you'll need a Windows PC (sorry Mac users). Once all that is squared away, you can enjoy watching live games webwide in Internet Explorer. Meh, says we, especially when you look at MLB.TV. Admittedly, the SuperFan package is required for HD delivery of the games on DirecTV anyways (which the internet feed definitely won't be), so chances are that football nuts may already have these packages lined up. The NFL is keeping tight control over their content, but this is a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, "misplacing" a Slingbox at your buddy's place in another region is looking better and better.

Sure, baseball season is far from over, but here in the US of A, the onset of September directs all eyes to one sport. Thankfully, the SportsCast Wireless Football Scoreboard has made a timely entrance onto the scene, allowing NFL fans everywhere to see updates of scores across the league. The device requires no subscription to operate, and enables you to choose a "feature game" to highlight while the matches of lesser importance are shown below. Interestingly, the unit claims to receive updates every 15 minutes "via satellite signal (Ambient?)," and also sports a clock that sets itself. Sadly, the $99 wireless scoreboard won't be shipping out to pigskin fans for another month, so you'll have to keep track of the first few weeks the old fashioned way.

[Via CNET]

Motorola has just announced plans to upgrade the NFL's current communication systems with two new technologies aimed at coaches and sideline crews as part of an ongoing collaboration between the football league and electronics-maker. The first upgrade is a coaches headset that takes its design cues from the company's RAZR2 phones, and is a lighter, thinner and more ergonomically advanced model -- so when the boss-man is screaming down the line for a new defensive strategy, an uncomfortable or awkward headset won't interfere with his rage. Additionally, Motorola is replacing the decades-old "phone tables" with its Sideline Communication Center, which will standardize communication throughout the league, and should vastly improve coordination of Gatorade dumping.

Whilst many may be aware of the strong reputation that churches hold for repeatedly pulling off successful annual gatherings, a recent letter sent by the NFL to the Fall Creek Baptist Church suggests that this particular organization isn't quite so clued in. The letter, which caused the church in question to cancel a planned "Super Bowl Party" sparked a litany of other cancellations by churches scared of attracting the wrath of the league. The NFL has subsequently attempted to rectify the situation it got itself into -- some would argue the sports equivalent of "cancelling Christmas" -- by stating that their original claim was that churches could display the game, as long as they didn't charge for entry, or display the game on anything other than "a television of the type commonly used at home": in the case of the kitted out Fall Creek Baptist Church, they were hoping to broadcast the game on a TV measuring more than a divine 55-inches diagonally. Unfortunately for the groups that arranged and then subsequently cancelled their parties, it's a little too late to re-advertise. Fortunately, God's omnipresence comes in handy for these sort of screw-ups, so the solution for watching the game at home with the ultimate authority is as simple as leaving a space on the couch. Whether or not he digs your set is an entirely different matter, and one that's entirely down to thickness of your wallet.

[Via Tom's Hardware]

C'mon folks, everyone and their grandmother will likely be watching the Super Bowl this coming Sunday (even across the pond), and even if you have no interest in the Colts, Bears, or large men in awkward suits, someone in your family probably feels otherwise. Nevertheless, the NFL showcased its mighty power (and terrible decision making) by condemning Fall Creek Baptist Church's "Super Bowl Bash," saying that advertising a fee-based party that utilized "license-protected words" was against regulations. Furthermore, ditching the door charge and the taboo language wasn't good enough to solve the problem, as "the law" limits Super Bowl (wait, can we say that now?) party TVs to a quantity of one, and that single set must not be over 55-inches. Needless to say, we don't doubt that good few of you fine, law-abiding, tax-paying citizens will be catching the big game with a couple of your friends on your 60-inch plasma (or 100-inch projection screen), but we'd highly recommend building an underground bunker between now and Sunday to make sure your plans are safe. Of course, bars and other eateries are somehow exempt from this bogus rule, and as expected, all the grumbling stems from Nielsen's obvious inability to estimate just how many folks are watching a single tube on this advertisers' dream night, but ratings drops or not, we wouldn't mess with Touchdown Jesus.

Those of you patiently waiting for Sprint to officially launch (and make available) its rendition of the Motorola Q can finally breathe a sigh of relief, but you'll still have to wait just a bit longer to actually grab one. Slated to hit webstores "around mid-January" and retail outlets the month after, Sprint's Q isn't quite available to the masses just yet, but LAPTOP Mag got their palms around a pre-production release and promptly threw it on the testing block. Mimicking remarks we made earlier, reviewers noticed the lack of upgrades aside from the Sprint splash screen, logos, and unique "dark grey" hue, and they also found the "less rubberized" feel compared to Verizon's black version less enjoyable to handle. Noting the possibility of including a dedicated volume switch (as on the BlackJack), the crew was also let down by the omitted backlight underneath the keyboard, which Verizon's unit is blessed with. Additionally, surfing the web proved quite a bit slower when compared to Verizon's flavor, but Sprint suggested that "finalized units" wouldn't suffer the same fate. Nevertheless, not all was doom and gloom, as they did take note of the exclusive NFL Mobile functionality as well as the bundled Handmark application -- dubbed On Demand -- that loaded up "news, weather, directions, and other information optimized for the Moto Q's screen within seconds." Overall, this Q proved to be a bit of letdown considering what it could have been, and if only Sprint would've taken the time to add support for its Sprint TV and Music services, at least something would've stood out from the competition. As it stands, however, the Q still isn't a bad choice, and it was noted that Sprint's cheap unlimited data could swing contract-less buyers in its direction, but if you were hoping for a revamped, refreshed offering from big yellow, you'll be sorely disappointed.

Read - Motorola Q officially launches on Sprint
Read - LAPTOP Mag reviews Sprint's Motorola Q

Although Microsoft has patented an advertising "gotcha" to insert fresh plugs into previously recorded shows, Visible World and OpenTV are taking targeted advertising to a whole new level. While the systems have been trialed for some time now, Visible World's variable ad system will hit the mainstream when Wendy's commercials on Fox Sports' NFL broadcasts feature raccoons that seemingly know what just happened on the field. The 'coons will bust out comments about how boring the scoreless match is, how crazy that touchdown pass was, or how miserable that shirtless guy in the front row must be in the below-freezing weather. Eventually, both firms hope to focus ads right down to individual households, claiming that "dog-related advertisements" would show up primarily in dog-owning households, and that Ford commercials could be specifically shown to compete with local / regional competition in a given area. Still, for those programs that we can stand to watch later, we doubt a slightly clever advertisement will keep our fingers off the FF button, but at least this stuff makes those live broadcasts a bit less painstaking.