While the Super Bowl annually pits the champion of the AFC conference versus the winner of the NFC, that doesn’t necessarily mean the best two teams end up playing in the biggest game of the season. Here is Athlon Sports’ list of the worst teams to ever play in a Super Bowl in the game’s 46-year history. It probably goes without saying that each of these teams ended up on the short end of the scoreboard, right?

What defines a great play?

Another stellar NFL season is in the books. And unlike any year in the past, rookie quarterbacks, single-season records, franchise records and all-time greats produced at unprecedented levels. The NFL record books were completely rewritten this fall and Athlon Sports has compiled all the important numbers the fans need to know about 2012:

With the holiday season upon us, we started thinking: If Santa can make a list, why can’t Athlon? So we asked dozens of athletes, agents, coaches, journalists and other experts to identify the nicest athletes in sports today. Here’s our roster:

With nearly one-third of the NFL coaching jobs expected to be vacant by year’s end — including sweet gigs like the Philadelphia Eagles, San Diego Chargers and New Orleans Saints, as well as the revolving doors of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Arizona Cardinals and Jacksonville Jaguars — silly season is officially upon us.

Chances are your fantasy league’s playoffs either start this week or next, should your team be eligible for the postseason. If that is the case, time is running out to fortify your roster as you prepare to begin your quest for a championship. Injuries also continue to be a factor and another reason why the waiver wire is such an important tool. To that end, here are some possible options worth considering for Week 13 and the rest of the season.

Five games remain in the NFL’s regular season, but for fantasy leagues it’s almost playoff time. Depending on your league, Week 13 could be the last or second-to-last game before the postseason, meaning time is running out to either tweak your roster to make that last playoff push or reinforce it in your quest for a championship. The latest injuries alone reflect why the waiver wire can mean the difference between sitting out your league’s postseason or potentially finishing it second to no one. Here are some possible options worth considering as you get ready for Week 13.

NFL football is the greatest reality TV program of all time. The Giants and Colts made sure of that back in 1958. Each NFL fall weekend is a completely new and original experience for every player, fan and coach alike. New stories, new personalities, new winners and new losers. And new statistics.

Here are the most important, most intriguing and most bizarre statistics from Week 12 of NFL play:

A betting preview of every game (against the spread) on Thanksgiving Day, Sunday and Monday in Week 12.