This weekend, the Colts and the Patriots are playing for a spot in the Super Bowl, and the game has been discussed to such an extent that not only has Manning-Brady fatigue set in, but there's been enough time for ESPN.com's Sports Guy to whine about that fatigue. He might well be most upset with a mocking fill-in-the-blank column penned by fellow ESPNer Patrick Hruby, who calls out fellow journalists (including Simmons) for their predictable hyperbole when it comes to this particular matchup.

The best part of Hruby's fake article, though, is the footnote to his first sentence ("Are you ready for some football?") In the related footnote, he writes, "In the industry, this is known as a lede, a short, attention-grabbing phrase intended to pull readers into a story—much like Britney Spears exiting a limo, sans underpants. Asking a question is a simple, time-honored and exceedingly lazy way of engaging readers with a lede; the specific question in hand is also a pop-culture reference (see footnote 34) and a catchphrase, (see footnote 34) as well as a cross-promotion for 'Monday Night Football,' now an ESPN broadcast property."

In spite of this (or perhaps as a result of it), the Bocephus-inspired phrase has also graced the start of several recent, real articles. A sampling:

The Desert Sun, Jan. 13
Are you ready for some football? This is the best weekend of the year with NFL playoff doubleheaders on both Saturday and Sunday. There are no surprises in the lineup. These are the real heavyweights clashing for the right to move on. There may be an upset of two, but I seriously doubt there will be any boring games.

The Gainesville Sun, Jan. 7
Are you ready for some football? Or how about some hard-core lobbying? For University of Florida President Bernie Machen, this week will bring a touch of both. Machen will be cavorting with a host of lawmakers, including none other than U.S. Sen. John McCain, during his stay here for the BCS National Championship.

Promo Magazine, Jan. 1
Are you ready for some football? Brand marketers have been for months, but they're no longer thinking only of Super Bowl Sunday. Many have expanded from one-time stunts to season-long promotions.