The Super Bowl has appeal to casual and hardcore fans alike. But for the thinking man, nothing beats championship-game weekend. Two Super Bowl-caliber games in one day. Some long-term, festering rivalries and new ones possibly being born. Who can beat that? Sure, you don’t have the awesome commercials, but that’s only a minor drawback. The specter of two teams fighting just for the chance to go to the Super Bowl is compelling.

Of the many great matchups in Sunday’s NFC Championship Game, the one that stands out is this: Cardinals wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald vs. Eagles cornerback Asante Samuel.

The NFC Championship Game will be a rematch for the Eagles and Cardinals from early this season. This game is also a championship game rematch between quarterbacks Donovan McNabb and Kurt Warner. The two met when St. Louis played host to Philadelphia in the 2001 NFC Championship Game, which Warner was victorious in.

The Cardinals have (excuse the expression) flown under the radar in the playoffs so far. Yeah, not any more. The Cardinals, who had trouble selling out their first home playoff game in a lifetime, had little trouble selling out the stadium for the NFC Championship Game. In fact, it took only six minutes. The Cardinals fans are at full boil, and now the players are having to find a way to fight through the distractions.

So much for top seeds and home-field advantage.

Those edges that teams fight for over 16 regular-season games mean nothing in these NFC playoffs. The Cardinals and Eagles, who had the worst records among the NFC’s playoff teams, will meet in the conference championship game Sunday in Arizona to determine who plays in the Super Bowl.