And here are your Shepard Smith interviews for the day.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Tim Cuprisin…

The broadcast berth may open Fox’s news product to a new audience, and Smith is happy about that prospect.

“There’s a perception out there that we have a horse in the race, that we’re the right-wing channel,” he says. “You know, man, I work here. Hannity’s right-wing and he’s proud of it, and we have some conservative viewers, but our news is just the news . . . or I wouldn’t be able to sleep at night.”

The Houston Chronicle’s David Barron…

The show is a clever idea to lock up extra network time (and extra ad dollars) on Super Bowl Sunday, but Smith prefers to focus on the extra exposure for Fox News and the chance to talk to voters who happen to be football fans, and vice versa.

“This is synergy at its best, and the fact that Fox is doing it doesn’t surprise me,” he said. “There are easy ways to make money. This is bigger than that. The future of the nation is at stake, and the more people we can inspire to take part in the process, the better.”

The New York Daily News’ Richard Huff…

Before watching Manning Sunday, Smith will have to work. He’s getting a two-hour platform - 10 a.m. to noon - to talk politics and sports just days before Super Tuesday. All of the candidates, as well as President Bush, are expected to check in some way. The show will incorporate reports and feature reporters from stations around the country. For example, WNYW/Ch. 5’s Dick Brennan, who had been covering Rudy Giuliani’s campaign, will be at a Giants fans party in New York.

“If they want to hear about Xs and Os, they’ll have to go somewhere else,” Smith said. “We’ll talk a little football with the candidates. But when you talk to them about things we talk about every day, we might learn a little bit more about who they are, the kind of communicators they are…. You can learn something the way they talk about something as mundane and completely American as football.”

And when he’s done, he’s off to the game, where he said, the stands unfortunately will be filled with sponsors and corporate types, rather than regular sports fans.

“It’s not,” he added, “the kind of people I like to hang out with at football games.”

Update: The Sun Herald’s Doug Barber…

Although Smith lives in New York, he also owns a house in Oxford and doesn’t miss many Ole Miss home games. He attended Ole Miss from 1983 through 1987.

“I didn’t miss many of Eli’s games,” Smith said. “I saw his big win at Auburn (24-20 his senior season). That made him the comeback kid. To do that in the middle of Jordan-Hare Stadium before 85,000 established his reputation.”

Smith says it is no surprise that the Giants have caught fire in winning the NFC championship.

“I’m not surprised in any way,” Smith said. “He and the Giants are peaking at the right time. Eli is not making any mistakes.”