IBM and USC scientists have been studying Super Bowl tweets and have declared a "digital upset" in which the Giants have won.
They are analyzing tweets to measure "sentiment" meaning how the Twitter-using public feels about each team. While this, naturally, doesn't really predict how the teams will actually perform on Sunday, it does indicate which team and players America is rooting for.
Note that Las Vegas odds makers have favored the Patriots by 3% over Giants. But Tweeps don't see it that way. IBM and USC analyzed over 1 million Superbowl tweets to determine:
Eli Manning is more beloved than Tom Brady … but just by a hair. Tom Brady has 61% "positive sentiment" and Eli Manning 66% "positive sentiment."
The scientists say that the reason seems due to two factors: 1) A backlash against all the coverage Eli's brother Peyton is getting this week when he's not even playing in the game. 2) New York fans' high level of public loyalty and confidence in the Giants.
IBM says this means Manning has won a "digital upset" in that "many would assume that Brady should be far ahead given his lofty status as an elite quarterback for many years and three championship rings," explained an IBM spokesperson.
Also interesting is that wide receivers have upstaged the quarterbacks in fan love. who are being positioned in the news media as the chief protagonists — Wes Welker is the No. 1 liked player on Twitter and Victor Cruz is a close second.
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