Residents across Westchester, Putnam and Dutchess counties (and all of New York and New Jersey, for that matter) have a lot to smile about this weekend, and it’s not just because of the mild temperatures and beautiful sunshine. Staten Island Chuck, our own version of Punxsutawney Phil, predicted an early spring—but do you know that he also foresaw a Giants’ Super Bowl win, too?

According to New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Chuck is right about 80 percent of the time. Sure it’s just a prediction, but you shouldn’t take an animal’s inner intuition for granted. Remember Paul the Octopus, who was 8-for-8 in predicting the 2010 World Cup’s final rounds, including the championship match? And don’t forget about Princess, the camel from Popcorn Park Zoo in New Jersey, who’s correctly predicted five of the last six Super Bowls (and has selected the Giants for a big championship win this weekend, too.)

Animal ESP aside, it’s been a painstaking two weeks for most of the Hudson Valley as media fanfare and talk of a 2008 Super Bowl replay have weighed heavily on the minds of Giants fans far and wide. Even some Jets fans have been forced to take sides when faced with the challenge of choosing between their stadium-sharing rivals or Tom Brady and his flowing locks of quarterback supremacy. In a LoHud story written by Richard Liebson, White Plains lawyer and loyal Jets fan Dave Mayeri says it’s an awful dilemma, but at the end of the day, decides he’s better off sticking with a fellow New York team.

While some Westchester residents are cringing at the thought of this year’s Super Bowl, others are ready to celebrate this Giant occasion. Yorktown Patch recently posted a story with the best spots and Super Bowl deals across Northern Westchester. What better way to wrap up the 2011—2012 NFL season with a $70 all-you-can-eat-and-drink at Brodie’s Pub in Mohegan Lake, or by dropping just 30 cents for boneless wings at South Side Grille in Yorktown. Be sure to read Liz Giegerich and Plamena Pesheva’s article to get the inside scoop.

And then there’s the power of a little friendly competition. The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that public officials across New York and Massachusetts have engaged in a football war, putting their respective states’ most famous goods on the line. According to Joseph Spector and the Journal Albany Bureau, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo will send Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick 46 cases of the state’s Greek yogurt, 46 dozen bagels from Ess-a-Bagel in Manhattan, and 46 cheesecakes from Junior’s in Brooklyn if the Pats win. And if the Giants prevail, Patrick will send Cuomo 46 Centerville Pies from The Pie Ladies, Legal Sea Foods clam chowder, and six cases of Food Should Taste Good chips.

Whether you’re a diehard fan putting everything on the line this Sunday, a sidelined aficionado whose team just didn’t cut it this year or a fair-weather football-watcher, we’ve got just one question for you: Who do YOU think will reign supreme in Indy this Sunday?