Choosing which team, or player, to root against in Super Bowl XLVIII is no easy task.

Winning the title Sunday night all but cements Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning's status as the game's greatest play-caller of all time. A Seattle Seahawks victory, on the other hand, serves as an epic slap in the face to all of the people who used racially incendiary language in reaction to cornerback Richard Sherman's interview with FOX Sports reporter Erin Andrews after Seattle defeated the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

For Manning, a 13-time Pro Bowler and one-time Super Bowl champion with the Indianapolis Colts, Super Bowl glory would also give him the chance to retire on top. This week, the veteran QB responded to rumors that he'll consider retiring should Denver win the big game.

"There have been a number of players who have walked away as champions. I’m sure that it is a great feeling for those people," Manning, quoted by Sporting News, said. "John Elway, Ray Lewis did it last year, and Michael Strahan. In talking to Ray Lewis, and talking to John Elway, they couldn’t play anymore. It was all they had to give. They truly left it all out there.

"I certainly had a career change two years ago with my injury and with changing teams," the 37-year-old added. "I’ve been truly on a one-year-at-a-time basis."

While Manning isn't exactly giving off the vibe that a post-Super Bowl retirement is imminent, it goes without saying that one of his opponents Sunday, Richard Sherman, 25, will be an active member of the NFL for years to come. The 2013 Pro Bowler had a league-best eight interceptions this season -- matching his total last year -- but he is far more known for his trash-talking persona than his effectiveness as a defensive back.

Sherman prevented a potential game-tying touchdown pass from 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick to receiver Michael Crabtree by leaping and tipping the ball with his left hand into the waiting hands of his teammate, linebacker Malcolm Smith, for an interception with 30 seconds left in the NFC Championship Game. The defensive play punched the Seahawks' ticket to the Super Bowl, but Sherman's post-game put-down of Crabtree, and the Twitosphere's reaction to it, overshadowed Seattle's 23-17 win over San Francisco.

Sherman was called a thug, and far worse, countless times across social media. The cornerback later told reporters that the "thug" label, in this context, was standing in for the N-word.

Personally, I was entertained by Sherman's rant. It reminded me of the classic WWF trash-talking I enjoyed watching as a kid. Don't get me wrong, I recognize that Sherman could've been more gracious in victory during his interview with Andrews, but the racist attacks against him can't be justified.

So, since rooting against Manning or Sherman, the faces of their respective teams in this Super Bowl, isn't an option, I have no choice but to be admittedly lame and pull for a great game.

Enjoy your Super Sunday, folks.