The Super Bowl hype has begun early, and not just around here.This is already the most-watched NFL postseason ever, coming on the heels of the largest regular-season TV viewership for combined networks in network history: 207.7 million.NFL games in 2010 were watched by an average of 17.9 million viewers -- up 1.3 million per game over the previous season.NFL games accounted for 19 of the most-watched shows among all programming."I'm pleased and really amazed at the kind of ratings generated by all the networks through the regular-season and in the postseason," said Sean McManus, CBS president of news and sports.This is what TV execs call fun. Every game comes up Triple 7. Seahawks win! Jets win! Packers win! Ravens rout! That was last weekend's slate."We had arguably the least competitive game [Ravens-Chiefs], yet it was the highest-rated AFC wild-card game in five years. Go figure," McManus said with the slightest hint of a smirk.This weekend's matchups look even better: Ravens-Steelers today and Jets-Patriots Sunday, both on CBS (KTVT/11); Packers-Falcons tonight and Seahawks-Bears Sunday, both on Fox (KDFW/4)."The NFL is just on fire this year," McManus cooed.Ratings breakthroughs and record-setting numbers have been reported by Fox, CBS, NBC, ESPN and NFL Network almost on a weekly basis since the season began.HBO Hard Knocks actually got the season off to a #@*&! start in August. The R-rated reality show starred Rex Ryan and his Jets. It stirred a passion among pro football fans and non-fans alike, coast-to-coast, something even the NFL itself noticed."Year of the Viewer," oddly enough, has been the result of unfulfilled expectations, quickly discarded storylines, hotly debated topics and hard-to-fathom results. Everything an NFL fan apparently craves.Ben Roethlisberger put his reputation on the line in Pittsburgh (as well as inside the Steelers locker room) and served out a reduced four-game suspension at the start of the season, for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy.Brett Favre's alleged "sexting" of a New York Jets hostess in another NFL lifetime put a damper on his meandering legend. (Only Favre has several NFL lifetimes.)And a New York Jets assistant coach outrageously tripped a Miami Dolphins player during a special-teams play.I mean, who would have thought that Michael Vick would be the best "positive story" when the season began."Whether it was Michael Vick or Brett Favre," said McManus, trying to explain this NFL viewership phenomenon. "I think all of it generated interest ... [and] brought in a lot of people who wouldn't normally watch football."McManus added that once curiosity is piqued, the games must be compelling enough to hold viewer interest. And most of them were."It becomes almost a self-fulfilling prophesy," McManus said. "The more people [known to be] watching, the more people are captivated by the games."OK, now for the elephant in the room: What if there's an NFL work stoppage? McManus was hesitant to think aloud what might happen to this fever pitch after a potential lockout, even for a few games."It would disillusion some people," said McManus, adding that the shorter the work stoppage, the less damage-control required."I don't even want to anticipate a lengthy holdout," the CBS boss said. "But I think a lengthy holdout would probably have a different dynamic for the fan."For now, it's all good.And good for North Texas.Where do you think all this viewership buzz ends up Feb. 6? Ray Buck, 817-390-7697
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