First off, Jordin Sparks --with a family connection to a player -- did a good job with the anthem. I didn't watch the Half Time show ... the first Super Bowl had a school band do the honors. Now, we have old guys. Even the 1/2 tit shot (I missed that too) didn't have someone I associate with football fans. Still, there are all those light beer commercials. Do fans drink that stuff?
I have voiced my annoyance/amazement that there is a conceivable reality that from 1989-2017 two families could control the presidency. It is also pretty amazing (if for me personally, much less annoying) that two brothers have not only won the Super Bowl as QBs in back to back years, but were Super Bowl MVPs (after beating the Patriots in some fashion). In fact, to add to the parallel, they played in opposite leagues, just like Bush/Clinton are of different political parties. Family members have been on the same teams (even father/son), but this is pretty remarkable.
I referenced in my quick after game comments my relief, yes relief, when the team won. This is how it feels when you beat a team, especially a high scoring team (if a bit less of late) 17-14, it being 7-3 as the Fourth Quarter begins. Repeatedly, a score that close means that the game could be lost, and down to the final minutes such was the case. There was an opening for an interception in that remarkable (there's that word again) final drive ... in fact, one of those desperation tosses down field after the Giants scored actually had a chance of being caught. The Giants had an end of the game goal line stand in the game that made it 1-2, so this nailbiting is almost to be expected.
Eli might want to imagine there being two minutes or so left earlier in the game, so that he could score more points ala his brother. The end of the half quickie points (helped by a stupid penalty that only occurred once yesterday, twelve men on the field, which the Giants survived ... even though it put the ball back on their own 39) in the Dallas game suggests two minutes are not even needed. The final game of the season, between these two teams, was 38-35. One team had more points than the combined score here. Plaxico predicted the final score would be 23-17. He assumed too many points. This sort of thing reminds me of the days of the last Giants Super Bowl. It was stressful then too.
New York sports fans have had a bit of a lull of late in respect to going the distance. As a fan, it is sort of amazing really to think of the experience. First, you have an idea that the team has a chance of winning each game. The playoffs, especially given the weak field, was to be expected -- though before it all started, some had their doubts. Tampa seemed a pretty soft opponent. Dallas, less so, but could they beat the Giants three times? And, then, well it was one game. Green Bay or no, you can win one game, right? Finally, the Super Bowl. Well, they came pretty close in the final game. I figured there was a decent chance for a close game. These blowout predictions seemed a bit iffy -- the Pats weren't blowing out teams of late. So, one had hopes.
And, then during the game. Slow water torture having a defense repeatedly stopping such a team ... even if their last game vs. a limping team was not that great ... and not scoring an ounce of offense either. A field goal would have been a lot, but an interception (not really Eli's fault) prevented the one shot they had in the First Half. You got the idea the Pats were antsy too -- that shoving aside a long field goal (c. 49) could have been as much about the young kicker as well as a desire to score more than three (iffy) points. Honestly, after the Pats scored (likely anyway as the First Quarter ended), missing the next two quarters would have not been a big loss. I missed the first few minutes of the Third Quarter, which also was no big deal. Caught the back end of the challenge.
The Pats finally scoring ... rather late ... again was almost inevitable. That too went slowly, injury timeouts delaying things. Lots of anguish. After the miracle escape/catch, you could taste victory again, many Giants fans (okay, this one) more akin to the Pats players in thinking the Pats score was a sorta gravity thing, a scientific inevitability to be praised in the papers the next day with "19-0." [BTW, there was a book written with that title ... might need to be edited.] Tom Brady methodically drove the team down the field, the Giants Defense gassed. The Gs even missed an opportunity to hold the ball more or even score points earlier in the quarter ... you knew the 10-7 score wouldn't hold up.
But, that catch did the trick -- a loss before that would have been oh so very annoying, the Defense holding up except when it really mattered, but then you WANTED it. And, you got it. An article last week supplied advice how how to pace yourself, how to save your voice given likely screaming and such during the game. Well, I was pretty much spent by that point ... stressing out during that Pats scoring drive. Amazement at the escape/catch (a two part miracle) is one of those special moments, like when I saw David Cone pitch that perfect game (I missed David Wells', out for the afternoon) or seven shut out innings after coming back in '96. Such moments belie the idea "it is only a game."
You almost feel bad for Bill ... not quite, since he is a jerk, but this time you can feel a bit sorry for the guy -- he was that close to having his team go 19-0. As a player noted, now they are like the 31 teams that did not win the Super Bowl. In effect, they are akin to the Jets and even the Miami Dolphins, whose predecessors remain perfect still. I have an idea that it might have done them good to lose a game. The Baltimore game was the one they should have lost. After all, Pittsburg -- the last Wild Card to go all the way -- lost one game, their first actually, and didn't have that on their back. The Giants went on a roll, amazing really, but they still lost some games. They even lost one on the road ... their first one there. They won the one that mattered.
[Bush league alert: there was a totally lame commercial promoting championship apparel on right after the game, sounding like some sort of automatic robocall that inserted "Giants" into the set lame script. BTW, I also got a robocall from Hillary. Deleted. BTW, there is a parade tomorrow thru the "Canyon of Heroes" downtown, but we had enough true heroes the last few years to totally be comfortable with applying that title to football players.]
It is oh so brief. Soon, the defensive genius might leave the team to coach the Redskins. And, the team will prepare for next year. Meanwhile, pitchers and catchers will soon meet. But, the memory will remain. The Giants can go 7-9 ... and past history suggests how the mighty have fallen in these cases ... next season, and the fans will still remember and not feel too bad. Who goes back to back? That would be like two brothers doing it.
Finally, a week or so ago, the NY Daily News had a sports cartoon of the NY Giants on the road, each team beaten crossed off on the side of the bus like confirmed kills on a war plane. Road warriors. They won all but once, including 2-0 on neutral sites (England/Arizona). Not bad.