There was no doubt in my mind that it was going to be an uneventful game. I decided to partake in the traditional Super Bowl Sunday ritual by making an appearance at a friend's Super Bowl party. Most years, I walk around eating the snacks and occasionally glance at the game. This year however was different.
What I ended up getting was one of the best football games I've ever seen in my life.
I'm not a fan of the Patriots or the Giants, although I was rooting for the Giants (I can't stand the abundance of fair-weather fans that emerge when a team does good). I never expected the Giants to even give the Pats a game. According to many sports writers and fans, it was going to be a blowout and from what I had seen of the Patriots, I believed it all word for word. Still, I held out hope for a Giant upset.
As I started watching the game and getting more and more into it, I realized how large a feat this would be if the Giants could pull off this improbable upset.
Here is an 18-0 team, led by a crowd of eight Pro Bowlers, the NFL's most valuable player, and his superstar wide receiver, and basically, only the most dominant football club to ever grace the gridiron. And who were they up against? The quarterback living in the shadow of HIS superstar brother, the aging defensive star, and, as my dad's best friend likes to call him, plexi-glass Burress.
Seems like a giant mismatch and a giant steam rolling of the boys from the Big Apple. It ended up being a showing of teamwork and rebellion unlike any I've seen in a while. Despite the fact that I am only 15 years old and haven't watched a historical amount of Super Bowls, I watch every regular season and play-off game I can, and add in the College football season (yes I am counting this among those games as well). That amounts to a number of games. In my mind, not one compared.
When faced with arguably the biggest and most watched stage sporting events have to offer, Eli Manning and the under matched Giants truly showed that teamwork and pride will win out over superstars, awards, and even a perfect season. There is no doubt Manning contributed the most when it was needed the most. He showed a glimpse of what he can be when he is at his best, playing arguably as good as Peyton can.
Don't get me wrong; I'm not discrediting the Patriots for what they have done. And I'm not saying that they played selfishly or without teamwork. I am saying the Giants pulled together and showed more pride and teamwork that translated into the best effort and best game they could bring, which was ultimately enough to dismantle the mighty Patriots and Tom Brady.
My praise goes to the Giants for showing that any team can play with anyone anytime. They played through their mismatches and beat down the Patriots weaknesses until the end, then after it looked like the Pats were getting back on track, they silenced the momentum with a game-winning floater to old plexi-glass himself.
The Giants proved the can overcome problems in the regular season, this and last season, pull together and win the ultimate prize.
I salute them for that.
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