Super Bowl 2012: Giants Still Second Fiddle to Yankees in New York Despite Title

There is no denying what the New York Giants accomplished on Sunday in defeating the New England Patriots to win the Super Bowl for the second time in four years. With that said, though, New York is and always will be a Yankee town.

In a New York Daily News article, columnist Mike Lupica lays out his reasoning why the Giants are now the toast of the town. He certainly makes some good points: the NFL is America's most popular sports league, and quarterback Eli Manning has a flair for the dramatic.

But the Yanks have been at it for a century.

Make no mistake, the Giants are closer to the Yankees than they ever have been, but there are a few thing keeping them from reaching that level. For one, however insignificant it may seem, the Giants play in East Rutherford, N.J.

Most consider New York and New Jersey to be synonymous in a lot of ways, but the Yankees play in the Bronx and are truly a New York team.

The Giants used to play in Yankee Stadium years ago. And that gave them a greater connection with the fans, but it's fair to say that there can be a disconnect that isn't present with the Yankees.

Also, in terms of history, perhaps no team in sports can compare to the Yankees. Not only do they have 27 World Series championships and 40 American League pennants, but they have rostered some of the most iconic players in baseball history.

Granted, the Giants have had the likes of Frank Gifford, Lawrence Taylor and now Manning, but how can that compare to Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle and Lou Gehrig? The Yankees are the most prestigious franchise in sports, and because of that they transcend the New York area and truly are a national treasure.

Most importantly, though, the Yankees are also universally hated across the country. While Dallas Cowboys fans and Patriots fans may strongly dislike the Giants, it isn't like that with everyone else. When it comes to the Yankees, unless somebody is a fan of the Bronx Bombers, they more than likely hate them.

The biggest reason for that is their tradition of winning. Yankee detractors like to blame it on the Yanks "buying" championships, but it all comes down to jealousy. The Yankees are the winningest franchise in American sports history, and that makes them both beloved and hated at the same time.

At the start of every season, the Yankees are expected to win the World Series every season, and anything less is a failure. It's fair to say that no other team in sports faces such lofty expectations on a yearly basis.

Maybe the Giants will too, after winning two Super Bowls in four years. But sustaining a run of dominance in the NFL is no easy task. When the Giants win a title it's great because it isn't necessarily expected.

But there is always something special about the Yankees winning a World Series because it just feels right.

The Giants are becoming one of the premier franchises in football, and, by virtue of that, their popularity in New York is higher than it has been in a very long time.

But the Yankees are still king of the Big Apple.