My Favorite Team Of All Time

New York City, NY.  It is a bright sun filled January day in New York City as millions of fans gather  to celebrate the third Super Bowel Championship  for the franchise known as the New York Giants.  On this day are not celebrating the greatest of all time from a pure talent perspective but one of the greatest accomplishments by a team not just in winning the final game but what this victory means and where this team came form.

                     This journey began in late July 2007 as a team coming off their second consecutive Playoff appearance struggled with overcoming the bad taste in their mouth left by the way the previous season had ended and the uncertain future of both  the Coach and Players.  The want could have been playing  out in the media, a constant reminder of their 2006 campaign and how their quick 6-2 first half was erased by an 8-8  record and a first round Playoff loss to their heated Division rivals the Philadelphia Eagles.  This would only be the beginning of their road less traveled.   

                      In  the span of a little more than a months the Giants would have All Pro Defensive Tackle Michael Strahan hold out through Tra inning Camp and then join the team for the start of the regular season.  Tiki Barber one of the greatest Running Backs in the franchise's history would retire then bash the team publicly as part  of the media.  To throw another log on the fire the Giants would give up 80 points in their first two regular season games, both of which they would loose. 

                      The tide would turn on a late Sunday afternoon in the Nation's Capital.  After being dominated by the host rival Washington Redskins in the first half and looking as though the season would become a free fall the rest of the way the Big Blue would turn things  around in the second half on their way to their first victory of the season.  A turn around which would become a symbol of the teanm's character which would take then to the ultimate prize in their profession. 

                      As the season would unfold the Giants would find new stars to emerge and an unforeseen bond between an outspoken team and their demanding Head Coach Tom Coughlin would be formed.  Heading into a late December  game against the 15-0 New England Patriots the Giants would stand on the verge making history.  By the end of the game that night the Giants would drop to 10-6 and Coughlin would become just the second coach since in the League merger to take the Giants to three straight Playoff appearance.  Yet history had appeared to have been made  by the Undefeated New England Patriots.  Little did anyone know these two teams would meat again on the biggest stage in professional sports. 

                       The second time the Giant would get a chance at history thing would  be much different.  This time a heavy underdogs would not make the mistakes they did their first time around.  When the game would end the Giants would make their mark as one of the legendary teams in NFL history.  Many will talk about the outstanding play by Quarterback Eli Manning, the way a trio of Running Backs would replace Barber, or one of the most amazing plays of all time.  I prefer to look at the road the Giants traveled throughout the 2007 season. 

The Second time around learning experiences they showed against not  only the Patriots but the Green Bay Packers and third time is a charm against the Dallas Cowboys.  The overcoming of precised constant bickering which appeared to be more media buzz then actual story.  I am not living in a fantasy land this Giants team is not as offensively explosive as the St. Louis Rams greatest show on turf, or as defensively dominate as the 1985 Chicago Bears.  Only time will tell if they are building a Championship foundation like the Patriots team they defeated.  What this team has is heart and drive and determination.  

While  it may sound and look like something you would see in a Hollywood  movie it happened.  It happened because the team that was told they just weren't good enough, that they just didn't have enough talent refused to believe and in the end they got to end their season the way only one team in their sport gets to with a parade with millions of their fans on a sun filled January day.