The Big Blue and Their Miracle on Grass

The biblical story goes something like this.  

Between 300-100 BCE, the Philistine Army was attempting to attack Israel. For 40 days and 40 nights, a nine-foot tall giant named Goliath had been antagonizing the Israeli Army by hurling insults and threats in their direction.  

David, who was sent to the Israeli front lines by his father to check on the welfare of his brothers, saw the fear that Goliath was striking into the hearts of his fellow countrymen and challenged the colossal giant to a duel. 

Armed with only slingshot and wearing a simple shepherd’s tunic, David wound up and launched a rock directly into Goliath’s forehead.  The blow sent the giant crashing to the earth.  David approached injured Goliath and severed the giant’s head with his own sword. 

The NFL version goes something like this. 

In 2007, the New England Patriots were attempting to achieve the unfathomable.  The Patriots had breezed through the regular season winning every game, concluding their regular season with a 19.7 PPG differential.  

This point differential was the largest in NFL regular season history (since the implementation of the Super Bowl), making them arguably the most dominant team in NFL history.    

In the playoffs, the Patriots received a bye in first round and proceeded to beat Jacksonville Jaguars in the Divisional Round by 11 points and the San Diego Chargers by nine in the AFC Championship to earn a spot in Super Bowl XLII.  

Meanwhile, the New York Giants concluded the season 10-6 and limped into the playoffs as an NFC Wild Card team.  The Giants soundly beat the NFC South Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card Round by a score of 24-14.  

After losing both games to the Dallas Cowboys during the regular season, the Giants entered Texas Stadium and were able to squeeze out a 21-17 win over the top-seeded team in the NFC.  

The Giants traveled to Lambeau Field to face the Green Bay Packers in -1 degree conditions.  With the score tied at 20, the Giants won the game in dramatic fashion as Lawrence Tynes booted a 47-yard field goal in overtime, sending the Giants to their first Super Bowl appearance since 2000.  

Then there was Super Bowl XLII.  The Patriots entered the championship game with one of the most prolific passing offenses in NFL history as well as a defense that was packed with veteran leaders.  The Giants possessed an underrated defense and a slightly better than average offense.  

Most people assumed the New England Patriots were the soon-to-be Super Bowl Champions and that they would become the first team to go 19-0. Vegas betting lines favored the Patriots by 11 points.  

A person I know had placed $500 on the the New England Patriots to go undefeated for the whole season, including playoffs.  He received a call from the bookie saying he would pay $2 million to back off the bet.

However, like most sports fans, he also assumed the Super Bowl was over before it had been played and refused the offer (he would have made $10 million had the Patriots won).  

However, the on-field events told an entirely different story.  The Giants stood toe-to-toe with the powerhouse Patriots and were able to counter every punch thrown their direction. Following a Brady to Moss six-yard TD toss with 2:40 remaining in the game, the Giants delivered the final knockout blow.

Eli Manning drove the Giants downfield, picking up key first downs courtesy of WRs Steve Smith and David Tyree as well as a game-changing 4th-and-1 conversion by RB Brandon Jacobs.  After the Patriots CB slipped, Manning hooked up with WR Plaxico Burress in the end zone to give the Giants the 17-14 lead.  

The Giants defense then shut the door on the Patriots, forcing three incompletions and a turnover on downs with only seconds remaining.

This 2007 Giants team became my favorite team of all-time because while they clearly were not the most talented team as individuals, they formed one of the most cohesive rosters in the NFL.

These Giants proved that "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts" is more than just a saying.   

The Super Bowl XLII win for the New York Giants represents one of the most memorable underdog stories in sports history. 

Similar to the New York Jets victory over the Baltimore Colts in Super Bowl III (1969) or the United States stunning defeat of the Soviet Union in the 1980 Olympic Games, the New York Giants Super Bowl XLII victory will be used nationwide as an inspirational example of a group of men who beat the odds.  

The Giants proved that in sports, anything is truly possible.