Last night on the NFL Network----for those who still have it, they re-ran their show "America's Game----the Super Bowl", and the team highlighted was, you guessed it, the 2007 New York Giants. First off, they really do a great job with that show, but it bought back some memories from that special season.
It is easy to forget how dismal things looked after the losses to the Vikings (in which Eli threw four interceptions) and Redskins where he threw 35 incomplete passes. As I watched it, and they walked the viewer through that magical season, I remembered exactly how I felt when the Giants fell behind 14-0 in Buffalo. I was not too pleased, I figured we will lose this game then get eliminated from the playoffs next week at home as the Patriots finish off their perfect season. It was depressing after what had started off as such a promising season.
Then the defense stepped up and took over the game----which I think was really the turning point of the season.
It was great to see once again that famous final week of the regular season when the Giants had nothing to play for yet gave it their all. I remember never being as proud of them, particularly after a loss. I remember jokingly saying to my Brother that the loser of this game will win the Super Bowl (Nostradameus has nothing on me...).
Then the playoff run starting in Tampa Bay. Eli Manning got the proverbial monkey off his back that Day. All the naysayers who said Eli will never lead this team were proven wrong as he was awesome that day!
The morning of the Dallas game, I remember thinking "just beat the frigging Cowboys and everything else is gravy". To say I was happy after that game---especially since I watched it in a Sports Bar with a few arrogant Cowboys fans, would be putting it mildly. The beer after that game never tasted so good!
Then of course the NFC Championship game played in conditions not meant for humans---it was brutally cold. The Giants and Eli Manning were not supposed to play with the packers and Brett Favre in those conditions, right? (By the way, that was Favre's last game before retiring---oh wait...). Yet Eli outplayed Favre thanks in large part to a monster effort by Plaxico Burress and the Giants went to the Super Bowl!
The morning of the Super Bowl---I will be very honest, I had very large butterflies in my stomach and remember thinking "please, just don't embarress me tonight". I was not over confident since I just couldn't see Tom Brady and Bill Belichek going 18-0 then blowing it in the Super Bowl. When I started to gain confidence was on the first drive of the game, maybe the fifth play from scrimmage, when Ahmed Bradshaw was hit by Richard Seymour, and despite giving away seventy pounds, just drove the big defender back. One of my buddies, who is not even a Giants fan, said "holy #@##, they are here to win!" I got the same feeling----this was not some underdog team just happy to be here, they wanted it! And, of course, thanks to a relentless pass rush and some fourth quarter magic by Eli Manning and David Tyree, they got it!
I was lucky enough to watch the Giants win Super Bowl's XXI and XXV, but this was different. If the Giants win ten more nothing will ever top that Super Bowl for me.
At the risk of sounding soft, I may have even teared up once or twice while watching it....
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