Going into it, I really didn't care who won last night's game. There was nothing at stake for me, sans wanting a great football game. I, like the odds-makers in Vegas who are feeling it this morning, thought the Patriot's would go in and take care of business. Apparently we were wrong.
By the second half, with the Giants defense having established themselves in the trenches, I was full-out rooting for Giants to make plays. After the Pats scored with a little less than three minutes left, I stated that if Eli Manning drove them the length of the field to win the game, he could have an average career and make the Hall of Fame. This wasn't nearly as bold a prediction as the male in a soon-to-be-married couple made the statement that if Plaxico Burress scored the game winning touchdown, they would name their first child after him [hope it's a boy].
Still, the pitch and catch from Eli to David Tyree [video here until it's removed by Fox] was one of the most amazing plays in Super Bowl history. I literally fell out of my chair and was on the floor. It was unbelievable. At this point, I'm thinking the Giants have to win because that play will still be shown long after I'm dead.
I read last night where people were hatin' on this game, calling it boring. But if you were a true football fan, it was far from it. The Giants' defense went in last night and did was called impossible. And the last eight minutes were legendary.
I also remarked last night that perhaps we [football enthusiasts and professional analysts] missed something about the Patriots. True, they've won three championships this decade, but it came as the result of good defense. I'm not saying Tom Brady and his offense were inept over that run, but definitely overrated. This year was different. New England's strength was their offense. And the adage the defense wins championships still seems to apply [in this decade, that also applied to the Super Bowls won by Baltimore, Tampa Bay, and New England]. That's why it seems surreal the New York won the Super Bowl, but their defense has been spectacular. Then all you need is an offense to make a couple of plays, which the Giants did. And now they're number one.
It has me thinking about the Bengals and Chad Johnson. I'm still not in favor of getting rid of him, as it would kill the salary cap, but if they could get some amazing defensive talent out of it, then I'd send him packing in a heartbeat. We love to see Carson let 'er fly, but the reason the Bengals have zero playoff wins since Palmer's arrival is that the defense sucks. With a lights-out defense, and a QB like Carson, you could put schleps out there catching passes and still be OK.
Anyway, football's finally over and now it's on to Spring Training, March Madness, and the Masters.
I love the changing seasons.