18-1

Congratulations to the New York Football Giants; that was a freaking awesome game. I have been rooting for Big Blue ever since the wild card playoff round, and persisted in my support against the Cowboys, Packers, and Patriots -- a roulette of heavyweights and the Giants rose to the occasion each time. They repaid my support by doing the impossible and pulling off possibly the biggest Super Bowl upset since Colts/Jets 1969. Eli Manning is MVP just a year after his big brother Peyton took home the award against the Bears, and for now, he has license to tell New York to get off his back. In fact, since he's swung the perpetual New York/Boston pendulum back in favor of Gotham, he will be everyone's best friend for the rest of the offseason... at least until training camp starts. They're fickle like that.

The Giants won behind not only Eli continuing to play at an elite level, but a ferocious defense knocking back, sacking, and generally making life miserable for Tom Brady all night. The Giants struck first with a Tynes field goal, the Patriots answered right away with a TD to make it 7-3 in their favor, and that was how it stayed for seemingly forever, until the Giants came up with a touchdown to make it 10-7. Then, with under four minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Tom Brady led his patented last-minute drive, connected with Randy Moss for the TD, and with a 14-10 lead and 2:42 to play, 19-0 was looking like more and more of a certainty. Then Eli Freaking Manning, of all people, poured a giant spoonful of Brady's own medicine and shoved it down his throat. He somehow, I still don't know how, evaded an almost-certain sack and fired it far, far downfield to David Tyree, who somehow managed to catch it. With 35 seconds left, Eli got off the 13-yard, go-ahead touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress, who hauled it down in the corner of the endzone. 17-14. Hold those 19-0 trademarks.

The Patriots did their best with half a minute and all of their timeouts, but a few Hail Marys later, they were at 4th and 20 and had to turn the ball over. Eli knelt to take the final second off the clock, and then, believe it or not, the Giants had broken up the Patriots' perfect season and were Super Bowl XLII champs. Holy crap.

Eli Manning, MVP. And pigs aren't even flying (last time I checked).

The Joe Namath comparisons are especially apt now. I watched the game with about 15 other kids, half of whom were rooting vociferously for the Giants and half who supported the Patriots with equal brio. I was on the Giants half, and although I didn't say much, you can bet I cheered when Eli hit Plaxico for that last score. As a matter of fact, I was damn near jumping out of my chair during that last drive, and as I've mentioned, I have a fondness for the Giants and was supporting them all postseason. Wow, that was a great game -- congratulations to the Giants, and congratulations to the Patriots, who, whatever else you can say about them, still hold the record for most victories in a season (18 of them to the Dolphins' 17, except the Dolphins, as Mercury Morris will now forever remind us, didn't lose). Too bad they couldn't seal the deal (HAHAHAHAHAHA) and the 1972 Dolphins can go on a little longer about still being the only perfect team. Yay for Big Blue sparing us yet more Boston sports hegemony. After the World Series, I didn't think Boston needed more glory. Fortunately, this will keep 'em quiet for a while.