So much for that coronation.
If you’re going to compare this in football terms, you could say the New England Patriots suddenly bore a resemblance to the New Zealand All Blacks in last September’s Rugby World Cup. In my opinion, though, the closest comparison has to be the 1991 UNLV Runnin’ Rebels basketball squad, which went 34-0 on its way to the Final Four, then lost to Duke in the semifinals. That team that was supposed to be absolutely unstoppable, but guess what? They got stopped. There were allegations of cheating among both teams, too. The only way it could be any closer is if photos emerge of the Pats’ offensive line in a hot tub with a bookie.
But seeing the juggernaut fall was plenty of fun to watch. Seriously, I had never looked forward to a Super Bowl less in my life, and here it turns out to be one of the best Super Bowls in recent history and possibly one of the best of all time. The game was actually worthy of the name. That doesn’t happen very often.
I watched the game at a friend’s out-of-the-way Mexican joint, along with several other friends, some of whom weren’t football fans and lamely left at halftime. One of the guys who stayed decided to be a front-running prick and root for the Pats. He did this because he’s a Lions fan and hasn’t been able to root for a contender in his entire life. His big mouth made everyone else in the place Giants fans. He left before we could give him shit for being such a wannabe Masshole.
The Giants’ defense was impressive. They kept getting to Tom Brady all night. It was as if someone replaced the Pats’ O-line with the Steelers O-line without telling anyone. Still, we all thought the Pats were still going to pull this out — until Eli Manning escaped that massive rush in the 4th quarter and found David Tyree down the field. That’s when we really felt it. That’s when the upset seemed possible.
So that’s your 2007-2008 NFL season, and unless you’re a Pats fan (or a Mercury Morris hater), I dare say it ended on a high note. Enjoy the moment, Giants fans, and try not to disrupt the New York primary too much with that parade on Tuesday, okay?
7 responses so far ↓
1 Simon // Feb 4, 2008 at 5:29 am
I’d say this on a par with the 82 All-Ireland where Kerry where going for a 5 in a row only to be stopped by a last time minute goal for a totally unfancied Offally. Who won it by a point !
2 Brian // Feb 4, 2008 at 10:03 am
The fourth quarter was exciting, but I don’t know, this just didn’t have the feel of a really great game for me—games where it was two strong teams playing at their absolute best and refusing to back down from each other. West Virginia over Wake Forest in double-overtime in the NCAA tournament in ’05, the Packers-Broncos Super Bowl in ’98, etc. This game felt like two relatively weak teams (or teams on off days) trying to keep it together and hope that something would come through.
The Giants defense was good (although the Patriots’ offensive line was terrible, though—and the Tyree play was sensational. I’ll give the game that much.
3 Dave // Feb 4, 2008 at 10:33 am
Would anyone else like to point out the irony of a soccer blogger wishing for a Super Bowl that had more offense?
(Just kidding, Brian. We still love ya.)
This game was very much a defensive battle, so it only made sense that the offenses would struggle most of the way. However, when Brady-to-Moss took the lead back late in the game, nobody really thought Eli Manning could pull off what he did. He wasn’t Phil Simms in XXI, but he won the game. Add the fact that the Pats were out to make history, and you have a game that people will remember as a classic, even if it wasn’t the best ever.
Meanwhile, all of Boston woke up and said, “Ah, fahget the Pats. Our Sawx are still the chaaaaamps! Yankees suck! Yankees suck!”
4 Jeff // Feb 4, 2008 at 11:14 am
A Giants fan at my gathering, when the Pats had just scored to go up 14-10 and the Giants were starting their drive from their own 17, made reference to Simms’ drive against the Bills. I think I made some sort of disparaging comment about Eli Manning in response. Of course, he responded by quantum-tunneling through the Pats D-line and throwing a perfect strike to David Tyree’s head.
Brian – this was actually a fairly well-played game by both teams. It’s just that the defenses played better overall, especially the Giants’ D-line. Usually I don’t like low-scoring games either, but this one was really fun to watch because it was defensive hypercompetence, rather than offensive suck, that made it low-scoring.
Either way, I’m wearing my Art Monk jersey to important football game watching more often.
5 Will // Feb 4, 2008 at 12:54 pm
I posted this at a Jaguars blog I frequent, but I thought I’d share the love here as well:
There is a sweetness to this game. Admittedly, it’s not the filling, pure-joy sweetness of eating a big hunk of homemade chocolate birthday cake surrounded by family and friends. Instead, it’s more like grabbing the last Little Debbie snack from the cupboard and scarfing it down so your brother can’t have it: maybe not the most mature or healthy feeling, but still so sweet.
6 Brian // Feb 4, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Dave — Hey, I’ve got to get my offense somewhere! Good thing Duke-UNC is this week or I might lose my mind.
Anyway, I see what you guys are saying. Honestly, my reaction to the game probably says more about my own eroding relationship to the NFL than it does about the game itself. I don’t mean to be a curmudgeon.
7 Dave // Feb 4, 2008 at 6:42 pm
I’m a Pats fan. Credit to the Giants for playing better than the Pats in the SB. That being said, neither team played well. A lot of New England’s poor offensive play has to go to the Giants DL. They were after Brady all night. They won the game for NY! But, c’mon, Eli wins MVP??? Much, much better choices are a member of the NY DL, or David Tyree! You Giants fans have to admit that when Eli let that pass go to Tyree on the final drive you were all saying “There it is. The big mistake!” But Tyree bailed him out with a super catch. That MVP trophy should never have been given to Baby Eli. (Oops, sorry, his last name is Manning. Ahhhh, now I understand!!)