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?
