The Hidden Benefit of the Giants Superbowl Win

There are all kinds of positives coming out this years Superbowl. Between Eli's emergence as a quarterback and leader, Michael Strahan finally getting a ring, Coughlin becoming the "beloved" coach in less than a year. There is a lot of good to be found all through this story. Nothing though should make us as happy as the copycat factor.

The NFL is a copy cat league. It always has been. In the 60's the Packers physical grit won so many championships that every team in the league was built on that model. The 70's became a contest of which teams would copy them better. Turned out most years it would be the Steelers, though the Raiders gave 'em a run for their money. Then when I was younger it was the west coast offense. Bill Walsh and his Niners dominated the 80's with it and every team in league was talking up the pass first, west coast offense. Then the Cowboys tweaked that style for the 90's adding a little more focus for the run. The latest hot trend is the two running back system which showed up slightly in a few places in 2006 but became the system du jour in 2007.

If there is a team of this decade, it is probably the Patriots, and definitely would have been had they defeated the Giants. So every one take some time and be thankful to the Giants. What copy cat moves could we have expected had the Patriots managed to seal their legacy. Well let's start with the press conferences. Every coach will start giving answers in under 7 words no matter the question. Onto the sidelines, all the coaches will start looking like a Goodwill threw up on them. When the interviews go to the locker room. Every time a reporter asks a player a question they will hear about the Patriot, Niner, Viking, etc. way. Though I would just love to hear one of the Bengals police blotter regulars talking about the Bengal way.

So thank the Giants NFL fans. I do like the Patriots as a part of the NFL picture. I can find a use for them as piece to the puzzle. But I don't think I could bear an NFL full of copycats of the information free zone, that is New England.

Giants Win the Best Superbowl I've seen

In the best Superbowl I have seen, the Giants stepped up and silenced the doubters. If you think they weren't on a mission to do just that. Consider the words of Michael Strahan, who as he lofted the Lombardi trophy on the acceptance stage. He took time to mention that some announcer said the Giants had gained false confidence in the game against the Patriots that closed the regular season. He the screamed out that it was real confidence they had gained.

Eli Manning may never have to listen to a stupid comment about his leadership again. If he does happen to hear one, there will be plenty of people speaking up for him before he ever has to. He was every quarterback you needed him to be. He was Trent Dilfer as he made smart decisions with the football. I was very impressed by his willingness to audible into the run even though it never really broke big yardage, he stuck to what worked for them all year. He made good throws, even the one ball that was intercepted, which was certainly not a good throw. That was a safe throw down and away from the defense Steve Smith just had the misfortune to set it right into the defenders arms. Eli then showed me a little Brett Favre with even more of his growth by not letting that interception effect his play for the remainder of the game. He then pulled out his John Elway by leading them down on a game winning drive. He even squeezed a little Tony Romo into that final drive on the play where he was surely about to suffered game changing sack. He instead wriggled out of it and hucked it to David Tyree who managed to catch the ball by pinning it to his helmet. He closed out the game by pulling the Tom Brady and winning it all. Oh, and the final QB on the every qb list, big brother Peyton. He managed to impersonate him by winning the MVP.

While we pile the appreciation on to Eli Manning for the victory. Let's not be so quick to pile on Tom Brady for the loss. From the very first play of the game Brady was being knocked down, when he wasn't being sacked. He had suffered 6 knockdowns an 3 sacks by the time Tom Petty took the stage at halftime. While the numbers looked a little better in the second half, without real protection and time to throw, Brady couldn't be expected to do much better than he did. This game might actually not have been as close as it ended up had Sam Madison not fallen down covering Moss in the endzone.

For the last 6 weeks people have mocked Mercury Morris and his "don't call me when your on your way, don't call me when you're in my town, call me when you're on my block" quote. I guess the last laugh is Moriss', turns out he knew what none of us did. The Dolphins undefeated season lives in a gated community.

In the closing moments of the game I lost whatever little bit of respect I had grown for Belichick when he went all Detriot Pistons and went to the locker before the game was even over. When the Giants had finally run off that final second. Pam Oliver was the first interview on, with Plaxico Burress who held it together for a minute and then promptly started tearing up which got me looking for the can of Milwaukee's best light to drop from the sky and solve that problem.
Speaking of Plaxico Buress and his interviews. I wonder if Brady is scoffing now about the prediction they would hold them to 17. Plaxico did show his defense some love by calling for "someone to please give our defense some credit" as soon as Pam Oliver stuck the microphone to him.

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Final Update: Who's Picking The Giants

Here it is folks the final list of people who have picked the Giants to win the Superbowl

• MARIO WILLIAMS - Houston Texans Defensive lineman on Rome is Burning



• DOUG (or maybe it was RYAN) STEWART - Co-Host of 2 Live Stews on First Take



• LOMIS BROWN - ESPN Football Analyst on First Take



• MICHAEL WILBON - Co-Host of PTI called in via Tony Kornheiser due to his recent heart surgery (Get well soon)



• TONY DORSETT - Hall of Famer this morning on First Take



• JERRY RICE - Greatest receiver of All Time today on Mike Tiricos Superbowl special



• BILL PLASCHKE - LA Times Columnist on Around the Horn



• JON STEWART - Host of The A Daily Show



• THE CAMEL- Popcorn Park Zoo



• FRAN TARKENTON - Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback on the Mike and Mike show.



• DR. Z - SI.com



• SEAN KING - ESPN Analyst on First Take



• MIKE WEISS - Forum Guest on Jim Rome is Burning



• PAPPABEARR44 - Regular comment contributor



• ARNOLD PALMER - Golfer - "I see Eli Manning coming into his own and the coach (Tom Coughlin) is anxious to win a Super Bowl."



• HOOPANDHARM - fellow sports blogger



• GEN. MIKE HAYDEN - Director of the CIA - The spread favors the Pats, but careful intelligence work looks beyond the obvious. The Giants are hot now. Three playoff wins on the road (like the Steelers before Super Bowl XL). Regular season finale shows they match up well against the Pats. Besides, nobody's perfect!



• PLACIDO DOMINGO - Opera Tenor - The Giants might be the spoiler by breaking the Patriots' perfect season and playoff record.



• SHAWN - Blogger at thattalldude



• SERENA WILLIAMS - Tennis player/Venus' little sister - Giants, because of Eli Manning being the younger brother.



• SHAQUILLE O'NEAL - Miami Heat - because the Pats have too much pressure to run the table and New York will take advantage of the situation.



• KEITH OLBERMANN - MSNBC TV host - Not a lot of people noticed that by December, Eli Manning had already made the first hurdle of greatness: eight fourth-quarter comeback wins in his first four seasons. First you figure out how to reverse a disaster-in-progress. Then you learn how to prevent a disaster. He has just learned.



• BILL O'REILLY - FOX TV host - Destiny.

Some body make a note, Olbermann and O'reilly agreed on something. Though per his usual form Bill O has little support for his opinion.

• MICHAEL BLOOMBERG - Mayor of New York City - Well, I can tell you that when I lived in the Boston metropolitan area, they did not have a football team so nobody can accuse me of having been a Patriots fan. I am a New York fan. There is a game and I don't want to jinx it by talking about it but I think the best team will win and that's clearly the Giants.



• RALPH BRANCA - Former Brooklyn Dodger who threw the famous pitch to Thomson - They can control the ball and their defense is good. End of 18 in a row.



• YOGI BERRA - Hall of Fame New York Yankee - I'm hoping the Giants win -- the score doesn't matter. Also, Eli (Manning) was nice enough to give us his jersey (for a captains exhibit at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center).



• STEVEN VAN ZANDT - Actor, "The Sopranos" and musician, The E Street Band - There was a lot oh hmmmmng and hawwwign but trust me he took the Giants



• MARK CUBAN - Owner, Dallas Mavericks and personal inspiration - I think Brady is dinged up and not playing well. The Giants have gotten better and are playing with great confidence.



• DR. JOYCE BROTHERS - Psychologist - I believe the Giants are going to win. I haven't paid that much attention this year.



• RUSSELL JOHNSON - Professor on "Gilligan's Island" - It's awfully hard to not pick New England. But the Giants looked good in their last game. The Giants are going to rise up and smote the Patriots by one point. (seriously how much credence are you giving a guy that couldn't get them off the island )(Gilligans Island, it's like Lost but Old Skool haha)



• DICK VITALE - ESPN basketball broadcaster



• DENNIS FARINA - Actor - I think Eli Manning finally found his way as a quarterback and is ready to explode.



• JESSE L. MARTIN - Actor - "Law and Order"



• DR. PAT ROBERTSON - Reverend - I invariably favor the underdog, that's why I am pulling for the Giants to win. This is not a prediction -- just a preference.



• SEN. CHUCK SCHUMER - D-NY - I've been a Giants fan since I was five years old. I can remember watching Charlie Connerly, Sam Huff, and Alex Webster. Back then, the two most important Roosevelts to me were Brown and Grier.



• SCOTT TUROW - Author - I just can't believe that a team's going to go 19-0 in the NFL.



• DAVID WRIGHT - N.Y. Mets - I grew up in Redskin country in Norfolk, Va., and my dad was a loyalist to the Hogs. I competed against my father in pretty much everything. So since my early childhood coincided with the great battles between the Joe Gibbs' Redskins and the Bill Parcells' Giants, I took a liking to the Giants of Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms.



• DIERKS BENTLEY - Country singer - The Giants finished the season strong, and I guess I just enjoy pulling for the underdog.



• RACHEL SMITH - Miss USA - Giants, by a field goal with seconds to go! They've won me over since I've moved to the Big Apple and now that my Tennessee Titans are out for the season.



• TONY SIRICO - Actor, "The Sopranos"


• DOMINIC CHIANESE - Actor, "The Sopranos" - New York Giants are actually going to beat the New England Patriots by three points. Well, 'cause I'm a New Yorker, and I'm always for the underdog, so to speak. Even when I watch boxing, or anything, you know I'm always for the guy that looks like he's going to lose.



• JON TENNEY - Actor, "The Closer" - New York Giants, all the way! I'm from New Jersey, are you kidding? What a game, that final game, when they beat the Packers. I mean, God bless the Packers, but I tell you, that was an exciting, exciting game. I screamed more during that fourth quarter than ever. So I'm rooting for the Giants, wholeheartedly. I don't know what's the over and under, what are they giving? 10 point underdogs? Well I always root for the underdog. I can't get the point spread but, let's say, I think the Giants will win it by three.



• JAMES DENTON - Actor, "Desperate Housewives" - I just think, superior passion, a little superior defensive line. The Patriots seem a little bored to me. They're clearly the better team, but 19-0 is tough to do. And they've been kind of running on fumes.



• ED ASNER - Actor - Giants, 7-3. I think they're due. And they've become destiny's team. May the best team win. This is not to say that I have any animosity towards the NE Patriots and Tom Brady. They're the best people in the world.



• EVA MARIE SAINT - Actress - Giants, 38-35. I expect a "winning" score and a "losing" score, plus players sitting on the bench spitting. Giants will pull a major upset and win The Oscar.



• MARLEE MATLIN - Actress - I think it will be the Giants. I have a good friend who is rooting for New England, BIG TIME and I love to create some friendly rivalry. That's what a good game is all about. Plus, I tend to root for the underdog, except when my home team, the Chicago Bears are playing.



• DIONNE WARWICK - Singer/entrepreneur - Most people will think I am crazy but I truly believe the Giants will pull it off. (Dionne we KNEW you were crazy long before this)



• JOAN JETT - Rock star - Giants, 35-21. I'm a Packers fan and knew they were in trouble. New York is on a roll.



• DOLPH LUNDGREN - Actor/director - Giants, 21-13. This year it looks like the right Manning is in the Super Bowl. (Eli please please please, pull out the "I must break you " on Brady, at the coin toss)



• SANYA RICHARDS - Track star - Giants, 21-17. I think momentum has a lot to do with success in sports, and I think the Giants are coming into this game with a lot of momentum. They have been the underdogs the last two weeks and I think they are confident and ready for one more upset.



• MATT KENSETH - NASCAR driver - Giants, 24-21. Why not? (Check out Captain personality living up to his title)



• SCOTT ADAMS - Dilbert cartoonist - Giants, 37-21. Eli Manning has more incentive to win because he's trying to make his parents love him more they love his older brother. That's a bigger incentive than Tom Brady's desire to win yet another ring and bed yet another super model. It's a question of diminishing returns.
  
  

List including those who picked the Patriots

Did I miss anyone who picked the Giants

Who do you think will win the Big game


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Update: Who's Picking The Giants Feb 2nd

Ok so I have a few new additions to the list o'people picking the Giants to win the Superbowl, the closer we get it seems the more predictions we get

Feb 1st -
Mario Williams - Houston Texans Defensive lineman on Rome is Burning
Doug (or maybe it was Ryan) Stewart - Co-Host of 2 Live Stews on First Take
Lomis Brown - ESPN Football Analyst on First Take
Michael Wilbon - Co-Host of PTI called in via Tony Kornheiser due to his recent heart surgery (Get well soon)

Jan 31st -
Tony Dorsett - Hall of Famer this morning on First Take
Jerry Rice - Greatest receiver of All Time today on Mike Tiricos Superbowl special

Jan 30th -
Bill Plaschke - LA Times Columnist today on Around the Horn

Jan 29th -
Shockingly the less interesting pick is Jon Stewart. With the more intersting pick title going to this guy errrr fella uhhh one

This Brings the list to
Mario Williams - Houston Texans Defensive lineman on Rome is Burning Doug (or maybe it was Ryan) Stewart - Co-Host of 2 Live Stews on First Take
Lomis Brown - ESPN Football Analyst on First Take
Michael Wilbon - Co-Host of PTI called in via Tony Kornheiser due to his recent heart surgery (Get well soon)
Tony Dorsett - Hall of Famer this morning on First Take
Jerry Rice - Greatest receiver of All Time today on Mike Tiricos Superbowl specialBill Plaschke - LA Times Columnist on Around the Horn
Jon Stewart - Host of The A Daily Show
The Camel - Popcorn Park Zoo
Fran Tarkenton - Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback on the Mike and Mike show.
Dr. Z - SI.com
Sean King - ESPN Analyst on First Take
Mike Weiss - Forum Guest on Jim Rome is Burning

I'll keep updating this as the week progresses.

Did I miss anyone who picked the Giants

Who do you think will win the Big game








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Superbowl Arrests Begin

We have our first Eugene Robinson and Barrett Robbins Superbowl moment for 2008.

According to AZcentrals website Adrian Awasom, a back up defensive end for the Giants, was cited by local officials.

Blood test results aren't yet available, Sgt. Tim Mason said, but Awasom was cited on suspicion of driving under the influence and extreme DUI and was released. The threshold for extreme DUI — a blood-alcohol content of 0.15 or above — is more than twice the legal of limit .08

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Update: Who's Picking The Giants Jan 31st

Ok so I have two new addition to the list o'people picking the Giants to win the Superbowl, but these two might count for more than most

Jan 31st -
Tony Dorsett - Hall of Famer this morning on First Take
Jerry Rice - Greatest receiver of All Time today on Mike Tiricos Superbowl special

Jan 30th -
Bill Plaschke - LA Times Columnist today on Around the Horn

Jan 29th -
Shockingly the less interesting pick is Jon Stewart. With the more intersting pick title going to this guy errrr fella uhhh one

This Brings the list to
Tony Dorsett - Hall of Famer this morning on First Take
Jerry Rice - Greatest receiver of All Time today on Mike Tiricos Superbowl specialBill Plaschke - LA Times Columnist on Around the Horn
Jon Stewart - Host of The A Daily Show
The Camel - Popcorn Park Zoo
Fran Tarkenton - Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback on the Mike and Mike show.
Dr. Z - SI.com
Sean King - ESPN Analyst on First Take
Mike Weiss - Forum Guest on Jim Rome is Burning

I'll keep updating this as the week progresses.

Did I miss anyone who picked the Giants

Who do you think will win the Big game




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Update: Who's Picking The Giants Jan 30th

Ok so I have only one new addition to the list o'people picking the Giants to win the Superbowl

Jan 30th -
Bill Plaschke - LA Times Columnist today on Around the Horn

Jan 29th -
Shockingly the less interesting pick is Jon Stewart. With the more intersting pick title going to this guy errrr fella uhhh one

This Brings the list to
Bill Plaschke - LA Times Columnist on Around the Horn
Jon Stewart - Host of The A Daily Show
The Camel - Popcorn Park Zoo
Fran Tarkenton - Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback on the Mike and Mike show.
Dr. Z - SI.com
Sean King - ESPN Analyst on First Take
Mike Weiss - Forum Guest on Jim Rome is Burning

I'll keep updating this as the week progresses.

Did I miss anyone who picked the Giants

Who do you think will win the Big game




If you like this blog Subscribe via RSS or Subscribe by Email
Learn more about RSS

Update: Who's Picking The Giants

Ok so I have two new additions to the list o'people picking the Giants to win the Superbowl

Shockingly the less interesting pick is Jon Stewart. With the more intersting pick title going to this guy errrr fella uhhh one

This Brings the list to
Jon Stewart - Host of The A Daily Show
The Camel - Popcorn Park Zoo
Fran Tarkenton - Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback on the Mike and Mike show.
Dr. Z - SI.com
Sean King - ESPN Analyst on First Take
Mike Weiss - Forum Guest on Jim Rome is Burning

I'll keep updating this as the week progresses.

Who do you think will win the Big game




If you like this blog Subscribe via RSS or Subscribe by Email
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Who is picking the Giants

Ok so I have been keeping a running tab of who is picking the Giants. So far we've got

Fran Tarkenton - Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback on the Mike and Mike show.
Dr. Z - SI.com
Sean King - ESPN Analyst on First Take
Mike Weiss - Forum Guest on Jim Rome is Burning

I'll keep updating this as the week progresses.

Who do you think will win the Big game




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Superbowl Preview - New York Giants

The Giants record is somewhat of a double edged sword. They are the first team to make the Superbowl with a losing record. The upside of that is that they are on a 10 game road winning streak. I was not as sold on this winning streak as most people. As the season came to an end they had defeated Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, Chicago Bears, Detroit Lions, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons, and the Washington Redskins (x2), that is exactly 1 play off team. So that doesn’t tell us much about how they will play in the playoffs right. Wow was I wrong. They now have wins against 3 more playoff teams; Tamp Bay, Dallas, Green Bay, the 3 that matter.
Eli Manning has always been a great talent, nothing has changed in that regard. What has changed is the confidence in what he can do. On his part, as well as the people around him. Both the coaches as well as the media. Several people spoke out against the Giants playing at full strength against the Patriots in a “meaningless” game, including Skip Bayless and Jimmy Johnson. I think the Giants are sitting at home right now if they don’t get the confidence and momentum they gained in that game.
In the same sense that Coaches around the league should learn a little patience with their quarterback development. Owners, should also learn a little patience from the journey of Tom Coughlin. In the first 4 weeks of this season you would have needed Bill Belichick’s camera equipment to see the tiny thread Coughlin’s job was hanging by. Now all of a sudden he is back to being a football genius. I certainly have not always supported Coughlin (this isn’t going well we are on paragraph two I am on admission of error two) but while part of the credit for his work should go to his new found attitude and relationship with players, a big part should go to the ownership of the Giants waiting ‘til the end of the season to axe him. Yeah you read that right, if this doesn’t shake out the way it has, we all know Coughlin is joining the line of people turning Arthur Blank down in Atlanta right now.
I am a huge fan of the game. I love to watch the linemen work their skills, and I enjoy the technical aspects of the game. But the thing that really tops it for me, and let’s be honest the thing that really make the difference to the peripheral fan. Is the story, the sentiment. On the Giants side I love the story of Eli getting out from under his last name. I also like the angle of another Boston vs. New York struggle. But to me the real sentimental favorite is the Michael Strahan, last real run angle. Don’t let the fact that he will probably return make you think for a second you aren’t going to hear about it being his big shot to get a ring. Strahan who began the year by debating whether he would hang it up, or return for another year skipping training camp, already made reference to this last week. He basically said he was a little tired of hearing about Favre’s last chance to add another ring, when he and many other Giants don’t have their first one yet.

NFC Championship Recap

Could we ask for a better Sunday. I mean, we had two great games when we all expected one. With all the back and forth in the score, not to mention Eli's budding (possibly fully in bloom) leadership ability.
Basically the only thing that didn't deliver was Lawrence Tynes. I loved how he was popping off about how confident he was and how Coach Tom Coughlin "would have had to pull me off the field" listen mister two big choke jobs, I wouldn't have been surprised to see him go all Old ball coach on ya and just remove the kicker from the game plan. You were one overtime hook in, from being the newest member of the Scott Norwood support group.
I really hope that wasn't the last we see of Favre. Keep an eye out for my open letter to Brett Favre

Fan sign of the week - A man and a woman wearing Romo and Jessica Simpson masks, holding a giant(sorry packer fans)large sign that read "Jessica and Tony welcome you to Cabo San Lambeau"

True Fans(and raving lunatics) - This is an old pic but these girls were rocking basically this same gear at the championship game where it was -2 with -23 wind chill

NFC Champioship Preview

-13, -12, -11, -10, -9 degrees. That’s it, that’s the peak. Lambeau field just warmed up to minus 9 at game time. Unfortunately for both teams that is game time, in New England. By the time the game time rolls around in Green Bay weather will feel like –21 degrees.

I would love to run out a laundry list of how that feels but I have no idea, I moved from Minnesota a long time ago. I am sitting on my couch wrapped up in a blanket because the temp hit 65 degrees in Orange County.

As far as how that will affect the game. I am not as sold on the weather really helping the Packers. I mean you want to tell me it is kind of cold like say feels like 2 or 3 degrees. I buy that making the other team miserable. But with it down around a –21 degree wind chill; that is miserable for everyone.
Honestly I can’t wait for the games to get rolling it is 5 minutes ‘til game time.