The New York Giants pull off one of the all time greatest upsets in the history of sports by defeating the, now 18-1, New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII (42)!  This was without question the best football game I have ever seen.  I watched the 1st half with my Dad; I remember daydreaming aloud with the man after the Giants clinched the playoffs and the Patriots remained undefeated about how cool it would be if the Giants could ruin the Pats undefeated season in the Super Bowl.  We continued to talk about it after the Dallas victory and quieted after Green Bay when the impossible seemed a remote possibility.  I thought it'd be a close game and after the 1st half it was 7-3 Patriots, and man was I nervous.  I thought that it was possible for the Giants to win, but I was never sure that they could beat what had been one of the greatest football teams ever, the then undefeated New England cheaters, I mean cameramen, I mean Patriots (scumbags).  When Brady didn't know what was coming he sure looked lost.

For the second half I trekked back to my best bud Matt's Super Bowl party.  There from listening to sports radio in the car, you got out and heard from the car to the door a radio set on the porch (so as to not miss a second).  Once inside the extensive food rested on a table with a TV, and from there to the den another TV, and then finally reaching the living room's 50" flat screen TV where dwelt the heart of the Giants fans, many of which could not sit because of the sheer intensity of the exciting game (I was one of these).  Matt's family and friends (see the few photos taken before my batteries died) partook in one of the all time greatest sports upsets with many shouts, hand slaps, occasional curses (I was one guilty of this) and hugs.  The great Giants Defense beat up on Golden boy Tom Brady and demoralized the Pats.  Eli Manning led the offensive on one of the greatest, most exciting comeback performances/drives ever.  This included a play that Steve Young said he had never seen anything like, when Eli was tied up, horse-collared, and managed to fight out of the pack and gunsling the ball down the field to David Tyree (of all people) who perhaps made the greatest Super Bowl catch when he leaped out of the coverage and caught a ball off his head while being hit, and he held onto the ball (I can't imagine seeing someone hold onto this, but I saw it) as he came down and even landed with his back cracked on Rodney Harrison's knees!  Eli "the Gunslinger" Manning kept the drive going, down 14-10, needing a touchdown within 2 minutes.  A rifle shot to Steve Smith on 3rd down and a fade to Plaxico "Broadway" Burress in the endzone gave the Giants a 17-14 lead.  There was still 30+ seconds left for "comeback"  Brady to get the Patriots within field goal range, for the tie, when rookie Alford decked Brady with the Giant's final sack.  Bam!  A couple of long balls to Moss fell to the waste-side as the New York Giants won perhaps the greatest football game in the history of the sport!  The party was jubilant and Eli Manning even won an MVP to match his brother's from the year before (though Tuck should at least have been considered for co-honors)!  The Giants are the World Champions!  The Mets got Santana for their rotation, the Rangers won three in a row on the road (including a five straight goal, when down 3-0, victory in Montreal).  This has been one of the best sports weeks in my young life!

R Huneke

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