Die Hard Giants Fan

Michael Strahan was introduced as the newest member of Fox’s NFL pregame show during today’s news conference.  The AP covered the press conference, and Strahan said that he isn’t afraid to criticize his former teammates or friends in the NFL.  Here’s some of what he had to say, “I look at it as I’m on this team now. I have to speak objectively and tell the truth of what I see, regardless of if I was in the locker room last season or not, if those guys are my friends or not. I think my situation, my personality, I’m different than Tiki. If I were to say something, I’m just going to tell the truth. For me, I think a lot of people expected that. I think for Tiki, it was a little bit out of his comfort level, what people expected of him.”

It is a somewhat difficult situation for players to become an Analyst immediately after they retire.  Strahan is correct when he said that his situation is different than Tiki Barber’s was a year ago.  Strahan has always been a clown so nobody expects him to be anything but.  Barber was beloved by Giants fans and by Wellington Mara.  Tiki was the one of the classiest and best running backs in the NFL until he said that the team got out-played and out-coached up in Seattle.  Since then, he kept on bashing the team publically.  He retired in the peak of his career, and he said that he was retiring because he couldn’t play for Coach Coughlin.  He wrote his little book all about Tiki.  In his book, he said he would still be on the Giants if Coach Coughlin wasn’t there anymore.  Then he got on NBC and called out Eli.  Then his twin called out Eli during the Playoffs.  How could one of the classiest guys in the NFL turn into an egocentric maniac?  Wasn’t it Coach Coughlin who taught him how to hold onto the football?  At least he got a new ice cream flavor today.  That will boost his ego a little more.  Tiki is not supposed to say the wrong thing because he’s Tiki.  It is one thing to criticize his former team, but he went to the extreme in doing so.  Strahan also just won a Super Bowl with Eli Manning as the Quarterback and Tom Coughlin as the Coach which proved Barber wrong so I’m sure that Giants fans will give Michael more leeway than Tiki ever got.

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Tikitacchio was one of 16 flavors unveiled during yesterday’s grand opening of Last Licks on the Upper East Side, according to Dan Tomasino of the New York Post.  Supposedly, Barber cut the ribbon surrounded by customers and Giants fans.  Tiki offered some comments to The Post regarding all of the offseason drama…

This is the business of the sport. Once football starts it’s [all about] football.

About Plaxico Burress…

I don’t think it matters. As we saw last year with Michael [Strahan, who skipped training camp], people thought it was going to be a big issue and it turned out not to be. I don’t think, come Sundays in the fall, it matters too much to players. Everybody wants to be justly paid. Plaxico’s issue is he doesn’t want to be bouncing around three or four years from now. He wants to be able to finish his career with the team he won a Super Bowl with. He’s one of those guys who will always show up and be athletically superior to the guys he’s playing against. Hopefully he does get to practice because it’ll make him that much better.

About Ahmad Bradshaw…

He’s always been one who it didn’t matter what people thought of him, it only mattered how he could grow. When I was there you could see him growing. People will still doubt him at some point during the year, but he can know in his mind and his heart, ‘I’ve done it already, so I can do it again.’

On the Giants winning the Super Bowl…

[When] they played New England [in the final regular-season game] . . .they played it full bore and tried to win that game. It gave them confidence, and from that point on they didn’t make any mistakes. During the season they made a great play here, a mistake there, but after that New England game it was great play with no mistakes.

We haven’t heard a peep from Tiki in a long time.  Tikitacchio?  He didn’t say anything wrong here, which is surprising nowadays.

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So after the big disappointment for Tiki Barber and his brother, what are the smiley twins up to? It’s been said he’ll be covering some events in the olympics but where is he now? no more Escalade commercials?

Well, can’t say too much against my old boy but what a “sellout”.

Here’s a rundown: His career was fading; He became a fumble star; He got some coaching from Tom Coughlin (how to carry the ball 101); He barely fumbled the ball; He started breaking Giants records; He became a great player.

He left the game for personal reasons but one that he pointed out was his discontent situation with Coughlin. Let’s see…tough love and become great or let career fade into nothing…um?

Yes, we all called him a cry baby and wished he would have shut the “F” up about the whole thing but isn’t it better that we won the superbowl without him?

If there’s one person that our championship hurt the most has got to be Tiki Barber. Aside from talking smack about our team he got to experience first hand the whooping we gave Tampa Bay and his brother Ronde Barber. Plaxico Burress outshined him in most plays and made that Bucs lethargic secondary look lazy.

So as you can see, we were not hesitant to give our new addition Kenny Phillips the #21. Although, this was in memory of the great Sean Taylor, the Giants agreed to this without any regards for Tiki at all. The number will not be removed and now I hope that Phillips gets the job done.

With all this said, does anyone know where Tiki is?

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I was wondering how the New York Giants would handle Tiki Barber’s retirement.  You know how this stuff works.  Typically, an organization has a day in which they recognize the achievements of their greatest players.  This day is usually a pregame ceremony during the season where the player makes a speech about their career.  Tiki did everything he could to burn bridges with the Giants.  We all know what he did.  He called out the coaching staff and his teamates when the team lost in post game press conferences on multiple occasions.  He wrote a book where he bashed the Giants and stated that he might not of retired if Tom Coughlin was not the coach.  He was upset that Tom Coughlin didn’t treat him differently.  Then Tiki called out Eli Manning at the beginning of the 2007 season.  Tiki said it was almost comical watching Eli try to be a leader.  When the Giants reached the Super Bowl, they stated that they did not want Tiki there as a Giant.  They understood that Tiki would be there for his NBC gig, and that was enough for them.  So Tiki ticked off the Giants organization and the fans all on his own.  After all of this, how could the Giants host a day for Tiki Barber?  I would assume they have to because Tiki is the Giants All-Time leading rusher.  The Giants always take the high road because that’s the way Wellington Mara would want it.  I’m not going to lie, Tiki was my favorite player until they called out the coaching staff and his teamates after losing in Seattle.  Since then, Tiki has only gotten on my nerves more and more until the point where I’m through with the guy.  My point is that I want to know if the Giants will have a Tiki Barber day, and how would we, the NY Giants fans, treat Tiki Barber when that time comes?

Newsday:

New stadium has new CEO - Neil Best also reported that Mark Lamping will be the CEO of the new stadium.  Giants.com reported this yesterday.

New York Daily News:

RB Derrick Ward re-signs with Giants - Ralph Vacchiano also reported that Derrick Ward re-signed with the Giants.  The Star-Ledger reported this yesterday.  Vacchiano confirmed that the contract is for $1.1 million that includes another million in incentives.  In a statement released by the Giants, Ward said this about his new contract:

I had to keep my options open. But my main goal was to stay here with the Giants. The Giants gave me my start. It feels good to come back to hopefully have a good year this year and be a part of the Super Bowl champion Giants. Hopefully, I’ll be able to finish my career here.

Jerry Reese had this to say about Derrick:

We are glad to have Derrick back in our stable of running backs, which will create some real competition at that position. He brings a lot to the table as a runner, receiver, kick returner and cover specialist.

New York Post:

WARD OFF MARKET

The Star-Ledger:

Giants re-sign Ward to 1-year deal

Good read on Carr - Paul Needell reposted an article written by Pat Yasinskas of ESPN.com, who used to cover the Carolina Panthers for the Charlotte Observer.  Yasinkas filed this column on new Giants QB David Carr earlier today.  Pat didn’t have many good things to say about Carr’s tenure in Carolina, as you will see when reading this article.  Yasinskas believes that the Giants are giving Carr his last shot to succeed in the NFL, so there is no room for failure.  Pat thinks that David understands what’s at stake and will take his last shot more seriously than he has taken his NFL career.

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We are coming up to the Pro Bowl, and only Osi Umenyiora will be representing the Big Blue Wrecking Crew.  I’ve heard several Giants complain about that.  Do I think that the Giants had more than one Pro Bowler?  Of course I do.  I wrote about that when it was released.  The Cowboys had 11 or 12 of them, but they lost in the first round.  Every team that the Giants faced in the Playoffs had more than the Giants.  But let me ask this question.  Do you think that the Cowboys would trade in 12 Pro Bowlers for 1 Super Bowl Championship?  I believe they would.  So the Giants shouldn’t concern themselves with that.

 DE Umenyiora attends Pro Bowl - Vic Carruci tells you what Osi Umenyiora is doing out in Hawaii as he gets ready for the Pro Bowl.

SBXLII Turning Point - Giants.com included 5 plays in this article, and they want you to pick which one was the turning point of Super Bowl XLII.

SBXLII Records and Notes - Michael Eisen compiled a list of records and notes about Super Bowl XLII, and here’s a look at a few:

Most significantly, the Giants were only the second team in Super Bowl history to win after trailing in the final minute of the fourth quarter. Plaxico Burress scored the game-winning touchdown on a 13-yard pass from Most Valuable Player Eli Manning with 35 seconds remaining in the game. 

It was the second-latest game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl history. In Super Bowl XXIII, Joe Montana threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left to give the San Francisco 49ers a 20-16 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.

As previously reported, punter Jeff Feagles is the oldest player to ever play in a Super Bowl. He was 41 years and 33 days old on Sunday. The previous oldest player in a Super Bowl was former Giants punter Mike Horan, who was 39 years, 363 days old when he played for St. Louis in Super Bowl XXXIV.

SuperFan on Super Win! - Blue-Blooded expresses his thoughts on Super Bowl XLII.

Newsday:

As Spagnuolo, ‘Skins talk, Giants sweeten pot - Arthur Staple and Bob Glauber provided some rumors that exist regarding what happened with Steve Spagnuolo in Washington.

Eli and Peyton: Ultimate brothers in arms - Shaun Powell wrote an article, with a bit of humor, about Eli and Peyton Manning.

Eli gets some laughs with Letterman - According to Arthur Staple, Eli Manning showed up on “The Late Show with David Letterman”, and he even had some jokes.

New York Daily News:

Referee: I almost sacked Eli Manning

Steve Spagnuolo withdraws name from Redskins’ coaching search - According to Ralph Vacchiano, “Steve Spagnuolo withdrew his name from consideration from the Washington Redskins coaching search before owner Dan Snyder could offer him the job because “His heart was in New York City,” according to Spagnuolo’s agent, Bob Lamonte.”

Eli Manning, Giants have Super night on the town - George Rush and Dave Goldiner also cover Eli Manning’s appearance on Letterman.

Giants plot to keep Steve Spagnuolo - Ralph Vacchiano wrote what the G-MEN were thinking about Spags, but the Giants already got him back.

NFL wants ex-Pat video aide’s info

Ringless Tiki Barber staying mum - Larry McShane reported that Tiki Barber has not spoken publicly about the Giants winning Super Bowl XLII.  Also, McShane stated that a phone call and an e-mail were made to Tiki’s agent and not returned.

Joy now reigns where tears once fell - Mike Lupica points out how the Giants’ victory parade took place downtown, and it was the first time that a celebration took place downtown since 9/11.

New York Post:

SPAGNUOLO TO STAY

BIG BLUE BRINGS SOME CHEER TO GLOOMY GARDEN - The thing that bothers me most about MSG is that James Dolan never had any intention on bringing some cheer to MSG.  That lack of desire to win begins at the top.  I would consider myself as a Knicks hater, and it was always easy to rip on the Knicks because they sucked in the 90’s.  In hindsight, at least they tried to compete in the 90’s because they would make the Playoffs and quickly lose to the Heat, the Pacers, and the Bulls.  Now, they don’t even try to win a game.  I don’t even try to rip on the Knicks because they are so bad that it isn’t even worth it.  I am a Rangers fan, but I barely pay attention to them because of who the owner is.  I won’t spend a dime on the Rangers until he sells the team.

MIRACLE MAN ELI VISITS DAVE

The Star-Ledger:

Spags’ “heart” was with Giants

Spags to remain with Giants

Spags, wife huddle

Steve Spagnuolo, ‘Skins have long talk

Eli pays visit to Letterman’s ‘Late Show’

What could they be talking about? - Mike Garafalo asks this question about Dan Snyder and Steve Spagnuolo.

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So many Giants contributed to that win last night so Die Hard Giants Fan would like to give props to the entire team and coaching staff.  That was one of the most memorable Super Bowls ever witnessed.  They G-MEN took down the machine.  The Big Blue Wrecking Crew jacked up Brady for 4 quarters.  They brought the Lombardi Trophy to New York.  They played like old school smashmouth football last night.  I thought it would be a low scoring game, but I thought the score would be similar to the Giants - Packers game…low 20’s not in the teens.

Plaxico Burress backed up his mouth.  Do you remember when the Giants came off the plane in Phoenix dressed in black?  At the time, the Giants said they did that because they were on a ‘buiseness trip’.  Later on in the week, rumors began circling and it was said that the Giants were going to the ‘Patriots funeral’.  Who knows what their real intentions were, but the Giants gave the Pats their funeral.

This is a great day for Giants fans…It doesn’t happen often so enjoy it.  It’s been 17 years since they were crowned.  The Giants won their 3rd Super Bowl since the Super Bowl era.  It is their 7th NFL Championship since the inception of the NFL.  They remain in 3rd place all time in titles behind Green Bay and Chicago.

 Transcript: QB Eli Manning - Eli Manning answers questions about winning Super Bowl XLII and being named MVP.

Transcript: Coach Tom Coughlin - Tom Coughlin answers questions about winning Super Bowl XLII.

News, Notes, and Statistics - Michael Eisen compiled some fun stats, and here is a few of them.

The Giants won their sixth title game and seventh championship overall. They won NFL championship games in 1934, 1938 and 1956, plus the two Super Bowls. The Giants also won the NFL in 1927, before championship games were played.

The No. 5 Giants are the lowest-seeded NFC team to win the Super Bowl since the NFL began seeding teams in 1990. The previous low was a second-seeded team. In the AFC, sixth-seeded Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl two years.

The Giants are just the third team to win the Super Bowl after starting the season 0-2. The others were the 1993 Dallas Cowboys and the 2001 Patriots.

The Giants have 11 rookies on their active roster, a record for a Super Bowl winner. Several of those first-year players - including Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, Kevin Boss, Ahmad Bradshaw, Jay Alford and Zak DeOssie – made key contributions in the game.

The Giants’ defense was superb, holding the Patriots far below their season averages in several categories, including points (the Patriots averaged almost 37 a game in the regular season, but scored 14 in the Super Bowl); yards (New England averaged 411.3 yards a game, but totaled only 274 in the Super Bowl); rushing yards (the Pats averaged 115.6 in the regular season and 147 in their first two postseason games, but settled for only 45 against the Giants and did not have a run longer than nine yards). Tom Brady, who was sacked 24 times in 18 previous games (1.3 a game) was sacked five times in the Super Bowl.

Tom Coughlin became the 26th different head coach to win a Super Bowl, and the second to win one with the Giants (Bill Parcells won two). At 1-0, Coughlin is the 17th coach with an unblemished Super Bowl record.

Manning was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after completing 19 of 34 for 255 yards, two touchdowns and an interception that caromed off Steve Smith’s hands. It was the 22nd time in Super Bowl history a quarterback was named MVP. Peyton Manning was last year’s Super Bowl MVP after throwing for 247 yards and one touchdown.

Zak DeOssie and his father Steve DeOssie, a linebacker/long snapper who started for the Giants in their victory over Buffalo in Super Bowl XXXV, became the first father/son combination to win Super Bowls with the same team. The DeOssies are the 10th father-son tandem to reach the Super Bowl, and the first to play for the same team.

Giants are World Champions! - Michael Eisen tells you all about the Giants winning Super Bowl XLII.

Newsday:

Giants stun Patriots to win Super Bowl

Bleary-eyed Eli still reliving upset

Magical Giants can’t be stopped

Giants’ win ranks among NY’s best - Jim Baumbach goes through the list and raises questions about them.

Giants-Patriots most-watched Super Bowl ever

MVP Eli outduels Golden Boy Brady - Johnette Howard included this quote from Plaxico Burress, “They’re definitely better than us, but on any given day, on any given Sunday, anything can happen.  Any team can beat anybody.  So why not us?”

How the Giants shocked the Patriots - Bob Glauber broke down how the Jints won Super Bowl XLII.

Vindicated Eli wins Super Bowl MVP - I have something to say here.  I was the most excited person ever when Ernie Accorsi traded Philip Rivers for Eli Manning.  At that point in time, I said that if the Eli is half as good as Peyton, the Giants could win a Super Bowl because of all the talent around him.  Eli has played great the first 8 games of each season, but bad the last 8 games of each season.  I disowned him after the Buffalo loss in Week 16.  I knew that he had to play a big game if they were going to stop the Patriots from going 16-0.  The Giants lost 38-35, but Eli played great.  He played good in Tampa Bay.  He played good in Dallas.  He played great in Green Bay…and most importantly, he played great in the Super Bowl.  He won the Super Bowl for the New York Giants and he was named MVP.  And I rocked my dirty, stinky Manning jersey since Week 17.  So, I’m sorry Eli.  This is how a player that isn’t the best at their position can help their team win in the Playoffs, which is very unlike Alex Rodriguez.  I brought that up because I remember a lot of people saying that Eli Manning as the quarterback of the New York Giants was as big as A-Rod, and I couldn’t believe it because A-Rod is supposedly the best player in baseball and Eli Manning was not at the beginning of the season.  Imagine what winning the Super Bowl and being named MVP will do between that popularity contest now.  Eli Manning is now untouchable.  He doesn’t have to play well anymore.  He earned it.

Super Bowl ads show off offers you can’t refuse

Giants’ Tyree makes catch of a lifetime - That play was the greatest play that I’ve ever seen in a Super Bowl.  From Eli Manning escaping two sacks and airing it out to David Tyree who made the catch where he had to bring the ball down to his helmet to get control.  Tyree had two defenders hanging on him.  The down was 3rd and 5, and 1:15 remaining in the game.  Jim Baumbach did a great job describing the play and included a number of quotes about the play from Coaches to players.

Notes: Iraq vet Gadson inspires Giants - Lt. Col. Greg Gadson has been an inspiration for the Giants all season long.  He was nominated as one of the Honory Captains for the NFC Championship game.  His story is a horrible, and God bless him!

‘Wow!’ for Fox’s booth, too - Neil Best wrote about how FOX was reacting during the game, and the most commonly used term by various commentators at various moments was ‘Wow!’.

Patriots’ defense lets it slip away - What wins championships?  That’s right, defense?  Bill Belichick was able to win 3 championships in 4 years because they had great defenses.  This year, the Patriots had the best offense which wasn’t enough to win a championship.  The Giants had the best defense and it resembled when the Patriots won their first championship against the heavily favored Rams.

Giants victory parade planned for Tuesday - Justin Rocket Silverman and Jamshid Mousavinezhad were able to get the details of the victory parade, and here they are “Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said that the parade would begin at Battery Park at 11 a.m. From there it will proceed northbound in the Financial District–along the traditional ‘Canyon of Heroes’ route–to Chambers Street.”.

Patriots’ line can’t protect Brady - It seemed like the D-Line wanted to see who can get to Brady the fastest on every single gown.  5 sacks and all of them were hanging on Brady the entire game.  From Tuck, to Strahan, to Umenyiora, to Alford, to Cofield.  The D-line manhandled the Pats O-Line.  The Giants knocked Brady down 19 times on top of the 5 sacks.

Most Giants fans have no problem wearing Tiki jersey - Jim Baumbach included quotes from Giants fans about why they wore a Tiki jersey, and here’s a quote from the article: “There’s one simple reason why I’m wearing this jersey, the only reason the Giants are in the Super Bowl right now is because Tiki Barber left the team.”.  I agree that the reason the G-MEN won the Super Bowl is because Tiki retired, but I’m still not wearing his jersey.

Giants fan rediscovers how to “always believe”

For fans, it’s screams and tears - Bart Jones and Brandon Bain tell you how the Giants fans reacted at the Brickhouse Brewery in Patchogue.

New York Daily News:

Eli Manning, David Tyree show why Giants are Super this night - That was on the game winning drive, but don’t forget about Kevin Boss catching that 40-yard pass which set up a go ahead TD.

Giants stun Patriots to win Super Bowl

Giants win over Patriots most-watched Super Bowl

When the heat was on, Eli Manning kept Giants, self cool - That’s why they call him ‘Easy’.

Plaxico Burress puts money where mouth is with winning TD

Super brothers Eli, Peyton Manning in league of their own - Just imagine what Archie Manning was thinking after Eli was named Super Bowl MVP one year after Peyton was named Super Bowl MVP.  It’s really amazing if you think about it.

It’s an early exit for Bill Belichick - Bill Belichick didn’t even wait until the clock struck 0:00.

Giants pass rush too much for Tom Brady, Patriots to handle - That sums it up in a sentence.

Big rush to endorse cheating - Bob Raissman put together a good piece here.

David Tyree catches on in Super way - David Tyree made one of the best catches in sports history.  Gotta tip my cap to him.

Giants coaches outclass the masters - Do you think Bill Belichick was wishing Charlie Weiss and Romeo Crennel were there?  I’m just saying.

Patriots are ’shocked, heartbroken’ - I don’t care about the Patriots either.

Wait for ring is finally over for Michael Strahan, Amani Toomer - I’m very happy for Amani Toomer because he’s a classy guy, but I could care less for Michael Strahan because he belongs in jail rather than on a football field.  Toomer reflects what the Giants organization is all about, and Strhan reflects what the Bengals organization is all about.  I’m still waiting for Strahan to retire.

Tom Brady all bunched up

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman make right calls - Buck and Aikman actually weren’t bad last night.  They even pointed out the obvious on the final drive about Manning having success in the 2:00 drill when they use the no-huddle offense.

It’ll be Jags-Cowboys in Super Bowl XLIII - Gary Meyers is quick to make his Super Bowl XLIII predictions.

‘72 Dolphins still alone in perfection

Sen. Specter to call Roger Goodell about latest SpyGate report - God came through in this game because he righted the SpyGate situation just like he righted the pinetar situation when the Cardinals beat the Tigers in the World Series.  In both instances, the respective league did not handle the situation properly but higher powers made it all right.

Ellis Hobbs is a paper tiger - Rich Cimini pointed out how Ellis Hobbs talked smack all week and then got burned on the final play by Plaxico Burress who was the other one talking smack all week.

For Giants fans, a perfect night!

Giants Super Bowl XLII win over Patriots is one for the ages

Boston taverns packed, but full of losers

Greg Gadson inspires Giants to title

Happy mob swarms through Times Square as faithful surf on cars

Spagnuolo’s scheme outdoes Belichick - Just like Bill Belichick out coached Marv Levy in Super Bowl XXV.  This was the greatest upset that I’ve ever witnessed, but I’m not old enough to have watched the Jets upset the Colts.  So Steve Spanuolo now has a Super Bowl on his resume, and it is extremely likely that he will take a Head Coach position next year.  It will probably be with the Redskins.  I want to thank him for his efforts in getting the defense to gel to the point that they became World Champions.  The problem is that the defense was the biggest reason that the Giants won the Super Bowl, and it is unlikely that the Jints will have similar success in future years without him.  If he goes to the Redskins, then the Giants, Redskins, and Eagles will be using the same defense which is strange.

Plaxico Burress eyes relaxation time

Tom Coughlin focuses on positive

New York Post:

GIANT PIECE OF HISTORY

JEREMY SHOCKEY ON SIDELINES AT SUPE - I don’t know what the Giants should do with Jeremy Shockey.  I do know that the Giants have to get Shockey to buy into the team concept, and the Giants need to get Shockey to practice in New York.  He needs to bow down to Eli in the huddle.

TERRIFIC TYREE HELPS JINTS CATCH SUPER DREAM

PLAX COMES UP BIG WHEN IT COUNTS - Plaxico Burress is another one that I used to bash prior to the 2007 season because he wouldn’t play until the whistle blew.  In years past, I was correct in my assessment about him but he was a new man in 2007.  He played hurt every game, he barely practiced this years, and I heard him mention that having a child made him change his perspective in life.  So hopefully we won’t see Burress revert to the old Plax.

ELI DELIVERS A PERFECT ENDING

UN-’D'-LIEVABLE

TUCKS, SPAGS, ENJOY PLENTY OF SACK-NESS - Justin Tuck also had an outstanding game.  In Week 17, the O-Line of the Patriots had a lot of success against the bookends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, but Justin Tuck kept coming up the middle and knocking Brady around.  In Super Bowl XLII, The Patriots O-Line wasn’t able to stop the pass rush from any angle.  The Giants D-Line manhandled the Pats O-Line, and Tuck had another great game against the Patriots.  Good thing the Giants already locked him up or 5 years.

AMAZING MARCH - Mike Vaccaro takes you through Eli Manning’s game winning drive in Super Bowl XLII.

HISTORIC FOOTNOTE - Mark Cannizzaro wants to know what 18-0 means now?  I’m still saying who cares about the Patriots.

BELL TOLLS AT LAST FOR BELICHICK

NOT ENOUGH TOM - Jay Greenberg pointed out that Tom Brady fell short in the biggest game of his career.

STUD & DUD - Mark Cannizzaro and Paul Schwartz describe the performance of Eli Manning and Bill Belichick.

ELI HEAPS PRAISE ON COUGHLIN

STRAHAN, TOOMER FINALLY GET THEIR RINGS

O-NO, BRADY’S SACK & BLUE

HOBBS NOT A SUPERHERO

NO SUPER ENDING FOR PATRIOTS’ MOSS

WELKER SHINES IN LOSS - Wes Welker was one of the only Patriots that shined.  He had 11 receptions which tied an NFL record, and tying an NFL record in the Super Bowl should earn you the MVP award.  But, I’m a Giants fan so I’m biased and happy that Eli won it.

PATS’ VET: PERFECT LETDOWN - Jay Greenberg is referring to Richard Seymour.

SMITH’S BIG DAY - Rookie Steve Smith stepped up big time also.  The Giants had so many players step up.

COUGHLIN STIRS TEAM IN PEP TALK - Paul Schwartz recalls the Tom Coughlin speech on the eve of Super Bowl XLII.

SHAME GAME - George Willis says that SpyGate may leave the NFL in a dark place.

FOX GETS IT RIGHT ON SUPER NIGHT

BOSS’ BIG PLAY GETS JOB DONE - Finally an article about one of the biggest contributors of the game…rookie Kevin Boss.

GIANTS WIN ONE FOR ‘72 DOLPHINS - Even though the Dolphins were 1-15 in 2007, they should give the Giants their #1 Draft Pick for allowing the Fins to remain undefeated.

GIANT PARTY!

New York Times:

As the Giants’ Defense Holds Tough, the Patriots’ Crumbles

Change of Teams Changes Everything for Hixon

The Stubborn Voice of a Troubadour

Specter Appears on TV and Plans Follow-Up

‘Everybody’s a Giants Fan Tonight’

The Star-Ledger:

N.Y. Giants Steve Spagnuolo noncommittal on Washington Redskins interview - Spags stated that he wanted to wait until the party is over before deciding to interview for a Head Coach job.

Giants Stadium to host Super Bowl celebration in N.J. after NYC parade - According to Mark Mueller, the celebration will continue after the NYC party because Giants Stadium will host the NJ version at 4:00 pm.

PATH, NJ Transit add trains for NY Giants’ victory parade

Patriots’ perfect book yanked despite surge in orders

President Bush calls NY Giants to offer Super Bowl congratulations

Historic final drive leads NY Giants to Super Bowl XLII victory

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The line moved back to 12 1/2 from 12.  Vegas said that they will lose a ton of money if the Giants win because too many people are betting on the Giants.  That’s their fault though because the spread opened too high.  Usually when people bet too much for one team, the line is supposed to move but that hasn’t happened.  The G-MEN will show the Pats what’s up on Super Bowl Sunday. 

 Super Bowl XLII Travel Blog - John Schmeelk updated readers about the travel plans of the Giants.

Transcript: Patriots LB Tedy Bruschi - Tedy Bruschi discussed Super Bowl XLII.

Transcript: Patriots QB Tom Brady - Tom Brady discussed his injury and Super Bowl XLII.

Newsday:

Tiki won’t talk about the Giants this week - That’s great news.  Tiki needs a muzzle.

Welker trade was huge for Pats

For matriarch, a little Giants fanmania among family doesn’t hurt - John Valenti covered the story of a superstitious Giants fan.

Belichick, Coughlin share Giants roots

Death of teammate meant Pats’ season not perfect - Patriot players miss the late Marquise Hill.

Patriots’ Brady: Ankle sprain won’t keep me out

Giants’ Tisch gives new meaning to term Superstar - Steve Tisch is associated with a bunch of Hollywood Superstars, and he hopes they show up in Arizona.

New York Daily News:

Tom Brady puts best foot forward despite lack of practice

Big Blue hero Lawrence Tynes kicks up cause for jailed brother

Giants blundered with Ray Handley hire, launched Bill Belichick’s career

Dick Lynch a link to Big Blue’s storied past and Super future

Eli Manning had Super sense of future while still in high school

Bill Belichick finds flight, weather far from perfect for Pats - This is when the media goes into overkill.

Giants bank on underdog status - Just as they have all season.

Richard Seymour says he predicted Giants’ Super Bowl finish - This article is strange because Ohm Youngmisuk created an article that includes quotes by Seymour complimenting the Giants after the Week 17 game, but there are no quotes in the article of Seymour saying that the Giants will be in the Super Bowl.

Patriots say they’re no locks - I know that already.  I just watched the Mets show me how you can give up the biggest lead ever.  That’s why they play the game.

Tom Brady hurts for bounce-back - I just want to see the G-MEN hurt Brady.

Meet the obsessed Giants fans who’ll do anything to win

Ex-Pats coach Mike Holovak dies - Die Hard Giants Fan would like to send our condolences to the Holovak family and the Patriots organization for their loss.  Not that it’s in their control, but it’s really bad timing because the Pats are in the Super Bowl in six days.

New York Post:

APPLE OF THEIR EYE - Steve Serby stated that the New York Football Giants want to bring a championship back to the Big Apple.

GIANTS BACKED BY 3-1 MARGIN OVER PATRIOTS BY VEGAS BETTORS

ANOTHER DEOSSIE ON A SUPER TRIP - Paul Schwartz pointed out that Zak DeOssie is going to his first Super Bowl as a Giant after his father Steve DeOssie went to Super Bowl XXV as a Giant.

MATCHUP OF THE DAY - Bart Hubbuch examined the matchup of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw versus Tedy Bruschi and Junior Seau.

VRABEL: GIANTS ARE ‘UNDEFEATED’ - In the Playoffs of course.  That’s why the G-MEN are in the Super Bowl.

SPAGS IS D-COACH DU JUOR - NFL Owners with open Head Coach positions are keeping an eye on Spags.

NATE SAYS JINTS GREAT! - Compliments were paid to the Jints by Nate Robinson.

BIG BLUE’S SURVIVAL GUIDE TO SUPER BOWL WEEK

STEVE: WONDER-BOY - George Willis wrote an article to compliment Steve Spagnuolo.

New York Times:

Belichick Left the Giants, but They Haven’t Left Him

The Star-Ledger:

NY Giants have edge on Patriots on D-line in Super Bowl

Ex-NY Giant Phil Simms feels Jeremy Shockey’s pain

Patriots: Brady still takes backseat to his idols

Checking in with the real expert

Welcome to the late ’80s

The Giants preparing to head west

Giants-Patriots: What’s being written

Giants and Patriots newspaper headlines - The Star-Ledger Sports Desk included images of the Arizona Republic.

Giants’ Eli Manning Etch-a-Sketch - The Star-Ledger Sports Desk included an image of Eli on an Etch-a-Sketch.

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I still feel like the Giants need to stop talking.  They aren’t really saying anything wrong, but the media has been spinning it out of control.  On Thursday night, the Rangers retired Brian Leetch’s number, and the local press took what Plaxico Burress said about the Patriots’ receivers and put it on the back page after fabricating the story.  That’s what the Giants have to deal with.  So Brian Leetch didn’t end up on the back page after a Hall of Fame career with the Rangers, but Plaxico did for complementing the Pats and saying that the Giants’ receivers can play with them.  If the Giants say nothing then there won’t be any problems.  The media should be ashamed of themselves, but that will never happen.

 Super Bowl Profile: TE Kevin Boss - Keith Karlsson wrote an article about how much Kevin Boss has contributed to help get Big Blue into Super Bowl XLII.

Super Message - Michael Eisen covered a story about the Super Bowl message that Michael Strahan delivered to the team.

Manning Support - Michael Eisen had another interview with Peyton Manning regarding Eli Manning.

Transcript: LB Antonio Pierce - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Antonio Pierce regarding Super Bowl XLII.

Transcript: C Shaun O’ Hara - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Shaun O’Hara regarding Super Bowl XLII.

Transcript: DE Michael Strahan - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Michael Strahan regarding Super Bowl XLII.

Transcript: Colts QB Peyton Manning - Michael Eisen chatted about Eli Manning with Peyton Manning.

Transcript: Coach Tom Coughlin - Michael Eisen discussed the status of various players with Tom Coughlin.

Transcript: Various Patriots Quotes - Michael Eisen obtained quotes from various Patriot players.

Transcript: Patriots WR Donte’ Stallworth - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Donte Stallworth regarding Super Bowl XLII.

Transcript: Patriots WR Wes Welker - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Wes Welker regarding Super Bowl XLII.

Transcript: Patriots Coach Bill Belichick - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Bill Belichick regarding Super Bowl XLII.

Newsday:

Giants’ Umenyiora:Comments won’t fire up Patriots

SUPER BOWL XLII: GIANTS VS. PATRIOTS: Magic includes a vanishing act

Release and catch: Hixon, Hedgecock have shined - Katie Strang pointed out how Domenick Hixon and Madison Hedgecock got released by their former teams, and now they have their turn to play in a Super Bowl.

Peyton Manning pours on the praise for brother Eli

SUPER BOWL XLII: GIANTS VS. PATRIOTS: BIG BLUE ZONE - Donte Stallworth responds to the comments Plaxico Burress made on Thursday.

Giants’ good-luck charm: Tight end Jerome Collins - Arthur Staple believes that backup TE Jerome Collins is a good luck charm for the Giants because he is a Notre Dame alumni.  Also, Collins hasn’t played a down in his 3-year career.  He was on the Rams last season, but he ended up on the Colts for the final two games of the regular season and sat on the bench throughout the Playoffs and won a ring.  Staple believes that Collins on the bench in the Super Bowl is another good luck charm.

New York Daily News:

Peyton Manning: Eli has ‘what it takes to lead his team’ to NFL title

Two Mannings are better than one against Tom Brady and Patriots

Giant curfews loom large for Big Blue

Tom Brady disappears again

If Antonio Pierce & defense can help it, pressure will be on Tom Brady

Patriots respond to Plaxico Burress’ boast, don’t take Giant bait

Osi Umenyiora tries to explain comments about Matt Light

Michael Strahan glad he didn’t follow Tiki Barber’s lead and retire

Late teammate Marquise Hill isn’t forgotten by Patriots - Hank Gola revealed the feelings of the Patriots regarding the late Marquise Hill.

Jeff Feagles has talent to boot

Super Bowl prediction? Nah, just stuff of ‘Legend’ - Ethan Sacks revealed how the movie “I am Legend” predicts the final score of the Super Bowl, and it didn’t pick the Giants.

New York Post:

JEREMY: DON’T BE SHOCKED BY WIN - Steve Serby interviewed Jeremy Shockey who has been MIA since being placed on IR.

OSI WANTED TO SHINE LIGHT ON DIRTY TACTICS

WEIS GUY GAME PLAN - Charlie Weis discusses the game plan for the Giants and the Pats.

A LONG TOM AGO - Mike Vaccaro wrote an article about Tom Coughlin’s playing days at the RIT.

SHULA WILL BE ‘JUMPING’ IF GIANTS WIN - I bet he will.  Don Shula will be at Super Bowl XLII to congratulate the Patriots if they win jump up and down if the Giants win, according to Steve Serby.

PEYTON: THIS WON’T BE ELI’S LAST SUPER BOWL

VACANCY SIGH STILL OUT ON BRADY’S LOCKER

PATS BOWLED OVER - According to Mark Cannizzaro, the Patriots were very impressed with the Giants after they met in Week 17.

A FAMILY THING - Steve Schirripa, of The Sopranos, feels like the Giants are having all of this success because they are like a family.

TIKI REACHES OUT TO CONGRATULATE EX-’MATE STRAHAN - Towards the end of the article, Paul Schwartz included the prize money that will be allocated to each team based on winning or losing the Super Bowl.

OPEN & SHUT - Paul Schwartz decifered how differently Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick handled the reporting of injuries.

New York Times:

Giants’ Tuck and Patriots’ Thomas Linked by More Than Blood

Reprising Anonymous Role in Another Super Bowl - Bill Pennington wrote about the Jeremy Collins story for the NYTimes.

Peyton Sees Success in His Brother’s Future

Giants Have Fan in Cashman

The Star-Ledger:

Seubert, Dockery in pads

Fathers’ legacies nurtured by sons - Matthew Futterman explains how the sons of the late Giants owners feel about going to the Super Bowl.

O’Hara is Giants’ shining Knight

Bruschi basks in the moment

The Brady mystery keeps rolling on

Into the sunset - Steve Politi thinks that Michael Strahan can go out on top like John Elway or Jerome Bettis.

Osi just wants Brady to be dirty - So do I, but Osi and the crew need to make it happen.

Peyton steps up for Eli

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All of this suspense is annoying.  I want Big Blue to become Super Bowl Champs this Sunday.  Enough already, right?  All of the players are everywhere right now.  It’s their time to shine.  Tynes was on Letterman last night.  All of the players are going to be interviewed over and over.  I don’t like it.  I just want them to play…and win. 

 How the Giants got to Super Bowl XLII - Mike Eisen takes a step back and looks at the year that was 2007.

XLII facts about Super Bowl XLII - That’s a lot of fact.  It would’ve been a lot easier for NFL.com to assemble this list if it were Super Bowl I.  This is definitely worthy of reading.  It gets better as you go down the list.

Parcells’ 1990 coaching staff was ultimate ‘Super group’ - Vic Carruci wrote a great article about one of the best coaching staffs in NFL history.  The coaching staff of the Giants, in 1990, completely out coached the Buffalo Bills.  Here’s a look at the staff: Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick, Tom Coughlin, Romeo Crennel, Ron Erhardt, Al Groh, and Charlie Weis.  All of them have become head coaches of NFL or major NCAA programs.  You know their names and track records.  Two of the coaches from that staff (Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick) are facing each other head-to-head in the Super Bowl.  I really enjoy following coaching trees.  Sometimes coordinators and/or assistant coaches get completely overshadowed by the Head Coach.  You can see what they’re all about once they become a head coach elsewhere.

Newsday:

Belichick still breaks out film of 1990s Giants

Belichick refuses to discuss Brady’s injury - What else is new?

McConkey picking Giants

Spagnuolo’s a keeper, and Giants know it

The simulated Super Bowl - Jim Baumbach found a website called www.whatifsports.com where he simulated the Super Bowl, and provided the results in his article.  I didn’t check out the website yet, but it sounds like a great idea.  If it’s relatively easy to use then it should be a cool site.

Giants fan went long, then short for team’s winning touch

Falcons’ job no longer a distraction for Spagnuolo - The Falcons filled their head coach vacancy, and the Redskins have their primary candidate.  So, since all of the open spots in the league were filled it seems like Spags will have no choice but to remain with the Giants in 2008.  Just think about how much cheddar he can earn if he figures out how to keep the Pats from putting up 38 points this go around.

Lawrence Tynes appears on Letterman’s show - That was last night if you missed it.

Tomorrow’s Super Bowl hype today

Umenyiora digs up dirt on Patriots’ Light - According to Tom Rock, Osi Umenyiora is the newest NFL player to publicly call out a Patriots player for being dirty.  For years in anonymous surveys taken by NFL players, Rodney Harrison was the dirtiest player in the NFL.  Then Harrison failed a drug test which makes even dirtier I guess.  Last year, the Chargers called called out Richard Seymour for foulplay.  Now, the Giants are calling out the Matt Light.  If anything is really going on then it is an issue that the NFL needs to resolve, not Osi talking to the media.  I’ve watched tons of Patriot games over the years and haven’t seen this stuff on tv.  But, it’s possible that the camera isn’t always on it.

New York Daily News:

Antonio Pierce calls on Super friends

Bill Belichick refuses to talk about Tom Brady’s injury

Giants beating Patriots in Super Bowl would not be so upsetting - Why would it be upsetting?  This is New York.  It would be ‘nothing but positives’ as T.C. would say.

Meet Wellington Mara’s widow, Ann, who has seen it all - If you like the history of the NFL and the history if the New York Football Giants then this is an enjoyable read.

Jerry Reese’s pieces look Super

Antonio Pierce hopes to keep rallying Big Blue as road warriors

Osi Umenyiora sees heavy in Matt Light

Tiki Barber may rush to Super Bowl

Tony Romo punts Jessica Simpson - HaHaHaHa…LMAO.  He lost the game and the girl.  He went through all of that to date a chick for like two months?

New York Post:

STATE OF SHOCK

BAVARO KNEW COUGHLIN WAS BY THE BOOK

TYNES KICKS IT WITH LETTERMAN

ELI FEVER AT MSG - He’s turning into a superstar.

WITHOUT THE HITCH

OSI IS EAGER TO SEE LIGHT AGAIN

HOBBLED OR NOT, GET YOURSELF TO GLENDALE, JEREMY

CORRECT CHANGE

MARK OF RESPECT

ARCHIE: S.I. JINX WON’T BOTHER ELI

TIKI TURNABOUT

BRADY ACHING TO TEST HIS SORE ANKLE - I hope the Giants exploit his sore ankle.

New York Times:

Seven Years Later, Giants’ Super Bowl Loss Still Stings

The Star-Ledger:

Belichick won’t discuss Brady’s ankle

Thursday injury report

What’s the state of Shockey?

Letterman time for Tynes

Super Bowl glory fleeting for Dixon

Spagnuolo staying, for now

Mets’ Wright a Giants backer

Giants must avoid layoff trap

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Back-to-back, the Divisional Playoff game between the Giants and the Cowboys and the NFC Championship game between the Giants and the Packers were two of the greatest games I have ever seen.  Both of them went right down to the final play.  We’ll see how our boys in blue do in the Super Bowl.  I believe it will be a close game, we just need a few things to bounce our way so we can come out of the desert victorious.  I prefer those 41-0 games so there is no chance of losing.  Save the excitement of the nail bitters for years when the Giants are not in the Super Bowl.

Also, the line dropped another 1/2 of a point today.  So, it opened with the Giants being 14 point underdogs.  It was 12 1/2 yesterday.  Now it’s 12.  It’s still too big so expect that gap to keep shrinking. 

 Giants Stats Review - Based on the history of the NFL, Michael Eisen lets us know that the Giants have a pretty good shot at winning the Super Bowl.

Newsday:

Webster has made biggest turnaround for Giants - That’s for sure.  Arthur Staple put together a great article about the turnaround of Corey Webster.

Brady’s foot injury not serious - Tom Rock stated that “The cast-like boot on his right foot was there to help what has been reported as a minor high ankle sprain. Brady will have two weeks of rest before playing again in Glendale, Ariz., on Feb. 3.
“  This is the same injury that T.O. was recovering from at the end of the season.  Nobody know for sure if the injury reported is accurate.

Boston must be stopped

Ex-Giant Anderson sees Giants upsetting Patriots - I hope Otis is good at making predictions.

Giants-Packers title game ratings winner for Fox - Neil Best stated:

Eli Manning got the last laugh on that Green Bay TV station manager who last week tried to distract him by pre-empting “Seinfeld,” his favorite show, before the NFC title game.

Last night, Fox announced that the Giants’ upset of the Packers averaged 53.9 million viewers - making it the most-watched non-Super Bowl TV show of any kind since 1998, when 76.3 million watched the finale of … yup, “Seinfeld.”

Good for Eli.  It’s funny how things come full circle.  And it’s good news for the Giants because they have been involved in some games that had everybody wanted to watch.  In Week 17, when the Giants had the opportunity to upset the 15-0 Patriots, the game set a record for being the most watched television show besides the Superbowl.  In the NFC Championship Game, it was the most watched Conference Championship game in 13 years.  And in the Superbowl, when the Giants have another shot at upsetting the 18-0 Patriots, it has to be one of the most viewed Superbowls in NFL history.

Plumber’s game-day hardhat reveals his Giants soft spot

For this fan, cheering Giants to a win is no game

New York Daily News:

Giants expect Tom Brady will be Super

Eli Manning turns critics into converts

Five things the Giants learned about the Patriots in Week 17’s 38-35 loss - Ralph Vacchiano wrote 5 things that the Giants learned from playing the Patriots.

Tiki Barber ‘ecstatic’ for Giants - Tiki continues to lie, but I don’t care anymore about Tiki.  After all he said publically about the team, I was happy he retired.

Tom Brady will play in Super Bowl

Jinxed! S.I. puts Eli Manning on cover

While Giants study film from Week 17 loss, so can Bill Belichick - Hank Gola made a bunch of great points about how Belichick could prepare for the Super Bowl.

Giant backup LB and punt snapper Zak DeOssie has Super fan: his dad

Ex-Giant calls timeout on 9/11 walk - The New York Daily News stated that George Martin is taking a detour from his Cross Country charity walk to catch the Giants play in the Super Bowl.

Jim Fassel could coach Redskins

Patriots-Giants Super Bowl drives Jets fans nuts - I don’t know why.  This is news to me.  I’ve never heard any Jets fan dislike Giants fans and vice versa.  I root for the Jets all the time.  Even when they were 4-12.  If you are a Jets fan that hates Giants fans, or a Giants fan that hates Jets fans then please comment about the actual reason.  I know it exists between the Mets and the Yankees.  But I never heard of any hatred between the Jets and the Giants.

The New York Post:

THEY WON’T STAND PAT

GIANTS’ TV RATINGS SOAR

ERNIE ALWAYS BELIEVED IN ELI

ELI WON’T RUN FOR COVER

ARCHIE ‘NEVER ENVISIONED’ BACK-TO-BACK SUPER SONS - What parent would?  What are the odds of that happening?

GIANTS FACE AN ‘OFFICIAL’ REMATCH IN SUPE AS WELL - Paul Schwartz points out that the officiating crew that worked in Week 17 will also work the Super Bowl.  Many Giants players and fans complained about this crew led by Mike Carey.

REESE’S PIECES ARE A-OK

X MARKS THEIR SHOT - Steve Serby wrote up 10 reasons why the Jints can beat the Patriots.

HIS TYNES TO SHINE

New York Times:

Victorious Giants Return Home and It’s Time to Party On - Since the G-MEN came home, they have been partying in the Big Apple.  Tomorrow, they practice for the first time.

The Star-Ledger:

Are the Giants America’s Team? - Even though the Cowboys are labeled America’s Team, I don’t buy into that.  No team that wasn’t there since inception should not be labled that.

Jet LB’s hit unleashed Patriots’ Brady on the NFL