Die Hard Giants Fan

Super Bowl Sunday is here.  I’m ready for the game.  I’m ready to see Big Blue put tons of pressure on Tom Brady.  I want see the Giants rattle Brady for all 4 quarters.  In Week 17, the Giants attacked for the first 3 quarters and then it seemed like they got tired and Brady came back and won the game for the Pats.  This time, there is no getting tired.  Just attack and attack and attack the quarterback.  The G-MEN have to give 150% tonight to pull off the upset.  I still think that the Giants could win the Super Bowl. 

 Welcome to the Good Life - Keith Karlsson thinks that the 2007 draft class is one of the main reasons the Giant are in Super Bowl XLII.

Newsday:

RANT OF THE WEEK

Giants fan gets wish from Marshall 16 years later

Coughlin delivers positive news on Burress’ health

BIG BLUE ZONE - Newsday wrote their quote of the day which was made by Tom Coughlin.

Patriots have chance to make history

Eli has super chance to become his own Manning - That’s funny…One of the first posts I wrote was called ‘Will Eli be a Manning?’, and now he has the opportunity to win the Super Bowl tonight.  It’s funny how things change.

Giants have chance to complete underdog roll

Simms would gladly take Eli’s early career

Did Patriots cheat before 2002 Super Bowl?

Homemade highlight reel launched Brady’s career

Tom Brady has lots of namesakes on Long Island

Fox’s Bradshaw regrets calling Coughlin a ‘jerk’ - …and only FOX would have the man that called Tom Coughlin a jerk be the broadcaster that congratulates Tom Coughlin after the Giants won the NFC Championship game.  Why couldn’t one of the 3 other guys that did not call Coughling a jerk be the one to congratulate him?  It’s all about the ratings.

Notes: Plaxico’s injuries feeling OK

Seau on roll with Patriots, but can he get ring?

New York Daily News:

Giants ready for shot at history

Super Bowl XLII won’t be forgotten

Super cheaters? Report says Patriots filmed Rams before Super Bowl XXXVI

NFL can’t ignore wrath of Congress

Lest we forget Dante Lavelli and the perfect 1948 Cleveland Browns - Filip Bondy points out another perfect team.

Inside the Super Bowl Matchups - Hank Gola takes a close look at all the matchups between the Giants and the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

Anatomy of a Giant kick: 1.3 seconds that could decide Super Bowl XLII

Plaxico Burress feeling better

Former Giant Mark Ingram tries to keep son from making same mistakes he did - Is he still stealing purses in Flint, MI?

News picks Giants all-Super Bowl team - This is a must read!

New Jersey minister says he’s gonna get The Big Guy to help home team - which is the G-MEN.

Radio voices primed for Super night

They’re ad it again! Super Bowl commercials have zany flavor

Kurt Warner recalls young Eli Manning - Remember Kurt Warner?  On the Giants not the Rams.  How much did he suck?  I never wanted him, and I was glad they benched him.

Last stop! Giants have one more to go

Put down your pencils, Giants vs. Patriots is finally here

42 things you should know about Super Bowl XLII

Tickets available - for hefty price - Mike Jaccarino and Jonathan Lemire pointed out that tickets are still available for about $3,000.

Suit-happy inmate now targets Plaxico - This story about Plaxico Burress doesn’t even make sense.

Super temptations lurking for players

Tynes’ brother to watch from prison

Chef at big Boston bar stays true Blue

Former Redskins Darrell Green, Art Monk lead Hall of Fame class

New York Post:

DESTINY DATE FOR BIG BLUE

SOUND OFF EXTRA - Readers of The Post got another opportunity to express themselves.

SEE-NO-EVIL NFL DIDN’T LOOK HARD - Steve Serby has a conspiricy theory about the NFL and the Pats.

THE CHEAT GOES ON

OLD MEN AND THE SB - Bart Hubbuch wrote about Jeff Feagles.

EXTREME TAILGATING - Raiders fans showed up to tailgate and root for the G-MEN for a day.

ESPN ANSWERS WISH OF AILING GIANTS FAN - Classy move by ESPN.

FAMILY TIES - Mike Vaccaro explains how the Mara family ties to New York sports.

PERFECT PAT-SIES - Giants fans make there voice heard.

SERBY’S SUPER SUNDAY Q&A WITH… Ottis Anderson

BIG APPLE HAS IT ALL OVER THE… - You actually have to go to this article to understand it.

OVER-KILL! - Mike Battaglino points out that this is the highest over/under (54) betting line in Super Bowl history.

BRADY BUY A BUNCH - Richard Witt made his Super Bowl XLII pick.

PATS GOT GOOD LOOK AT JINTS’ PLAYBOOK - That’s very true.  Besides the rest, your game plan is completely exposed when you go all out in a game that doesn’t matter.  Oh well…It is what it is.  At least they got here to play the Pats again.

DIRTY WORK - This article is comical so give it a read.

PATS WANTS SEAU TO VIEW FROM TOP

THE EXPERTS SPEAK - The Post compiled the final scores predicted by the tv experts.  Only Tiki and Mike Ditka picked the Giants.

MICKELSON PUTTING IT ON PATRIOTS - I’m very disappointed with Phil here.  He spent his entire career as the underdog, and America loves him as just that.  Then he backs the favorite.

DUSTING IN THE DESERT - Paul Schwartz and Mark Cannizzaro believe that the Patriots are just too much for the Jints.

FRAUD UNDER THE HOOD - Bart Hubbuch questions the genius aspect of Bill Belichick.

5 GIANTS WHO MUST MAKE IT HAPPEN

WILDEST DREAMS CAN COME TRUE

PATS DENY SPYING ON RAMS AT ‘02 SUPE

MATCHUP OF THE DAY - Bart Hubbuch examines the matchup between Eli Manning and Rodney Harrison.

BANKS ON IT - Carl Banks says that Big Blue has the opportunity to derail history.

INSIDE THE PLAYBOOKS: GIANTS D VS. PATS’ 589-POINT MONSTER

BRADY COULD NOT BE BETTER

PLAX PARTICIPATES IN FINAL

XLII REASONS WHY PATS’ NUMBER IS UP

BURY GOOD SHOT - Steve Serby says that the Jints are bringing home the Lombardi Trophy.

The Star-Leger:

No need to change - That’s what Colin Stephenson thinks of Eli Manning.

Know Eli? The joke’s on you

Nothing like underdogs for the ages - I’ll party like a rock star all night if it happens.

George Martin: Winner in a walk

Giants in way of Patriot perfection - Or the Patriots are in the way of the Giants winning the Super Bowl.

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I was thinking about how the week off between the Conference Championships and the Super Bowl would affect the game for each team.  I’m feeling a little uneasy about the bye week, so I would definitely like you all to chime in and let me know what you think.  Maybe you guys can cheer me up a little.  So here it goes.

Giants

I sort of feel like the bye week will affect the Giants more than it will affect the Patriots.  Historically, the Giants have performed very poorly after the “regular season” bye week.  This is by no means a regular season bye week, but it always seems like the Giants can’t get into a rythem after the bye week.  In the Playoffs, the Giants only experienced the bye week once prior to Super Bowl XXXV.  Big Blue bumped into that stout Ravens ‘D’, and it was ugly.  I’ve really tried to examine the vibe of the team after Sunday’s victory over the Packers.  Here’s some positives.  On the flight home from Green Bay, the two players that were on the 2000 team, Amani Toomer and Michael Strahan, discussed how they can keep the team focused enough to win.  Even they said they got wrapped up in it all back in 2000.  After coming off of that 41-0 thrashing of the Vikings in the NFC Championship game, they felt like the Super Bowl was going to be a walk in the park.  Going into the Playoffs, the Giants were labeled as the worst team in the Playoffs.  After winning the NFC Championship game, Wellington Mara even sarcastically said “we are the worst team in NFL history to win the NFC Championship Game” to the team in the locker room.  So now, Toomer and Strahan feel like they can get keep the rest of the team focused on the ultimate goal.  I really hope that they can do that.  With Toomer on offense and Strahan on defense, they really can reach the entire team.  It would be more difficult if both of them were on one side of the ball.  The Jints have a lot of youth, and those are the players that need to remain focused.  And there are millions of distractions right now.  The Giants had a few days off to unwind.  They were all over NYC.  Then they have to practice for 3 days.  Then they go to Arizona.  They have to deal with the media.  They have to practice out there.  Then they play.  Not only do the players not have Super Bowl experience, neither do the Owners, the GM, or the Coaching Staff.  So it is new to everybody.  What I’m saying doesn’t mean that it’s impossible to overcome, but it may be more difficult to handle than it would be if there was some more guidance from the top down.  I believe that the players will give it their all, unlike in 2000.  I heard Ernie Accorsi say how much losing that game bothers him until this day.  He believed that the players felt like they won the Super Bowl after beating the Vikings.  That’s something I cannot comprehend.  How can you not get up for the Super Bowl?  I do believe that the Coaches can look back at Super Bowl XXXV, and say that’s what happens to a team that gets caught up in it.  That in itself should keep their eye on the prize.  The last thing I wanted to mention is Tom Coughlin.  As much of a successful turnaround as Coach Coughlin had in 2007, he doesn’t match up toe-to-toe with Bill Belichick.  Tom Coughlin is a disciplinarian and a perfectionist, but he isn’t known for being one of the greatest offensive brains or defensive brains in NFL history.  So T.C. really needs to rely on his assistants more than Bill Belichick would need to.  Defensive Coordinator, Steve Spagnuolo, seems to be the real deal.  He is a protoge of the Eagles’ DC, Jim Johnson who is a legendary DC.  Since the Giants put up 35 points on the Pats in Week 17, the weight of this game rests on the shoulder of Spags because they can’t give up 38 points again.  The Giants have to make the necessary stops on defense.  The Offensive Coordinator, Kevin Gilbride, didn’t seem to call many good games during the regular season.  However, he’s done a great job since Week 17.  He’s adjusted to the defenses.  The team appears to be comfortable executing his calls.  The biggest thing thing the Giants need to do to win this game is hold onto the ball.  I’m not talking about turnovers, of course they can’t turn the ball over.  I’m talking about time of possession.  In Week 17, the Giants defense got tired after three quarters of chasing Tom Brady around.  If the offense can stay on the field, then the defense shouldn’t tire as quickly.  The Giants need to hold onto the ball like they did when they beat the Bills in Super Bowl XXV.  Tom Coughlin needs to utilize the game plan of Bill Parcells.  The problem with that is Bill Belichick knows the game plan.  The Coaching Staff needs to out coach Bill Belichick, which will be difficult but not impossible.  The team will need to outplay and outwill the Patriots as well.  Our secret weapon is Ahmad Bradshaw because he sat out in Week 17 due to an injury.  Obviously the Patriots know about him, but they haven’t seen him.

Patriots

On the other side of the ball, the Patriots have been to the Super Bowl three times this century.  They’ve been through all of the extracurricular activities each time.  You already know Bill Belichick is one of the greatest defensive minds in NFL history.  They say his players are getting older and losing a step.  That may be true, but they know what they’re doing…and they always seem like they make the big stop when they need to.  Coach Belichick has lost some of his better assistants a couple of years ago, but he can completely take over the play calling responsibilities if need be.  We know that Belichick is in a lab concocting a game plan for the Giants.  He’ll probably be in that underground layer until gameday devising the ultimate scheme.  He will look at every aspect, every angle, and he will leave no stone unturned.  His players have all been to the dance before, and have had tons of success.  The Patriots had two players on the right side of the O-Line that didn’t start in Week 17 that will play in the Super Bowl.  They were Nick Kaczur and Stephen Neal.  So those are two players that the Giants didn’t see live, and obviously they will give Brady even more time to throw the ball to his army of receivers.  The last thing that I wanted to mention is Tom Brady’s leg and/or possible injury.  If he’s wearing a cast of some sorts then something is wrong.  To what extent?  Nobody knows, and Belichick will never provide you that information.  According to the Patriots injury report, Tom Brady has been listed as questionable each week for years so it means nothing.  The Giants are going to want to hit Brady to see if they can further damage his leg.  Knowing that, Belichick is going to have his O-Line totally prepared for this game.  Did you see the Chargers-Patriots game on Sunday?  There were a couple of times where the line couldn’t hold up, and Brady was screaming at them about it on the sideline.  I’ve never seen him yelling at his teamates on the sidelines before.  But, he didn’t have a good game.

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• Long-time Kicker, Jeff Feagles, is entering his 20th season, according to Giants.com.
• Giants are optimistic that Michael Strahan will return by the time the season begins, according to “What About Bob?“
• Big Blue waived DT Titus Adams, WR Wallace Wright, and CB Darren Bennett according to Rotoworld.com.
• The University of Albany dedicated one of its football practice fields in honor of the Giants late co-owners Wellington Mara and Bob Tisch, according to the New York Post.

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