Champs!

Wednesday is Ash Wednesday and I hope that I stop shaking by then. Talk about an exciting game!

When Eli Manning got the ball with a bit over two minutes and had to score a touchdown I said to all those in the room that in football these are the times when legends are made. Or not.

Eli Manning will go down in history has leading one of the most memorable game winning Super Bowl drives of all time. It wasn't pretty but it was tough and durable. Not unlike the Giants. ESPN ranked the top ten plays in the history of the Super Bowl and Number One was Manning's Houdiniesque escape and his pass to Tyree who caught the ball on his head. As he went down he got both hands on the ball and pulled in the catch. It was an amazing play that will be shown over and over and over.

The game was a study in contrasts. The Patriots came into the game as an historic team on the brink of making history of having the greatest season of all time. The Giants were a wild card team but playing far better than they had through most of the season.

The Patriots were a team that devastated opponents. An incredible offense and a solid defense made many of their games blow outs.

The Giants lost 6 games this year and were a paltry 3-5 at home, but an amazing 11-1 as road warriors. And the 1 came in the first game of the season. The Giants ended the season 14-6 and their margins of victory were often tiny. Very tiny.

The Patriots were a team loaded with All-pros.

The Giants had one because, well, each team has one.

Several observations about the game.

Eli Manning out-dueled Tom Brady. Manning didn't have quite the supporting cast of Brady, but Manning had something that Brady didn't have. Protection. Manning was sacked 3 times but spent most of the game unscathed. Brady was sacked 5 times but was hit time after time. Most of his passes were rushed and his deep game was gone. He simply didn't have the time. The Giants fierce pass rush made a huge difference.

Tom Coughlin, a man who was almost fired, out coached the 'genius' Bill Belichick. When Belichick's defense had to they did not stop the Giants. On the final play for the Giants offense, a touchdown to Plax, Manning found the Pats in the defense he was longing for. A 7 man rush that the Giants picked up and allowed their best receiver to get wide open. The Giants defense held the best offense in the history of the NFL to under 300 yards and 14 points.

Much will be said of Belichick's decision to pass on a 49 yard field goal attempt. Many have called it a coaching blunder. Maybe. His big coaching blunder, and it was a big one, was an inability and complete lack of attempt to protect his passer. Fierce pressure turns super star quarterbacks to average quarterbacks and average quarterbacks do not win the Super Bowl. Well, not usually. Big Ben was worse than average a few years back but he had a great team around him.

As for Eli Manning, he walked out of the biggest stage in football and walked away with the trophy. When a chance to create a legend was placed before him, he embraced it.

And two mouths on the Giants. Shockey, who was hurt, was drinking beer in a luxury box and watched his replacement make a huge catch and run.

And Tiki Barber is discussing pantyhose on the Today Show. The quarterback he mocked now as a Super Bowl ring and Tiki? Well, he does do a good job talking about shoes....