Giants Slay Goliath

What a game! The Super Bowl is often a blowout and anti-climatic, but not this one!

First of all, while I'm not a Patriots fan (nothing will turn you off a team like knowing a really obnoxious fan), credit to them for an undefeated regular season, the highest scoring offense in NFL history, the most touchdown passes in history, and the most touchdown catches by a receiver in history. None of that's anything to sneeze at. (By the way, I do root for the Red Sox, mainly because as a Cubs fan I could always commiserate, and unless you're actually from the New York area and entitled, ya gotta root against the Yankees, especially give the ridiculous lack of a salary cap. I also had a pet theory before the two recent Red Sox championships that if the Cubs and Red Sox ever met in the World Series, a black hole would erupt and engulf the entire universe.)

The Patriots' dominance makes the Giants victory all the more impressive. The offensive line is always the most important-but-overlooked aspect of a successful team, and the Pats' O-line has been superb for the past several years. The Giants defense, though, was amazing. Back to back sacks on key downs and consistent pressure kept the game close throughout and the Giants in the game.

But none of that would have mattered without a phenomenal performance when it counted by Eli Manning and the Giants offense. The basketball-leap reception by David Tyree in the 4th was spectacular and a game-saver.

(And boy, did Belichick look pissed at the end!)

I'm not normally a fan of the Giants either (I'm for the Packers, and in the NFL East, the Redskins), but I said I'd forgive the Giants for beating the Packers if they beat the Pats, so all is forgiven. Deciding to play all the Giants starters against the Patriots in the last game of the season, a meaningless game for playoff positioning, was a risky decision for Giants coach Tom Coughlin. Had a starter received a major injury, he would have been severely criticized. But although the Giants lost, they played very well and measured themselves against the most dominant team in the league. It energized the Giants going into the playoffs, and they played superbly. If I remember correctly, three wild card teams from the AFC have reached the Super Bowl and won (Raiders, Broncos and Patriots), but the Giants are the first from the NFC, where generally the top seeds advance. Earlier this season alone, there was chatter that Eli Manning might not have the presence and speedy decision-making to be a franchise quarterback, let alone a NFL champion. Boy, has he arrived. While he can continue to refine his physical game, his mental game can't get much better. He has no reason to doubt himself ever again for the long haul. Bravo.

Two more thoughts. First, every year there's a warehouse full of merchandise made up for the team that winds up losing, because the NFL wants to hock their wares and can't take chances. That's why they have those championship hats ready at the awarding of the Vince Lombardi trophy. I've always thought it would be cool to get one of the hats for a losing team before they were destroyed, like say, the hat for the "world champion Atlantic Falcons." (It'd be rude to wear in Atlanta, but pretty damn funny elsewhere.)

Second, I get annoyed when folks, let alone the NFL Commisioner, talk about the Giants' "third championship." It's their third Super Bowl win, and the game wasn't even called that yet before the merger, back when the Packers won the first two "AFL-NFL World Championship Games" and the NFL Championship (including the fabled Ice Bowl) was the real game of note. The Packers have three Super Bowl victories, but they have twelve championships. Similarly, the Giants have three Super Bowl victories, but seven total championships. Yes, it's a much larger league now and the game has grown very different, but respect for history is a good thing.

Speaking of history, congratulations again to the Patriots for their impressive run, but even greater congratulations to the champion Giants!


(Cross-posted at The Blue Herald)

Super Bowl 2008!

As I did last year, I've got some videos up over at Blue Herald for the big game. Alas, there's no Favre to cheer and no Madden to mock in this Super Bowl, but there's still room for a little Caliendo.

Political Football Theater

(crossposted at The Blue Herald)


Bush cheerleaders are a funny breed. If Bush were the CEO of a company they invested in, or the coach of their favorite football team, and delivered the same quality of performance he has as president, they would have been screaming for his head on a pike long ago. In the spirit of this observation comes: Political Football Theater!!!
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Lights up on the press room of the NFL team the Republican Crusaders. Coach George W. Bush swaggers to the mike to answer questions.

BUSH: All right. Bring it on.

Q: Coach Bush, what are your feelings on the latest loss?

BUSH: What loss? What are you talking about?

Q: Uh… sir, you just lost another game.

BUSH: (fixing the reporter with a steely gaze) It's irresponsible talk like that that gives aid and comfort to the enemy. Next question. You, Stretch.

Q: Coach Bush, could you comment on the, err, unusual strategy you employed with your running back this game?

BUSH: (beaming) Yeah, how about that.

Q: It seems like he was just running in place.

BUSH: We're lulling the enemy into a false sense of security. Our crack offensive coordinator, Dick Cheney, came up with it.

Q: But sir, how do you expect to win the game if you don't advance the ball? He wasn't gaining any ground. In fact, he often lost yardage.

BUSH: You need to take the long view. Success is relative. When we turned over the ball on our 15 yard line late in the 1st quarter, just think – in the 2nd quarter, that's their 15 yard line. Next question - Poncho.

Q: Coach Bush, many people are calling for you to replace quarterback Donny Rumsfeld, who threw another five interceptions today. Is there any truth to the rumours that you may call Joey "Joementum" Lieberman in off the bench?

BUSH: (bristling) Look, I'm the decider. I decide. And Donny Rummy is the quarterback for this team, period. Look at what he's done to date.

Q: (reluctantly) Coach, on that point –

BUSH: (glowering) Yes?

Q: Back in 2003, when you started, you started the season strong, 4-1. A month later, you said it was "mission accomplished" and guaranteed a Super Bowl victory. By the end of the season, you had gone 7-9 and missed the playoffs.

BUSH: I don't think anyone could have anticipated that the other teams wouldn't let us win.

Q: Then in 2004, you went 5-11. In 2005, 3-13. In 2006 to date, you're 2-12 with two games to go, and you're not favored in either of them. Doesn't it seem as if things aren’t getting better, and you might need a change?

BUSH: Look, I don't pay attention to the polls.

Q: Coach, it's not a question of polls, it's your record –

BUSH: Listen, I go with my gut. I know other coaches might go without sleep studying film on their opponents, and drafting up elaborate plans, and practicing hours and hours with their team in preparation, and what not. That's not my style. We're the better team. We know that. We will prevail. Next question – Slim.

Q: Coach, your team is currently losing over 100 yards a game due to penalties, breaking all sorts of NFL records in the process. Any comment?

BUSH: The enemy fights dirty and we need to fight dirty.

Q: Including biting?

BUSH: Our team does not bite!

Q: Coach, you've petitioned the NFL Rules Committee to allow not only cut-blocking and holding – for your team only, I might add – but biting.

BUSH: (impatient) Our team does not bite. But there may come a time in the future when we may need to bite.

Q: Rumsfeld bit a tackle on the opposing team last Sunday.

BUSH: There's no proof of that! The film was inconclusive! Next question!

Q: Coach Bush, some of your former star players - Powell, Whitman, O'Neill and Shinseki - have been very critical about your performance. In particular, Powell came out strong against biting – your proposed "mastication legislation."

BUSH: Powell's confused. And while we do not bite, without the option of – extreme chewing – we cannot win the game. Those who are opposed to biting – I mean, extreme chewing - want us to lose. Oh, and before you start going off again on whether I should resign, or fire anyone, remember that I have a guaranteed contract through January 2009. Next question – Curly!

Q: Coach Bush, I couldn't help but notice that the field was looking rather – lackluster. In particular, there were tons of divets and a large crater near one of the end zones. One of your wide receivers twisted his ankle badly today.

BUSH: I don't think anyone could have anticipated these groundskeeping problems.

Q: But sir, you have repeatedly petitioned the city for unprecedented funds to fix the field, on top of your existing tax breaks!

BUSH: Halliburton can only do so much with a mere 256 million. Next question – gotta wrap this up.

Q: Coach, Donny Rummy has been widely criticized for insisting that your team take to the field with less players than the standard 11 on a side. Former veteran QBs, such as Shinseki, who you let go, have spoken out repeatedly about this. One veteran QB said that Rummy's plan seemed "more about proving a pet theory than about winning the game." Your comment?

BUSH: (indignant) Look, this is a different sort of game than it was a few years ago. People have to understand that. The enemy expects us to advance the ball in the usual ways, the ways that have always worked in the past. Running. Throwing and catching. They expect us to play to win. To learn from our mistakes. To adapt. And we can't do what the enemy expects.

Q: But sir, why have you repeatedly left two defensive players on the bench?

BUSH: (with a slight smirk) Just watch what we do with the Iran game coming up. It'll be an eye-opener.

Q: Sir, be that as it may, why would you deliberately go out on the field without two of your players?

BUSH: It's a very successful scheme called the 9/11 defense.

That’s all.

Bush walks off stage, as usual ignoring the questions shouted at him.