The New York Giants — who call the New Jersey Meadowlands their home field — are the champions of Super Bowl XLII after beating the New England Patriots last night. There are three lessons to be learned in the David Giants going up against the “unbeatable” Goliath Patriots.


 

The first lesson is to always believe in your own work ethic and
talent. Others may say you’re no good and that you don’t deserve to
win.
You know better.
You know anything is possible when luck and preparation meet. You know
to never die until the blood leaves your body.
You know you aren’t tackled just by having your jersey pulled. You know
a game-saving catch can include your helmet.




The
second lesson you learn is there is no such thing as inevitability. The
Patriots were supposed to be the first undefeated team since the 1972
Miami Dolphins.
Now the Patriots are 18-1 and will be known more for their single loss
than their 18 wins.
Is that fair?

Yes!

Becoming the modern-day Titanic — by sinking just as you are supposed
to be rising — is what hubris has wrought on the Patriots. New England
earned their deaths and they dug their own graves in football history
by being distant and unkind in the glow of adoration and in the light
of their cheating scandal.

The final lesson we take away from the Giants win is how joy and love
of the game mean more than records and perceived perfection.
We saw last night just how the right defense can smother an offense led
by a pretty boy matinee idol who isn’t used to getting his uniform
dirty.
The New York Football Giants found the Patriots vulnerable and willing
to take a beating.

The Patriots were gleefully led down the prairie
path to pull defeat from the clutches of victory.
This Giants win is one that will never be forgotten in New York — or
forgiven in New England — and that is precisely the definition of joy trumping destiny.

14 Comments

  2. Gordon!
    I cannot believe you tossed over the Giants for Miley Cyrus!
    Love that book. I’m sure lots of monetary dreams were destroyed in an 18-1 ending.

  3. I have watched exactly 0 football games this last year and exactly every episode of the television show ‘Hannah Montana’ – I have no problem admitting this in a public area – so I guess this makes me consistent, eh? 🙂
    Every year, hundreds of thousands of shirts proclaiming the wrong team to be victors go to third world countries. 🙂

  4. Gordon!
    I have one bit of advice to you: STAY IN SEATTLE! You will not fit NYC! We live through our teams and find out identity in the sweat of our athletic superstars!
    I wondered what happens to all the wrong swag. QVC had a whole pile of NYGiants junk for sale right after the big win — so it had to all be pre-made even though no one expected them to win. The designs were pretty sad and plain. I bet there was some gorgeous Pats stuff, though. History as the perfect team and all that.
    This is my favorite Super Bowl hat for purchase to celebrate the winning team:
    http://www.nflshop.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3017254&cp=3011382.3019088&parentPage=family
    :mrgreen:

  5. Don’t get me wrong, I do love sports – I love a good baseball game, for example. I even enjoy hockey. American football, as I may have mentioned, seems just a bit dull to me. 🙂
    As much as I’d love to stay here and grow old and die without getting married ever, I actually rather would not.
    That’s an excellent hat.

  6. Gordon —
    NYC is a football town. The Yankees entertain us, but the Giants give our lives meaning. GET WITH IT, GORDON! The Seahawks have spoiled your community expectation.
    Do you think anyone under the age of 11 could wear that hat without someone either:
    a). Punching them in the head to see how well it protected as a helmet.
    b). Pointing at you and laughing.

  7. Not a chance! 🙂 It would be fun for wearing in olde time football matches – or rugby!
    Actually the people of Seattle are insanely fanatical about their Seahawks. Joel McHale, host of The Soup on E!, who doesn’t even live in Seattle anymore said he was rooting for the Seahawks to win this year’s Superbowl! 🙂

  10. Gordon —
    I think a lot of people watch the Super Bowl to watch the commercials! I loved the new Coke ad and the Tide ad. The Bud ads were okay, not not as good as we were led to believe.
    I was watching the game just because I wanted to support the Giants. I had no inkling they would be close to winning. It was a magical experience watching them get closer and closer to a history of their own.

  11. What else can be said it was great game. Fans from bars came to the streets to party and more than a few called sick today. A city holiday.

  12. I saw the people in Times Square pouring into the street, Karvain. It was such spontaneous glee. I think you’re right a lot of unexpected hangovers ruined lots of work days today. 😆

  13. So much fun!

    NEWARK, N.J. — The New York Giants aren’t the only winners in the team’s upset victory over the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.
    Hats, T-shirts and other gear bearing the Giants logo started flying off the racks at sporting goods stores around the New York area right after the game ended, and the NFL estimated Monday that the total sales of official Super Bowl merchandise could surpass the $125 million record set more than a decade ago.

    http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/specials/playoffs/2007/02/04/superbowl.merchandise.ap/

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