By the time the dust had settled, and Bill Belichick had continued to show his classlessness by abandoning his team before the final play, the New York Giants had exposed the New England Patriots for what they were: the perfect fraud.
Everything was pointing toward a historic Patriots victory. The Giants were the lowest seed to ever reach a Super Bowl. They had Eli Manning, a quarterback with a flawless pedigree, yet spotty history, and they were playing what many called an unstoppable juggernaut. Some pundits had already proclaimed New England the best team to ever step on a football field.
Yet as the game approached, it felt as if it was going to be anything but the blowout most were expecting. It seemed the Patriots had grown complacent with their greatness. They did not look hungry as they listlessly jogged out of the tunnel during introductions. New England took the field as if the game had already been played.
In fact, Giants receiver Amani Toomer said that while the game was being played, Patriots defenders were inviting New York players to their after-game victory parties.
The Giants, on the other hand, simply took the field with something to prove. They were hungry for the respect they had not received from the media, nor the Patriots players. From the opening kickoff, they took that respect and shoved it right down New England’s collective throat.
Commercials didn’t even warrant being paid attention to because the game itself was so engrossing.
The drama was so high that, although Tom Petty put on a memorable Super Bowl halftime show, the end of it was exciting because it meant the game was about to restart.
When the fourth quarter was winding down, my roommates were laughing at how into-the-game I had become. As David Tyree made what could be considered the greatest catch in the history of the Super Bowl, I jumped out of my seat screaming like a little girl seeing her first needle at the doctor’s office.
And just who is David Tyree? He is about as unlikely a hero as imaginable in this game. Scenarios involving the Patriots video assistant coach as the hero of the day made more sense than a wide receiver who had just four – yes, FOUR – catches all season.
After all was said and done, the Giants left the Patriots asking, “What if?” Dominance signifies the best of all-time, and they were nowhere near that in any of their playoff wins.
The memories of the magical upset will remain for a lifetime, but for an old football fan like myself, they need only remain for the next five-and-a-half months until training camps begin.
There are going to be a lot of boring Sundays in the near future.
Scott Silvey is a journalism junior and a Mustang Daily sports columnist.