Superfan: Giants vs. Packers UNCUT (1/22/08)

One Giant Heaping of Blue Cheese
by Blue-Blooded

It was supposed to be Brett Favre’s greatest moment. His final game at Lambeau, in frigid playoff conditions, in front of thousands of die-hard cheese-heads. He was going to take his young team on his back take them to Arizona’s promised land, leaving one great, final impression on an already stellar, hall-of-fame worthy career. The two-week hype and pre-game shows would have their stories already written. A quarterback match-up almost as level, and equally appealing, as that of Brady-Manning. The old legend versus the young legend. The dominating, mistake-free, near-perfect team versus the passionate, fun-loving, spontaneous, gun-slinging team of NFL legend and glory. FOX couldn’t wait.
Only, the Giants won. They didn’t put up a good fight, cause a little scare, then succumb to freezing temperatures and the “better team” and head home almost-NFC champions. No, they played like the one team from the NFC that really deserves to be playing the Patriots in the Super Bowl. And it was incredible.

Let me tell you what I think. I think the Patriots hoped they’d be playing ANY OTHER TEAM BUT US in this year’s Super Bowl. I understand that they had many close games this past season, and we weren’t the only team that came close to beating them. However, we were the only team to come close to beating them at their best level. After the game was over back in December, I thought to myself: if we play at this level during the playoffs, we’ll certainly have a shot at a rematch with them in February. You didn’t hear them saying much about things they would have liked to do better that game. They didn’t make many mistakes against us (well, Moss did drop a pass when he was wide-open, but he quickly made up for it). I really thought that was the first time all season when they felt that, even while playing at their best, this was a team that could beat them. Needless to say it wasn’t an easy task for them to keep the dream season alive against us the first time, and it certainly won’t be any easier the second.
I happened to be at the NFC championship game, as I’m sure many of you readers were, at Giants Stadium in 2001. No one gave us a shot ahead of time, yet, well, you know the rest. And we looked GREAT in that game. Kerry Collins had one of the best first halves of a post-season football game ever. His halftime stats were better than most good quarterbacks’ final game stats after a solid performance. It was ridiculous. This year’s team, however, is even better.
No, we didn’t shut anyone out or put close to 41 points on the board, but any team that could possibly do that on the road in the playoffs should be checked thoroughly for steroids. Or at least B-12. But, Eli was the only quarterback last Sunday to throw ZERO picks. That keeps his interception total at nada for the playoffs. Plaxico and Amani (except for a few dropped balls, one due to pass interference) are playing the best football of their careers. No passing game because of the cold weather? Please. Our receivers made Woodson and Harris look like they were recently picked up off the practice squad. Our secondary seems to be anything but beat up. And this time around, it sure looks like the real thunder and lightening will arrive for the big game.

The game at my house had some crazy drama with all the familiar characters, plus two new ones. My friend Jon’s younger brother, Jerome, and his friend, Ofer, came to watch. Jerome arrived during the fourth quarter, just before Lawrence Tynes missed the first of two field goals in the quarter. We were seriously thinking about making him leave, but instead just had him leave the room for Tyne’s game-winning try in overtime. Obviously, that strategy worked. Now, amidst all the joy and elation, I have a serious issue to worry about. Clearly, the act of keeping my father out of Green Bay and back in Jersey to watch the game with us worked. Now, my dad has two tickets. Guess who the other one’s for? I went to Super Bowl XXXV, so I already know what it’s like to get all built up for a game only to be disappointed. But I really feel different about this team. Is it really worth it to pass on an opportunity to see your team play in the Super Bowl because of superstition. Maybe, if it ends up working. As for now, since we’ll both be going, we might just cancel each other out of the system’s equation. If any of you know who I am and happen to see me around, and have a very valid argument why I absolutely MUST NOT GO (not going and giving you my ticket is not a valid argument), please feel free to share. I’m truly in a pickle.

But, alas, things could be worse. WE MADE IT TO THE SUPER BOWL!!!! We actually got here. These next two weeks are going to be the longest of most of our lives, but it’ll be worth it. It’ll be worth it in two weeks when Tom Brady is on the sideline, STUNNED, because Eli Manning and the Giants just completed the upset of all time. They’re looking an awful lot like Brady’s first Super Bowl-winning Patriots team. It’s our time, now. Let’s end their dream, and fulfill our own. 18-1, baby! G-MEN!