Going into this years superbowl I was honestly very torn. On the one hand I HATE the Patriots (sorry pat's fans, I know it's a tough pill to swallow but your team isn't real well liked outside of your fanbase) and secondly, I'm not a big fan of the manning family. So it came down at the time to which I hated more, the pats or mannings.....I basically decided that no matter how much I disliked either the games outcome was already set....the pats were just the "better" team. But after watching part of the game I realized a few things, Eli isn't his brother Payton Manning (who I've grown to hate over the years as well) he's doesn't go running to the sidelines screaming at his wide receives whenever he under throws the ball, he doesn't cry and moan when he gets hit, he plays football and plays it well. After watching him escape a scramble that you would expect out of someone like Brett Favre or elway back in the day but never from Eli Manning he really earned a lot of respect from me because not only did he get away from huge amounts of pressure he kept his cool and launched the ball down the field to David Tyree who made an impressive and improbable catch to keep the drive and the Giants hopes alive and capped the drive off with a beautiful corner of the endzone pass to Plaxico Burress who had done next to nothing all game but was there when they needed it.
All in all this game renewed my faith in the NFL and reminded me that even the superteams that are supposedly unbeatable can be taken down and that's really why we watch, to see the unexpected. When the giants started the season out 0-2 I really doubt anyone had them pegged as superbowl winners (or playoff contenders) but that's just what makes the NFL so great, the 10-6 giants can take down the 16-0 patriots because it's not about which team is better it's about who wants it more, who has more heart.
The other big thing this game did for me is remind me just why it is that I didn't like the patriots to begin with, they are smug arogant and despite finishing the regular season with a better regular season record than any other team in NFL history (yes better than the 72 Dolphins as well since they played a shorter season) they still decide to completely abandon the field as soon as the game ended, funny enough Randy Moss was the only pat to really stick around and give his congratulations to the pats, Tom Brady, Bill Billacheck and the rest of the pats turned tail and ran for the locker room (billacheck did it before the game was even actually over) I never thought that out of all the players on that team Randy Moss would be the one with the most class who actually stuck around to act civil, for that Randy I salute you! Job well done!
Now before any pats fans rip me to shreds realize this, yes I do have a hatred for you, and it's mostly because your team has won so darn much, that's why most people hated the Cowboys in their glory days and why I can't stand any of the hendrick motor sports guys (speaking of which I'll have something to blog about come the 17th Daytona baby!!!) It also doesn't help that you've got a VERY VERY smug coach who has very smug remarks for everything during interviews...I have respect for your team and it's players I just flat out don't like them, it's almost like the Raiders, Chargers, Chiefs, even though the pats arn't in the same division as the bronco's I think there's a bit of a rivalry going on there and I just flat out haven't ever liked the pats (ok that's not completely true, I wanted to see them beat green bay back in the day when bledsoe was still around)
But when all is said and done, this has been all around a decent year, sure my team sucked (bad) but it's been good football all year, expecially through the playoffs and I think I can say I enjoyed football more this year than I have in awhile (probably since the last time the Broncos won a superbowl of their own against green bay since the Atlanta superbowl was a joke....we creamed them!!) I can't wait for next year however it's now time for the NFL to move over and make room for nascar!! Daytona 500 hear we come!!
Oh yea and Go Bobby Labonte!!!