Well, I'm tired this morning. Why? Well, it has something to do with the fact that the Giants who were the underdogs are this morning the world champions....
You what, Jo? You tired or something?
Let me explain. Last night, I stayed up to watch Superbowl XCII (that's 42, to those unversed in roman numerology) on BBC2. The Beeb's first Superbowl (a little bit of history there). I haven't watched a Superbowl for ages.... But I saw it was on, was not tired (when it began!!) and fancied watching it.... the New York Giants against the New England Patriots.....
The Giants were very much the underdogs.... They had an inexperienced quarterback (that's like the most influential player in the team usually), and the Patriots were on an undefeated season long run of 18 games. If they could win the Superbowl, they would go down in history, with a 19-0 undefeated run to win it (the best previous was 17 - 0, by the Miami Dolphins back in 1972 apparently). The Patriots were the form team, making history with their stats (how the Americans love their sports stats).
It was a tight game, lots of tough defense, shutting out the offense really well. 3-0 to the Giants at the end of the first quarter, but with the commentators predicting that the Patriots offence would really come into it.... Sure enough, at the start of the second quarter, the Patriots score a converted touchdown, and that is 7-3. Defence dominates the rest of the quarter, and there is no further score. 7-3 to the Patriots at half time. And on come Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers for the half time show, singing amongst other songs their determined song "And I won't back down". And that song became the anthem of the rest of the match. Neither side backed down or gave any quarter in the third, which was scoreless, so going into the final quarter, it was still the Patriots in the lead. History beckoning.....
But several guys had other ideas. Eli Manning.... David Tyree .... Plaxico Burress..... Not heard of them? If you watch some news today, you might.... Manning passes to Tyree. He scores his first touchdown of the season... great time to do it, eh, in the "Cup Final". The kick is good, and that is 10 - 7 to the Giants, with just over 11 minutes to go. But the Patriots are experienced, calm. They score their own converted touchdown with only 2 minutes and 42 seconds to go, and it is 14 - 10 to the Patriots.
But the Giants, the little guys on this occasion, will not back down. From a seemingly impossible situation, Eli Manning escapes the clutches of the Patriots defense, and comes up with an incredible 35 yard pass to David Tyree. Remember him, scored his first touch down of the season earlier in the quarter? Well, he came up with something even better. Leaping in the air, catching the ball above his head, despite a Patriots player doing his level best to stop him (look at the photo above), clutching it to his helmet, falling heavily from a great height, and still clinging on..... He admitted afterwards that he was possibly the least likely player on the Giants' team sheet to make such a magnificent grab, saying "I've probably got the worst vertical leap on the football team. But when opportunity presents itself, that has been my motto for most of my career - You have to make the most of your opportunities." Cue lots of cries of "He's the man!!!!" It set up a very good position, and despite the fact that Burress came up with the touchdown with 35 seconds to go, from another Manning pass, that was the all important moment, the moment of history. The moment which determined that the Patriots would not end the season with a 19 - 0 run and be the "World Champions".
There was no further score... The Giants won 17 - 14. Eli Manning won most valuable player, for his passing... The Giants, the little guys really, David rather than Goliath, did not back down.... They were the history makers....
To be continued ....
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