Sportmanship

There is some confusion in my mind as to what happened at the end of Super Bowl XLII. I think I was watching the game on the Fox network. And it appeared that Patriots head coach Bill Belichick did not shake hands with Giants head coach Tom Coughlin.

It may just be that Fox did not catch the exchange on film. This is understandable given then Belichick left when there was still time left on the clock. However it would have been a shame, and very unsportmanlike, if he did not congradulate his opponent on a good game.

Let's hope Bill did the honorable thing and the TV network just had poor coverage. And either way, my hat is off to both Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning for staying strong until the end. Don't you think they deserved the championship?

Giants Fans

So I am driving home from lunch and I see a highly decorated car. I wonder with my friends what the commotion is about. As I get closer I realize these are New York Giants fans. Now I can understand their excitement.

The funny thing is that I live in the Washington DC area, and the Super Bowl has come and gone. I guess some fans can't get enough of the win over the Patriots.

As I get together with friends and talk about the Super Bowl, one thing is clear. Everyone thought it was a really good game. I guess it was exicting since it was a fight to the finish. After all, isn't that what it is really all about?

Who Deserved the MVP?

Awarding the MVP is a tricky task. Each member of the team is normally involved in some capacity for the outcome of the game. Do you give preference to the one player who consistently performed for the whole game? And how about those who rose above their normal performance? Do we find out which player was at the right place and the right time to score the winning point? Or maybe we just go with the most popular guy. Any way you look at it, there are going to be people unhappy with the decision.

During the 4th quarter, I really thought the Patriots were going to win the Super Bowl. The Giants needed a touchdown for the win. They started their last drive deep in their own territory. And at such a time you look to the man at the helm to lead you to victory. My gut told me that Eli Manning was not ready for this task. But my opinion changed when he scrambled out of what looked to be a sack, and completed a pass for a huge gain.

If that play did not clench Manning's for MVP, I would say the following drive into the end zone did the trick. I do not like cliches. But Manning really did step up and deliver the win. Yes some receivers contributed by catching the passes. And without the great Giants defense it would have been a different game. But when you get down to analyzing the mechanics of the win, it came down to the go-ahead drive lead by none other than Eli Manning. Congrats to you Eli. I am sure his brother is proud.

No. 21 Still Showing

I was moved to see that the No. 21 was still displayed on many players' helmets during the SuperBowl. In case you do not know, this is in memory of the late Washington Redskin Sean Taylor. Sean died last November when he was shot in his Florida home. All NFL players displayed a No. 21 on their helmet last November as a tribute to Sean Taylor.

It was touching to see that quite a number of players must have kept No. 21 on their helmets through the playoffs and into the Super Bowl. Being from the Washington DC area, the loss of Sean Taylor hits a personal note. Hats off to you guys who continue to honor this man on the field.

Surprise Commercial

Now don't get me wrong. I like T and A as well as the next guy. But the GoDaddy commercial from last year was pretty weak. I like to see a commercial with a little heart. These marketers have all year to dream up stuff for my entertainment. The bar is set high. And really only one ad this year met my expectations - a Budweiser ad.

Poor Clydesdale horse Hank did not make the cut. But you know something is going on when you hear the Rocky music in the background. So we see a dalmation bog spending a year training Hank. LOL @ the horse pulling a train to get into shape. This is what superbowl commercials are supposed to look like. Yeah. The high five between horse and dog may have been a little cheesy. But this commercial was still top notch.

Tough Defense

Although plays where a team scores usually stand out, I think Super Bowl XLII was really about the defense. Normally you would expect the Patriots would be able run down a team and score big. However I was really impressed with the Giants' defense. They kept the pressure tight on Brady. It seemed he never had time or comfort to find receivers far down the field. And few of the Patriots running attempts amounted to anything.