manningly terrific

I was in second grade when the San Francisco 49ers beat the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl 23. Joe Montana had already made a name for himself as quarterback of one of the greatest football teams in history. The Niners already had two championships under their belt, and in Super Bowl 24 they beat the shit out of the Denver Broncos to win a fourth. It was Super Bowl 23 where Joe Montana became the ultimate clutch quarterback. Trailing 16-13 with only a few minutes to go, Montana led the Niners on an 11 play 92 yard drive that he capped with a touchdown pass to John Taylor with 34 seconds left. San Francisco won the game 20-16. It was the beginning of “Joe Cool,” Joe Montana calming his teammates before embarking on the game winning drive by pointing to the stands and saying, “Isn’t that John Candy?” Joe Montana became the ultimate NFL quarterback in so many minds.

What happened Sunday night was special. Eli Manning rose above his checkered, inconsistent past and entered the ranks of NFL elite. Tom Brady, Randy Moss, and the Patriots took a 14-10 lead with a few minutes to go in Super Bowl 42. History repeated itself when Manning spearheaded an 80 yard drive and hit Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left to win the game 17-14. I’ve been racking my brain all day to try and remember anything at all from Super Bowl 23, and all I can honestly remember is the opening introduction of the starting rosters. Maybe if I could remember any more of Super Bowl 23 I could say it was the greatest Super Bowl game ever played. Maybe if I were alive to watch Super Bowl 3 and see the New York Jets beat the Baltimore Colts 16-7 I could say Joe Namath won the greatest Super Bowl ever. I can’t remember any of those games. Super Bowl 42 was the best Super Bowl I have ever seen. As an all around game, it was riveting from start to finish. I refused to leave the couch and use the bathroom because I was afraid I would miss the big play that broke everything open. I waited and waited, and finally everyone watching that game was rewarded with the big play late in the fourth quarter. Eli Manning is driving the Giants as they trail 14-10 with an expiring clock. It’s third down and a long way to go, and he drops back to pass. The Patriots wrap him up quickly, hands grasping from everywhere and grabbing handfuls of jersey, slowing him down enough for the linebacker cavalry to arrive and seal the deal, but then somehow Eli Manning breaks free. He runs far enough away that you know he has enough time to find his receiver, and he launches the ball. The pass is just over the head of David Tyree as he crosses the field, but he doesn’t give up on it. Tyree jumps and catches the ball with his fingertips. As he falls to the field it looks as though the ball is going to come loose, but he maintains his grip. He uses his helmet to maintain his grip. He lands on his back, on top of a Patriots defensive back, and he holds the ball to his helmet. It’s a catch, and it’s good enough for a first down. It’s a play that lets Eli Manning cap the drive with the touchdown pass. It’s the sort of play that will be talked about for years to come, and that final Giants drive let Eli Manning join the likes of Joe Montana as an all-time great NFL quarterback. Super Bowl 42 was the greatest game I have ever seen.

I could sit here and wax poetic about the Super Bowl being an iconic American event. I could drone on and on about the Patriots chasing perfection and the Giants donning the role of the lovable underdog. That’s going for the obvious. There’s a thread to this game that not very many people are talking about.

Think of all the possible storylines we could have had with the two conference championship games. Many people were cheering for a New England/Green Bay Super Bowl to have Tom Brady versus Brett Favre, two great quarterbacks going head to head. Had the Chargers beaten the Patriots we would have had Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers going at it, the two quarterbacks who were involved in the controversial draft-day trade that saw Eli go from San Diego to New York and Rivers go from New York to San Diego. New York versus New England gave us the hottest two teams in the league, but it also gave us a storyline that no one is talking about. Sunday’s Super Bowl was New York versus Boston, yet another chapter between the two cities and their heated rivalry. Essentially on Sunday, the Yankees beat the Red Sox in the World Series. Not only did the Yankees beat the Sox, but the Yankees beat the snot out of the Sox. Not only did they do that, but the Yankees spoiled a Red Sox bid for a perfect season. It’s only fitting that a Boston team makes a bid for an undefeated record only to have it ruined by a New York team. Personally I hate the Red Sox and most Boston teams, but I’ll admit I was cheering for perfection on Sunday. I wanted to see history. I saw history. I saw a heavily unfavored New York Giants team rise above their critics and bring an offensive juggernaut to its knees. I saw a New York team embarrass a Boston team once again. Part of me jumped for joy. So what if the Red Sox won the World Series in November? The Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl. Football is America’s pastime now. Didn’t you know that? The Super Bowl is all that matters anymore. New York beat Boston on the world’s biggest stage. That’s bragging rights. Tom Brady and Boston step aside. Let Eli Manning and New York regain their rightful place at the top.