Hey, so the following is a column I actually submitted to my boss at Pro Football Weekly, but who knows if they’ll have time to look it over and publish it, so I figured why not put it on The Facts of Life. And despite all that is said below, go Big Blue!
As a native New Yorker and longtime fan of underdogs, I would love to buy into all this talk about the Giants as underdogs against the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. But I just don’t buy it. Regardless of what Las Vegas says, and right now the official line has the Patriots as three-point favorites, this isn’t 2008 all over again. No matter how convincing Giants coach Tom Coughlin is when he tells us it is.
First of all, the simple fact is that many expect the Giants to win this game. Indeed, they’ve been a hotter pick than I could have ever expected a 9-7 team to be. Everywhere you look on television, or on the Internet, people are swarming to the Giants in droves. All people keep talking about is how Eli Manning has finally ascended to the status of an elite quaterback, how dynamic this Giants’ wide receiving corps is and how strong the pressure their defensive front puts on Tom Brady will be.
And of course, there’s precedent for an upset now. It’s been talked about all week. Manning ducking the pressure, somehow staying up, and firing the ball downfield to David Tyree. Last time, all of that magic was unexpected. That’s what made it so magical. Now it’s almost as if WR Hakeem Nicks will have to catch the ball with his elbow on fourth and 26 to meet the fans’ lofty expectations.
Even Las Vegas has come around a little bit. Don’t forget, the Giants weren’t just underdogs entering Super Bowl XLII; they were heavy underdogs. Thirteen-point underdogs, in fact, according to the dicerollers, and no one thought that the haphazard New York team of yore had a chance against the 18-0 Patriots. Now, we have a Giants team before us that has already defeated the best of the best. The Giants have disposed of the heavily favored Packers, beaten the savvy, upstart 49ers, and to some extent, are expected to kill the final monster in their path. All the while, these Patriots must almost be feeling a little ignored, wondering why no one is talking about them and their marvelous aerial attack.
Another issue I have with calling the Giants underdogs is the level at which they have been barking all post season. That 2007-2008 New York team felt jilted for good reason: because no one gave them a chance. But this year, the Giants have been talking up a storm, without any real provocation. 49ers TE Vernon Davis makes a highly understandable comment about wanting the Giants to win so they can play the NFC Championship game in San Francisco and Antrel Rolle starts talking his head off. Patriots QB Tom Brady makes a slight comment about a potential victory party in New England, the Giants huff and puff, and Rolle predicts a Super Bowl victory. It’s hard to call this group of Giants underdogs when they’ve been doing nearly all of the barking.
And finally, there’s the matter of payroll. Now, I know, people don’t necessarily like the hooded genius of New England, but you have to respect what the Patriots have been able to accomplish. With a minimum of noise and high-salaried players, New England has turned into a perennial contender. I mean, honestly, other than the far-too-glamorous Tom Brady, can you name another celebrity on the Patriots? Ochocinco? I guess, but he isn’t exactly a pivotal part of the team. This is a New England team whose stars are guys like Wes Welker, Vince Wilfork and Deion Branch. This is the type of team that turns a wide receiver into a cornerback, and somehow figures out a way to make it work.
People try to compare the Patriots to the Yankees, and make them into the Evil Empire of the NFL, but that comparison doesn’t really work, for numerous reasons. Number one, there’s the salary cap that keeps NFL teams in line. Number two, the Giants actually spend an estimated $24 million more than the Patriots. Number three, the Giants’ starting defense is more than twice as expensive as the Patriots’ starting defense, according to the good people at Spotrac. In secondary alone, where the Giants have a purported advantage, New York is spending greater than $15 million, while New England is spending less than $4 million on its starters.
So, as you settle down on your couch, and watch Super Bowl XLVI, be sure to reminisce on the magic of Super Bowl XLII. Be sure to savor the magic of the Giants’ unexpected postseason run. Be sure to look back on their incredible upsets of the 49ers and Packers. As a native New Yorker, and longtime Big Blue fan, I would love nothing more than for you to do so. But don’t call them underdogs, because to do that, would be a disservice to the truth.
The Facts of Life 