When the Giants beat the Packers, I heard multiple people screaming outside my window. I live on a side street in Manhattan with no retail, no bars, nothing except for two parking garages. When they beat the Cowboys I heard one person yelling. When Tynes' (finally!) hit that field goal in Green Bay, I must have heard 10 or 12 guys shouting like lunatics. I peeked out the window but couldn't see anything. I'm near a highway, so it must have been people in their cars.
There hasn't been an unexpected winner in New York for awhile now. The Jets aren't going anywhere. The Rangers or Islanders almost don't count because so few people care about hockey at this point. Apparently New York has a Lacrosse team, but who knew? The Knicks are so bad the only reason to pay attention is to see when the train actually goes off the rails. The Nets have their moments, but that's New Jersey. The Yankees have been good for so long now that we expect them to make the playoffs, and even making the World Series isn't as much of a thrill as it was back in 1996. The Mets are... you know, the Mets. Who cares?
The Giants weren't expected to go anywhere this year. Most pundits said "no playoffs." Predictions of a 4-12 season were the norm. (I had them doing better than that, for what it's worth.) Making the Super Bowl? Please. Not gonna happen. And yet it did.
The conventional wisdom is that the Jints are playing with house money. I don't particularly care for that attitude, since it doesn't exactly scream "winner." But when you see the reaction of so many New Yorkers, it's hard to argue against it. Still, this sort of thing is a bit much:
As a New Yorker and a lifelong (I'm 87) Giants fan, I want the Patriots to win. Just getting in the Superbowl is way beyond what was expected of this Giants team, and, this should give them plenty of satisfaction. [source: NYTimes.com, comments]
Yes, getting there is an achievement. Winning is a better one. As long as the Giants don't get blown out, they should be OK psychologically. Eli's psyche is a concern, since a young QB getting destroyed in the big game could do long-term damage to even Mr. Alfred Eli Newman.
Bottom line? Achieving more than was expected is always fun. When a team goes all the way, it's even better. The Giants may have achieved a rare moral victory this season by almost beating the Pats in Week 17, and then beating all comers in the playoffs to make it to Arizona. But I'd still rather see the victory parade happen in New York.
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