Lucky Fuck

How much do you want to be this guy? He made his way into the victory celebration - but not just at the parade. The locker room. Onto the field. As he puts it in this video: unbelievable.
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BY ARKANSASFRED AT 06:01 PM

You'd think Eli would have just gotten Cooper an all access pass.

Tons of photos and video here.

Via Deadspin.

Hey Tiki - Bite Me!

So, like, wow.
WHOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great game, better result.
If there's a downside, it's that we have to listen to the 72 Dolphins talk about their own undefeated season. WhatEVer.
But look - Eli Manning just had his Bar Mitzvah. (Go Eli - its your Bar Mitzvah - we're gonna party like its your Bar Mitzvah...) Today he is a man. Better than Peyton? Who knows? Who cares? WE WON!

Flu? Screw that!

Apparently some of the Giants have the flu.
Let us not forget Keena Turner, who played in Super Bowl XVI despite having THE CHICKEN POX.
So get over it guys. Got a game to play.

Media Day

Listening to it on 1050 ESPN Radio right now. Max Kellerman is interjecting comments and mocking the whole thing with appropriate vigor. Tom Brady just went off on a vague tangent about "using this platform to do more important things," in response to a question that asked "what do you do?" First he said, "I throw a football," and said some things about it not being terribly important in the grand scheme of things.
Stat of the day: 42 reporters for every 1 player. 106 players. 4,876 reporters. Approximately.
Oy vey.
Speaking of oy vey, the predictions have begun. Plax gives a score but not a winner; presumably he's picking New York. Strahan: "History will be ours." I guess they take their lead from Steve Tisch Mir Tuchas.
Everybody on the Giants: SHUT UP.

Surreal

This may sound odd, but it didn't start to feel real until a day ago. Not in the sense that it's OMG SO FANTAASTIK. It just didn't... feel real.

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.

NYG vs GB - 2nd half

• The throwing is working but it worries me. Eli just threw a pick that was erased by a penalty. Got the first down, which evens things up after the David Diehl penalty in the first half. Plax is playing like Jerry Rice, or at least like he was playing earlier this year.
• I'm going to say this and please, be sitting down: I agree with Joe Buck. Not enough running for Jacobs.
  
• Another penalty! 15 yards! First down! That was a nasty hit, actually. Eli doesn't come across like a tough guy but I think you gotta be to take a smack like that. Ouch.
• I guess they listened to me, cuz Jacobs just had a nice run there. Almost made it into the end zone, a couple of inches short of a first down. 3rd and inches.
• Jacobs? Fumble? Forth down? What happened? OK, it looks to me like Kevin Boss picked it up after Jacobs got the yard. Nice replay.
• Offsides on the Packers. Half the distance to the goal? What's that, a foot? Auto 1st down, though. Green Bay penalties galore. That's two offsides in a row. Wacky. This is the unit that everyone with a radio show was saying that this was an "elite" defense.
  
• Jacobs! Touchdown! There you go. They listened to me. At least Jacobs didn't throw the ball at anyone (or anyTHING).
• Buck points out what I was thinking, which is that GB really only has one good play, the 90 yard TD by driver. Of course, now they have a huge punt return, putting them deep into Giant territory. Favre is playing OK but not great. No, you don't get a flag there Favre. NO FLAG FOR YOU!
• That was a dopey play. Ball bouncing all over the place, Driver eventually gets it, then Sam Madison pulls a HUGE foul and Green Bay gets an immediate touchdown. Bad bad bad. We were happy he's playing again but that was an unbelievably stupid penalty.
• Bradshaw has a nice run, gets a first, so the Giants come out and... throw the ball again on 1st down. Plax tied a Giant team postseason. Toomer just made a great fucking catch there, 23 yards. But Green Bay challenged it. I don't know, it's not clear. On that replay it looks like both toes are in, I think Green Bay loses that challenge. Cool freeze frame. The camerawork in this game seems better than in previous weeks. The angles are there, there's not a lot of "Why'd they shoot that? The play was over there."
  
• Toomer again. This is weird. Both Green Bay touchdowns are on passes, Manning is throwing the ball all over the field, and it's -20 degrees.
• Bradshaw! Touchdown! Got the lead right back. Take that cheeseheads.
• Another nice one from Favre, to Robinson this time. Then Ryan Grant shows why everyone's been talking about him this week, 13 yards. I don't blame the Giants for being tired at this point in the game but now is not the time for the team to fall apart. There we go, good stop. Keep that up.
  
• Ooo, Strahan got beat on that one. 20 yards for Driver. Not sure what Don was whining about at the end of the play.
• Interception! Fumble! Green Bay recovers. Oh dammit. Favre was almost sacked, Ryan Grant strips the ball from McQuarters after he makes a nice interception, then some huge lineman dives on the ball. Sheesh.
  
• -23 degrees.
• Webster destroys Ryan Grant after he catches a screen pass. Crosby tries to tie it up with a field goal and... does. Then he manages to tackle Hixon on the punt return. He's been good today, Hixon, giving solid field position most of the time.
  
• These Bud ads talking about "The Great American Lager" are pretty stupid. It's cheap beer. That's it.
• After the Cowboys big loss, that Diet Pepsi Max ad is somewhat ironic.
• Plax again. How is he doing this? Wasn't he hurt? Did they install animal parts in him during the week?
• There goes Bradshaw. He's fast. I think they kept the right running back (they got rid of Grant, who's also good, but whatcha gonna do.)
• The Dancing Fox Robot is troubling to members of my family.
• Thaaat wasn't so good. Bradshaw gets stuffed. If they can get him free in the open field... that's the play but easier said than done. 3rd and 5. Manning had to use a timeout rather than get a delay of game penalty. Second time today that happened. I don't know about that. 1 timeout left now. What does it lead to? Offensive interference. So who cares. Actually, the Packers accept the penalty, which pushes NY back 10 yards. 3rd and 15. Bradshaw gets really close to busting loose. 4th and 5, and they go for it. Incomplete. BUT! Pass interference against Green Bay and... 1st down! Steve Smith actually made a nice catch after it bounced off Toomer. So 1st down, and the Giants throw to the end zone. I know, I know. What do I know? But I don't get it.
  
• "It is cramps for Al Harris." Something about that just sounds odd.
  
• Green Bay wastes a time out because they can't get it together on defense, so now both teams have one left.
  
• That's what we were all waiting for. Tynes misses a field goal. It was too far to have him kick it, methinks. What is Coughlin saying to Tynes? Buck up little camper? Yelling at him? Neither seems like a good idea, although you hope its the former since Tynes may get another chance to kick a big one tonight.
  
• Good pressure from the Giants, and nice coverage of Jennings to get a 3rd and 10, and then 4th and short(ish) but Green Bay punts. Defense stepped up there. Again, Favre is playing OK but not great. I wonder if anyone can play great in cold like this.
  
• Green Bay has 31 yards this half? That can't be right. Is it?
• Jacobs back and gets some quick yardage. The play calling seems to be veering back and forth between air it out and keep it on the ground. I know that's oversimplified but there's a strange vibe. That was good; QB sneak, quick 1st down. Let's not screw around. Keeps the clock running, which is good. Don't let the Packers get the ball back. It doesn't matter, because they throw on first down. Again.
• Big sack and NY is done but Feagles pins them back at the 17.
• Neither QB is throwing terribly well. With no glove on their throwing hands, I gotta think that it hurts just to hold the ball, much less throw it. 3rd and 15 now, and they get nothing. Why would Coughlin call the time out there, at 2:30? Giants should get good field position here. I guess he wants as much time as possible to get a score.
• OK, that wasn't good for my nerves. McQuarters fumbles the punt, two Packers try to get it, and then Hixon gets it back.
• Bradshaw runs it in... But it comes back on a Chris Snee holding penalty. Isn't he Cough's son in law?
• 2 minute warning. Actually 1:59, but who's counting?
• Reggie Bush: Has there ever been a bigger gap between the achievements of a player and the amount of ads he does?
• Steve Smith, great catch. Almost a first down. 3rd and 2, 1:37.
• But wait. Oh, it's just a measurement. Did Smith have possession? I think he did. Yeah, we're good. And it's a first down. Outside of Tynes' field goal range.
• NOW they want a review? After all that?
  
• Two questions: are the Giant benches heated yet? And what hot beverage are they serving?
• The nitpicking over completions is a bit much. Not just this play, in general.
• After all that, it's 3rd and 1, not 1st and 10.
  
• Clock running. Bradshaw gets the 1st. Still kinda far for a Tynes field goal. Less than a minute, another first down, and the clock is running down. How far do they let it go? Last second it looks like. It's coming down to a Tynes field goal.
• It's coming down to a Tynes field goal.
• Buck and Troy think Coughlin was yelling at Larry on the sidelines.
• You gotta be kidding me. Bad snap, and it's nowhere near good. Overtime time.
  
• Green Bay wins the toss. Coughlin looks like his face is going to fall off from the cold.
• Does the Giant defense have another stop in them? We'll find out.
• Oh-ho! Interception! Holy crap! Big play by Cory Webster. Favre looks... not so happy.
• They're close but I don't know if you want to put Tynes back in that position again. 3rd and 5, gotta get a first down, right? Crowd still into it. 4th and 5. What do you do? Gives Larry another chance. 47 yard attempt.
• HE MAKES IT! Holy shit, the Giants are going to the Super bowl.
  

NYG vs GB - 1st half

• ZERO degrees. As my six year old said, "Less than zero, but more than cold." The commentators look less than happy.
  
• McCarthy had the Packers practice with frozen footballs, but indoors. Weird. Giants practiced outside. Not this cold, 20 degrees or so. If I'm one of the Fox crew, I tell the network, "Move this fucking thing inside. Now."
• How did I get passed over for the Walter Payton Man of the Year Award again? Jason Witten? Oh please.
• "Ice Bowl III." People in Green Bay need to get out more. Oh wait, they can't. It's too cold. THANK YOU! TRY THE VEAL!
• Atlanta is interview Steve Spagnola for the head coaching job? Sheesh. Dude wasn't even a coordinator until this year, right? And we like him now, so let's keep him around.
• Uh-oh, Terry Bradshaw picked the Giants. Last two games, the entire Fox crew picked against NY and we know how that turned out. C'mon guys, I'm wearing the same shirt I wore last week, sitting in the same seat, etc. Get with the program!
  
• A glass of water, frozen from being outside.
• No turnovers. Thanks Aikman. He jumped on the NY bandwagon this week after we beat the 'Boys.
• I hate to admit it but Joe Buck isn't annoying me as much as he used to. Maybe I'm growing up.
• All righty then. Giants are kicking off. I know most people like these freezing games but with no snow it doesn't even have that "oh look, they're slipping all over the place" factor.
  
• Why don't the linemen wear sleeves? It's a macho thing I guess but with minus 23 weather maybe you say 'fuck it' and put a damn shirt on.
  
• The wind knocked the ball off the tee. Let me repeat that: the WIND knocked the BALL off the TEE.
• Drunken Robinson on the return. Fighting already.
  
• Pam Oliver doesn't get paid enough. She probably does but it looks really unpleasant out there.
• Shit, first play, first down. Then Bubba Franks for another first. Bubba hasn't caught a pass since Clinton (another Bubba, get it?) was President. Tonight, he wakes up.
  
• Ooo, almost a pick. Nice. and that's what we want to see from Favre today. Throwing to nowhere. I shouldn't say anything; Eli hasn't touched the ball yet.
  
• Friend of mine went to high school with McQuarters. I didn't go to high school with anybody athletic. Wahhh, poor me.
• American Idol. Feh.
• I can't tell if Jacobs is starting fights with people or if he's defusing them. I think it's the latter. Defenders get pissed when he runs them over, they mouth at him, he says "it's cool, nothing personal, just business."
  
• Run. Short pass. First down. So far so good.
• And then... WHY ARE THEY THROWING EVEN SEMI-DEEP ON FIRST DOWN IN THE FREEZING COLD?
• Poppinga. Sounds like a Japanese cartoon character. "Picachu, look! It's Poppinga! He's a very rare Pokemon!"
• Nice one for Burress, 18 yards. Plax looks pumped. I think you probably have to get yourself really psyched up to play in weather like this.
  
• Jacobs seems to like running outside, but that's really not his strength.
• Lot of throwing. It's working which is a surprise. But lots of throwing. Eli is 3 for 4 for 31 yards. Not that that's SO much but it's much more than you would expect. There's another one. Hm.
• Eli looks really confident. The whole team does, actually. It's much more pleasant to watch. I wonder how much of that is Coughlin behaving himself.
• OK, here's my TFAG moment: it's tough to defend against the short pass. You can't stuff the box or a receiver will get open downfield, and even in the frozen tundra, you can complete 10 yard passes. So I guess that's the game plan. Interesting.
• Manning makes that play (incomplete to Kevin Boss in the end zone) that's pretty impressive. The opening drive is good either way so far. Boss is 6' 7", that's big.
• OK, not a good end for the drive, Eli throws it to a Green Bay player who luckily drops it.
  
• Oh man, Tynes made it. Phew. 3 points.
• Hey! Burress! I know Shockey's out but you don't need to step in for him and get penalties for fighting! Cut the crap, huh?
• Packers get the ball back. The Giants really aren't screwing around here. It's pretty incredible how different they're playing now, as opposed to earlier in the year.
• Oy vey. Bad drop, Amani.
• OK. Tom. Kev. Everybody. Listen to me. You throw on first down, it doesn't work. You run two plays, get 6 or 7 yards, and that's not a first down. You come out running, get a couple, and you have a good chance of first. End of lesson.
• Oh, wait. That's a fumble, not an incompletion. Incompletion. Oh well. Nice hit.
• Visitors' benches not heated. Not nice, guys.
• Burress having a good game here.
• Oh, that was lucky. Burress got it, on a great catch, then fumbled and it went out of bounds. Lots of yapping between Burress and Harris. Burress throws his hands up as if to say, "Hey, not me. Not me." That's right. You're above that shit. Let them get the penalty.
• Need to do less throwing here, guys. A couple of bad drops, Toomer, Smith. It's not working. 3rd and 12, yeah, that's a passing down, but still.
• How did Sam Jackson get stuck in this sci-fi/action movie rut?
• Tyree coulda caught that. That's a bunch of bad drops. 37 yard field goal attempt, Tynes makes it. Two for two. So far the only thing that's going as predicted is the weather.
  
• Nobody can hold onto the ball today. Robinson looked like he pulled back from the ball a little bit there. Hard to tell. Look at those stats. Giants have held the ball more than twice as long as Green Bay.
• Of course, it doesn't matter when Donald Driver burns you for a 90 yard TD. What the hell was that? I know I don't know a damn thing about what it's like to play football but whenever I see a play like that I always think the defender should hurl themselves at the ball carrier. Since it almost never happens I assume it's not that simple. A play like that gives the Packers such a shot of energy. Favre starts preening, the crowd goes nuts, Eli gets rattled... let's not throw in the towel just yet.
• Jacobs looked like he had something extra on that run, pounding a little more, wanting the yardage more than before. Bradshaw gets dumped. He might not be as helpful in this game as he was before.
• I know I've been saying no passing but that was a hell of a throw and a nice catch by Burress for a first down.
• Eli keeps his composure, then throws it to nowhere, although it was too close to several Packers for my liking.
• Stop saying Poppinga!
• Bad. Bad bad bad. Three incompletions in a row.
• So far both games are about getting touchdowns not field goals. San Diego gets four FGs, New England 3 TDs. Green Bay has 1 TD, Giants 2 FGs. Do the math.
• Too much yakking on both sides. Let Buck and Aikman call the game, guys.
• RW, WTF? No shoving.
• Jacobs. Daaaaamn. Nice. And now holding? Where? What? That was bullshit. Now we're backed up again. Grrr.
  
• Play clock expires, Illegal Shift penalty, or something. Holding penalty causes a punt, from the end zone. Great field position for the Packers. This is where the Giants make or break the game. (Hyperbole, yes, but whatever.) Can't let Favre score here. Or anyone else on the Packers for that matter. 3rd and 10, so far so good.
  
• Ohhhhh, what was that? Come on. The fix is in, people. "Illegal Brett Favre not going to the Super Bowl. 5 yard penalty. Automatic-first down."
• Good play by Pierce to stop a first down, and probably a TD. Now the Giants get the ball back before the half ends. Can Eli do the same thing he did last week?
  
• Plaxico Burress. Coming through BIG time. 32 yard pass. Aaand then an incomplete pass that was almost an AMAZING catch by Burress. They're really pushing the envelope here with these long bombs.
• What was that? No timeouts, Manning is running. I guess the play was blown. Now 4th and 8, 11 seconds left. Oy. And Manning goes down with a sack. Not looking good.