A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Coronation

Last night's Super Bowl was the most watched sporting event in U.S. television history. Hollywood couldn't have created better story lines. Eli Manning trying to step out of his brother's shadow for good...the Patriots trying to complete their historic run at an undefeated season... New York versus Boston... Tommy Petty at half time ... well, OK, maybe the halftime show was lame. The game itself, unlike so many Super Bowls was competitive to last second, and including some amazing heroics. But what was my favorite part of the game? -- watching the Giant's defensive line continually pummel Tom Brady. What is it about Tom Brady that brings out the venom in me? Well, to start with he's good looking (and rich) enough to be dating a supermodel. He's wildly successful, having won three superbowls, as well as this year's MVP award. And his team hadn't lost a game all year long -- 18-0. Amazing. Well, David slew Goliath. Eli Manning (who doesn't date a supermodel) is going to ride in a ticker tape parade tomorrow, and Tom Brady gets a dose of the disappointment that the rest of us schmoes have to face from time to time. It's really the worst part of human nature that makes one wish ill to our fellow man. I mean, you would actually have to be a pretty petty small person to wish failure on someone. And it is the worst part of my nature (after one of the five sacks Brady suffered last night) that exclaimed "TAKE THAT PRETTY BOY!" Felt kinda good actually.

Keeping Your Priorities Straight

The New York Giants playoff victory over the Green Bay Packers last night was one of the most exciting games I can remember. I am a huge sucker for all the postgame hooplah -- I loved watching Michael Strahan running around the field high-fiving Giants' fans despite the frigid temperatures. The cameras are always trying to catch the human interest stories at the end of the game. I loved that Eli's Dad, Archie Manning could barely watch as the game wound down and the Giants missed several opportunities to seal the victory. I can, however, only stomach so much of the post-game commentary -- all these football "experts" who killed Eli all year are now willing to elevate him to the level of star. (He was never as bad as when the naysayers suggested he was adopted [?!] and he's not a superstar now. Heck, he didn't even throw a touchdown yesterday; does not throwing an interception qualify you for the Hall of Fame now?) Nevertheless, in the minutes immediately following the game-ending field goal, I watched Eli as the camera zoomed in on him. He was clearly scanning the stands for someone. He muttered, "No, she'd be down here," and then "she's in ... where's section 119?!!" and continued to search as the screen faded out to commercial. I then remembered at the end of the one of the previous playoff games, Eli mentioned that he was looking for his girlfriend, Abby in the stands. So minutes after the biggest victory of his life, the kid from Mississippi who'd always lived in his brother Peyton's shadow had every opportunity to be mugging for the cameras, and instead he wanted to share the moment with Abby. Moments like that make it easy to root for a kid like Eli.