2008 Woodie Awards
Superbowl XLII: the Big Dogs vs. the Underdogs
Ian Kuchman
Issue date: 1/28/08 Section: Sports
Super Bowl XLII, held in Glendale, Arizona, will be hosted by the New England Patriots as the New York Giants look to make an upsetting victory. Both teams met previously in the seventeenth week of the regular season when the Pats edged out the Giants 38-35. This will be the twelfth super bowl in history to have two teams play against each other who have already squared off during the regular season.
The New York "Football" Giants have impressed many football fans throughout their journey to the Super Bowl. Entering the playoffs as the last seed, the Giants have had to endure three away games, two of which were against the two top seeds of the NFC. With the overall Super Bowl record leaning towards the NFC over the AFC, 21-20, the Giants look to increase this gap even more on their underdog journey.
The Giants are currently experiencing what the Pittsburgh Steelers did two years ago. The Giants team entered the season extremely volatile; fans and experts were expecting a serious disaster of a season with the controversy of Coach Tom Coughlin and former running back Tiki Barber, the overall inconsistency of quarterback Eli Manning, and the conniving remarks by teammates through the press. The Giants franchise was able to persist in keeping their heads above the water throughout the season, and it wasn't until the last game of the regular season that the team reacted terrifically to an enormous jolt of momentum. It was the game against the New England Patriots in week seventeen which found Eli Manning and company and found a competitive consistency to manage an entire game. This momentum has carried the Giants as far as the Super Bowl.
The New England Patriots, on the other hand, are on an epic journey of their own, as they are seeking a place in the record books to be the first team in history to go 19-0 throughout an entire season. If the Pats do win this Super Bowl, they, along with the 1972 Miami Dolphins, will have successfully completed an undefeated season. The complete dominance of this team has been pretty clear throughout the season with record-breaking stats in the regular season, especially on offense. Both quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss have broken the single season touchdown record, with 50 TD passes for Brady and 23 TD receptions for Moss. The Patriots easily control their destiny this Sunday as they have shown over and over again why "spy-gate" is just another obstacle, easily crushed.
The New York "Football" Giants have impressed many football fans throughout their journey to the Super Bowl. Entering the playoffs as the last seed, the Giants have had to endure three away games, two of which were against the two top seeds of the NFC. With the overall Super Bowl record leaning towards the NFC over the AFC, 21-20, the Giants look to increase this gap even more on their underdog journey.
The Giants are currently experiencing what the Pittsburgh Steelers did two years ago. The Giants team entered the season extremely volatile; fans and experts were expecting a serious disaster of a season with the controversy of Coach Tom Coughlin and former running back Tiki Barber, the overall inconsistency of quarterback Eli Manning, and the conniving remarks by teammates through the press. The Giants franchise was able to persist in keeping their heads above the water throughout the season, and it wasn't until the last game of the regular season that the team reacted terrifically to an enormous jolt of momentum. It was the game against the New England Patriots in week seventeen which found Eli Manning and company and found a competitive consistency to manage an entire game. This momentum has carried the Giants as far as the Super Bowl.
The New England Patriots, on the other hand, are on an epic journey of their own, as they are seeking a place in the record books to be the first team in history to go 19-0 throughout an entire season. If the Pats do win this Super Bowl, they, along with the 1972 Miami Dolphins, will have successfully completed an undefeated season. The complete dominance of this team has been pretty clear throughout the season with record-breaking stats in the regular season, especially on offense. Both quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss have broken the single season touchdown record, with 50 TD passes for Brady and 23 TD receptions for Moss. The Patriots easily control their destiny this Sunday as they have shown over and over again why "spy-gate" is just another obstacle, easily crushed.
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