The "Linderella" Story of 2012 ... So Far 

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Go back in time three weeks. The New York Knicks were 8-15 and looking like a train-wreck of a season was imminent and the name Jeremy Lin held almost no meaning at all. Now three weeks later, all of New York and seemingly the entire NBA is submerged in "Linsanity". Jeremy Lin has led the Knicks to nine wins in their last eleven games and there are absolutely no signs of slowing down, actually there is really room for improvement if anything. Jeremy Lin, the dynamic Harvard grad has displayed expert finesse in running the point guard position for the Knicks, reminding many of Phoenix Suns point guard and future Hall of Famer, Steve Nash. Lin has demonstrated a firm grasp on the pick and roll style of offense and has really overall boosted the team's cohesiveness and overall chemistry, not to mention their record. Lin has passed almost every test that has been thrown his way including Kobe Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers as well as Dirk Nowitzki and the defending champion Dallas Mavericks. Since Lin's first start against the New Jersey Nets on February 4th, he has lead overall scoring in the NBA  averaging 27 points per game. There are still many games left to be played in the 2011-2012 NBA season as well as much more to be told in this "Linderella" story. 

The Drop

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There was something like four minutes left in regulation and the Patriots were on their way to capping a Super Bowl championship. The Patriots offense was rolling and Tom Brady was being vintage Tom Brady. The Giants defense was playing a hell of a game, getting to Brady as often as possible and making the big plays when necessary, but it seemed like the Pats high octane offense was about to silence the G-Men and get their long awaited revenge. Personally at this moment in the game my heart was racing and I was praying for something big to happen. Sure enough it did. It was 2nd and 11 on the Giants 44 yard line and the Patriot lined up in a shotgun set with four wideouts and an empty backfield, obviously a passing situation. Wes Welker was lined up in the slot to Brady's left. The ball was snapped and Welker whizzed passed Antrel Rolle and broke the Giants zone defense and was wide open on the middle of the field. Brady launched a pass that turned Welker around, Welker turned and leaped and subsequently dropped the pass. The Patriots were deflated from this play on. However, watching this replay and honestly watching it live what I see is not a drop on a catch that has to be made, but an overthrow to a wide open receiver who tried to bail out his quarterback, but could not. Yes "the drop" that will be remembered by New England fans possibly forever really wasn't a drop at all, at least not in my eyes. What I saw in that play, and still see after many views, is not Welker leting down his team and his quarterback, but Tom Brady not being as clutch as he is supposed to be, I see Brady being rattled and throwing an inaccurate pass when there was absolutely no margin for error what so ever. I also feel that despite this play being as big as it was the Giants still had to take the field and make the plays that they did to win the big game.

Super Bowl XLVI 

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The confetti began to fall all throughout Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, and the post-game festivities, of that have become a custom for Super Bowls, began. The Giants had done it again, yet again trouncing the New England Patriots, the second time this season, and the second time in a Super Bowl in the last five years. The G-men pulled it off and until the last moment of the game where a Super Bowl championship was a few inches out of the grasp of New England tight-end, Rob Gronkowski, it was a tight bout. The rematch proved to be just as good and equally as exciting as the original Super Bowl meeting between the two teams 4 short years ago.

Personally this was one of the most exhilarating and heart-wrenching Super Bowls that I have ever witnessed, and I can honestly say it did live up to the hype. The pre-game hype began immediately after the NFC and AFC contenders were decide two weeks ago in their respective championship games. The rematch that so many had hoped for (except or Jets fans that is!) was finally set to happen. The beauty of it that there were so many relevant and interesting story lines going into the game. Where the Patriots finally going to get their revenge against their new rival the New York Giants, despite having their shot earlier this season in a home game? Could Eli Manning cement himself as the better Manning brother with a win, giving him one more Super Bowl ring than his older brother Peyton? Was Rob Gronkowski's ailing ankle going to keep him from playing, and how effective would the Pats offense be without him?

After a week of the same questions being asked, answered, analyzed, and re-analyzed, it was time to put all the talk and pre-game banter aside, and take it to the field. The beauty of sports is that you can talk about a game and analyze every aspect of it for two straight weeks, but when it comes down to it, the actual game has to be played and what is said before it means absolutely nothing once the clock starts.

The Patriots won the coin toss and elected to deffer, as they have for thirty consecutive games, giving the Giants the ball to start the ball game. The Giants first stint on offense for this game was rather uneventful after reaching the patriots 33-yard. The offense lost steam after three consecutive losses that put them out of field goal range and forced them punt the ball away to the dangerous Patriots offense. Giants punter Steve Weatherford was a beauty pinning the Patriots inside of their own ten yard line. The Giants however would be right back on offense getting a huge break on an intentional grounding call on Tom Brady inside the Pats end zone, resulting in a safety putting the Giants up 2-0. The Giants would capitalize big on this fast start as Eli Manning would drive the Giants down the field and capping the drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to receiver Victor Cruz. This put the Giants to a strong and promising 9-0 lead over the mighty Pats.

The Patriots would strike right back with a 29-yard field goal off the boot of kicker, Stephen Gostkowski. Two drives by each team resulting in punts would do nothing but eat away some clock, and after another beautiful punt by Steve Weatherford, the Patriots would be given the opportunity to take the lead going into the half. The Patriots capitalized big time with a 14-play drive that took the Patriots 96-yards downfield and resulted in a touchdown pass from Tom Brady to running back Danny Woodhead. This would put the Patriots up 10-9 going into halftime.

After an interesting, to say the least, performance by Madonna and several other artists, the two teams would resume play for the second half.  With the Patriots deferring to open the game, they would be receiving the ball at the start of the second half. The Patriots would get off to a fast start with a quick drive, that saw no incompletions on the part of Tom Brady and would end with a 12-yard touchdown pass to tight-end Aaron Hernandez, putting the patriots up 17-9.

On the ensuing drive the Giants would start on their own 35-yard line and reach the Patriots 20-yard line where they would settle for a 38-yard field goal by Lawrence Tynes. The Giants defense would go on to stop the Patriots offense on a three and out that would end with a Justin Tuck sack of Tom Brady.  The Giants on the ball yet again, would mount a dangerous drive all the way to the Patriots 9-yard line. Threatening to put themselves on top with a touchdown the Giants were slowed down a bit after a sack on third down which would force them to settle for another field-goal, making the score 17-15 Patriots sill on top.

The three next drives were uneventful for both teams with the biggest play being an interception by linebacker Chase Blackburn on a pass downfield to injured Pats tight-end Rob Gronkowski. Gronkowski  with his infamous ankle injury was unable to out-leap Blackburn who caught the in mod-air. This interception would give the Giants yet another opportunity to separate themselves from the Pats but the following drive would result in a punt, as would the following Patriots possession.

After another unsuccessful Patriots drive, the Giants would regain possession on their own 12-yard line. To win this game yet another signature Eli Manning game-winning drive would be necessary. Sure enough this drive would be a prime example of why Eli Manning should be considered as and in fact is, an elite NFL quarterback. Eli would drive the team 88 yards down the field in a drive that would be highlighted by a huge catch by receiver Mario Manningham and give running back Ahmad Bradshaw an opportunity to push the football into the end zone, which he would do in an interesting fashion. This put the Giants up 21-17, a lead that would not diminish.

The Patriots would get the ball back with 57 seconds left on the clock, more than enough time for an elite quarterback such as Tom Brady to win the game and bring redemption to the Patriots. However, this would not happen. The Giants defense would hold strong and as the final whistle was blown on the field and the clock showed no time remaining, they would become champions yet again. For the second time in five years the New York Giants would best the New England Patriots and bring home another Super Bowl championship.

Super Bowl XLVI Preview

The stage is set, Super Bowl XLVI, a rematch of Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots, possibly the most anticipated Super Bowl of all time. A chance at redemption for the Patriots and a chance to prove themselves as a true powerhouse, for the underdog New York Giants. From the divisional round of the playoffs it has been said that the Giants team and playoff run are both strikingly similar to that of the 2007 World Champion New York Giants who defeated these same Patriots. Now the cycle is nearly complete and the Super Bowl is set as a rematch from 2007, making all the comparisons all that much more eerie. Something had to happen to get both of these teams back to the big game however, and neither team really had any help from above, despite a few things in their respective Conference Championship games that turned out in their favor (a big fumble recovery in OT for the Giants, and a few misfortunes for the Baltimore Ravens that essentially sent the Pats to the Super Bowl), both teams earned their spot on the biggest stage of all. To all the naysayers I say that Super Bowl XLVI is going to be played between the two best teams in each conference. Although the season may not have started with the two teams dominating their conferences, as they say, "to be the best, you have to beat the best," and both of these teams, particularly the giants, did just that.

The Giants run to the Super Bowl wasn't even a thought when they were 7-7 going into their matchup with their cross-town rival, the New York Jets. Going into this game it was basically win or go home for both teams. With the Jets being favored, in what was technically speaking a home game for them, and a playoff berth on the line (but not guaranteed) for both teams, the Giants stepped up to the challenge and beat down the Jets in an exciting game that very much resembled a playoff game. However there was much more to be done if the Giants wanted to even make it to the playoffs, never mind the Super Bowl.

With the Philadelphia Eagles beating the Dallas Cowboys on their home turf, the Cowboys were put in a tough position, having to go to the Meadowlands and play the Giants in yet another winner moves on, loser goes home type of game. The winner of this game would take the NFC east and go on to face the Atlanta Falcons in a Wild Card game at home. Eli Manning (24-33, 346 Yds, 3 TDs, 0 Int) and the Giants offense turned in a masterful performance as the G-Men would go into halftime beating the Cowboys 21-0 and subsequently go on to beat them by a score of 31-14.

The Giants would have no problem steam-rolling through the Falcons in the first ever playoff game at the two year-old Met-Life Stadium, beating them 24-2 in an all out dominant performance. Their real challenge would come the following Sunday in the form of road game in the Divisional round of the playoffs, at the Green Bay Packer's home, the "frozen tundra", Lambeau Field. The Packers, defending their Super Bowl title from the previous season were the number one seed in the NFC going into the playoffs and were heavily favored at home against the Giants. As far as I know the only person to pick the Giants to actually win was former Giants star and now current analyist for FOX, Michael Strahan. Many would soon be surprised to see that the Giants would put in an amazing, even Super Bowl worthy performance against the Packers. It seemed that everything that could possibly go well for the Giants did, and they did whatever they could to capitalize on every single opprotunity they were given.
The Giants did almost everything right in this game, making Aaron Rodgers, an elite quarterback and Super Bowl champion look very uncomfortable and out of his element and stepping up on offense and putting in a huge performance. Particularly Hakeem Nicks had a big game turning in two huge touchdowns and putting up gaudy numbers with seven catches and 165 receiveing yards. Eli Manning also put up big numbers with 330 passing yards as well as 3 touchdowns. This game and this epic performance proved to many that the Giants were now a legitimate contender, it says a lot about a team when you you can walk into the home of a number one seed in the playoffs, nevermind the Green Bay Packers, and show them up in front of thousands of their own fans.

The next stop, and final stop for the Giants on their road to the Super Bowl would be the number two seed San Francisco 49er's. The Giants would face a real challenge in one of the best defensive front sevens in the league this year and a semi-potent offense with a rising passing game and solid run-game, not to mention the particularly unfavorable rainy conditions. This game would prove to be a classic NFC championship as both teams played back and fourth with the defenses taking center-stage for the majority of the game. Both offenses would have their moments with big plays putting either team out in front, but in this game no lead was safe and both teams would seam ot match eachother blow-for-blow for the entire game. This would go on for the entirity of regulation and send the teams into overtime with the score tied at 17-apiece. Sure enough the Giants would come out though, in, of course, the same way they did in the 2007 NFC Championship, a game-winning Lawrence Tynes field goal, sending the G-Men to the Super Bowl XLVI for the second appearance in the las ten years.

Of course on the other side of the field are the New England Patriots, led by their 3-time Super Bowl Champion quarterback Tom Brady. The story of the Patriots season is the one you would expect to see backing a number one seed and AFC Champion, going 13-3 on the season and going into the Super Bowl on a ten game win streak. Interestingly enough, however, the Patriots last loss this season came in a week 9 matchup with these same New York Giants. The game ended in dramatic fashion with Eli Manning yet again driving his team to a touchdown and ultimately a win late in the game. This win in particular gives the Giants a lot of well deserved confidence going into the big game this Sunday as they go for three wins in a row against the New England Patriots (two of them being Super Bowls) and unseating them from the throne of being the truly dominant franchise that they once were. In this game Eli Manning can solidify himself as a true elite quarterback and his team as one of the NFL's best or the Patriots can bring redemption and bring glory back to their storied franchise.

 I'm not going to give any picks seeing as I am quite superstitious, especially when it comes to something New York-Boston related, but I do expect to see an amazing game with great performances from both sides, because indeed the two best teams in the NFL will be throwing down this Sunday in Indianapolis and all we as fans can really do is watch in excitement and hope for the best for our team. With all that being said GO GIANTS! and let's bring home another Super Bowl to the great fans of New York.