Rutgers Brian Leonard in a drill

I’m trying to step off the emotional cloud of my Giants’ indescribably glorious Super Bowl win and get back to reality. Euphoria is a great place to live, but life is an insistent creature that wants to move on and has a way of kicking you in the jujubes if you don’t. Wearing a cup won’t help, so I’ll start making the transition.

Which brings me to the upcoming NFL combine in Indianapolis. Okay, okay, it’s still football, but it’s not the Giants.

Pat Kirwan’s blog at NFL.Com has some interesting observations on the value of the combines, which is not a gathering of John Deere equipment; it’s where top college football prospects perform rigorous physical tests for NFL coaches and scouts to demonstrate their strength, speed, agility and flexibility in the hopes that they’ll be drafted as high as possible.

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RJM Kelly, a friend and classmate from years ago at St. Joseph’s College (now University) in Philadelphia sent me this. It is a morning prayer given at Fordham Prep, Monday morning, February 4, 2008, the day after the Giants win in the Super Bowl.

I’m biased, of course, but I think the Giants run in the playoffs and then the win in the Super Bowl was more than a victory, it was a mythic event that seemed to resonate with sports fans across the country. It was “Little Giants,” “Rudy,” “Miracle On Ice,” win-it-for-the-Gipper and all those miraculous stories we hold dear to our hearts.

I think this morning prayer, given by the Fordham Prep Director of the Service Program, Paul Homer, is testament to the universality of the Giants victory.

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We Are the Champions

In Superbowl XI, 1986, Phil Simms, Lawrence Taylor, Harry Carson, Mark Bavaro and other Giant greats led our team out of the darkness of twenty five years of “lousy football” to its first Super Bowl win. At the end of the game I saw in the stands across the Pasadena field a young man holding up a sign that said, “Dad, this one’s for you.”

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I’ve had to wait a few days to think about about what I could say about this great Super Bowl victory that wouldn’t be a repetition of what others may have written. But that would be impossible. Everything that could be said is being said. From every angle imaginable.

It was an elemental game. A game that justified counting these yearly contests with Roman numerals. It suggested gladiatorial combat, chariot races, warriors versus lions and tigers in an arena with spectators cheering participants who were fighting for life or death.

Whew! Okay. I needed to get that out.

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Nostradamus Picks Giants

We all know that Nostradamus predicted the Kennedy assassinations and the destruction of the twin towers, along with World Wars I and II and the dropping of the atomic bombs on Nagasaki and Hiroshima. Beside great world events, Nostradamus had a great interest in sports of the time — mace fests, lance toss, sword derbies and such, and made many sports related prophesies. Everyone knows he predicted the NFL’s “Punt-Pass-and-Kick” competition and, of course, his well known prophesy of half time entertainment at Super Bowls.

I thought I’d comb through Nostradamus’ thousands of prophesies for more sports predictions and as a Giants’ fan, I have been pleasantly surprised to see that he’s clearly picked the Giants to beat the Patriots in Super Bowl 42.

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….

The Giants final game
Revealed their warrior spirit.
Super Bowl reward.

Giants written off
By everyone; but not them.
The big prize is theirs.

The Manning, Eli,
America's kid brother.
Lives everyone's dream.

Pundits picked Giants last,
Below Dallas, Eagles, Skins.
Please eat shit, pundits.

The seeds of heroes
Planted in the Meadowlands
Blossom on the road.

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WARNING: Giants references galore.

Upon beating Dallas on Sunday, January 13, 2007

Unhappy Jerry


In the bag, they thought.
A Dallas win, preordained.
Popcorn anyone?

So many heroes
Give Giants a victory.
The team is valiant.

Jerry bought tickets
To Green Bay before game.
Oops!  A refund, please.


Twelve pro bowlers played
Against us.  All twelve to watch
Super Bowl at home.



Meanwhile, a major world dictator reacts badly to Cowboy loss.



….


A ten minute score!
Eli took forty-eight secs.
All that time wasted.

Monday morning comes!
Time to read about the win.
My toilet awaits.

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Warning: New York Football Giants references galore.

Eli takes the dare


“Let Eli beat us,”
Dared the Bucs before the game.
Well, dare THIS, Gruden.

Tasty is the bird
Called crow, when seasoned with the
Spice of victory. 

The swifter Bradshaw
Slashes through a tired defense
Softened by The Beast.

Manning the younger
Comes of age. Detractors,
Just shut the fuck up.

The Three F demons –
Flipper, Fumble and Frisco,
Exorcised today. 

Loyalty to Giants?
Tiki chooses brother’s team
Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! 


Webster interception



Burned so many times,
Beleagured cornerback strives.
Redemption is great.

He sits triumphant,
This talent chooser called Reese.
Can’t wait for the draft.

Whimper, Webster, Boss 
Ruegamer and Wilkinson
Shine a deeper Blue.

Eight minutes off clock
Meadowland stye T.D. drive
Hoffa sleeps happy.


….






Monday morning comes
Time to read about our win.
My toilet awaits.

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The Washington State Interscholastic Activities Association, the organization that oversees high school sports that has condemned booing at high school sports events is also preparing a policy that would exclude teams from scoring points.

“It makes the other team feel bad,” said Mauro Canese, Kendrich High basketball coach. “The opposing team throws up a three-pointer and my boys get the wind knocked out of their sails. Where’s the fun in that?”

The thinking behind the no-scoring policy is that if no points are scored, fans of both teams can go home happy. The athletes still get a workout and because every one of them are technically winners, all of them will get laid after the game.

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