What The F???

I am in shock right now. The Patriots -- 18-0, Tom Brady, Bill Belichick -- lost Super Bowl XLII to the New York Giants, 17-14. This ranks up there with Truman over Dewey, Jets over Colts, Buster Douglas over Mike Tyson and Patriots over Rams. The Pats had no business losing to the Giants, yet they did. New York proved the oldest football cliche in the books to be true. Any given Sunday ... didn't think I'd be writing those three words right now. The Giants won because their defense (Steve Spagnuolo take a bow and the Redskins job) outplayed the Patriots offense, especially the Pats offensive line. Featuring All-Pro Matt Light as well as Logan Mankins, Dan Koppen and Stephen Neal (who left with an injury), the Pats were embarrassed up front. Tom Brady never had time to get set on a consistent basis, save for their penultimate drive when he marched them downfield for the go-ahead score. Then Eli Manning -- he's not Peyton, he's waaaaaay better -- responded in Brady-like fashion. He survived a near Asante Samuel interception (which will haunt me for the rest of my life) and was saved by an amazing David Tyree grab to find Plaxico "Joe Namath" Burress for the winning score. New York takes the Lombardi Trophy and they fully deserve it. I just finished reading the book "The GM" about former Giant general manager Ernie Accorsi. At his final team meeting last season, after the Giants were eliminated in the playoffs, Accorsi told his men that he knew there was a championshipin his lockerroom. He was right. Tom Coughlin, a former BC head man, has his day in the sun, deservingly so. The man who was forced to put up with histrionics of Tiki Barber for three years gets a World Championship with Tiki in the TV booth. Fitting for both men. It's a tough time to be a Patriot fan right now but we'll survive. Tom Brady still calls New England home, Belichick calls the plays and there is the talent -- and the anger -- to bounce back in 2008. They might not be 19-0 but they still were a great team who gave me many great memories in 2007. I know there are more to come. The one thing that truly kills me from tonight is the broadcast production that FOX presented to America. Did we really need to see big brother Peyton's reaction to every play made by Eli. We get it, they're brothers. As I mentioned above, Eli is the better of the two. He might not audible on every down and makes a million fewer commercials but he led his team against a superior Patriots team and produced when it mattered most. Peyton, you have not done that yet. Eli's Super Bowl MVP trophy is not a "Lifetime Achievement Award" as yours was last year, he earned it by driving in the face of history with America watching his every motion. Whatever. If you have made it this far, thanks for letting me vent my frustrations. It sucks to see your team drive for perfection when everyone -- including the U.S. Senate -- was against them. But, as I sais above, they'll be back. No doubt, they'll be back.