I have to say that I was quite nervous about this year’s Super Bowl. So nervous that I practically refused to watch any of the two-week hoopla that normally surrounds the game. Why was I so nervous? Crazy as it seems, I thought I would find reasons to believe that New England was the better team and would win the game, despite most of the football pundits predicting otherwise.

Don’t get me wrong…the Giants aren’t my team. You know I’m a tried and true Cowboys fan. However, since the Giants represent the NFC East, a conference where I love the rivalries, I had to cheer on the Giants. It also helped that starter OT Will Beatty (placed on IR late in the season) and rookie FB Henry Hynoski graduated from my high school and college respectively and play for the Giants.

The game itself was actually enjoyable. Won’t even discuss the horrible commercials. I could not believe that Brady and the Patriots started out with an intentional grounding call, leading to a safety! I watched the game at my brother-in-law’s house, which was filled with the typical G-Men bravado, so the place erupted with cheers and then I knew it was going to be quite an event. The Giants dominated the game, but did not have a big lead to show for all their work. It was incredible how fast the first half flew by.

And Madonna…loved her halftime show! I read comments after the fact that Madonna’s performance was over-produced. Didn’t agree with that assessment. As a matter of fact, anyone who knows anything about Madonna knows that choreography is a staple in her performances. The two “oldies” songs selected, “Vogue” and “Like A Prayer,” were two of my favorites. The jury is out on her new song, and I simply didn’t see the “finger malfunction” from one of the rappers on stage with her. At any rate, it was the best halftime since Prince performed. Kudos to the NFL for selecting entertainment that was befitting for a super game.

My confidence was shaken in the second half, when the Patriots seemed to have the momentum, and the lead. Tom Brady tried an Eli Manning to David Tyree play from Super Bowl 42 during the game and it almost worked. The Pats kept the Giants on their heels most of the game, partially because Manning was a little off with his throws all night. However, Eli was involved in another fantastic Super Bowl pass play…this time it was Manning to Manningham. Still don’t know how Mario Manningham caught that ball between the two Patriots defenders and managed to get both feet down inbounds. Later, when Ahmad Bradshaw scored what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown with less than a minute to go, I knew this game was going to have a fantastic finish.

I’ve seen Brady orchestrate too many come-from-behind wins and the stage was set for another. Boy am I glad that Rob Gronkowski didn’t catch Brady’s Hail Mary pass! With that said, here’s a shout out to my teenage son, who is a Patriots fan and loves Tom Brady…he was a great sport even after watching his team do down in defeat and recognized that the game he just watched was a great game despite the outcome.

Congratulations to the New York Giants…Super Bowl 46 Champions!!