I don’t have a vested interest in who wins the Superbowl this year, nor did I really care who won yesterday’s NFC and AFC Championships. I am a 49’er fan, so I didn’t really have a vested interest in football this year at all. Growing up in Chicago I learned a healthy respect for the House That Vince built, even though the Pack were considered rivals of my beloved Bears (they didn’t really give me anything to cheer for this year either). All that said, I guess I started the game leaning towards Green Bay. They were on the Frozen Tundra, Favre is a likable guy (in spite of the fact that the r comes after the v, but is pronounced before it) and I thought the Packers would advance.
I watched the battle between Plaxico Burress and Al Harris and knew early that something would happen there to determine the outcome of the game. Harris got away with a lot of cheap shots early and his arrogance in trying to handle the faster and quicker Burress by himself finally resulted in a game altering penalty. The Giants outplayed the Pack in nearly every category, although Farve was able to strike quickly and keep Green Bay in the game, but the Giant’s 69 yard drive in the 3rd quarter benefited from 38 yards of penalties and Harris was the cause of a big part of that. I think that’s where the difference was made.
There was another story of interest, however. Football legend Archie Manning was watching from a warm box high above the icy field, as his second son in as many years led his team to a Superbowl berth. With Peyton earning MVP honors last year and Eli with a shot at it in two weeks (if he can just get past those pesky Patriots), I have found a reason to root for someone in the Big Game.
Truth be told, I just think it would be cool to watch a father have two sons become NFL MVPs in his footsteps. Archie did it in 1978.