There is a reason why the winner of the Super Bowl earns the Vince Lombardi Trophy as a symbol of excellence in the football world. Lombardi encouraged his Green Bay Packer players to pursue perfection so they might catch excellence.

As it turns out, Lombardi and his players caught a lot more than 5 National Football League titles and the first 2 Super Bowl titles. They developed a bond among themselves that lasted a lifetime for those who have passed on, and still survives for those who continue the memory of Lombardi's great leadership and their great work ethic.

Perhaps some years from now the New York Giants will experience that same kind of bond that comes with such a great triumph as their conquest of the New England Patriots and the NFL world this year.

There is no way the Giants could have lived and played through the last 5 weeks of their season without becoming "one" with a purpose bigger than the odds they faced.

New York started by traveling to Tampa Bay and defeating the NFL's second-ranked defense on the Buccaneers home turf. Then the Giants traveled to Dallas to upset the Cowboys on their home field, becoming the first team to defeat a No. 1 seed in the NFL playoffs.

New York then played through a wind chill factor of 23 degrees in Green Bay to turn back the Packers and win the National Football Conference championship, earning the right to play the Patriots in Super Bowl 42. After upsetting New England 17-14 they walked away with the Lombardi Trophy and became the first NFC wild-card team to do so.

Perhaps Vince Lombardi said it best: "If it doesn't matter who wins or loses, then why do they keep score?" Lombardi was a winner and now the Giants are too.

New England, which won Super Bowl 36, Super Bowl 38 and Super Bowl 39, will now be remembered as the team that was the first to go 18-0 and then lose in Super Bowl 42 to the Giants. Coach Bill Belichick's jaws were so wired after the defeat he barely uttered 10 words.

The 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the only undefeated NFL team in its 88-year history with their 17-0 record and Super Bowl 7 victory over the Washington Redskins, 14-7.

Embedded in the hard-drive of my mind 40 years from now (assuming I live to be 103) will be two memories:

1) Eli Manning, seemingly surrounded by Patriot rushers, breaking away like a magician from the grasp of an arm not strong enough to rip off his jersey, coming clear in desperation to heave an arcing pass down the field and a heretofore nobody named David Tyree leaping upward over rivals to catch the ball over his head, falling backward, and hanging on even though he was viciously hit in his arm on the way down by Patriot safety Rodney Harrison in an attempt to knock the ball free.

Tyree's 32-yard catch against all odds on 3rd-and-15 with 1:15 left on New York's game-winning drive has to be one of the greatest catches in the history of championship football at any level. Incredible is a weak description of just how good his catch and hold was. He will likely never have such a great moment if he plays another 15 years in the NFL.

Almost forgotten in all of this is just how close Manning was to being sacked and the Patriots going on to preserve their then 4-point lead and possible victory.

New England's great run to an 18-0 mark now becomes a lot less with their Super Bowl loss to the Giants. It is too bad for the Patriots; the Giants could not be happier.

2) Manning's 13-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Plaxico Burress in the corner of the end zone with 35 seconds left happened because 6-foot-5, 232-pound Plaxico Burress was left isolated one-on-one with 5-foot-9, 195-pound cornerback Ellis Hobbs. Hobbs was at least 2 steps behind Burress and in no position to even contest for the ball, which would probably have been useless anyway with Plaxico's tremendous leaping ability, kind of like 5-foot-9 me going one-on-one against Michael Jordan.

Do not blame Hobbs for the loss. Patriot quarterback Tom Brady, who had the snot beat out of him from taking hits all afternoon by the Giants' much faster defensive rushers, did his usual come-from-behind last minute drive to give New England back the lead, 14-10.

Even linebacker Teddy Bruschi, the heart of the Pats defense, had embraced fellow backer Junior Seau on the sideline after the Pats went ahead and prior to the fateful drive, acknowledging that Seau was about to earn his first, long-awaited Super Bowl ring. Somebody forgot to stop Eli Manning and the Giants during the last 2 minutes of the game.

Burress, who had predicted a Giant victory amid the laughs and derisive remarks of almost everyone, caught the winning TD pass. He is a Michigan State University product just like myself. I could not be happier for Plaxico. It pains me to acknowledge that Plaxico was born 11 years AFTER I graduated from MSU.

Last fall I made up my mind to cover college football in my blog and did not even attempt to cover or comment on the NFL. It has now proved to be an excellent decision. I cannot imagine following the New England Patriots all year, fawning over their perfect record run, and being so let down in the Super Bowl.

All hail to the Giants, well, at least until the first NFL kickoff next season, then it will be go Seattle Seahawks for me. Who was the name of that almost perfect team? I seem to have already forgotten.

Copyright © 2008 Ed Bagley