OMFG

I'm still in shock that the NY Giants are Super Bowl Champions. I've been waiting 17 years for this moment. Not only were we (NY Giants Fans) lucky enough to see it, but to see the type of game that we saw is just absolutely incredible Holy crap.

How can I put this into words?

In 1990 I was 8 years old. Lawrence Taylor. Phil Simms. OJ Anderson. Mark Bavaro. Carl Banks. The Giants were great. They won the Super Bowl. That was the first season I ever really paid attention to football. After Matt Bahr hit that FG in San Fran, I devoted basically my entire life to the NY Giants.

I thought we'd win at least 2 or 3 of the next few Super Bowls. I was a cocky 8 year old. Then Parcells, Simms & LT retired.

There was that week 17 game against the Cowboys, the Emmitt Smith game.

The playoff blowout in San Fran in '94.

Falling one game short in '95.

Chris Calloway's gaffed onside kick in the '97 playoffs.

Followed by 2 years of Danny Kannell/Kent Graham carousel.

Super Bowl XXXV.

September 11th emotionally destroying the 2001 season.

Blowing that huge lead in San Fran in 2002.

4-12 in '03.

5-2 start in '04, only to lose 8 straight games.

The 23-0 loss to Carolina.

The 2-6 second half in '06, followed by the last second FG loss to Philadelphia.

For 17 years, as a Giants fan, I had my hopes destroyed again & again. I know I can't complain as much asmost fans of most sports teams. The Giants had won 2 Super Bowls & played in a 3rd in my lifetime, and were in the midst of 3 straight playoff trips.

But when you win the SB your first year as a fan, you get spoiled. And the old adage that you don't become a fan of a team until you suffer through an awful loss is true. I was a Giants fan in 1990, but it wasn't until all those aforementioned disasters, particularly the cowboy/49ers in '93, vikings in '97, ravens in the SB & 49ers in '02, that I realized how much attachment I had to this team.

I bleed Giant blue. I haven't missed a Giants game since the Giants/Bengals game in October 1997. Counting playoffs that's 179 straight games that I've watched. I build my schedule around this team. Living in NE for four years, I went to bars for 50-some games to make sure I could see the team play - in the middle of Patriots country, in the middle of their dynasty.

I'm a superstitious freak. I wear the same outfits. I drink the same beer. I can never ever pick against the Giants, because I expect them to win every game. But at the same time, I will never verbally say out loud that I think the Giants will win, because the last time I did that (SBXXXV), they got raped. When that happens, you just keep your mouth shut. Which is a crappy thing to do, because for years now I've been accused of not being a real fan because I don't have any faith.

But, when things like last night happens, it all becomes worth it. After the Patriots 4th & 20 pass was broken up, the 25 people in my house started jumping up & down hugging each other. I didn't take part in it. I collapsed onto the floor and jsut started crying, uncontrollably. Never have I experienced a sweeter moment in my sports life.

After 17 years, we're World Champions again. And for a lot of those 17 years, I began to wonder if we'd ever do it again. I now know how rare a championship is. And if I have to wait until Super Bowl LIX to get another one, I'm content.

Eli Manning's escape & David Tyree's catch are enough to get me through at least the next 17 years.