One Fan's View: Giant's Karma ran over Patriot's Nation Dogma

by Kevin Shenoy

I say this with a little embarrassment and with a sense of cheating on the Bills, but that was one of the most satisfying games I’ve seen in the last 10 years. Be it the World Series disappointments, the Sabres tough playoff appearances, and the ten years of Buffalo Bill football, I think this was the first Big Game in quite some time where I really cared.

Though they were not my beloved Buffalo Bills, the Giants’ win made me do snow angles on my carpet in front of the TV. This win rightfully set the world back in its proper alignment. Perhaps the world will now believe in evolution, the earth’s temperature will come back to normal, and Boston can go back to losing in spectacular forms. Maybe there will be another internet boom and zubaz won’t look funny on people. Even more outrageous, maybe Brady will look like the 6th round pick we all knew he was.

To be honest, I don’t even know where to start. On the fanzone page, I wrote earlier in the week about how I hit my tipping point with Junior Seau’s cabbie hats. The look just smacks of, “look we’re humble, but we’re also cocky. Live with it, World.” Seeing Seau stuff the Chargers in the AFC championship game was painful. He really was washed up with the Dolphins and there is no scientific explanation on how he’s playing at 39. I shouldn’t really have any hatred for the guy, but he wears his douche-i-ness on his head for all the world to see. And in that vein, you have to hate him. And in the Pats pre game video of how they are all about team work, he had that cabbie hat on again. I literally had to be held back from the TV.

It was interesting to see Brady complain to anyone who was listening about every little thing. When the Patriots were kicking ass and taking names earlier in the season, it looked childish, but there was an underlying tone of perfection. It was almost honorable in a way. It seemed like he just knew how to do everything including to ref a game while being a QB. And somehow you kind of respected him because he was so anal about everything that you wished you had him on your team.

However during this game, his whining made him look like someone who doesn’t know how to handle adversity. He became the QB all of Buffalo had expected back in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007. Yet he kept us at bay with great play. But this Sunday his reign may be over. And I for one can’t wait for the Bills to beat them next year. That’s when we’ll know the Pat’s regime is officially over.

As for the actual game, I don’t have much to say except Manning’s 3rd and Long play. That will forever be known as one of the greatest Super Bowl plays. The way Eli fought off that sack he was determined not to lose that game. And the catch was even better. You knew at that moment that the Giants would score. What made it so stunning is that I never saw Eli play passionately in 4 years. But on that play, he became a man. He showed the promise of the Manning name, and he could potentially be on the path to being a more prolific QB than his brother. That’s just my two cents.

DVD Extras:

• During the first shot of Giselle, I asked, “Would I be happier if she held up a sign that said, ‘let’s just be friends’ or if the Pats lost”. I’m pretty happy with the Pats loss, but I’d still like to see the sign.
• Wes Welker gave an incredible effort. Can we have Thurman console him on what its like to play like the MVP but walk away with nothing?
• A good friend Brian, who came over for the game, had 3 and 0 as well as 3 and 7 in his football pool from work. He won the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd quarters for $200. It was pretty impressive.
• Brian also noted during the halftime show that Tom Petty looks like Chuck Norris and Willy Nelson. I thought it was pretty accurate.
• Being in New York, I can tell you when the Giants won the Super Bowl, it honestly felt like the building was going to come down. Our neighbors above us had a party and were jumping up and down. We all thought it was over for us.
• With one second left in the game, I was begging Coughlin to bring in the field goal unit. It wouldn’t have done anything for my boxes, but the running up of the score would have been nice touch.
• So the spygate thing grows in lore and I see fans hoping that Belichick retires if he is suspended. Personally, I’d like to see him forced to coach a few years on a bad team. I’d like to see his so called “genius” win games with a bad team. I honestly don’t think he could do it, and I think it would forever taint his “legend” Status. The punishment must fit the crime.
• Salesgenie.com ads – terrible. The first commercial was with a guy with a bad Indian accent and then a commercial with a guy with a bad Chinese accent. I’m no demographics guru, but I’m guessing if you piss off the Indian and Chinese, you’re pissing off 2 billion of the world’s 5 billion people. Way to keep focused on the white market, sales genie. No one’s thought of that yet.
• I’m happy for the Giants today. But honestly, based on their youth and their talent, they could become the new Patriots and the next dynasty.
• Speaking of Dynasty, hasn’t every football dynasty had at least one Super Bowl Blowout in their multiple Super Bowl run? Pats never did, ergo they can not be a dynasty.
• I’m sure if you have friends from Boston, you’ve been dealing with their attitude problems for the last 6 years or so. My one friend, Charlie, would send me an email without fail every week that said, “Shenoy, Pats rule, Bills suck.” And I’ll tell you, I went to a special happy place and said Karma will fix this. And I’ll be honest, at 15-0 I began to think the Patriots karma was going to effect them in 2024. And I thought, “well that sucks, I need their karma to be paid back to them in football terms. If they are taught life lessons later in life, that’ll do me no good.” So when the Giants won, the first thing I did was run to my computer to write a nasty email to Charlie. I guess every New Yorker had the exact same thought as the internet connection went down for about 20 minutes. No worries though, the email got to him, and like all spineless, arrogant Pat fans, he’ll have nothing to say.
• The final hit on Brady where the Giants came in and lifted him off his legs and body slammed him to the turf. I had been waiting for that sack all season. It was better than I had envisioned in my dreams.
• Every year, after the Super Bowl ends, there is always the pageantry for the winners. There are glitter and lights, fake spaceship looking trophy stages and champagne. And each year the loser coach stands outside of what looks to be cellblock D. This year, it was so good to watch Belichick (which I translated earlier in the season as Angry “beli” girl “chick) cry. I would have rather had Pam Oliver down there. She asks the hard questions and because she’s a lady, coaches have a harder time being a royal ass in front of her. I would have liked her to ask, “coach, what happened with the loss? What? No comment, ok, how about your ex wife, do you think she hates you a little less now that you are going through personal pain, additionally, are you really colder that Jack Nicholson’s Colonel Jessup from a Few Good Men?” Instead the male reporter allowed Belichick off the hook with easy questions.
• Shelly’s cousin, Eric Smith, was in the Icebreakers Commercial with Carmen Electra. He was the one getting tackled by security. That brought on a big reaction at our Super Bowl party.
• A little props to the Bills for putting the Giants in this position. When the Bills played the Giants, they needed to beat us or the Pats to get to the playoffs. So in some weird way, the Bills helped end the Pats reign of terror. Good Job Bills.

So the Bills ended the season in dismal fashion once again, but the Pats losing seemingly made up for the whole thing. It has recharged my battery for the 2008 Bills season. The Bills could make zero changes for next year, but I’d still be pumped up to go watch the Bills Patriots game.

Kevin Shenoy can be reached at binaural02@hotmail.com