The Giants Make History

If there was ever an American Football came to cut my teeth with, it was this one.

Watching the tactical battle between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants was nail-biting stuff. In a fiercely competitive game, the Giants set out on the offensive, scoring a field goal in the first quarter. They stayed on top of the Patriots throughout the next two quarters, until a second touchdown by New England seemed to guarantee defeat.

In fact, it wasn't until the last minute of the game - literally seconds before the final whistle - that an amazing lob across the field won the Giants an astounding 80 yards of turf - and enabled them to hammer home a vital touchdown that edged them three points over the (until then) undefeated Patriots.

On the brink of an undefeated season - something that hadn't been seen for 35 years - the Patriots had victory snatched away from them by the plucky New Yorkers. THIS was the game people will be talking about for years to come.

I had the good fortune to enjoy the competition in the company of some die-hard Giants fans. when that final touchdown was scored, you could hear their cheers all the way in Arizona.

I'm still not quite sure I understand the finer details of the sport - but I'll tell you this much. It's a thousand times more exciting than the average tepid game of Premiership Soccer.

History in the Making...

Tonight is the 42nd Superbowl - ending the NFL season and pitching undefeated favourites the New England Patriots against tough, but tempered rivals the New York Giants.

It's an enormously important game - and here in New Jersey we're all rooting for our home team (New Jersey doesn't have it's own NFL team, so we root for next-door's Jets and Giants.)

The reason why this game is so important is because the Patriot's astounding success this season. They are undefeated after 18 games. If they win the Superbowl, they'll not only capture football's most sought-after prize - they'll also have achieved a straight-run of success not seen since the 1972 Miami Dolphins took the cup after an undefeated season.

It's hardly a David and Goliath story, since the Giants haven't had too disappointing a season themselves, winning thirteen of their eighteen games. However, calculating the odds based on the team's performance this season, it's clear that defeating the Patriots will be a challenge.

I'm off to watch the match with my brothers-in-law. I'm no great football fan, but I'm quite excited to see our home-team in the running. The NFL is a much more entertaining championship to watch than, say, the soccer World Cup. In 'European football' (as I've been reduced to calling it) the ninety minute kickaround generally ends with a penalty shootout - thereby eliminating all the strategy and competition and reducing the match to a random game of chance.

At least with American football, the outcome is never predetermined, the scores can always change and when victory is decided, it's normally decisive.

If the Americans know anything, it's spectator sports - and tonight's Superbowl XLII promises to be the ultimate example of that.