Bruno Boys Fantasy Football

Written by: James Burulcich
Edited by: Allie Fontana

Seven weeks ago the New York Giants were coming off their second loss of the season to the Washington Redskins. It was pathetic to say the least.  Who would have predicted that they’d finish the 2011 season as Super Bowl Champions?  For the second time in four years the Giants pulled off a miraculous run that saw them prove all the odds makers wrong. As a diehard fan of the G-Men, I’m absolutely giddy about the whole situation. Here’s what I learned on Super Bowl Sunday:

 

1.  ELITE?

It doesn’t matter whether or not people think Eli Manning is an elite quarterback, the only thing that matters now is that the tailor gets his jacket size right. Manning is on his way to the NFL Hall of Fame after winning his second Super Bowl, receiving his second Super Bowl MVP award, defeating Tom Brady for a second time and leading his second game-winning touchdown drive. He finds himself in the elite company of Joe Montana, Terry Bradshaw, Bart Starr and Tom Brady as one of five quarterbacks to ever win two Super Bowl MVPs. B-ELI-eve it.

2.  Who was that Guy?

Like many experts and fans, I’ve had Patriots quarterback Tom Brady on a pedestal.  Maybe that’s because for a long time he was virtually untouchable. When the Giants faced the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, I feared that Brady would gut take them apart. Why? Brady had an impressive postseason career with 10 wins, zero losses, and three Super Bowls victories up to that point in time.  Since then, Brady’s had a mixed bag of postseason results including six wins, six losses and two failed Super Bowls. Like the sun, Brady once shined so bright. However like the sun, he will eventually burn out. I think we’re witnessing the beginning of the end of Brady’s dominance.

3.  Glad He Scored.

Although I understand the thought process behind kneeling down rather than scoring a touchdown, I’m glad that Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw scored.  Though the thought of giving Tom Brady one last chance to lead the Patriots downfield for a score was scary, I wanted the Giants to score and take the lead.  The two field goals the kicker Lawrence Tynes made in the Super Bowl were shaky at best. Two weeks ago against the San Francisco 49ers, punter Steve Weatherford had to secure a low snap in order to properly place the ball for Tynes to kick. Field goals aren’t automatic, always take the points.

4.  A Push?

For those of you who love to partake in Super Bowl prop betting, can you believe that Kelly Clarkson’s National Anthem time was a push? While I know that Vegas is usually right on with their betting lines (except for favoring the Patriots the last two Super Bowls, but I digress) how did they get this one dead on? The over/under was one minute and 34 seconds and Clarkson nailed it exactly. I wonder if it was coincidence or if Clarkson rehearsed it that way?

5.  Madonn-huh?

Hey, at least it wasn’t the Black Eyed Peas.

6.  Punters Need Love.

Two years ago after a loss to the Ravens, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick made the following observation in an interview with Judy Battista of the New York Times: “Show me a punter who coffin corners. You don’t see it. They don’t do it.” Tell that to Giants punter Steve Weatherford. Although he punted just four times on Sunday, three of them were downed at the 8-yard line or less, and one bounced into the end zone when two Giants had a chance to down it. Yes, Brady engineered a 96-yard touchdown drive; however starting behind your own 10-yard line for a good chunk of a game is never easy. It looks like the Giants have found their new Jeff Feagles and they have the New York Jets to thank for it. 

7.  Chase the Gronk!

Talk about a great story. New York Giants middle linebacker Chase Blackburn has always been a fan favorite. He started his career as an undrafted rookie from Akron in 2005 and became a perennial special teams’ hustler. Blackburn didn’t make the 53-man roster this season and got a job teaching high school math. He was on the job when the Giants called him back on November 18. This past Sunday Blackburn made a pure hustle play when he snatched the game’s only interception and helped the G-Men regain momentum. It’s not always the big name stars who make the team great, the lesser known guys who are all heart contribute too.

8.  Commercials, What Commercials?

I can’t lie. I watched the game at a friend’s Super Bowl Party and was really, really into the game. I found myself pacing around far too much during commercial breaks and missed the majority of them. That said, aside from the amazing trailer for the new Avengers (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGt-saFvkNk&feature=player_embedded ), which I don’t consider a real “commercial,” the only ads that got my attention were the ones with the dogs. As a happy dog owner, I’m a sucker for anything in which a dog acts like a human. For me, Volkswagen’s fat dog losing weight to fit through the doggy door and the Doritos Great Dane that buried the cat ads tied for the best Super Bowl commercials.

9.  Oh Wes.

You had two hands on the ball, buddy. A lot of analysts blamed Tom Brady for an errant throw to Wes Welker on that fourth-quarter drive. Really? On 2nd-and-11 with 4:06 remaining, Welker simply dropped the 23-yard pass that would have given New England the ball in the red zone and almost certainly a fourth Super Bowl title. It’s Welker’s fault just as it was Asante Samuel’s after he intercepted Eli Manning in Super Bowl XLII and dropped the ball on what turned out to be the game-winning drive.  Super Bowl champions make plays a la David Tyree and Mario Manningham. So Asante and Wes…Thanks guys!

10.  Final Thoughts.

I’m still in utter shock that the New York Giants have given their fans another Super Bowl title and in such dramatic fashion.  The last seven weeks have given me nothing but an anxiety disorder and it feels so good to finally take a deep breath. As much fun as it is to win the way the Giants have done it, I’d prefer a boring blow out once in a while. Super Bowl XXV was the first one that I watched.  I was 9-years-old at the time, and while I don’t remember much about it other than Scott Norwood’s missed kick, I remember the Dave Brown quarterbacking the team through the 90s. I remember how bad I felt when the G-Men lost Super Bowl XXXV to Baltimore. Countless heartbreaking losses like the 49er playoff game in 2002. For as great as it was to hear my favorite team called “Champions” when the Giants defeated the undefeated Patriots in 2008, something about this victory just feels better. This one validates the first. It’s not luck. The New York Giants are a great team with great players and one of the greatest all time “clutch” quarterbacks. I can finally say that with the utmost confidence and no one can say otherwise. Ten to 15 years from now, I will take my family to Canton, Ohio to watch Eli Manning get inducted into the National Football League’s Hall of Fame. #ALLIN #BIGBLUE #THANKYOU

Thanks again Bruno Boys Nation for a tremendous season. I hope you enjoyed the blog this year and I look forward to doing all over again next year! Eight months until fantasy draft time!