My best sports week ever continued on Thursday with me heading to the Meadowlands to attend the home opener of my Superbowl champion New York Giants (thanks, Ranjeet).

First of all, I am sooo happy that football is back. And every home opener is special in its own right, filled as it is with the promise of a new season. But the home opener following a championship-winning season? As a fan, nothing can compare to that. It was my first trip to Giants stadium since I saw my Giants stand toe-to-toe with the mighty and undefeated Patriots in the last regular season game of 2007 – a magnificent game that they ended up losing, but which gave them confidence and propelled them on their fairy-tale run all the way to Superbowl XLII to reclaim the Lombardi trophy. Seeing that championship banner hanging outside Giants stadium was just awesome!

We got to the stadium way too early, so we killed time just walking around the stadium, and watching the teams warm up. Around 7, the pre-game ceremony started, a tribute to not just the 2007 Giants, but also the past New York Giant championship winning teams. Video recaps of the 1986 and 1990 seasons accompanied an on-field tribute to some of the members of those Giant teams who were on hand. And then, the video tribute to the 2007 New York Giants started. The loudest cheers rang out for the Eli-to-Tyree play, the TD pass to Plaxico, and the sack of Brady by Jay Alford in the final minute. The crowd was absolutely besides itself with joy, and I tried to capture the roar of the crowd as much as I could in the video below.

At the end of the video, accompanied by fireworks, who steps onto the stage but none other than #92, Michael Strahan, holding aloft the real Lombardi trophy. Boy, did he ever get a huge reception. Everybody loves seeing that Lombardi trophy! He then proceeded to pump up the crowd like only he can. He got the crowd going so much that the cheers of the crowd pretty much drowned out whatever it was that he was saying. And what he was doing was getting us revved up as our beloved Giants ran onto the field. It was amazing. The video below tries to capture the moment.

Then, after Kate Mara sang the Star-Spangled Banner and 3 Black Hawk helicopters did a cool flyby over the stadium, it was time to play some football. The Giants started really well, with Eli showing some moves and rushing for the first TD himself (whodathunk?). Justin Tuck let everyone know that despite all the losses on the defensive unit, it was still going to be a  force to reckon with by getting a sack on the first defensive play for the Giants. The Giants dominated the first half, but seemed to lose their rhythm along the way, holding on for the 16-7 win.

But hey, a win is a win, especially against a division rival. The 2008 season is upon us, and the quest for a Superbowl repeat is now underway. As Rajji-B and I talked about it, we realized that no matter how well they do this year, there is no way this Giants team will approach the magic that was the 2007 Superbowl Champion New York Giants.

Ah, August. The month when people are tired of all the heat, are planning for the labor day weekend, and are pondering the end of summer. But above all, it is the month when football freaks like me and Sid are busy going through draft kits, player and preseason game analysis and injury reports preparing for the draft of our fantasy football teams.

Sid and I are in a league that he runs where literally moments ago, we finished our draft. Due to some new players taking over teams from last year, and after a rather laborious democratic process involving voting and some harsh campaigning, this years draft was from scratch, without taking into account last years finish, or having any keepers. All of which was bad news for me, because my draft position fell from 5 to 7 (out of 8 teams), and I had two really good keepers in Joseph Addai and Marshawn Lynch. But thats the way the cookie crumbles.

Having the 7th pick turned out to be a big handicap, because the first 6 players in the draft are pretty automatic, with no question marks. After that you are left wondering “how will the QB issues in SF affect the stats of Frank Gore“. As it turned out, the first 6 picks were exactly who were predicted, and I was stuck trying to figure out what to do with my precious 1st round pick. Let’s hope that picking Eli’s older brother (I’ve heard he’s pretty good too) was a good call. Here’s the team I ended up with, with the round I picked them in, and their overall pick number provided as well.

Doritos Cheese Warriors

My biggest worry is that I have too many injury risks among my top picks. I guess we’ll just have to see how things go. I hope that Mike Martz can revitalize the 49ers offense, and Run-DMC is everything he’s advertised to be.

I found it interesting that I ended up with no Giants players on my team. Every time I had one lined up as my next pick, someone ahead of me would pick them up. That is just how it goes.

This is one aspect of my personality that Tanu has a real problem with. Anything that I am into, I am into all the way. It borders on obsessiveness, though she thinks I tend to cross that line. I will work late into the night on my website, watch NFL Live, Sportscenter and NFL network every night, fill my memory cards with countless photographs (including one memorable episode in Melbourne that I will not elaborate on) and visit Facebook and LinkedIn every day.

But I don’t think anything I did comes close to what this kid has done (filling 50 VHS tapes with X-Files episodes is probably the closest thing I have come to this). That is either one obsessive kid, or a true Packers fan that puts all of us to shame. Any girl he ever dates had better watch out!

It’s NFL draft day, and as we know, the draft matters. Last year’s draft proved to be championship worthy for the Giants. Among the players they drafted, they found gems like Kevin Boss, Ahmad Bradshaw and Kevin Boss that were key pieces to winning the Superbowl.

Arav and I are going to be glued to the TV following what our Giants do. GO GIANTS!!!

Today was a day of celebration, a day to continue the great sense of fulfillment that we started to feel on Sunday. Leaving the house early in the morning, I headed over to downtown Manhattan to join thousands of fans in welcoming home our Superbowl Champion New York Giants.

Superbowl Champions. It still has a great ring to it. I joined thousands and thousands of Giants fans who feel the same way to share the love with the team. Even getting to Broadway as early as I did was no help, as I had to squeeze through crushing crowds to find a decent spot. We had to wait for hours, but the crowd passed time with some good natured New York fun – throwing toilet paper rolls across the street, bouncing a beach ball along the length of the crowds, even an inflated condom at one point (only in New York). People were climbing on top of lamp posts and phone booths. Chants of “Let’s Go, Giants“, “MVP” and “18-1” kept rising from the crowds.

Suddenly, the crowds roared as 8-9 buses rolled past us, obviously carrying the team members down to the starting point for the parade. The “Canyon of Heroes” was getting into the right mood to greet the returning victors. There was a giant screen set up by where I was standing, and a little after 11am, the crowds roared again as it showed Eli, Strahan, Coughlin and more emerge with the Vince Lombardi trophy and get on their float.

It was a lot of fun to be part of the crowd celebration, everyone doting on their beloved Giants, sharing this communal feeling of joy. When the defensive players went by on their floats, shouts of “D-Fense” went up. When a float or bus went by carrying people no one could recognize, chants of “Who Are You?” would fill the air. When Eli, Strahan and the Lombardi trophy came by, the place really went crazy, with everyone shouting “MVP” and “New York Giants“. When the float carrying the assistant coaches went by, chants of “Redskins suck” and other similar derogatory screams went up in an obvious appeal to Spagnuolo to not leave the Giants for a head coaching job there. Some players were obviously having more fun with the crowds than others – Pierce, Strahan, Bradshaw. A lot of players were taping the crowds, and were signing jerseys, caps, anything that the crowds threw at them.

After the last float went past, the crowds dispersed rapidly but pretty calmly. The surrounding streets and train stations were a sea of blue jerseys. Big Blue ruled the town this morning.

Photographs: I added photographs and video from Superbowl Sunday and the parade to my photo album on the ‘Life As We Know It‘ page. Just click on the album “Giants Win Superbowl” when you get there.

This is the most unbelievable feeling! My heart is still racing a mile a minute. My throat is aching from all the screaming. My beloved Giants have pulled off the biggest upset in the history of the NFL, and THE NEW YORK GIANTS ARE SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS!

It was one of the best games I have watched. It was physical, exciting, back and forth all night. No one, absolutely no one can say that the Patriots lost that game. The Giants went out and won it, in decisive fashion, playing good ol’ smashmouth football. The D-Line went out and smacked Tom Brady silly, to silence that record-setting New England offense. The better team won big-time, in a game that is sure to go down in history, and not just because the Giants ruined the perfect season.

We continued our tradition of watching this years playoffs at Jeet and Jeeves place. First rule of sports is to never change anything that is working. And watching the Giants post-season at their place paid off big time. So big thanks go to them – our champion hosts. And I also have to thank Jeet for giving me the tickets to that Giants-Pats game in week 17 which we can now see clearly was the start of the Giants championship run. The core folks (Jeet and Jeeves, Sudipt and Svetlana, Advait, Ed, and of course, me and Tanu) were all there. And we were joined by Aneesh, Steve and Elizabeth, And what a night it was!

The game was full of highlight moments. Brandon Jacobs running over the defenders at the start of the game, an indicator of things to come. Amani Toomer and Steve Smith making some pivotal catches, including a great one by Toomer on the sideline. Ahmad Bradshaw continuing to grind out yards, even though a defender had him in a headlock and another was dragging him down. The 45-yard catch and run by Kevin Boss. And the D-line continuously introducing Brady to the turf of University of Phoenix Stadium.

But it was that last quarter, stomach churning beyond belief, that elevated this game to an instant classic. Watching Eli take the team down for the eventually winning TD, starting from their own red zone, with only 2:39 left in the game, was just unbelievable, especially when you consider the plays involved. That unbelievable escape by Manning, for a 32-yard downfield throw to Tyree, who makes an amazing catch – that will join Jeter’s play in the 2001 playoffs in New York lore as “The Play”.

The Play

Those last 35 seconds, with the Giants holding on to a slim 3 point lead, were the longest of my life. Watching Brady trying to engineer another game winning drive was nerve-wracking as hell. But the G-fense has been unbelievable all year, and really came through time and time again in the clutch. That massive hit Jay Alford put on Brady on 2nd down had everyone on their feet. And when that last hail mary from Brady to Moss was batted down with 2 seconds to go, we just lost it (click here to watch the secretly taken video of it). It is the most unbelievable feeling. Sooooo cooool!

Eli was great, especially when you consider how the year started. Even a month ago, people were doubting him. And what a drive in those last 3 minutes. He deserved the MVP award. But my MVP is Steve Spagnuolo, for turning the defensive unit into the awesome monster that they are. Watching Brady getting hit over and over again, getting sacked 5 times, slammed into the turf about 18 times, constantly getting pressure in his face – that is what won the game. That is what won the championship!

Brady becoming best friends with the Turf

Can’t wait for the parade on Tuesday. I am soooo there. We won the Superbowl! The New York Giants are NFL Champions!!! My son is going to be born a fan of Superbowl Champions!

Eli holds up the Lombardi trophy

It’s 2 in the morning, and I’m still on a high. The Road Warrior G-Men once again found a way to pull one out on the road. And in brutal conditions too. -4 F? Wind chill at -23F? Are you kidding me?

It’s never pretty. It darn near gives us a heart attack every single time. It always seems to go down to the wire; to the very last play. But this team manages to find a way to win when they need to. Their spirit is unbelievable. They made the Packers look a little ordinary, and anyone who followed football this year knows how far that is from the truth.

Once again at Ranjeet and Sanjeevanee’s place (see Jeeves, I learnt my lesson), we found ourselves screaming at the TV so many times, we were hoarse by the end of the night. When Webster fumbled his interception. When McQuarters fumbled the punt that almost got turned over. When the Bradshaw touchdown was called back on a borderline holding call. And never louder than when Tynes missed the 36 yard attempt at the end of regulation. After that Webster interception in overtime, when we failed to go down the field and the team was going for a 47 yard field goal, we were all screaming at the TV in anger at the decision.

And then a minute later, we were all jumping up and down and screaming in joy and elation when Tynes’ kick went through the uprights. The Giants are going to the Superbowl! Plaxico was huge in this game. Corey Webster played out of his mind, especially after being made to look foolish on that 90-yd TD by Driver. And the defense stepped up again and again. And Eli continued his path to living up to that whole pedigree thing.

0. The number of interceptions that Eli has thrown this postseason. That is the key to this improbable run. While us die-hard fans always backed the team and hoped they could do it, the team has actually made us believers. And it all started that night in the Meadowlands when Big Blue played their hearts out against the Patriots. I was there, and you could feel something special in the air that night. Clearly, we have to take that to Phoenix now, against those same Patriots, and just do a little better in two weeks.

Tynes after kicking the winning 47-yard FG in the Giants 23-20 win

The Superbowl in two weeks, against those unbeaten Patriots. To keep the streak going, we are going to be at Ranjeet and Sanjeevanee’s place again. We can’t wait. It is going to be huge!

It may not have been as much fun to watch as the Packers snow game on Saturday, but yesterday’s Giants win was the kind of game you love and hate as a sports fan. Tanu and I were at Ranjeet’s place with a bunch of other folks cheering on the Giants as we watched them steal one from the Cowboys. And boy, did it feel like stealing, right down to the wire.

Twice the Cowboys had long, demoralizing drives that ate up the clock and put points on the board. But the Giants somehow managed to do everything they needed to do to stay in the game and not lose the mental battle. That touchdown in the last minute of the first half, after the Cowboys had just taken 10+ minutes driving down the field for a bruising touchdown, was just the momentum builder needed at the half. Holding the Cowboys to just a field goal after the 8+ minute drive to start the 3rd quarter was key too. And then in the fourth quarter, when you just felt that the defense would give way after all the time they had been forced to spend on the field, they somehow held strong against the NFCs leading offense.

Those last 4 minutes were sheer agony as a fan. I couldn’t stay in my seat and had to walk around the whole time. One can only imagine what the Giants must have been feeling. And when McQuarters picked off Romo, everyone in the house just erupted in screams. We were jumping up and down so much, we may have damaged the new floors of Jeet’s place.

Oh well, he can’t complain. We’re going to be back there next Sunday, hoping to continue the streak.

Well, in person anyway. I have never been to an NFL playoff game, but the Giants-Patriots game last night felt like one. My beloved Giants lost, but they played out of their f@&$ing minds. And because they were in the game until the failed onside kick in the last minute, the excitement never went away.

With the news all week about Giants fans selling tickets to Patriots fans, I was expecting the stadium to be overrun with New England fans. But I was surprised (and proud) to see that while that may have happened, Giants fans showed up in droves to support the G-Men. In fact, there was more Big Blue support at the stadium than I have ever seen (usually there are a lot of casual fans). And there was a playoff atmosphere right from the kickoff. And that first drive by Eli and the Giants, where they went downfield and scored, set the tone for the whole night.

Back and forth the game went, and the great thing was that throughout the whole game you felt that the Giants could do anything. They stood toe-to-toe with the best team in football, and they rose to the occasion. No starters rested, and they played their hearts out, and (for better or worse) they made us believe. They made us believe that they could beat the Pats. And they made us believe that they can do something good in the playoffs. Tampa had better watch out.

We watched one of the greatest QB’s of all time make history. That long pass to Randy Moss that set the two records (can’t believe they managed to orchestrate that), with him doing that while getting hit in the face, after just having missed the same play, showed just how great he is. And managed to knock the wind out of the crowd for a while. That was the turning point of the game.

It’s not the best game I have been to; that honor still rests with a Yankees-Red Sox playoff game I went to. But it was close. I felt proud of my Giants. And the atmosphere in the stadium was electric. Even my cousin getting into it with a jerk of a Pats fan 3 seats behind us, who was quiet all game but started jawing off in the 4th quarter when they got the lead, didn’t detract from the enjoyment of the game.

Oh, and many thanks Ranjeet. It’s a shame you couldn’t make it to the game, but thanks for giving Sid, Louis and me this experience. It was unbelievable.

My fantasy season is over, thanks to a bad day by Drew Brees, and an ill-fated decision on my part to play the Packers Defense instead of my beloved Giants. Who could have predicted that the Packers D, which had been so solid all year long, would stink it up against the hapless Bears? And that the Giants D would go off against the Bills? That made ALL the difference in my semi-final matchup.

But the good news is that my football Giants did manage to pull off a win against the Bills, winning on the road again. Pretty much means that they are not going to try and win against the Pats next week. Too bad, as I will be going to that game, and so will be in attendance to see the hated Patriots make all sorts of history in Giants stadium.

Hopefully the road win karma will continue for the Giants in the playoffs. First round is now set against Tampa, and we will face Garcia again like we did last year. Hopefully the result will be different this time.