GIANTS WIN!!!
So I don’t know if I even need to say this but I didn’t sleep much last night. Nancy and I walked to our place from the Steakhouse, I drove her home and got back around 11pm. I was kind of wide eyed as I contemplated the game I had just attended. It was magical to say the least. The pictures flying all around the internet and via email put paid to the idea that it was one of the classics.
My immediate thought was to get the video up and loaded (pictured above). Firstly, I wanted to watch it all again anyway, but second, I knew some people’d get a kick out of seeing it loaded so soon. As I said on the actual post for that day, I had it done by 3am but fell asleep watching the final cut. It usually takes me 3, 4 or 5 hours to put them together and it’s another hour or two to have it published and loaded onto YouTube. It’s been well worth it though.
As for today Kelly let me have a sleep in (8am) ‘cause she knew I was up for most of the night. Bearing in mind she had only just come back from Vegas and I was out yesterday, today was the first time since last Tuesday that we had to hang out as a foursome. As lazy as it might seem, we did absolutely nothing but play games with the boys eat lunch and sort out a few things around the house. Ben took this photo of Luc which we think is just priceless.
By the time 330 hit my mate Robbo had come over so that we could head out to watch the Giants, Cowboys game together. I was very happy to stay home and watch it but we only have one TV and locking it on football for 4 hours isn’t anybody else’s idea of fun. Who would SpongeBob, Wubsy, Dora and Diego entertain if we weren’t watching them after all?
Having joked about it previously Rob and I decided to go to Hooters for something different. I love wildlife and birds are especially my favourite. I was really hoping to see a white owl whilst we were there. There were pictures of owls everywhere but none to be seen in real life. All of the girls were wearing blaze orange pants though so perhaps they were going out after work to hunt one down and bring it back?
We might have to go again next week to see.
Obviously we were rooting for the Giants so watching this game was tough. I didn’t want to see them play too well but I did want them to win the game. What a conundrum we found ourselves in.
To cut a long story short the first 3 quarters didn’t mean much ‘cause the game was kept close. That didn’t stop me from going totally berserk when anything big happened for either team. When there’s still time on the clock though there’s still time to win the game. In particular I recall:
- The Eli Manning to Amani Toomer 52 yard TD pass that put the Giants up 7 - 0
- The 10 minute, 20 play, 90 yard TD drive that seemed to give Dallas all of the momentum in the world heading into halftime at 14 - 7
- The 46 seconds, 7 play, 71 yard TD drive that Eli mastered with what little time Dallas had left them in the half to equal it at 14 - 14
- The dropped ball by Patrick Creyton on 3rd and 13 in the 3rd quarter that would have at the very least, guaranteed a first down
The 4th quarter was the most nerve-wracking period of any type of sport I have ever watched in my life. Personally, I and every single individual and business here in Green Bay had so much riding on the result of this game that I wanted nothing but a win for the boys in blue.
For the most part I’m a good sport. I’ve watched World Cup Soccer Games, Rugby League, Rugby Union and Australian Rules Football Grand Finals. I’ve seen International Cricket matches and a whole host of other events where I’ve been barracking for a particular team or individual with everything that I’ve got. In the event of a win, I go absolutely nuts, when my team has lost I tend to get over it pretty quickly. That’s just the way I am.
Today was different though. I didn’t want to go to Dallas next week, I didn’t want to spend the money, I didn’t want to have to find a ticket, a hotel or transportation, I didn’t want to be away from Kelly and the boys for 3 more days. Kelly didn’t want to stay with friends whilst I was gone either. I was confident we could win in Dallas, don’t get me wrong. I just didn’t want to go there.
As the fourth quarter unfolded I was stunned at the pressure the Giants frontline was able to get on Romo. I watched, sometimes out of my seat, almost always excitedly, as they pounded through their holes to sack him twice, ground the ball intentionally and throw it away at times. It was awesome. The momentum was certainly on the side of New York.
Having said that, the game came down to the final 3 plays from the Giants 23 yard line. Trailing by 4, a touchdown, which was easily attainable, would have won them the game:
- Pass 1, incomplete. I barely moved out of my seat
- Pass 2, incomplete. I put my head in my hands
- Pass 3, he stepped up, he looked, he looked, I panicked, almost wet myself, he threw, I felt like I was going to pass out. The ball took what seemed like forever to get to the end zone as the camera panned to show us he threw into triple coverage. Blasted slow camera guy - I was almost on my knees. The ball was caught, by the Giants – Intercept! GIANTS WIN!!! GIANTS WIN!!!
I danced around that bar like it had just filled with the owls I was so hoping to see when we first entered. I hugged Rob, hi fived the guys next to us, jumped in the air pumping my fists and then started to cry in my hands. For the next 30 seconds all I could do was crouch there, face buried, trying to compose myself.
I stood up, wiped my eyes, sat back down in my seat and covered my face again. The NFC Championship game will be played here, at Lambeau Field, for just the third time in 47 years. The one year we had decided to come and live this life.
Kelly needed an explanation as to what the Cowboys loss meant. She was pleased. Suffice to say I was pleased too. What an experience. What a weekend.
