Letter of Apology to Eli Manning

What could I possibly say at this point, other than that you all have seen why I gave up on gambling over a year ago. Thank goodness I didn't put money on this game. I suppose I got the point spread exact on the BCS Title game, though.

Anyway, this had to be one of the most thrilling Super Bowls in NFL history. I would imagine the NFL is ecstatic with the way 3 or 4 of the last 7 Super Bowls have ended. Any one of the Patriots/Rams, Patriots/Panthers or Patriots/Giants title games has it's respective argument for the best Super Bowl ever.

If this isn't the best one, then it certainly is top 5. The 4th quarter of tonight's game is hard to top by NFL standards. One had to assume several times that the Patriots would eventually pull away from the Giants. But in the words of the great Teddy KGB, that Eli Manning has alligator blood. He kept hhhhanging around, hhhhanging around.

I've taken my fair share of shots at Eli Manning. I've gone on record saying that the Giants would never win a Super Bowl with him at QB. He is simply too erratic a QB. Heck, even on his last drive he threw a pair of awful passes. However, I can no longer deny the guy has the talent and the guts to take his team to the top. He proved it.

That 35 yard pass to Tyree was the most insane play I have ever seen while watching an NFL game. Manning should have been sacked a number of times, leaving the Giants with a 4th and long and likely a long plane ride home. Instead he launched a prayer that David Tyree managed to pull down against his helmet, with one hand no less.

Now the Patriots head home with a less than perfect record, amidst a cloud of doubt about their future. Tom Brady was completely off his game tonight for whatever reason, and the defense couldn't get it done when it mattered most.

I have to congratulate guys like Sam Madison and Manny Wright, former Dolphins who just won a ring. Congratulations to William Joseph, Jeff Feagles, and Sinorice Moss for making us Canes fans proud. I feel for guys like Junior Seau, Sammy Morris, and Heath Evans, all former Dolphins who almost won a ring with a better franchise. Similar condolences go out to former Canes Vince Wilfork and Brandon Meriweather.

Oh, and a big eff you to Wes Welker. He has done anything but handle himself with class after leaving the Dolphins. I don't care how many catches he had, the Dolphins still ended up with the better part of the deal with the two picks they got back. He did nothing (1 career touchdown) while he was here and benefited from a WR friendly system that featured Tom Brady and Randy Moss, possibly the two best players at their positions, ever.

So here's my apology to Eli Manning. You proved your worth out there and gave millions of fans the memory of a game that will not soon be forgotten. Despite playing in the toughest of atmospheres under intense scrutiny, you did it. I doubted you from the start, and while I still feel you have a long way to go as a quarterback, nothing I ever say matters because you've got the ring to back it all up. Congrats.