The Starting Five 02.05.08: Super Bowl Shocker

Posted by Jason Goodman on 02.05.2008

Sometimes “destiny” is achieving perfection. Sometimes “destiny” is stopping it from occurring.

Welcome Everybody, to this edition of The Starting Five. I'm Jason Goodman, and I'm Freaking Elated. I don't think I need to say why… but I will anyway! Now, onto the Five!!





1. C'monnn, Nobody's Perfect:








First off let me say this, to Diane Thistle in MA: No need for sadness, your team still managed to own an entire league for 18 games. In a row. To maintain that kind of excellence against all challenges is supposed to be impossible. Nothing is a given, when playing for the Lombardi trophy, and that was proven Sunday night. The Patriots still stand alone, unbeaten in the regular season (did I mention, they won all those games in a row? 16 in the regular season?), setting records in almost every offensive category imaginable.

That being said, Congratulations to MY 2007-08 New York Giants, on beating every odd thrown against them, and winning Super Bowl XLII by a score of 17-14 over the New England Patriots!!! From an 0-2 team with numerous questions at virtually every position, to a most improbable run to Arizona, the Giants shocked the football world by handing the New England Patriots their first loss of this year's campaign. Game MVP Eli Manning, whom many believed was saving his biggest choke for the grandest stage, out-dueled the regular-season MVP Tom Brady, and put together an unbelievable drive in the last 2 minutes of the fourth quarter, highlighted by an amazing throw to David Tyree – while narrowly evading tight coverage - for a first down, and capped off with a 13-yd touchdown pass to Plaxico Burress for the win. Burress, to his credit, held up his end of his pre-game prediction by coming through in the most "clutch" of moments.

Of all the people on this team who may feel the most vindicated, I would most likely look to the two vets – Amani Toomer and Michael Strahan. Each of these two had a horrible taste in their mouth from the 2000 Super Bowl (you remember, the year the G-Men played the championship game about two weeks too early?), and played like men on a mission. Toomer led all Giants receivers with 6 receptions for 84 yds, while Strahan had 3 tackles and a sack, managing to help keep pressure on Brady all night. For the Pats, Wes Welker was the dangerous force everyone knew he would be, gobbling up 11 receptions for 103 yards. Lawrence Maroney was dangerous in the first half, scoring the first TD of the game and breaking off a 43-yard kick return. For flashes, New England looked to be poised to run away with the game, but New York would continuously answer with stops along the way.

This was a game that delivered, from the opening kickoff all the way to the final knee, and the only thing I can compare it to as a NY fan is the feeling in 1996(you all know what I'm talking about!). Congratulations, and much thanks to both teams, for giving us a game for the books.






2. If He Can Make It Here…








So the news keeps on getting better in the Big Apple, as the New York Mets managed to complete a contract negotiation with "The World's Greatest Pitcher" Johan Santana. It took a two-hour extension, but in the end the lefty ace walks away with the largest contract of any pitcher. Ever. Six years, $137.5 million, with a team option for a seventh year. You know who has a bigger contract than Johan Santana right now? Alex Rodriguez. That's it. And, with all the money that flies around today, I defy anyone to tell me why he doesn't deserve it. We're not talking about Barry Zito here. This is a multi-time Cy Young winner, who has needed nothing but a chance to shine on a big stage. He's perhaps the most feared American League pitcher since… well, I guess since Rocket was young. And natural.

The point is this: It's win/win for the city of New York. Santana is going to give the Mets, so long as he stays healthy, 20+ wins. And the Yankees will only have to see him twice a year, except for the possible World Series matchup. Win/win.



3. The Tiger Keeps Roaring…








Has anybody noticed the tear Tiger Woods has been going on? After completely destroying the competition at the Buick Invitational, Woods gutted out an impressive, come-from-behind victory at the Dubai Desert Classic. He is 2-0 to start the season for the third time in his career, and has actually won his last four official tournaments. Every year he just seems to get better, and I just wanted to point that out. It would bring me nothing but pleasure to try and make some sort of joke connecting his dominance and the "lynching" comment from last month, but the fact is this is just what Tiger does. He wins. Then, he finds a better way to win. He'll soon just be breaking his own records.



4. Pau!







Pau Gasol is a L.A. Laker. A player with a HUGE upside, who wants nothing more than to play in meaningful games, is a Laker. Kobe Bryant must be elated, as he is finally getting the cast he's always wanted around him. Playoffs, baby, out of the first round. But I'm getting ahead of myself, let's take a look at what Gasol brings to the table: in 2007-08, he is averaging a shade under 19ppg, 8.8 rebounds, and 3 assists, while shooting 50% from the field and just under 82% from the free-throw line. We'll just add that to Lamar Odom's 13 points and 9 boards, and a healthy Andrew Bynum's 13 points with 10 boards and 2 blocks. I believe this is the type of frontcourt needed to not just compete in the west, but to get some meaningful wins. There are questions about Gasol's heart, however, and many are wondering how he'll react now that he's in such a big market city. I'm not going to count on him choking in the spotlight, regardless of his past failings(see: EuroBasket 2007, final game.). If nothing else, he has Coach Phil Jackson, who will treat him like a rookie Toni Kukoc the minute he starts to waver, and a newly-driven Kobe Bryant, who now expects his teammates to deliver.




5. Maybe I'm wrong, but…







Does Congress have anything important to do lately? Healthcare reform… Social Security dwindling… that other thing, what was it, oh, an on going WAR? Am I wrong for being completely sick and tired of seeing our elected officials preen and posture in front of the cameras, while the get to the bottom of the two biggest crisis in the nation: "Who shot what into Roger Clemens'/Barry Bonds' backsides?" and "How much did New England record, and when?"

Today Andy Pettitte testified in front of Congress for 2 ½ hours. Exactly what was learned, I have no idea. I actually don't even care. Andy Pettitte is a grown person. He took some banned substance, because he wanted to heal from an injury, and return to doing what he gets paid an asinine amount of money to do. This is the climate of professional sports. People will always try to get away with the next best advantage. Not all will, but enough. Coaches will always find different methods of one-upsmanship. They are paid to put their teams in a position to win. I'm not saying it's alright, I'm just saying that no amount of government intervention – especially of this useless nature – will ever do anything to curb it.

Joking with a friend at the bar last night, while watching the game, we decided that if Commissioner Goodell took away all of the Patriots tapes, then Robert Kraft would probably buy a spy plane. And if you're willing to do that to win 18 in a row, then you deserve to win 18 in a row. Just so happened Game 19 was played under a dome. The point is, Congress needs to deal with important matters. Yes, people deserve to know who took what, and when… but people also deserve to know their tax dollars are being used on more than just meaningless inquisitions. And by "their tax dollars," I mean MY tax dollars.




Walkin Off…




Congrats to Miguel Tejada, the new all-time Homerun leader in the Caribbean Series!



Well everyone, thanks for sticking around again, come back next week for more of that delicious Five-y goodness!