With the passage of time, I’ve come to the conclusion that the disappointing end of his career as a Dolphins executive along with his “journeyman” travels hurt his HOF chances. However, Parcells is also the only coach in NFL history to take four different teams to the playoffs (Giants, Patriots, Jets and Cowboys). Aside from his success with the G-men, Parcells’s legacy includes an AFC Championship (Patriots), AFC title game (Jets) after the team had gone 1-15 the previous year and making the Cowboys relevant again (with Romo underachieving even back then).   So, Parcells didn’t simply wander aimlessly from team to team but had a big part in laying the groundwork for future success.

I’m disappointed that the 44 HOF voters – whoever they are as the process is shrouded in as much secrecy as when a new Pope is elected – couldn’t see what seemingly everyone else in the industry does: Parcells deserves to be elected. I only hope they come to their senses at the next vote!

Parcells and LT - love that old school Giants sweater!

- Let’s start with the fact that the two week build-up to the big game is overkill. I understand why the NFL does this but even I as a huge Giants fan was sick of having every angle dissected over and over. There were definitely inspirational stories such as Giants LB Mark Herzlich who beat cancer and the Patriots dedicating their season to owner Robert Kraft’s late wife Myra. However, the game is almost anti-climatic after every NFL analyst, former player and/or intern is asked for their prediction.  

- The Giants have been recipients of some dubious officiating during their playoff run, most notably in the Packers game. I still can’t believe Bill Leavy (the same official who admitted blowing calls in the 2006 Super Bowl by the way) didn’t overturn the ruling on the field that Greg Jennings was down by contact when video evidence clearly showed he lost the ball before hitting the ground.  So you could understand my surprise that the refs had the guts to call a safety on the Golden Boy, Tom Brady, on the Patriots’ first offensive possession no less. That, not necessarily the Wes Welker drop,  influenced the end of the game.

- A related note is that I’m still shocked by how sloppily the Patriots started the game. Despite having one of the worst defenses in the league and less offensive weapons than normal, New England got to the Super Bowl by overachieving e.g. being well prepared. Not only was Brady at fault for that safety but the Patriots were called for 12 men on the field negating a critical fumble recovery. Karma, by the way, played a huge role in this game as the Giants managed to recover all their fumbles which almost never happens!

- The first half went by faster than any other game in recent memory which is astounding for the Super Bowl, a game that typically drags. Perhaps that was due to Tom Brady’s efficiency in bringing the Patriots down the field for a TD, completing a Super Bowl record 16 consecutive passes.

- The half time show, which despite being better than average, was still disappointing as Madonna simply lip-synced her way through her greatest hits. British rapper M.I.A. flipped America the bird which got some people riled up but really who cares! I was more taken by how uncomfortable she looked doing the dance moves.

- The second half went almost entirely the Patriots’ way until of course they were trying to ice the game. Despite being up at the time, 17-15, it felt like New England was the more nervous team. You could almost feel the air deflating from their team when Brady and Welker failed to connect for a critical first down. Who’s at fault? Most analysts seem to blame Welker and while he certainly should’ve made the catch, I’m sure Brady would also like to have thrown the ball better.

- This set up Manning’s late game heroics and the strangest TD in Super Bowl history. Bradshaw went into the End Zone like my 5 year old daughter would have, butt first and off balance.  Belichick absolutely made the right call by letting the Giants score but the defense let Bradshaw off the hook for not going down sooner. Although for a running back accustomed to fighting for every yard, the parting of the Red Seas must’ve seemed like a dream come true at the time. It must be noted that Manning looked cool as ice – he takes over for Elway as the QB who I’d want at the end of a big game in a two minute drill. Plus, that Manningam play will go down in Super Bowl lore as one of the best throws ever.

- Here’s where the safety becomes critical as the Patriots now were forced to drive the length of the field for a TD rather than simply get to field goal range. By this point, that was asking too much of Brady because I think the Justin Tuck sack affected his shoulder more than was reported. Despite the hurt, he did manage to execute a perfect Hail Mary at the end of regulation which - thankfully- fell short of Gronkowski’s reach. Notice how I haven’t really spoken of The Gronk? That’s because his ankle made him a non-factor although he managed to move around just fine during the after party (just saying Patriots fans!) 

- After the game, talk of Belichick and Brady’s diminished legacy almost overshadowed Manning’s clutch performance (again) which made him Super Bowl MVP. For the record, that tandem will still go down as one of the best of all time. In a “what have you done for me lately” world, they’re being judged for losing the last two Super Bowls. That doesn’t take away from the first three people! As for Manning, it should be a capital offense now to ask whether he’s an elite QB.

- Finally, my favorite post-Super Bowl story is Gisele’s foul mouthed tirade against the hecklers who dared say that Manning owns her husband (which he does by the way). I don’t have a problem with Gisele defending Brady but she probably shouldn’t have criticized his teammates. This will most certainly garner her Yoko One status in Boston which I’m not sad about as this is the same woman who said that childbirth was a relaxing experience!

Will the Giants repeat next season? Probably not as it’s incredibly difficult to do but boy did I enjoy the ride!!

Rob Tringali for ESPN.com

The comparisons between this team and the 2007 version are inevitable especially as they both entered the playoffs as Wild Cards and had to win on the road to get to the Super Bowl. Not to mention Lawrence Tynes’ clutch performances, kicking the winning field goal in OT of both NFC Championship games. However, in my opinion, the similarities should end there because while the ’07 team relied on the running game and defense, the current team is all about the Big 3 – Hicks, Manningham and Cruz. Brandon Jacobs had monster seasons in ’07 and ’08, running for over 1,000 yards but this year, he and Ahmad Bradshaw combined barely surpassed 1,000 yards. Plaxico Burress, David Tyree and Amani Toomer were Manning’s WR back in ’07 but I don’t think they compare to the ones currently on the roster. Plus, there’s Manning who after this season should never be asked whether he is an elite QB. Although the Giants defense has gotten its act together in the playoffs, that corps was plagued by injuries and the secondary couldn’t cover anybody.

To beat the Patriots though, the Giants cannot commit the dumb penalties they took against the 49ers (face masks and unnecessary roughness is unacceptable at this stage) plus they must win the turnover battle again. Brady will certainly have more throwing TDs than he did yesterday against the tough Ravens defense but if the line pressures him into mistakes,  Manning and the offense are more than able to capitalize. As long as it’s close in the 4th quarter, I expect some of Manning’s late game magic to appear, this time in the stadium his brother built – what a perfect ending that would be to a wild season!!

Jamie Squire / Getty Images

All photos by the Miami Herald except the last from the Associated Press

The aforementioned corsage

Channeling Kanye West

Look at the color coordination!

Attending the Kentucky Derby in seersucker and fedora (with no irony mind you!)

1) I understand that the BCS correctly identified the top 2 teams in the country in LSU and Alabama but realistically who outside the Southeast wants to watch this game? While I’m not going to argue with Alabama finishing in front of #4 Stanford despite the fact that the latter’s one loss came against a Top 10 team (Oregon), I personally believe that some sort of playoff system should be implemented to put an end to the constant second-guessing. In any event, I only hope that the Championship Game is not a field goal slugfest like the first match-up!

2) Andrew Luck, Stanford’s QB, is NOT projected to win the Heisman Trophy this Saturday in New York which to me represents such a remarkable turn of events that I’m almost rendered speechless. There was so much made of his decision to stay in college for one more season that anything short of a National Championship is now a failure. Forget that he led a PAC-12 school known for its academic rigor to the still-prestigious Fiesta Bowl, threw for 35 TDs and over 3,100 yards and is guaranteed to be the #1 pick in the upcoming draft; Baylor’s QB, Robert Griffin III (who??) clearly deserves the award because he’s fun to watch and he beat Texas (which has an 0-4 record against Top 25 teams by the way). This makes absolutely no sense to me but Luck can console himself with thoughts of a very large contract coming his direction! Now if  he could only get Archie Manning to stop giving his input on the Colts’ QB situation…

3) Can someone explain to me why Virginia Tech, which got blown out by Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, was given a BCS at-large bowl bid? They are now playing in the Sugar Bowl instead of (the more deserving) Kansas St or Arkansas, two teams which face each other in the Cotton Bowl (apparently not a BCS bowl which I only figured out now.)

4) Along the same lines, how embarrassing is it that UCLA – which had just fired its coach for getting demolished by USC the previous week - played Oregon for the Pac 12 title? If that wasn’t enough, the team actually received a waiver to accept a bowl bid. Are you kidding me? Why does a team with a 6-7 record and no head coach deserve to go to a bowl? The mind boggles…

5) Finally, I just read a very confusing article about the Big East’s expansion next year to include Boise St., Houston, SMU, San Diego St, and Central Florida.  I haven’t studied geography in awhile and currently live outside the U.S. but am I correct in pointing out that Idaho, Texas and California are very far from the East Coast? Apparently, these teams have worked out some convoluted agreement that this is solely for football purposes (e.g. ability to make money from TV contracts) as their other sports programs will play in other conferences like the Mountain West and Conference USA. You understand my confusion right? Do conferences even matter anymore as the constant realignment has realistically rendered them pointless. Come 2014 when these teams are allowed to opt out of the Big East, I bet they form their own conference just out of spite!

The BCS trophy goes to an SEC team...again

While with the Mets, Valentine clashed not only with then-GM Steve Phillips but also with players like Bobby Bonilla (justifiably) and the media on occasion (a given in New York). Yet, he also managed to take the Mets all the way to the World Series in 2000, a feat I’m still amazed by over 10 years later as that was an overachieving team with only one legit offensive star in Mike Piazza and Al Leiter as the ace of their rotation. So we know he can handle the pressure which is good because the Red Sox will be under an intense spotlight once the season begins, if only to check whether beer and chicken wings are being consumed in the clubhouse. Plus, MLB fans tend to view everything baseball-related that happens outside the U.S  as insignificant but in Japan, where baseball is enormous, Valentine is a cult hero. Always a bright mind, Valentine probably benefited alot from that experience and, at the very least, maybe he can get Dice K moving in the right direction again.   

Who knows how this will pan out in the end but in my opinion the Red Sox gave themselves the best chance of remaining competitive with Valentine’s hire. However, if they want to win the division, the front office has to contribute by shoring up their pitching staff and replacing closer Jonathan Papelbon.  Otherwise, they may be in for a long season which is music to this Yankees fan’s ears

Bizuayehu Tesfaye/ AP Photo

Right off the bat is the distinction that the Bills are the only team in either the AFC or NFC to play in 4 consecutive Super Bowls spanning the 1990-1993 seasons (the good part) and the only team to lose 4 consecutive Super Bowls (the forgettable part). I don’t mean to rub it in but the first of those losses in Super Bowl XXV was against my Giants. Despite having a Hall of Fame QB in Jim Kelly and an erudite coach in Marv Levy (the Bill Belichick of his time), the game was decided on a last second field attempt. I still remember exactly where I was when Scott Norwood’s 47 yard kick sailed wide right. The following year, the Bills lost to the Redskins and Thurman Thomas somehow lost his helmut long enough to miss plays ( I still don’t understand how that could happen). Then came two consecutive Super Bowl losses to the Cowboys, leading to an everlasting hatred of the NFC East. I can’t imagine how it must feel to come up short in the biggest game 4 times in a row…

After a down period which Bills fans used to recuperate from the numbness, Doug Flutie of all people revived their fortunes in 1999. This euphoria, which was almost comparable to the present-day Tim Tebow hype, was short-lived as the “Music City miracle” game cut short their playoffs.  With no time on the clock, the Titans managed a lateral that may or may not have been an illegal forward pass. But, this being the Bills, of course the call went against them and the TD stood.

From 2001 to the present, the Bills have not made the playoffs despite trying their best in the free agent market, getting Drew Bledsoe on the downside of his career and Terrell Owens who brings his own curse to teams. The only notable thing from this period is that owner Ralph Wilson decided to play one game in Toronto per season in exchange for alot of dollars (US or Canadian!) While I wouldn’t consider this bad luck, it sure wasn’t the brightest move as the Bills essentially play a neutral-site game, giving up home field advantage each season until 2012.

Fast forward to this year and there was hope. Fitzpatrick turned out to be a decent QB, the running game is great with Fred Jackson, and despite some bad losses (eg the Jets), they did beat the Patriots! Of course, all that came to a grinding halt with the placement of RB Fred Jackson on IR. Until his injury, Jackson ranked 3rd in the NFL in rushing with 934 yards already and 6 TDs. He is an irreplaceable part of the Bills offense so honestly, I don’t know where they go from here because Fitzpatrick can’t win games on his own.

So, there you have it – the Bills are officially the Cubs of the NFL!

So, what have the Giants done lately? In 2008, the defending Super Bowl champs lost 3 of 4 down the stretch and got bounced in the first game of the playoffs by the Eagles (have I told you how much I dislike that team?). In 2009, after starting the season 5-0, the Giants finished 8-8 and missed the playoffs. Last season, the G-men went 6-2 before sputtering to a still respectable 10-6 but still missed the play-offs. Somehow, Coughlin survived these missteps for another shot. That appeared to be a wise decision by Giants brass as the team, despite awful losses to the Redskins and Seahawks (the latter at home!), raced to a 6-2 start leading the NFC East by a full two games. Those were the days because after losses to the 49ers and Eagles, the Giants are now tied for first with the Cowboys who have quietly, for them at least, won 3 games in a row. Plus, Coughlin has clearly angered the NFL gods because their remaining schedule is brutal with games against the Packers, Saints, Jets and 2 against the aforementioned Cowboys. While I am optimistic by nature, I wouldn’t be surprised if they lost 4 out of their remaining 6 to miss the playoffs. Again.

Obviously, there’s been alot of press over the team’s late season issues but let’s look closer at the potential reasons for the letdowns. Injuries? Ahmad Bradshaw, Justin Tuck, Prince Amukamara, and now D.J. Ware have all either missed time or battled nagging injuries but this is no excuse. The Packers weren’t ever completely healthy during last season but they still got into the playoffs. Manning’s play? The QB didn’t have great stats last year and his latest game against the Eagles won’t win any awards (1 INT and 1 fumble lost) but he is not the issue. I can’t imagine where the Giants would be without his 4th quarter heroics. Coaching? It always comes back to coaching and in this case I think it’s justifiable. In the last few years, the Giants have committed numerous bone-headed fouls and were among the most penalized teams in the NFL. Now, in addition to these mental mistakes, the Giants bread and butter – the running game – has suffered because their offensive line is getting pushed around at the line of scrimmage. Without the ground game, Manning is under alot of pressure to complete passes. Clearly, Coughlin’s message is not getting through and if he wants to stick around next season, I suggest that he changes tactics quickly! That rousing win against the Patriots where the team lifted Coughlin on their shoulders in the locker room is looking like the highlight of this season sadly.

Andrew Mills / The Star-Ledger Photo

Meanwhile, pundits were not convinced by his assertion citing his admittedly high 25 interceptions during the 2010 season and making negative comparisons to older brother Peyton. While Peyton is clearly one of the top 3 current QBs in the NFL when healthy, Eli did manage over 4,000 yards passing and 31 TDs during the disappointing 2010 campaign. Not to mention that he has the same number of Super Bowl wins (1) and Super Bowl MVPs (1) as his brother. In fact, Eli is one of only three QBs (Peyton and Brees are the others) to throw for over 3,000 yards every season from 2005-2010. Not bad for a little brother! Finally, through 8 games this season, Eli’s QB rating is at a career high 98.8 and is on pace for well over 4,000 yards again but most importantly has only thrown 6 INTs. Philip Rivers would love those numbers this season…

Let’s take the stats a bit further by comparing Manning to Brady, who will certainly go down as one of the best QBs to ever play the game. Of the Giants 6 wins this season, 5 have been the come-from-behind variety including last Sunday’s thrilling win over the Patriots. In total, Manning has 22 game winning drives (GWD) and 18 of those were 4th quarter comebacks (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/comeback.cgi?player=MannEl00). In comparison, Brady has 33 game winning drives and 24 4th quarter comebacks (http://www.pro-football-reference.com/play-index/comeback.cgi?player=BradTo00). Although Brady has the edge, he’s been starting in the NFL since 2001 (and yes, I’m aware he missed a season due to injury) whereas Manning took over in 2004, only playing in 9 games. I will certainly not argue against Brady’s brilliance but in the 4th quarter of a tight game, I’d pick Manning to guide my team down the field anyday. Plus not only is he clutch but Manning is as good, if not better, on the road as he is at Giants Stadium with a 33-23 road record as starter including this season’s games. Given the competitiveness of the NFC East and the rudeness of some of its fans – I’m talking to you Eagles’ supporters – that is quite an impressive feat.

Of course, the Giants have an absolutely brutal stretch of games including at the 49s and Saints and home against the Packers so we’ll really see what Manning can do but in the meantime, can we please give him some credit!