GiantTracks

Home at last...

The final leg proved less nightmarish than expected - even Ervolino seemed to get a lot of sleep on  the redeye from Seattle. We arrived at 5:55 EST - 5 minutes early.

Still, the contortions that one witnesses walking down the aisles is a reminder than people aren't built to sleep upright. My favorite was one I called the "Surrender" - arms folded on the tray table, head down and resting against the seatback. One poor young woman held that pose for at least an hour.

One more tidbit from a Giants fan from Monmouth County on her plane - she said numerous fans were offering $50 a pop for used ticket stubs from the game. I suspect that means they're going for double that on e-bay?

- John Brennan

Sleepless in Seattle - and all points beyond..

We arrived in Seattle at 9 pm (original Phoenix time) or 8 pm (actual Seattle time) or 11 pm (your time in New Jersey). I got about 15 minutes sleep on this first leg of the trip, a 3-hour flight.

Ervolino not happy to be overruled from the shrimp place to our choice of the "Alaska Lodge" restaurant; he vows to verbally take it out on the plane passengers on our redeye.

:)

Fatigue, exhaustion, giddiness - the lack of sleep and rough itinerary is showing. We spy a few Giants championship jerseys here at the terminal; we're not the only ones hitting Newark the hard way.

Hope to check in here at Newark Tuesday morning...

- John Brennan

A delay that's not really a delay

Funny thing about having a nearly four-hour layover built into your return trip - none of us panicked when we just found out that our Alaska Air flight from Phoenix to Seattle has been delayed for an hour.

While other passengers are making calls and worrying about missing connections, the four of us - reporter John Brennan, funnyman Bill Ervolino, video guy Tom Franklin, and photographer Tyson Trish - just figure that this way, our airport lounge wait time gets more equally split between the Phoenix airport and the Seattle version (I've been trying to sel the crew on the merits of Sea-Tac airport, which has a cool "Native American meets Pacific Northwest" theme. But no one seems impressed so far).

We do have one celebrity in our midst here - former Portland and Houston basketball  superstar Clyde "The Glide" Drexler, more recently known for a tepid performance on "Dancing with the Stars." Clyde looks as bored as we do, and with a Super Bowl cap on, most passengers aren't sure who he is.

If all goes well, we take off for Seattle (yes, we're going backwards to go forwards) at 7:30 pm EST, and still landing in Newark at (gulp) 6 am.

Ervolino has calmed down a bit after wolfing down a cheeseburger and a Corona, but he's still a little antsy. We're all crossing our fingers.

:)

- John Brennan

Ah, the good life...

Getting warmed up for the "glamorous" part of journalism: I have a 6:30 pm (EST) flight tonight to Seattle along with funnyman Bill Ervolino, videographer Tom Franklin, and photographer Tyson Trish. We'll then enjoy (not) a four-hour layover at Sea-Tac airport before catching a redeye out of Phoenix and landing at Newark at 6 am Tuesday. The hazards of needing to book 4 flights last Wednesday night; this town just isn't quite big enough, in some ways.

Tom and Tyson may be dragging the most - they had an endless (though very rewarding) day on Sunday, and they were out early this morning for the ceremonies out here at Giants camp. Bill says he can't  sleep on planes - so that  overnight flight may leave him in an interesting mood on Tuesday. Check his blog for more, no doubt.

During breakfast with Bill this morning, I was reminded that I also was at the 2003 Devils Stanley Cup title game, and at the 1986 Mets Game 7 win over Boston. The mojo doesn't work for basketball, alas - I covered the 1994 Knicks Game 7 in Houston, the 1999 Knicks Finals loss to San Antonio, and the Nets' losing effort against the Lakers in 2003. And I left the Rangers a year too soon, missing the 1994 Stanley Cup game (too busy with the Knicks). Still not a bad track record of being in the right place at mostly the right times, a la Forrest Gump.

It's been an hectic but fascinating week - who could have imagined the Giants even being here, the temperature not budging past 62 degrees in Phoenix, or the incredible 4th quarter that resulted in a Giants upset? But covering sporting events, as Forrest might say, you never know what you're going to get.

Manning's new car

Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning made a quick and decisive read today, much like he did yesterday on several occasions. Only this time, he didn't have Richard Seymour and Jarvis Green chasing him.

As MVP, Manning got to choose among five models of Cadillacs, and decided quickly upon an Escalade hybrid. 'I know it comes out in the summer,' he said, smiling, to the Cadillac representative. 'I want the first one.'

Coach Tom Coughlin jokingly asked why he wasn't getting a car. Maybe Eli can let him borrow it in exchange for a day off during training camp in August.

Stunned and Shocked....

The reaction on the faces of Patriots fans I saw outside the stadium and even in the Phoenix hotel after the game last night was utter disbelief. Three of them sat next to colleague Bill Ervolino and I at the Wyndham, glumly nursing a drink and trying to come up with an audible to their expected "celebrate 19-0 all night" play. Ultimately they just "took the sack," opting to stay in their bar seats rather than scramble around into the night - knowing that no acceptable alternative was out there.

They didn't even have a referee to blame, or a Patriots goat who handed the game over.

As a defiant Amani Toomer said of the Patriots afterwards (though he also could have been speaking of their fans as well): "I think they're definitely stunned, because they usually beat teams [this way]. We're them now. When they beat the Rams [in the 2002 Super Bowl shocker], that's how we beat them."

It's hard to believe given the hype, but this is the second straight season the Patriots have not won the title - and of course the second straight season they were taken down by a Manning brother.

The entire Patriots stretch run of the season reinforced two contradictory sets of beliefs - those who looked at the unbeaten season as proof this was the greatest team ever; and those who looked at the declining victory margins and good fortune in several of the wins as evidence of a team that could be had.

The Patriots themselves bought into the former idea. Toomer noted that defensive lineman Richard Seymour kept telling the Giants throughout the final drive that "it's time for you to go home, guys."

That only emboldened the Giants, however.

"You can't tempt fate like that," Toomer said. "You can't tempt fate."

So now the Giants go home - with a Vince Lombardi trophy as the ultimate extra baggage.

The Patriots?

They just go home.

- John Brennan

Wow!!

As Tara and I look at the confetti-strewn field here at University of Phoenix Stadium, it's finally sinking in--the Giants won the Super Bowl! Congrats to them--they deserved it.

If the NFL is a copycat league as people say, then somebody needs to find out what Dallas did against the Giants in Week 1, because that's the only time the Giants lost away from East Rutherford during the 2007 season. And of course they avenged that loss.

Really, this wasn't a fluke, even though the Giants made some incredible plays on their final drive. They outplayed and most importantly outcoached the Patriots, who couldn't do anything to slow down the Giants' pass rush. Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo obviously is on the fast track for a head coaching job somewhere. And Eli Manning won't have to hear about matching the expectations of being Peyton's brother anymore. Maybe Peyton now has to worry about living up to Eli's new-found reputation.

And yes, Eli won MVP. He got 16.5 of 20 possible votes. Wes Welker got 1.5, and Michael Strahan and Justin Tuck had one each. Included on the voting board was our own Vinny DiTrani, and the 'other' Paul Schwartz, the Giants' beat writer for the New York Post. [We went to the same high school on Long Island, which is why I'm giving him a plug. East Rockaway.]

As for the experience itself, it was interesting for a first-timer to the SB. The post-game was pretty chaotic, although they organized it as best they could. Players came to podiums set up in a huge interview tent. Finding the tent was a problem at first, but we all eventually got there.

The Patriots really seemed shocked that they lost. It was like they still didn't believe it.

They aren't the only ones.

Good news for Giants?

We've noted all week that there seemed to be a LOT more Patriots fans out here in the Phoenix area for the game than Giants fans.

And with less than 90 minutes to kickoff, that ratio is holding up inside the stadium. Giants like Eli Manning and Michael Strahan are drawing boos when they appear on the huge TV screens, while every Patriot appearance is greeted with roars.

So don't be surprised if this "neutral" site sounds more like a road game for the Giants tonight.

Of course, the Giants happen to have won a record 10 straight away from home....

John Brennan

SB Atmosphere/price check.....

It's strange being here at University of Phoenix Stadium less than three hours before game time, and finding a near-empty facility.

But the NFL has its season highlights pulsating on the giant TV screens, with that relentless NFL music setting the right tone.

The concession workers look calm and confident - the numbers are squarely in their favor for now. But soon enough, the barrage will be upon them.

....

If you had made it out to today's game here in Glendale, Ariz., how much would you be paying at the concession stands?

- $14 for a 24-ounce Budweiser, Coors, etc.

-$15 for a 24-ounce Heineken or Corona.

- $10 for a 16-ounce domestic draft.

- $8 for a hamburger (sounds like a best buy).

- $5 for the 20-ounce Coke that you can buy for $1.50 at the vending machine in your office.

- $5 for popcorn, or add $4 for the Super Bowl commemorative tub.

We asked three ladies at the merchandise shop what was the most expensive item on the board.

"This $365 black leather jacket," one replied, pointing to a sharp-looking item with a small Super Bowl XLII logo and Giants and Patriots helmet near the breast pocket. "Feel it - it's like butter," she said, though unfortunately without a Brooklyn accent.

- John Brennan

Welcome to the Stadium

Hello from the University of Phoenix Stadium, site of Super Bowl XVII. Just arrived here in my press box seat. Sorry the photo at left is so small, but I just wanted you to be able to see how such an aesthetically unpleasing exterior can hide such a fantastic interior. The grass on this field is so perfect it looks like turf. Apparently, they roll it in when needed. With a retractable room, they can also nourish the grass with sunlight. The roof is closed today as there have been raindrops throughout the morning.

Little gifts for the media members is a Super Bowl tradition, too. Upon arriving at your seat, there is a program, a seat cushion, a small transistor radio to listen to the game and a boxed lunch in a reusable cooler bag. More free gifts means less shopping for me!