Giants pull of the ultimate upset

THIS column comes to you from New York City - and what a time to be in the Big Apple. Last Sunday the New York Giants pulled of the mother of all shocks beating New England in Phoenix and ruining their hopes of a perfect season.
I was in Arizona for the big game and it was certainly something else to be in that state with such a huge event going on down the road. I drove past the stadium a couple of days before the match and the atmosphere was already starting to gather pace - they had an NFL exhibition there for a couple of weeks before it - kind of like a massive fairground devoted to various NFL activities.
I drove on from Phoenix to Tucson, Arizona and stayed there with my uncle, also named Nick for a few days. I hadn't seen him in 20 years so it was great to catch up and watch the match with him.
He is 51 and also a Sports Junkie as he has devoted a separate room in his house to signed baseballs, photos and newspaper clippings from Phoenix and Arizona's many professional sports teams.
Of course we got on like a house on fire and spent a few days working out what to do for Superbowl Sunday while eating at some of Tucson's finest eateries.Uncle Nick was in the US Air Force for around 25 years and he had the idea of watching the game on the Davis-Monthan Air Force base that he used to work at.
On the morning of the game it was certainly a strange atmosphere as we drove to the huge air force base. Jets were patrolling the sky from an area covering Mexico to Nevada to keep the skies free of trouble - if the World Trade Center was a prime target for a terrorist attack seven years ago, you can just imagine what a prized asset an attack on the stadium holding the Superbowl would be.
Thankfully there was nothing to worry about and inside the air force base it was time to get into party mode.
Around 50 of us - serving air force men and women and their families watched on a big screen with food and drink provided and a game of Superbowl bingo to play - essentially you cross off what takes place in the match on your bingo card.
I cleaned up in the third quarter with a Giants punt and scored myself a cap and T-shirt, and also won the prize for being closest to the half-time score.
Watching the Superbowl at 4pm was strange - normally its a solitary 11pm start for me and I struggle to stay awake, but this time it was one big party.
Any American will tell you that the Superbowl is not only about the action taking place on the field but also about the adverts - most of America's biggest companies pay big bucks to broadcast new adverts during the game - and the next day the New York Post ran a Top 25 countdown of the best. Indeed, some of the watching crowd were more interested in the commercials than the outcome of the match!But the audience that did watch a sensational game was almost part of history - almost 100 million viewers tuned in - and it was revealed on Monday that only the viewing audience for the final episode of MASH in 1983 was bigger for a single event.
And as for the game - well it was no classic but it turned on one piece of genius from Eli Manning in the final two minutes to give the Giants an incredible win. As a Patriots fan I was a tad gutted, but I was just pleased that I wasn't sitting by myself in Suffolk and could enjoy the game with fellow NFL nuts.

Patriots all set to go 19-0

THREE months ago I was sat at a soaking wet Wembley watching the New York Giants defeat the Miami Dolphins in the first regular season game outside North America - and little did I think they'd make it all the way to Superbowl XLII.

It wasn't just me.

Of eight home games this season, they lost five.

No other team with such a bad record has made it to the biggest single sporting event in North America.

The reason for their incredible run is easy - their away form has been historically good. Ten straight wins on the road has secured their place in Sunday's end of season Arizona spectacular - and that's no mean feat.

New York Giants are the NFL's equivalent of Tottenham - a well liked club who've had glory spells in the past but more often than not fail just when it seems they're destined for greatness. Imagine Spurs getting to the FA Cup Final by winning at Arsenal and Chelsea and then defeating Liverpool in the semi with a last minute winner. That's essentially what the Giants have done - won at Tampa Bay, won at Dallas which was a big shock, and then won in ice cold Green Bay when all of America was expecting Brett Favre to lead his team to Arizona.

Since arriving in the US two weeks ago, Superbowl fever has been growing and growing. I'm right in the heart of Arizona and as I munch on a warm piece of pecan pie with cream, the TV's are blurting out non-stop coverage of the build up to the game.

The New England Patriots, who face the Giants on Sunday are on their way to an historic season. They won all 16 regular season games (a feat only matched by Miami in 1972) and are on course to go 19-0 - an unbeaten season which is unheard of. The key to their success has been the leadership of quarterback Tom Brady and the success of running backs Randy Moss, Wes Welker, Donte Stallworth and Laurence Maroney, coupled with a strong defense.

Only Tiger Woods ranks higher than Brady in American sport superstar status these days - his ankle injury that he picked up in the AFC Championship game against San Diego kept even the death of actor Heath Ledger off the news pages last week.

Brady appeared in New York with his foot in a brace - and all the talk has been about whether he will be fit for Sunday's game. Just like the hype in the UK in recent years over Becks and Rooney's metatarsals, Brady's ankle has been the hot topic going into this game.Brady has seen and done it all before - leading the Patriots to Superbowl wins in 2002, 2003 and 2005 and rightly his team will start favourites on Sunday.But the Giants have plenty of reason for optimism. The Patriots had won 15 games and faced the Giants in the last match of the regular season at the Giants and the New York side almost handed them their first defeat. The game ended 38-35 and the Giants, known as The G-Men will take the fact they came so close to beating Bill Bellichick's team as great encouragement.Eli Manning, brother of Peyton Manning who won the Superbowl with Indianapolis last year, is their star man and will look to the likes of Plaxico Burress to score points. But it's the Giants defence, marshalled by Michael Strahan that will need to be at their best to cope with the ammunition coming from Tom Brady's arm and that really will be the key to the game.

I wont get inside the University of Arizona stadium in Glendale, Phoenix for the game unless some miracle happens but it's great to think its all happening just around the corner from me.

PLAYERS TO WATCH:

NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS: Wes Welker. Welker was so ineffective that the dreadful Miami Dolphins released him last season due to his slender frame and lack of height (5ft 9ins). But at New England Welker has flourised and his size, once his weakness has become his great asset. Expect him to be the option if Tom Brady cant get the ball to Randy Moss

NEW YORK GIANTS: Michael Strahan. Veteran Strahan is key if the Giants are to win the Superbowl. He offers great strength in the G-Mens defence and if Tom Brady is sacked (caught in possession of the ball) it's odds on that Strahan will be the one responsible. NICK'S

PREDICTION: New England Patriots 31 New York Giants 17