What about Bob? Glauber's NFL Blog

Was thinking back to our conversation in the Milwaukee airport when we were both stranded the day after the Giants stunning upset of the Packers in the NFC Championship Game at Lambeau.

Punched up the story and re-read it, and Anderson nailed it exactly right. He equated this game to the Giants' upset of the Bills in Super Bowl XXV, with a zillion parallels.

Shame on me for going the other way.

I agonized over this one - as I had the Giants' previous three playoff games (predicted they'd win all three) - and didn't come to a definitive decision until last Wednesday, when Newsday demanded our predictions. I kept going back and forth, leaning toward the Giants during the bye week, but then gravitating toward the Patriots as the Super Bowl week went on.

Just felt like their experience would carry them.

Instead, Eli & Co. shocked the world with one of the most compelling Super Bowl performances ever. I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what happened, as are most Giants fans. And even the players, who pulled off one of the biggest shockers ever.

I still say he would have been better off not mentioning a score when someone asked him about it the Monday before the Super Bowl.

That said, Burress backed up the talk with a gutsy performance with an injury that was far worse than the team - or Burress himself - let on. He's played with a bum ankle all season, and then suffered a slightly torn medial collateral ligament early in the week after slipping in the shower. (By the way, isn't it really, really hard to suffer an injury like that slipping in the shower? A story for another day, perhaps.)

Burress had just two catches against the Pats, but he ended up with the game-winner in the final seconds. Good for Burress. He talked the talk, but then he walked the walk (sorry for the cliche, it was a long travel day back from Phoenix).

When Burress first got to the Giants after not re-upping with the Steelers, I was skeptical, as were most Steelers fans who had seen him underachieve in Pittsburgh. But he has become Eli Manning's go-to guy, and his play-with-pain performance this season - capped off by the Super Bowl - has definitely won our respect.

So, before Richie G busts an artery defending Burress' guarantee with his assorted comments the last few days, we offer Burress and unqualified shoutout.

Well done, sir.

After the Giants' Super Bowl win over the Patriots, Giants president and co-owner John Mara received non-stop congratulatory calls on his cell phone, to the point where he didn't pick up if he didn't recognize the number.

At one point, he got a call and saw that it was from "unknown caller," so he didn't answer.

A few minutes later, the same thing happened. And then once more. He didn't pick up.

His wife's cell phone rang and "unknown caller" came up again. She picked up.

The caller asked if he could speak with John, and his wife handed him the phone.

It was President Bush calling to congratulate him on the team's Super Bowl win.

The game was all but over after the Patriots' desperation fourth down pass, and Bill Belichick ran onto the field to congratulate Tom Coughlin on the Giants' impending Super Bowl win. Tom Brady went back into the locker room.

But there was still one second left on the clock, and referee Mike Carey instructed everyone to clear the field to run the final play. It was a kneel-down by Eli Manning.

But as Manning took the snap and cradled the ball in his arms, exulting in one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, Brady and Belichick were in the locker room.

Bad job by them.

I know it's a crushing blow to lose the Super Bowl. But you need to show some sportsmanship and stay on the field until the game is over. To leave beforehand, even though there's only one second left, just isn't right. You stay to the end, and then you move on. And what if, on the admittedly remote chance that there is a fumble on the play, the Patriots recover and run it back for the winning touchdown. Again, next to impossible, but that's why you play to the final gun.

I thought it was disrespectful of both men to leave early. They, of all people, should have known better.

Oh ... my ... goodness.

Eli Manning is about to be voted Super Bowl MVP.

Oh ... my ... goodness.

This might be the best low-scoring game I can remember.

The game is in doubt, but whatever happens in the next 7:54, it will be memorable.

This, ladies and gentleman, is why we all love this sport called football.

So we're out to dinner last night at a Mexican restaurant in Phoenix with two former Newsday staffers, Judy Battista and Greg Aiello (another success story out of Syosset). After dinner, we ask the waiter to call a cab.

He walks back to the table with a troubled look.

"The cab company says it will be a two-hour wait," he said.

Whoa. This is not New York.

Aiello, now the NFL's vice president of communications, takes matters into his own hands. He walks out the door and starts hitchhiking. Really.

We can just see the headline: "NFL executive and two reporters murdered day before Super Bowl."

"Are you insane?" I ask Aiello.

"What, you never hitchhiked before?"

"Yeah," I said. "When I was 18."

Neil Best has done a commendable job offering some memories of the one and only Giants Super Bowl he previously covered, although I doubt he can top the story from our first Super Bowl back with the '86 Giants.

It was a hellish week as a journalist, mostly because it was the Giants' first-ever Super Bowl appearance, and the interest level was through the roof. I was working for the Gannett Westchester Newspapers at the time (Peter King was Newsday's NFL columnist, and he is now a world famous NFL reporter for Sports Illustrated) and we didn't have a large staff, so I can't calculate how many words I wrote.

Anyway, after an incredibly exhaustive week of writing and reporting, a few scribes were sitting around the lobby of the team hotel in Costa Mesa, Calif., our minds and fingers numb from the pre-game buildup.

Within a few minutes, a Giants fan came over, beer in hand, and wanted to talk. It appeared he'd had many, many beers prior to the one he now carried.

"Hey, man, you guys pulling for the Giants or what?" he began, his words slurring badly.

Our strategy was to simply wait him out and have him move on to someone else, which is usually how these things go. But one of the fellows in our group, former Asbury Park Press reporter Judson Hand, was growing impatient with the fan. After trying to reason with the guy, Hand blurted out:

"We mean you no harm. Leave now."

It was as if he'd poured gasoline on a fire.

The drunk fan poured his beer in Hand's face, then rubbed the bottle in Bridgeport Post writer Mark Faller's face. Faller grabbed the dude. The two were wrestling one another for a few seconds before another writer (whose name I can't recall, but whom we nicknamed "Rocky" afterward) grabbed each man and pulled them apart.

I told King about the incident later that day, and he cracked up. He actually put an item in his Newsday column about it with the headline: "Big Apple Scribes in Tiff."

You have to check out this video of Giants personnel executive Chris Mara, son of the late co-owner and president, Wellington Mara.

He does a sit-down with Giants' equipment man Joe Skiba as part of the team's behind-the-scenes series on its Giants.com website. Skiba places several helmets that Mara has collected over his years with the Giants, and asks Mara to talk about his memories from the different eras.

There are some great stories associated with them, including the one where he admits to stealing one of Gifford's helmet from Wellington Mara's home 25 years ago.

There's also a fantastic story about the time the Giants beat the 49ers in the 1990 NFC Championship Game, and how the 49ers had been so confident of beating the Giants that they'd actually moved their office furniture into the team hotel that the Giants eventually used.

Jeremy Shockey had indicated in recent days he wouldn't be at the Super Bowl, but the injured tight end might have had a change of heart.

Giants officials have heard Shockey is in town and will attend the game, although they're uncertain where he'll watch it from.

(UPDATE: Just heard from someone familiar with Shockey's plans who says he is on his way to Phoenix and is expected to arrive later today. Haven't heard whether he's dining with former teammate Tim Hasselbeck, who ripped him earlier in the week on a national radio show.)

... being so close to all these people you've watched on television growing up.

Even after so many years of covering the NFL, I still get a kick out of walking through the lobby of the media hotel and seeing Mike Ditka ... Roger Staubach ... or stepping onto the elevator and seeing Lynn Swann face to face ... or Jerry Rice walking out of the elevator.

It is cool.

... 27.

It has been a terrific run for the Giants, whose plucky performances throughout the season and into the playoffs have gotten this team further than anyone could have imagined ... perhaps including themselves.

But the more I think about this game, the more I can't help but conclude the Patriots are simply the better team and will do what they must to win a fourth Super Bowl title in seven years and become the first team in league history to go 19-0.

Patriots 27, Giants 20.

If the Giants stick to a game plan that places a heavy emphasis on the run, clamps down on the Patriots' receivers with press coverage and a sustained pass rush, then they can keep this one close. They can even position themselves for the upset in the second half if they can contain the Patriots effectively enough.

But we've seen Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the rest of this magnificent Patriots team pull out the close games time and time again. I think they'll do it again on Sunday.

And to those of you who criticized our criticism of Plaxico Burress for predicting a 23-17 Giants win, just watch how the Patriots deal with him. They will be incredibly physical, both in terms of coverage and tackles. Rodney Harrison will level a couple of big hits on him, just for emphasis, and the Patriots will rally around Burress' chest-pumping words this week.

It's great that Burress wants to try and pump up his team, and yes, a player shouldn't simply say his team is outmatched and doesn't have much of a chance. But when you're dealing with a superior opponent and so much has to go right, it is far better to save your words until during and after the game, not before it.

If you haven't already made your pick for the game, you can post it below.

BBiB! is keeping track, and will no doubt provide the standings immediately after the game. He has informed us that he will be sober enough to accomplish this task, although if his beloved Steelers were in the Big Show, we'd have probably farmed out the assignment to Hookslide, NKR, Craig or some other reader so BBiB! could have tossed a few back.

Bills tight end Kevin Everett, temporarily paralyzed in a Week 1 collision on a kickoff return in the Bills-Broncos game, will be on hand for Super Bowl XLII. Great news.

Everett has confirmed to a Houston television station that he will sit with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

Everett has made a remarkable recovery from his injuries, and he is walking again after months of rehabilitation.

Caught a re-run of the Giants' win over the Bills in Super Bowl XXV last night on NFL Network, and thought back to this look-a-like that was all the rage when Levy was the Bills coach. If I'm not mistaken, Paulsen was part of the Rowan and Martin Laugh-in ensemble. I could be wrong on that, but I'm sure there's some baby boomer out there who will know.

(UPDATE: Emma informs us that it was the Smothers Brothers show that Paulsen was a part of ... yes, Hookside, the spelling is Paulsen, not Paulson.)

You have to love how Patriots quarterback Tom Brady responded to Plaxico Burress' prediction that the Giants would win, 23-17.

"We're only going to score 17 points?" Brady said. Then he chuckled.

"OK. Is Plax playing defense? I wish he had said 45-42 and gave us a little credit for scoring more points."

Perfect.

Laugh it off, just as Giants center Shaun O'Hara did after being accused of being a dirty player by Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman. O'Hara played along, saying he showered every day and even used conditioner every once in a while.

Pats receiver Randy Moss was asked a few minutes ago at the Patriots' press conference in Scottsdale what he thought of the Giants' decision to dress in black suits on their way to Arizona.

The Giants insisted the black suits were their way of showing that they were on a business trip, but some press box wags suggested it looked as if they were dressing for the funeral. Of the Patriots' unbeaten season, perhaps?

Moss cracked: "We'll see who's wearing black on Monday."

Plaxico Burress all but guaranteed a Giants' win by predicting a 23-17 score on Sunday, and he didn't back off from his boast during Media Day yesterday.

We've already received a couple of e-mails from angry Giants fans questioning why we would dare write anything critical of Burress, or any other Giants players, for that matter. One reader suggested it sounded like we were writing for a Boston paper, and not one of the Giants' "hometown" papers

Whoa.

Last I checked, Sam Zell was signing my checks, not John Mara. So pardon the criticism.

Then again, Mr. Mara himself wasn't too happy with Burress "chirping" this week, so we'll see where it goes from here.

On the way to the Giants' presser in Chandler, Ariz., so we'll see how it's going there.

One of the best things about covering the Super Bowl is running into Los Angeles Times columnist T.J. Simers, whose irreverent sense of humor is one of the real treats of our business. Then again, some of the folks he rips with surgical precision and comedic wit might not feel that way, but we've always considered T.J.'s edgy columns a cut above.

Check out his take on Media Day through the eyes of his 2-year-old granddaughter, and you'll know what we're talking about. He even includes a riff from our impromptu 6:30 a.m. chat at Starbuck's yesterday in the column.

Again, the man is a born blogger, even if he'll never indulge in the craft.

Actually, the team's co-owner, Steve Tisch, has also predicted the Giants will beat the Patriots on Sunday in Super Bowl XLII.

Perhaps it doesn't carry quite as much weight as a player of Burress' stature calling for a 23-17 win, but when the boss is guaranteeing a win, maybe you can't blame the players.

You will not be seeing John Mara predicting the outcome, because he's been around too long and would never think of breaking his father's rules about this sort of thing. Wellington Mara said he'd always expect the worst, and hope for the best. Never, ever, ever would he guarantee the outcome of a game.

Again, these people can say what they want, and they can get the Giants as juiced up as they liked. But my preference has always been to show a little restraint before the game, show what you've got during the game, and then thump your chest afterward.

The Giants have become a very likeable team this year in large measure because they have said little and done much, living out Tom Coughlin's catchphrase he printed on t-shirts handed out during the preseason: "Talk is cheap. Play the game."

But all this chatter in the days leading up to the big game run counter to that mindset. Do they still have a chance to win the game? Sure. But why give the opposition something to rally around, especially the three-time Super Bowl winning Patriots, who seem to revel in such verbal salvos.

First, Plaxico Burress predicts to a reporter that the final score on Sunday will be 23-17, just before he and his teammates board a bus yesterday for Newark Airport and their trip to Phoenix.

Back page headline.

But earlier today, Burress only fanned the flames by backing up his prediction with more bold talk about how the Giants shouldn't back down from the Patriots. Not that they should back down, but there might be just a tad less explosive way to say so than to tell a horde of reporters at your podium on Media Day.

"We don't have to take a back seat to these guys," Burress said of the 18-0 Patriots. "We didn't get here by luck. Quiet confidence is one of the best characteristics to have."

But Burress wasn't being so quiet about his confidence.

"Why come here with a negative attitude?" he said. "The goal is to go out and be great. Like [Eli Manning] tells me, 'Let's go out and be great.' I pat him on the buttocks and say let's go out and play."

Burress also accused the Patriots of having "a quiet arrogance."

Asked why he picked 23-17 as the final score, he said, "That was the first thing that came to my mind."

Hmmm. Wonder what's gonna be posted on the Patriots' bulletin board this morning.

It is one of the wackiest days on the pro sports calendar, and produces some nutty performances by both players and media members alike.

That's what happens when you turn 3,000 wretches like us loose on the two teams who earned the right to play in the Super Bowl.

It's generally a harmless exercise in collecting cliches and trying to scream out questions to players and coaches, but we'll try and fill you in on all the goings-on of Media Day.

Newsday's intrepid web writer extraordinaire, Jim Baumbach, attending his first Super Bowl and thus his first Media day, will bring along his video camera to show you all the action. Jim and I plan to give you a tour through the various attractions, so you'll be able to see the madness for yourself through the eyes of the blogger you trust to deliver your NFL information.

It is a cliche to say that sportswriters whine, because we are accused of doing it far too often.

Case in point: Newsday colleague Neil Best and New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro are already whining about the fact that it was raining in Phoenix when they arrived yesterday.

As we speak, the sun is out, and it's a glorious day. But no, these two seasoned professionals, both of whom ought to know by now that NO ONE CARES IF WE ARE INCONVENIENCED, NOR SHOULD THEY.

Best is an accomplished journalist who was selected as Newsday's co-blogger of the year along with Mark La Monica. And Vaccaro is a terrific columnist who has worked all over the country. He also has this annoying habit of writing superb columns in the time it takes us to transcribe post-game quotes (sorry, I'm whining, but it really is annoying, especially because he's so good).

Anyway, memo to Best and Vaccaro: You are hereby barred from publicly complaining about any aspect of the Super Bowl for the rest of the week.

That's not what I'm saying. And that's probably not what NKR is saying.

But according to an e-mail I just received from a public relations guy representing the dating website OKCupid.com, Brady appears to be slipping in the eyes of singles (baby backlash perhaps? mounting animosity toward the Patriots? the oh-so-perfect supermodel girlfriend?).

In a recent survey of 1,900 singles conducted by OkCupid.com, Brady was ranked 7th among single quarterbacks when it came to attractivenes. Who won? Ravens quarterback Kyle Boller, who hasn't done much on the field but is at least good looking.

Some other highlights of the poll:

* In the battle between this year’s Super Bowl quarterbacks, Eli Manning edges out Tom Brady on the hotness scale, being ranked a 3.05 out of 5 compared to the New England Patriot star’s 2.74.

* Kurt Warner of the Arizona Cardinals was named the most attractive married quarterback overall in the NFL. He was closely followed by Joey Harrington of the Atlanta Falcons, who took the number 2 spot.

* According to singles, the least attractive married quarterback, Jeff Garcia of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, is married to the best looking wife, Carmella DeCesare.

We'll try and blog as frequently as possible from out here, and it certainly helps that we've got the Internet air card to keep in touch even while in the strange places you invariably come across at Super Bowls.

Just getting started here and anticipate a week filled with plenty of hype, stupid questions and the general nonsense that goes on at these places where 3,000 media types descend.

Neil Best apparently made it into town, so we'll catch up to him later on as our blog wars continue. In the meantime, check back for updates.

Talk soon. For now, we've ordered an egg-white omlette - or omelet as NKR likes to spell it - and have an important story to write for tomorrow's newspaper.