Antonio Pierce was not familiar with
Johnny Cash's famous line. Maybe it's better that way.
Cash, told by a record executive that his all-black attire made it look like he was going to a funeral, replied, "Maybe I am."
Pierce referred to the Giants' teamwide decision (with a few exceptions) to wear black suits as a "business trip."
"I don't know anything about [a funeral]," he said. "I've got a football game to play Sunday. The Lombardi Trophy is here and we plan on taking it back to New York and playing a hell of a game."
According to teammates, Pierce was the one who suggested the sartorial show. He was decked out in a black suit/shirt/ tie combination, as was Michael Strahan, who joked it was just a coincidence that everyone was dressed the same.
"I just decided to wear black," Strahan said, "and I got on the plane and everyone else did the same thing."
Jeff Feagles went with a white shirts and red tie, the same as coach Tom Coughlin, who chose a black blazer. Feagles, who at 41 will be the oldest player ever in the Super Bowl, his first, said the team was plenty eager to arrive.
"You would think with the anticipation, the flight would have taken forever," Feagles said. "Everybody was, I don't want to say giddy, but there was a lot of excitement. This is when it's all starting to set in."
Fullback Madison Hedgecock, who is from North Carolina, was loitering outside the media room in his black shirt and black pants. He smiled at the Cash reference. "Team unity," he said.
The Giants have been plenty unified all season, and uniformly dressed at times as well. It started with Coughlin printing T-shirts that read, "Talk Is Cheap! Play the Game" for training camp. That was the Giants' motto early on when Coughlin wanted the team to change its mouthy ways from 2006.
Coughlin had three more T-shirt slogans during the season. "Prove It" was one. "Mental Toughness" and "Together, We Are One" were the others.
Last night's fancier display of unity was just another display for this team.
Plaxico Burress was asked if it was a business trip or a funeral - not necessarily for the Giants, but perhaps for the Patriots and their quest for perfection.
"It's a business trip," Burress said. "But it could be both."