Editorial: Giants abound in Giant victory
Steve Weatherford, #5 of the New York Giants, celebrates after the Giants defeated the New England Patriots 21-17 to win Super Bowl XLVI Credit: Getty/Gregory Shamus
By now it's obvious that Eli Manning is a giant as well as a Giant.
But Sunday's delicious Super Bowl demonstrated that this year, the championship was brought home by a thundering horde of giant Giants, all of them cleverly disguised as mere mortals.
Mario Manningham, for example, grew into gianthood with an acrobatic late-game catch, up against the sideline, a heart-stopping snare on par with David Tyree's unforgettable helmet-grab of 2008.
Chase Blackburn, who proved that Cinderella can play linebacker, literally shot skyward to intercept a pass from New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. The big play made Blackburn, a former high school math teacher, into a giant Giant as well.
And Steve Weatherford, the New York Jets castoff who had already proved himself an adroit holder on the field goal that won the NFL championship, was a giant of a punter. He set a Super Bowl record with three punts that pinned the New England Patriots inside their own 10-yard line. His former Jets teammates no doubt saw the whole thing on TV.
Of course, Manning towered over all, securing the victory in his famous brother's home stadium with characteristic late-game heroics. But he couldn't have done it if other Giants hadn't also loomed so large.
What a giant victory all around -- but especially for the little guys who, when it counted, proved themselves so big. That's why it's called a team sport.
