You can argue that there have been more exciting Super Bowls, i.e. Rams/Titans, Giants/Bills, 49ers/Bengals. You can easily argue there have been greater upsets, i.e. Jets/Colts. But I defy anyone to convince me that any team in the history of professional football drove down a tougher road to a championship.

Four other wild card teams have gone on to win the Super Bowl, but none of them did it on a bigger stage, against bigger oppenents, and in more harsh conditions than the 2007 Giants.
The G-Men were not favored to win any of the 4 playoff games they won. Starting in Tampa Bay against a very tough secondary, Eli started to show that Manning control. Managing the game and changing plays at the line almost as often as big brother. By the end, the only QB with Int. stats was the trusty, mistake-free Jeff Garcia. And the front 4 grew stronger.

Against the hated rival Dallas Cowboys, the Giants went into Texas again under appreciated and dismissed as any kind of threat by both media and fans. The Giants came out swinging, scoring a quick 7 on their frist possession. However late in the first half it looked as if the Cowboys were starting to get into a rhythm and the Giants would be in for a long day.

Then "It" happend. The "It," that everyone had been waiting for from Eli. Less than 2 minutes left in the half, Eli's Manning genes kicked up a level. Driving the Giants right back down the field to tie the game up 14-14 before half time. It made everyone look at Eli in a different light. Even the most avid nay-sayers started to think maybe there is more to this baby-faced, layed-back, runt of the liter afterall. The Giants rode the emotion of that drive to a very tough win, and the front 4 grew stronger.

On to the 3rd coldest game in NFL history against the storied Green Bay Packers in Lambeau Field, the Yankee Stadium of football.

The Giants can't play in bad weather, Eli won't be able to handle the cold, the Green Bay secondary will eat up the Giants wide receivers. Wait, check that, the Giants played near mistake-free football, Eli's blood matched the day's thermometer reading, and Plaxico Burress had one of the greatest receiving performances in playoff history. Oh, and the front 4 grew stronger.

The Giants had stomped out their past defeats from earlier in the season by the Cowboys and Packers in succession. Now they had the chance to avenge their last loss, make history, and win a championship all in the same game.

Michael Strahan, Dave Tollefson, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck. Make no mistake, this is the best front 4 in football and the 18-0 Patriots had not faced anyone tougher all year long. The Giants came out more passionate than anyone could have expected. They were in Brady's face immediately. Sacking him 5 times in the game and knocking him around like Ivan Drago vs. Apollo Creed. The Big Blue Wrecking Crew was back indeed, resurrecting from the days of Carl Banks, Leonard Marshall, Pepper Johnson, and of course the original LT. However the defense could only keep the Patriots at bay and needed something special from their offense, they needed something special from their leader.

Then "It," happened again. But this "It," was even bigger than the last one. You will see it every year during the NFL Super Bowl films in January. It was history the second the ball was snapped. Somehow, someway, Manning (no need for first names here), was able to escape a sure game-ending sack, and throw an amazingly accurate toss with more pressure right in his face to David Tyree. Who!? David Tyree? Who the hell is he? Only known to Giants fans, he has the best hands on the team and displayed them to the entire world Sunday night. It was one of those catches where even a second after the play was over, no one was really sure if the ball was caught. It's without question the greatest catch in Super Bowl history and will cement Manning into the NFL films rotation forever.

Bradshaw to Swan, Montana to Rice, Manning to Harrison, Brady to Moss, and now Manning to Burress. Fitting it was that connection which sealed the deal and gave the Giants their 3rd Super Bowl Victory.

The Patriots had a chance to complete the greatest season in NFL history. To be engraved into the record books as "perfect." The only thing that can even come close to equaling the unbelievable disappointment and mortification of New England's season, is the astonishing and implausible road the Giants took to stop them.