This is why we love it

I don't mind people not liking the things I like but I do object to people dissing something simply because 'it looks silly' or is 'for geeks'. American Football has been described as many things from 'rugby for girls' to ' dull, boring and only suitable for geeks.'

As a spectacle and tactical battle there's rarely been anything to eclipse this since Alexander The Great took on and beat Darius at Arbela. New England Patriots arrived at the magnificent Phoenix stadium with the possibility of winning a fourth Superbowl and finishing as only the second franchise in history to go unbeaten through a whole season. The New York Giants arrived as potential party poopers, a team that had previously set records for most fumbles and turnovers, a wild card team in every possible sense.

The first three quarters managed two things: firstly the scoring was the second lowest in Superbowl history, secondly it was a classic case of two defences dominating two offenses and the two offenses not knowing or being able to find a way through. A four song half time show from Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers that was worth staying up for on its own. The third quarter seemed to consist mainly of members of the Giants defense taking it in turns to collapse, reports from the sidelines indicated it was due to a lack of potassium and bananas were called for to help the players, as they fought back the wave after wave of New England attacks.

It will be the last three minutes of the contest that will be remembered long after the first fifty seven are forgotten. For me they recalled those far off days of Joe Montana and John Elway. The days when the 49ers and the Broncos would begin a drive on the 10 or 20 yard line and slowly march down the field as the clock ticked down. As the game approached the last minute Montana would step back in the pocket, cock that magical right arm of his and send a spiral towards Jerry Rice. For Montana read Eli Manning and for Jerry Rice substitute the absurdly named Plaxico Burress.

With just over three minutes to go Tom Brady had found Randy Moss with a pass, which when converted by the kicker, had put New England 14-10 up. This was it. Sit back, put your feet up and share in the spectacle of a team going through the season unbeaten, fortunately for those watching Eli Manning had other ideas. The drive began with him escaping the oncoming Patriots defense and somehow managing to get a pass away to one of his receivers despite almost having the shirt taken off his back. The clock ticked away and you knew that with under a minute to go the game was approaching that 'now or never' moment - if the Giants scored then the Pats would have less than a minute left to go the entire length of the field. Manning took the ball and threw to Burress in the end zone, the conversion made it 17-14 Giants with less than forty five seconds to go. The defense coach of the Giants had a smile as wide as the East River as Manning led his weary troops off the field, the impossible dream had been realised.

As it was that wasn't enough time for Tom Brady to inspire the Patriots into the end zone and so the Giants finished as one of the Superbowl's most unlikely winners. Eli Manning was named the games MVP making it a family double, last year the more famous of the brothers, Peyton, won the MVP as he quarterbacked the Colts to Superbowl glory.