The Boston Celtics have done what a lot of experts said they couldn't or wouldn't, what I thought they probably would and what they haven't done in 22 years. Win an NBA Championship.

I feel like they all must have read my game 6 preview...otherwise how do you explain Big Baby getting some minutes, Rondo playing like he has superhuman speed and agility, Paul Pierce staying focused and STILL getting 20 points even though his shots weren't falling for an entire half, Kevin Garnett hitting seemingly every shot he took, Ray Allen setting a record for 3's in a Finals game and the Celtics absolutely dismantling the LA Lakers?

Oh...right...This is EXACTLY the team they were ALL SEASON LONG.

Let it also be known that we saw exactly 0 series upsets in these NBA Finals. The team with the better record won every single series. The Finals were no different.

Let is ALSO be known that if you had to rank the top 5 teams in the NBA for 2007-08, they would HAVE to be:

1) Boston Celtics

2) Detroit Pistons

3) LA Lakers

4) San Antonio Spurs

5) New Orleans Hornets

I suspect we might start hearing a whole lot less about the (L)Eastern Conference being shitty come 08-09. Particularly if The Heat stay healthy, Beasley is as good as advertised, the Magic make improvements, the Bulls get stronger, the Cavs get SOMEONE else, The Hawks play defense and the Raptors get better. Granted these are a lot of "ifs".

But this isn't about the Eastern Conference. This is about the Celtics.

One team that won it all because of team unity and chemistry and amazing defense.

Paul Pierce will finally get some of the love that goes along with not only being a champion, but being one of the best.

Before the 2008 Finals most people would never have considered Pierce to be one of the top 25 players in the NBA. Right now? I don't know how you could NOT put him in the top 25.

In the Playoffs this season (the best 16 teams) there were only a few guys who showed signs of being able to carry their team through tough times. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Manu, Joe Johnson (who LOOKED like one of the best guys in the NBA in the Atlanta/Boston series). I'm having trouble thinking of anyone else who single handedly carried their team through any portion of the Finals or who just completely took over multiple games. Please let me know if I missed anyone.

Anyway, if you argue that the absolute best players in the NBA make it to the Playoffs (a slippery slope that is essentially what GOT Pierce ignored or forgotten about for so long), Pierce would HAVE TO be the alpha dog of that list this season (Chris Paul would be 2nd only because he didn't end up winning it all).

I'm not trying to argue that Paul Pierce is the best player in the league. However, if you want to talk about the top 25 in the league based on their performances, Pierce now HAS TO be in that discussion.

Let's just remember that Mr. T Mobile himself, Dwayne Wade, got that respect from corporations and the NBA how? Oh yeah, by CARRYING the Heat to a championship. It’s been disappointing how injured he has been lately too, because he is one guy I really respect and enjoy watching.

Maybe next season Charles Barkley can be harassing Paul Pierce is all I'm saying...

"GET ME THEM SOCKS!"

Yeah, he's holding the trophy above with young Greg Oden.

(Oh...that's Bill Russell? Could have fooled me.)

Kevin Garnett was INSANE in the post-game interview. The guy was clearly still in 30,000th gear and honestly had the look of someone who was exhausted in every way possible, who had not slept in weeks and who was emotionally overjoyed. He even told Michelle she looked good! (everyone knows that's Doc's job. Also, on a Michele Tafoya related rant, ever notice how Paul Pierce calls her "baby" after every interview? It is hilarious. It sort of makes me wonder if they all talk about her in the locker room after games. I can just imagine them being like "Did you see Michele tonight? She looked fine. Yeah, I'd totally hit that." etc. )

Kevin Garnett was breathing fire and spitting venom in game 6 (just as I predicted and hoped he would). He was making hard fall aways look easy, he was making jumpers over Pau Gasol's ugly head look like he was wide open. That shot he took in the second quarter after he got fouled, the line drive off the glass? Amazing).

He might have made some mistakes; he might have made some strange instinctive decisions. But there is no doubt in my mind at all that Doc Rivers wanted nothing more than to win it all and the fact that he is so loved by his team just shows that there is definitely a lot more to him than meets the eye in some situations.

You can play the "well, the Celtics have 3 probable Hall of Famers, Doc didn't need to do all that much to get them to perform" card. Fine. If you want to play it that way, that's fine.

But what Doc DID do was:

1) Stick with a Sophomore Point Guard who EVERYBODY had questions about last season that sometimes looks like he IS the future of the Celtics.

2) Keep the respect of ALL his players even while not keeping a consistent rotation or guaranteeing any set amount of playing time for anyone. Try to imagine Stephon Marbury or Vince Carter or Shawn Marion playing on a team like that. What's that? You can't? Simply due to the horrific egos? Really? Oh. Ok. Cool.

3) Doc sold EVERYONE on the ubuntu concept. And it was beautiful to watch. This was a team that did EVERYTHING right even when they were doing things horribly wrong.

4) Develop the younger players by playing them when they were hot. Big Baby carried the Celtics through a regular season win in Detroit. Leon Powe carried the Celtics through a series of wins while KG was injured. There were ALWAYS young guys stepping up (even Gabe Pruitt got a little playing time at the end of the season).

Doc Rivers seems like a brilliant player manager (similar to Terry Francona) because he protects his young players and lets them develop and he lets his proven veterans be who they are. I really think that this type of balance, regardless of everything else, can result in great things.

And Paul Pierce with the Gatorade? Priceless. Even though The Truth has a sponsorship deal with POWERade. And speaking of POWERade, there has NEVER been a situation where one of your spokesmen getting a DUI (and generally being an asshole) has resulted in GOOD FORTUNE for a company. Before the playoffs began there were ads for POWERade all over Boston with Shawn Merriman, Ryan Howard and Carmello Anthony. After CMel got arrested? He was dropped from the ads, they changed the POWERade liquid color from blue to yellow and photo shopped Paul Pierce in CMel's place. Bang, PERFECT! Also, why would you choose Carmello Anthony to begin with? The guy just seems like a giant asshole. I've never spent any time conversing with him, but I get a really bad impression based on what I've seen. He seems like he's striving to be this generation's Stephon Marbury, a guy who has a shitload of talent but cares more about himself than his team or doing what it takes to win or maybe he cares about both of those things but his ego and personality get in the way. That is why I say he should go to the Knicks. He can put up a double double every night, never have to worry about going to the playoffs and he won't have to be a cancer to any team that is actually trying to improve.

End tangent.

Me? I've always loved Ray Allen. Even when Bill Simmons was shitting on Danny Ainge last Summer when the Celts acquired him in exchange for their first rounder and some parts (Delonte, Wally - that ended up playing AGAINST the Celtics on Cleveland in the playoffs...it was a strange season...) because he (and not JUST him, but almost EVERYONE in the sports media) thought that Ray Ray was all done before the season even started.

They were wrong.

Ray Allen is just amazing. He's a natural shooter. He can drive to the basket (just ask Sasha RayAllen'sBitch) and he has excellent ball handling skills.

Additionally, by all accounts, Ray Allen IS a great guy. he always conducts himself professionally. He is a sharp dresser. He is a surprisingly good actor and he can ball.

I loved Ray Allen when he was in Milwaukee, I loved him in Seattle (especially when he said that Kobe was a selfish bastard) and I was very excited when I heard he was coming to Boston. I think even without KG, the Celtics would have definitely been a playoff team with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Al Jefferson. They probably would not have gotten past the second round with that lineup, but who knows (and while we're talking about Al Jefferson, there is a guy who might be destined to play amazingly for years and be on a bad team. Maybe McHale can trade him back to the Celtics for Sam Cassell straight up...?) 

Leon Powe got a great reaction. Big Baby had his shirt off. Everybody had a cigar. It was incredible.

When Ray Allen came by, everybody was chanting "Shut-tles-worth!".

Doc looked as happy as a father on the day of his son's wedding.

It’s amazing how things can change so quickly. And yes, this was a trade-era championship. Yes, the Celtics did bring in all stars and yes, them winning a championship had A LOT to do with re-building in the off season.

But so what?

The Celtics had to move a lot of young guys with a lot of potential to get to this point. Danny Ainge still  had to make some swift free agent acquisitions even after the new three had come together. And furthermore, you can have all the stars in the world on your roster (look at the Karl Malone Lakers) but if they don't click, if it doesn't come together and if they aren't all on the same page, you still aren't going to win a championship (ahem, 2000's Yankees).

Furthermore, the reason why these trades were so risky is that this team is clearly a time-sensitive team.

Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will almost definitely all be retired by 2015 (if not 2014, 13, 12 or 11) and in addition, its not like guys in the NBA are age-proof. You get older. Your body cannot do a lot of the things it used to. They all have a couple years of prime basketball left (maybe 4 for Pierce, 2 for Ray and 3 for KG). If they didn't win soon, they probably never would.

And another great side effect of having three legitimate All Stars on one team is that it makes EVERYONE around them not only play better as a player but also act better as a teammate.

Rajon Rondo was a big question mark coming into this season. After game 6 of the Finals? He looked like he could be quickly becoming one of the top 10 point guards in the NBA (qualifier: he still needs to improve his jumper and get some more range shooting, drive to the basket more fearlessly to get easy buckets and/or to draw fouls [imagine if Rondo got to the line 10 times a game? Paul Pierce needs to teach him how to tactfully take a soft hit and make it look like he got shanked] and improve his awareness [sometimes he throws it away or misses an open man]. But with all of that said, Rondo steals like Rickey Henderson, Rebounds like he's 6'10" and runs like he's Chad Johnson. He's got a lot of potential and I don't think hanging out with three future Hall of Famers is going to make him any worse.

Big Baby was rookie. And even though he would make some mistakes, its clear that he has a lot of intensity, the determination to become a better player (the guy has lost like 60 lbs. since college) and the fearlessness of a proven veteran (even if he doesn't always have the skill  of one).

Leon Powe is the same age as me. He looks like he's in his 30's. He's fearless. He works hard. And he has a presence that let's you know there ARE nights when he can carry the team (OFF THE BENCH MIND YOU!).

Tony Allen is kind of a fifty-fifty guy. He's sometimes a great defender. Sometimes a liability on offense. Sometimes amazing. Sometimes not so good. If he can develop some consistency, he could be a solid bench option.

Kendrick Perkins...He is a legit big man. He pushes and shoves, rebounds like a beast and even hits the occasional spot up shot that seems  surprising even though it shouldn't be. The guy can play Center.

And outside of the young guys, the veterans they brought in, Posey, House, PJ Brown, even Scott Pollard at the beginning of the season, all played quality basketball.

Posey MUST BE RE-SIGNED. The Celtics need that toughness. There is no better sub for Paul Pierce in the NBA. James Posey just imposes his will on guys defensively AND can shoot and aside from those two great elements, he's just a bastard on the court. The guy will shove anyone after a whistle or play for that extra second. He'd the type of guy I would HATE if he were playing against my team, but on my team, he's one of my favorites.

Eddie House should also be re-signed. He is a lights out shooter who stepped up big in certain crunch-time situations for the Celtics all year long. Remember that game in Charlotte the day after Thanksgiving where he somehow tipped and stole an inbound pass, got it to Ray Allen and Ray Ray hit the game winner with nothing left on the clock? Yeah. That's what Eddie can do. He might not be the best ball handler, but he is a solid defender and always an offensive threat on the court.

Sam Cassell should probably not be resigned. He's well past the wrong side of 30 and even though he hit a few nice shots for the Celtics, nothing was life-altering enough to make me think that they couldn't live without him. However, I will give Sam credit for a few things, first, the guy is a three time champion, he always plays hard (even if it isn't always great play) and he is never afraid to take big shots (even when he misses). The greatest thing about having Sam on the Celtics this season was definitely that he was on the bench with the guys to keep them intense and tell them how to play championship basketball. The guy is a natural coach. He seems to be someone who, even if he didn't contribute so much on the court this post-season, he can definitely (and DID definitely) help any team on the bench. For these reasons, I think that the Celtics should shrewdly offer him an assistant coaching job for next season. Don't let him go on bad terms. Give him a chance to continue to help the team in a great capacity. He clearly gets people pumped up and he LOVES to talk. I wouldn't want to lose that element. Maybe Sam will decide that going out with a ring would be the perfect book-end to coming in with a ring (which he did in Houston in 1964...I mean...).

I don't expect PJ Brown to play another season. Even though he did save the Celtics from the Cavs. He was more than they could have asked for in the playoffs. I think that PJ should probably ride off into the sunset with his championship ring (but if he wants to come back, shit, I'd take him!).

Scott Pollard is probably gone.

Brian Scalabrine doesn't seem to be part of the long-term plan. But I will say that Scal had the funniest post-game interview following game 6. He really does seem like a good guy. If he goes I will certainly miss chanting "SCAL-A-BRIN-E" at the end of games to convince Doc to let him play a couple of minutes (which he did. Doc always gives the fans what they want when the Celtics are up by double digits and it is late in the fourth in the regular season).

Another season of NBA basketball has ended.

And even though I have never in my life been able to watch and comprehend a Celtics team playing as well as this one did and I wanted them to win it all, part of me hope this season would never end.

Don't get me wrong, a major part of me wanted to be able to go to sleep before 1:00 a.m. every night during the Playoffs (David Stern is a giant piece of garbage. By the way, during the Larry O'Brien trophy presentation when everyone was booing him [rightfully so] he said 'oh, you're saying Truth', I would have tried to start a "No-One-Likes-You" chant, the only thing I fault the Game 6 crowd for NOT doing).

THIS is an exciting league again...and I'm not just saying that because the team I root for won it all.

Next year:

The Portland Trailblazers SHOULD be a force. That is a team of young, big, talented, hungry guys. Brandon Roy is just plain exciting. Greg Oden could be amazing. They should be something really special.

The New Orleans Hornets WILL BE even better. If that team makes any type of off season pick ups, they can improve. Chris Paul is just a phenom.

The Suns and Mavs will adjust somewhat and we'll get to see if they start to get old or if start to grow. The Suns are the single team this season that absolutely embarrassed the Celtics (February 22nd). Both teams still have some really talented guys.

The Golden State drama will play out and we'll see what happens. I love Baron Davis and I hope he sticks with them.

The Heat and Bulls could both be exponentially better next season. Both teams were NOT expected to be complete non-factors in 2007-08. I think both will rebound and would not be surprised to see both of them in the playoffs next year.

The Wizards were the only team that consistently flustered the Celtics and we will wait and see what happens with Gilbert Arenas, but they have some really good players.

The 76ers will continue to grow. Andre Igudola looks like someone who could be something special.

The Hawks made a nice run at the Celtics. If they get their act together, they could be a solid team all year. They have a lot of talent.

The Pistons are probably going to make some kind of deal. But if they retain the core of players they have (most of it) they'll be in really good shape again. Did I ever mention that Rodney Stuckey is going to be HUGE?

The Magic have Dwight Howard. That guy is a monster. And they have Ron Jeremy coaching. What could go wrong?

The Lakers will probably win 60 games next season if Kobe returns and stays healthy along with a healthy Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the Finals again next season.

The Spurs are still the Spurs. Until Tim Duncan retires, they will be the Spurs. Even when Tim Duncan retires, they'll still have a great point guard and Manu (who is somehow amazing almost all of the time).

The Raptors will attempt to sign every foreign-born free agent on the market.

The Sonics will hopefully stay in Seattle where they belong. And Kevin Durant will hopefully continue to improve and be one of the most exciting young players in the league.

Next season, I predict that the Celtics have the best record in the East, The Lakers have the best record in the west, the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Kings, Bucks, Sonics and Knicks finish near the bottom and viewership improves substantially (but not because of ANYTHING David Stern does).

It is an exciting time for the NBA.

The best TEAM won this year.

And now I have to watch baseball for four months.

Paul Pierce can be absolutely brilliant from time to time.

Game 7 against Cleveland he blew up at the right time.

Game 6 against Detroit he held his ground after a terrible offensive foul call (that easily COULD HAVE been a 4 point play) and piled it on in the 4th quarter.

Against the Lakers, I get the feeling Boston is going to need some shovels. They will have to dig in and grind it out like they did against Detroit in games 5 and 6 every single game.

I agree with Bill Simmons' sentiment about wanting to be the "Nobody Thought We Could Do It" team. Nobody wants to be the "everybody knew we could do it" team.

If there is one good thing that came from the Patriots falling apart in the Superbowl, its the term "18-1". No, not in the way people use it to taunt Patriot's fans.

I have adopted the term to mean "when an entity's extreme overconfidence in its inevitable success leads to its ultimate downfall". Used in a sentence "man, I totally thought I was gonna bang that girl but it seemed like she knew I knew it and she started acting all weird. I pulled a total 18-1". Or maybe "I'm a straight A student so i didn't think I should bother trying to study for the SAT but when I got my score back it was a 790. 18-1." It just seems fitting in certain situations.

The Patriots lost the Superbowl because they didn't execute, Bill Belichick mysteriously decided to make the strangest play calls ever and they just seemed to be way out of gas.

Leading up to the Superbowl, everyone in this area of the country had already been celebrating like the Patriots won it already. People were already calling Belichick the greatest coach of all time, Tom Brady better than Joe Montana. The hype machine went crazy. And people started to BELIEVE the hype machine.

The Giants catch some luck, the Patriots eat some shit and the Superbowl is over.

I felt like I might have been the only person who was a nervous wreck going into the Superbowl. The Patriots had squeaked by for weeks. The Giants had all the momentum in the world, they didn't peak early in the season, they played hard all year and came into the Superbowl knowing they could win even though no one else did.

And now I present to you, the 2008 Los Angeles Lakers.

A team that has the MVP. A Legendary coach. Some older guys who have been around. Some younger guys who don't know their place yet. A high price player they bought to win (for almost nothing). A fan base that has already crowned them.

Does any of that sound familiar at all??????

The 2007-08 Lakers are the same team as the 2007-08 New England Patriots.

The Celtics and the Giants...well...lets see...

A coach who everyone laughs at due to his general badness most of the time and inability to get it done, a series of veteran players who have a chance to step up like they have never had before in their entire career, a couple of young guys in crucial positions who can make or break the team, role players GALORE (David Tyree anyone?).

I'm just hoping for the sake of my stomach that the Celtics sweep (yikes!).

But the key seems to be Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Those guys need it. Arm sock and all.

And then when the Lakers are walking off the court in LA after the Celtics win it in 5, the crowd can chant "18-1", "18-1" at the new chokers.

I'm dreaming hard here...

That metaphor, in fact, is quite apt:  Clinton, the candidate of destiny, the wielder of a great machine, has been upended by someone who's worked harder, run a better ground game, played solid defense, and put together a much better game plan.

At least when this is finally over, you won't hear me shouting some sort of political equivalent of  "Eighteen and one!  Eighteen and one!":  I started out as an Edwards supporter, and Barack's had to work up from about fourth place to convince me that he's the better candidate.

On the field, this Patriots team was a fan’s dream. They were talented, charismatic and had an obvious flair for the dramatic. They had the highest scoring offense of all time, with the superstar quarterback and ridiculously gifted wide receiver each breaking high-profile NFL records in the process. They had a resourceful defense, which while aging, still had experience and guile unmatched by most units across the league.

Yet, in talking to a number of people, this was the least fun that they’ve had following football that they can ever remember.

What made it that way? Certainly not the games. The games - even the blowouts, were all marvelously entertaining.

It was the coverage of this team. Right from training camp, there was always something to pick at and criticize. Randy Moss didn’t play a single down in the preseason - there was talk that he just didn’t want to work. Some speculated that he wouldn’t even make the team out of training camp. How silly does that notion look now? Others stated that Tom Brady was going to be distracted because of his personal life, having just become a new father, and trying to keep up with his supermodel girlfriend who wasn’t the mother of the child would somehow effect his performance on the field. With all that has happened since that time, these issues might seem like ancient history, but during training camp, we got almost daily reminders of these stories.

It turned out that that was just the beginning. There was Spygate. Then the Patriots were winning by too much and the media complained endlessly that they were running up the scores, humiliating their opponents and that they had no class. Meanwhile, the wins were piling up, one after the other. Teams around the league suddenly figured out that by being the team that handed the Patriots their first loss, they would reap untold reams of media adulation. So they started making games against the Patriots their personal Super Bowl. Teams like the Eagles, Ravens and Jets put everything they could into their games against the Patriots, only to come up short. But since they made the games close, all of a sudden the media was knocking the Patriots because they weren’t winning by enough. Then they might not be able to play in the cold. Then they didn’t have a running game. Then Randy Moss ended up having a restraining order issued against him in Florida. The Patriots were a dirty team that took cheap shots at helpless opponents.

It seemed that almost every day this season there was some drama going on that took away from the football. From the first day of training camp to the last second of the Super Bowl, there the naysayers and finger-waggers were lined up, doing their best to be “objective” in their coverage.

The worst part was that you couldn’t get away from it if you tried.

I think if one word sums up the coverage of the Patriots this season, it is embarrassing.

This season marked a change in a number of ways in which the Patriots have been covered. For one, the Boston Herald went to much more of a tabloid/gossip style of reporting. Fitting because they are a tabloid. It wasn’t always this way. In the early years of the Tom Brady era, the Herald had the best coverage of the team, hands down, while the Globe assigned bitter old men like Nick Cafardo and Ron Borges to the Patriots beat. (To be fair, the Herald did saddle us with Kevin Mannix for many years.)

Even at the start of this season, things were as good as they’ve ever been in terms of beat reporter coverage. Albert Breer was contributing to the Herald through the MetroWest Daily News, and formed a solid 1-2 punch on the Herald’s The Point After blog. When the business relationship between the papers ended, and Breer headed to Dallas, the Herald started sending Karen Guregian to work with Tomase on the beat. While Guregian is a competent reporter, the coverage immediately suffered with the loss of Breer. The Herald started featuring the Patriots in the Inside Track as much as they did in the sports pages, and sensationalistic headlines atop meaningless and pointless articles started to become the norm. The Herald appears to be a New York Post wannabe these days, and that’s not a favorable comparison. For The Rest Click Here

Everyone says the Patriots' season became meaningless when they lost the Super Bowl to the Giants. All the wins, all the records, all the great feats of 2007 -- up in smoke with one pass to Plaxico Burress.

But you know what? I don't buy into that. And you don't have to, either. We live in a society that has decided to shower the "winners" with a ridiculously disproportionate level of praise and credit and to strip all value from every other competitor or team that didn't reach the mountaintop (where there's only room for one). I don't really know why we've decided to see things that way, but I, for one, particularly in this specific case, do not buy it.

Yes, the Giants won the Super Bowl. They are the Super Bowl Champions. They are to be commended. They earned it. They deserve it. They and their fans should feel awesome. The Patriots did not win the Super Bowl. But the Patriots of 2007 are still one of the greatest NFL teams of all time. And the 2007 Giants are not.

Now I hear you saying: "You can't consider a team to be the best ever if they didn't win the championship - you fool!" But that's only true if we buy into what pop culture has drilled into us since we were tiny tots crawling on the floor in front of Sunday afternoon football games on TV. We have been taught since we were born that only the winner can feel proud, and that every team or competitor that doesn't win failed. And by God, if you don't win the big game, well, you're just a footnote and nothing more. LOSER!

But do you really believe that about the 2007 Patriots? Isn't part of the reason that it's so hard for us to make sense of their Super Bowl loss that there's a deeper part of us that KNOWS they had a truly remarkable season and that they were still -- by far -- the best football team in the league this year -- and THIS DECADE? And this deeper part of us (I'm talking to you, Pats fans) knows they still deserve a parade in Boston. And this deeper part of us ACHES to go to that parade and to cheer for them for playing so incredibly well this year, for giving us a feeling we've literally never had before with any team in Boston -- a complete, unassailable belief that we are invincible.

OK, so that feeling of invincibility ended up vanishing with less than a minute left in the Super Bowl, but that feeling was still quite a thrill, quite a gift to all of us in Patriots (and Red Sox) Nation. And even in losing to the Giants, the Patriots played with a level of effort that deserves our admiration. So they lost. Does that mean we abandon them? Is the only reason we loved them that they kept ending up with more points than the other team when the game was over? Was that really the only stinking reason?

No. For me, it was more than that. And maybe I didn't realize that fact until they lost to the Giants. Their wins were a reflection of their beautiful excellence. And I loved them because of their beautiful excellence. Before this season, I always thought of the 1986 Chicago Bears as the greatest NFL team ever. (They were 18-1 too. But their loss came during the regular season, so we don't hold it against them.) But if I could pick one team in history to win one game against ANY team, I would pick the 2007 Patriots (with a healthy Tom Brady). And you know all the TV sportscasters WANT to say the same thing (because deep down, they know it's true), but they are afraid to because they know they'll get ridiculed (as I will) for praising a team that "lost the big one." They'll get ridiculed (as I will) for going against the code of our society that says, "Only the winners of the Super Bowl can hold their heads high." That's just hogwash. And declaring it so helps me deal with their loss. It relieves some of the pain. It sustains my appreciation of the Patriots, and that feels good. (Try it!)

So, what's the meaning of the 2007 Patriots? That you can still be considered one of the greatest teams of all time and LOSE the big game. That no team, no competitor is invincible. (When I yelled at the TV, "Why did you miss that??" as Samuel dropped that potential interception on Manning's final drive, my 8 year-old son said to me, "Because he's human, Daddy.") That you can still be considered a "winner" by fans and by commentators even if you come in second. And that, if you choose to buy in to the "rule" that only one team and one set of fans has the right to feel good at the end of the season -- well, that's a rule that's going to give you a lot of pain in your life.

Yeah, I'm incredibly disappointed that the Patriots lost. Still stunned. A little numb. No doubt, winning is better than losing. But I won't line up behind the people that want to just forget about them. The 2007 New England Patriots were awesome. And one play with 0:35 seconds left doesn't eradicate an entire season of jaw-dropping performance. Unless you decide that it does. But I just don't buy it.

Many of you will remember that the Patriots were huge underdogs to the Rams (nicknamed "The Greatest Show on Turf" for their explosive offense) in Super Bowl XXXVI, and pulled off the upset to begin the first of their three Super Bowl wins this decade.

What does this have to do with trade secrets, you ask? Good question.

Apparently, there is a chance that the Patriots could be liable under the 1996 Economic Espionage Act which makes theft of trade secrets a federal offense. According to ESPN, Sen. Arlen Spector of Pennsylvania has been sniffing around and has requested a meeting with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell regarding the destruction of tapes relating to accusations by the New York Jets earlier this year that the Patriots taped their signals from the sideline during a game--a big no-no according to NFL rules. Here's Sen. Spector's letters to Commissioner Goodell. I'm sure they will probably discuss the Super Bowl XXXVI controversy, as well, which has exploded in the media in recent days.

So, how does something called the Economic Espionage Act potentially apply to NFL football games. Glad you asked. The Act makes it a crime punishable by fines and imprisonment to steal, take, carry away or obtain by fraud or deception any "trade secret." It also makes the receipt or possession of trade secrets a federal crime if you know that the information has been stolen.

A "trade secret" is defined by the act as follows:

all forms and types of financial, business, scientific, technical, economic, or engineering information, including patterns, plans, compilations, program devices, formulas, designs, prototypes, methods, techniques, processes, procedures, programs, or codes, whether tangible or intangible, and whether or how stored, compiled, or memorialized physically, electronically, graphically, photographically, or in writing if –
(A) the owner thereof has taken reasonable measures to keep such information secret; and
(B) the information derives independent economic value, actual or potential, from not being generally known to, and not being readily ascertainable through proper means by, the public.

A pretty broad definition--perhaps broad enough to include a secret taping of another team's walkthrough prior to a Super Bowl. After all, a secret tape of an opponents' walkthrough could be construed as business information such as a pattern, plan, design, method, technique, process or procedure. And such information definitely derives a benefit from not being known to the opponent (that's the whole point, right?). And if the Rams took precautions to protect their practices from the public, then it can be construed that the walkthrough is not readily ascertainable through proper means. And if Belichick and/or the Patriots received the tape and knew that it was secretly taped and against NFL rules, then potential punishment under the Act is possible.

The resolution could hinge on the testimony of an individual named Matt Walsh who is the man who apparently taped the Rams walkthrough. His testimony could be enough to land the Patriots, Belichick and the NFL in hot water, depending on who knew what and when. Sen. Spector has already reached out to Walsh.

Keep in mind that this is mainly conjecture and any prosecution depends upon whether a U.S. Attorney believes that a crime may have been committed but, in any event, it will be fascinating to watch as it unfolds, both for prurient interest and to see exactly how far the Economic Espionage Act may stretch. My only question is how a jail stint for Belichick would affect these standings. Stay tuned.

-- The aligning of the stars needed to go 18-0 makes the Super Bowl loss into a hangover guaranteed to last into next season
-- Aging players on defense with no one to step up
-- Belichick facing possible suspension for videotaping
-- Nothing lasts forever, especially in the NFL

Am I wrong?

Super Bowl losers have come back the next year and have not done well. That and losing that first round draft pick because of Spygate may not bode too well for the Pats, at least in 2008. But I'm not ready to call them the 2k8 Bears just yet.

I am not sure how the tone of this piece will come off.  I am still in shock.  Sure, I knew the G-men would cover, but beat the undefeated Patriots?  If you told me Eli Manning would take the ball from his own twenty-fiveish and drive the Giants down the field to score a Super Bowl winning touch down, I might not have believed you.

Before we delve too deeply into this, lets discuss what I would have said in my preview.  Thrillho can vouch for its validity.  I won't touch the Patriots keys to victory, because well those were obvious.  If you read this blog I assume you dig for sports news, therefore you have some level of intelligence over the common fan.  So I won't bore you with the bullshit. 

Keys to victory for the Giants-

1.  "Brandon Jacobs needs to get to the edge.  By doing so, it will force the Pats secondary to play too close to the line of scrimmage, which will open up the passing lanes." 

Jacobs was not that effective last night.  The passing lanes were opened by using 4 and 5 Wide Receiver sets.  Although the yards were not impressive for B-Jac, the Giants used him as a decoy, a blocker, and for play action purposes.   

2.  The Giants defense needs to pressure Brady.  He has not been hit all season, be cautious though.  If you blitz too often, someone is open.

Well,  Steve Spagnuolo claims he brought blitz packages only 30-35% of the time.  This means the Giants front four were able to apply the pressure, something the Patriots have never experienced this year.  Brady was sacked five times, and knocked down eighteen more times.  Amazing.

3.  Cover Wes Welker with Aaron Ross.  Every play Ross needs to be manned up against Welker to take him out of the game.  Ross was a member of the Texas team that won a national championship game. 

This did not happen, but probably should have.  Welker was the ONLY option all game.  He had 11 catches for 103 yards and a gaudy 9.4 yards per catch.  This was Spagnuolo's only mistake in his game preparation. 

4.  Pound Jacobs, then follow up with Bradshaw.  Jacobs is a true bruiser, but he is not effective up the middle.  When Bradshaw enters the game, his speed is surprising defenses get caught off guard.

This was not as effective as I thought.  Bradshaw was called for a penalty for "batting" and fumbled a snap.  Jacobs and Bradshaw never really got going. 

5.  Steve Smith needs to be the key WR for New York.  Rookie Smith has played in National Championship games at USC.  The pressure will not get to him. 

I certainly was off on this prediction.  Sure, Smith made some catches, but he played like a rookie.  He had a case of the drops last night, handed an INT to the defense, lazily misplayed a would be TD pass at the end of the half, and ran the wrong route three or four times.  Still, he and Toomer did their part.  Smith's greatest contribution was the 3rd and 11 play where he tight roped the sidelines to get out of bounds after picking up the first down which led to an insane win. 

Let's recap the biggest plays and sequences in the biggest game of the year.

Series 1-  The Giants received the kick-off and drove almost the full length of the field.  While they only took one shot at the end zone, they ate up 9:59 on the opening drive.  This set the tone.  It was obvious the game plan was to keep Little Tommy Brady off the field.  16 plays, 63 yards and 3 points.

Series 2 for the Giants-  After the Toomer catch and "no call," the Giants were way to hesitant to throw it into the end zone.  Steve Smith went down to catch the ball, then put it into the hands of Ellis Hobbs.  This is important because as TMQ would say, "You can't dance with the champ."  The Giants came away with no points, and didn't even try to get it into the end zone. 

Brady was off-  Maybe that ankle was hurting, maybe he wasn't used to the pressure.  Either way, he missed time and time again on long balls, and missed a wide open Moss in the end zone.

Tuck's strip-  At the end of the first half, I had come to terms that the Pats were going to hang three before the half.  In hind sight, that stirp may have saved the game. 

Pats pass up FG attempt-  4th and 13 and they went for it?  Why did the Pats not try the 48 yard field goal?

Manning to Boss-  The Giants offense went into a serious lull until the 4th quarter.  The 45 yard catch and run by Kevin Boss took the ball from the Giants 20 and was tackled inside the Patriots 35. 

Manning to Tyree (TD)- Amani Toomer said Tyree couldn't catch anything on Friday.  With the game on the line, Tyree caught a rocket.  Manning laid that ball out perfectly.  If he put any less on the ball, it would have been an INT. 

Here Come The Pats-  The Giants have angered me this year in late game situations.  After getting the lead, they went into conservative mode giving New England the ball down three points with 7:54 left in the game.  New England of course marched down the field to score the go ahead with 2:42 left on the clock.    

Giants answer-  Here is a break down of the plays on the final drive.

• 1st and 10 from the NYG 17-  Manning to Toomer for 11
• 1st and 10 from the NYG 28-  Manning incomplete for Burress
• 2nd and 10 from the NYG 28-  Manning incomplete for Burress
• 3rd and 10 from the NYG 28-  Manning to Toomer for 9
• 4th and 1 from the NYG 37-  Hand off B Jacobs for two yards.
• 1st and 10 from the NYG 39-  Manning Rush for 5 yards
• 2nd and 5 from the NYG 44-  Manning incomplete for Tyree
• 3rd and 5 from the NYG 44-  Manning to Tyree for 32 yards
• 1st and 10 from the NE 24-  Manning flushed, sacked for loss of 1
• 2nd and 11 from the NE 25-  Manning incomplete to Tyree
• 3rd and 11 from the NE 25-  Manning to Smith for 12 yards
• 1st and 10 from the NE 13-  Manning to Burress for TD

With 2:42 left on the clock I sent a number of text messages to friends saying, "Time for Eli to make his legacy."  Well, he did.  Also, after the Smith catch, I saw the Pats lined up for a suicide blitz and screamed, "HERE THEY COME, THEY GOT IT, THEY GOT IT."

The Giants started with an opening drive that lasted 16 plays and took a Super Bowl record 9:59 off the clock and never looked back. Manning (19-34, 255, 2 TD, 1 INT) was gritty and never made the mistake that so many doubters predicted.  He truly showed his mettle in the fourth quarter leading the Giants comeback from a 14-10 deficit concluding a "white knuckle" drive with a perfect 13-yard touchdown fade route to his favorite target Plaxico "the predictor" Burress that made the final deficit of 17-14.  On the drive Manning  -- known until recently more for being Peyton's little brother or the onery first player taken in the 2004 draft -- was 5-9 for 79 yards with a huge touchdown and one big "shut up" for his haters. The magical game-winning 12-play, 83-yard drive was a test of will that the G-Men passed as they converted three third downs.

No matter what any has said about Manning in the past, he now will go down in the pantheon of Super Bowl MVP quarterbacks (22 of the 42 MVPs have been quarterbacks) after answering his critics loudly.  On the game-winning drive Manning miraculous pulled away from Patriots defensive end Jarvis Green, who had two large handfuls of the Giants  quarterbacks jersey.  Manning threw up a prayer over the middle that was answered by special teamer turned receiving star David Tyree (3 catches for 43 yards,  1 TD, 1 Tackle) who earlier had caught the Giants first touchdown earlier in the fourth quarter.  Tyree catch the 32-yard jump ball against his helmet as Rodney Harrison pulled and prodded unsuccessfully at the G-Men's tough guy.  The play ignited the Giants sideline and showed that the New Yorkers would not be denied.

Everyone thought the clock would strike midnight for the Cinderella Giants against the "mighty" Patriots as Tom Brady (29-48, 266, 1 TD) strolled onto the field with 35 seconds, 3 timeouts, and only needing three points to tie the game.  The last series did not go the Patriots way to say the least as on first down Brady tried to hit Gaffney long incompletion, second down Penn State rookie defensive tackle Jay Alford tried to cave in Brady's chest with an authoritative sack driving the Patriots back ten yards (timeout), third down Brady went deep to Randy Moss on a play that worked in week one versus the Jets however this time cornerback Corey Webster had the answer and on fourth down and ten seconds left Brady went deep again to a double covered Moss incompletion.

What I really like about this Giants team is that they definitely showed that it takes an effort of all 53 men on the roster and their coaches to achieve the ultimate "team" prize in sports.  The Giants showed that decisions in the off-season including the draft help build a winner.  The rookies or "Little Giants" as I like to call them played a huge roll in the win Jay Alford had the aforementioned sack, Steve Smith had several huge catches finishing with 5 catches for 50 yards, Aaron Ross provided tough coverage, Ahmad Bradshaw led them in rushing (45 yards), Zak DeOssie had a huge special teams tackle, and TE Kevin Boss had a huge game turning 45 yard catch and run at the start of the fourth quarter.

The fun part now is that we can relive the rollercoaster like championship season for the Giants that ended on a huge high.  The G-Men should be marveled for their "Never Say Die"  team attitude.

-- Head Coach Tom Coughlin starts the season on the hot seat.

-- The group seemed all but dead after starting 0-2 and allowing 80 points including a bad home loss to the Packers

--  In week 3 the Giants stuffed Redskins running back Ladell Betts at the goal line on third-and fourth down in the final minute to secure a 24-17 road victory.

-- Have to win on the road 13-10 in week 8 at London versus the hapless Dolphins

-- Usual end of season swoon with Eli looking dubious especially week 12 in a 41-17 home loss to Vikings with Eli throwing 4 picks

-- Tight win over Eagles as Akers hits right upright on 57 yarder at the buzzer

--- Home loss to the Redskins in the wind as Eli throws for (18-52, 184, 1 TD, 0 INT)

-- Squeaking past the Bills 38-21 in week 16 to make the playoffs despite Manning (7-15, 111, 0 TD, 2 INT, and 2 lost fumbles). Rushing game with Bradshaw and Jacobs save the day with 291 rushing.

-- Played the Patriots tough in a 38-35 loss where they gain confidence and knowledge.

-- NFC playoff run where Eli doesn't throw an interception and they beat the Bucs, Cowboys, and Packers (OT) all on the road to make it to Arizona.

--  Stop the 18-0 Patriots in Super Bowl XLII 17-14 to end a magical season.

Definitely congratulations are in order for the Giants players, coaches, and staff, head coach Tom Coughlin, GM Jerry Reese, and the Mara family (owners since the early years of the NFL in the 1920's) as they did the Big Blue fans proud by winning with grit and determination. 

Now that Super Bowl XLII is over, I can take a quick break before preparing for the combine and draft.

Lloyd's Leftovers

• Everyone always wants to know the commercials that I liked and didn't like. Well I have to give a vote to the Victoria Secret football spinning ad, the Clydesdale training ala Rocky, Charles Barkely annoying Dewayne Wade on his cell, and the Bud Light Wine and Cheese Party. Some stinkers I thought were the Doritos commercial with the girl singing and the ad placement at the end, Lizards and Naomi Campbell water ad, and the Justin Timberlake Pepsi spot (anything with him automatically gets a big thumbs down).

• I thought overall first time referee Mike Carey (1^st African American referee) and his officiating crew did a good job with penalties (only 9 total), replays, and spotting the ball.

•  Did you notice that the Patriots and Giants combined for a Super Bowl first two-possession first quarter.

• Even though he is a prickly individual you have to give the Patriots head coach Bill Belichick challenging 12-men on the field in the third quarter and getting a first down.

Talk about The Boston Globe jumping the gun a little early with this book on 19-0. Also, how about the Patriots earlier this week trying to file a patent on the term "19-0"... Maybe this time it was the Patriots who got caught up in all the hype this time?

Just some food for thought here...

Little quick on the throttle there?

http://www.amazon.com/19-0-Historic-Championship-Englands-Unbeatable/dp/1600781500

Here's another gem:

And:

The end.. indeed.

So when they say that no one remembers second place... well.... not always... Not many teams come into a super bowl nearly 14 point favorites after going 18-0 for the entire season and just lose.

Epic Failure by the Patriots. Good work. Undefeated in the regular season? Wow... who cares now.... the parade's in Manhattan on Tuesday, folks.

Perfectville. Population, still 1.

(We still think "Dream-Killah" originator Keyshawn Johnson has a goofy little scarf.)

A northerner/masochistic-redskins-fan myself, even though I was rooting for them, I can't help but laugh at the Pats' complete and utter failure, right up to that embarassing final sack of Tom Brady.  Guess Gisele's gonna have to go for a little jog now...

Best Superbowl in years, though.  The Giants deserve every iota of that hard-fought victory.