It's not without a hint of sadness that I celebrate the Giants victory over the Niners in the NFC Championships today. I can't say they were the
overwhelmingly better team but of course, in the end, they got it done. It's always a little hard when two teams are so evenly matched, to see one lose. It was a clash of defenses, the Niners getting after Eli Manning all day long and the Giants limiting Alex Smith to just 1 of 13 3rd down conversions.
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| My brother Morgan in NY for the game |
Smith had a few key connections to Vernon Davis and held his own scrambling for yards but Eli kept his head despite being rushed, sacked and harangued by a tenacious Niner D. In the end, the Niners fell just short on a few special teams errors - and those 3rd down conversions - that set the way for the Giants to take the lead.
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| A NY Pinney celebration post-victory |
So why the bittersweet victory? Because I truly loved following the Niners evolution this year. Because they were a perennial underdog. Because watching Jim Harbaugh slap his ear-to-ear grinning QB on the pads and the helmet, getting him psyched up to go out on the field before the game is more interesting than watching anything Tom Coughlin does. Because Vernon Davis cried after the Saints game. Because this was Al Gore's first year in the post season after so many years of mediocrity. Because Smith stepped up when he could've walked away. Because I dig Harbaugh's us-against-the-world mentality. Because it would've been nice to see San Francisco vested in a Superbowl. How could I root whole-heatedly against the city I've loved and embraced for 20+ years?
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| An island of blue in the sea of San Francisco |
Hopefully San Francisco's time will come, but not at the expense of the Giants. For now, we look ahead to a battle of the east, Patriots vs Giants. Lots of celebrating in Pinney nation across the country and for Big Blue fans everywhere. Go Blue!
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