A Super Recap
Posted February 4, 2008, 8:31 AM ET

It might not have been the greatest Super Bowl game ever played, but it's certainly going down in the records as one of the more memorable.

The New York Giants completed the most impressive post-season run in NFL history and in the process prevented the New England Patriots from their historic claim of going 19-0. The Giants defeated four teams in the playoffs that combined to win 54 games...all on the road. You'll be hard-pressed to see another team match that feat.

Meanwhile, the New England Patriots made history by being the first team to win 18 games and not win a Super Bowl title. It will be fascinating to see how they respond to this stunning loss. After being so close to a record-setting 19-0 mark, only to lose the Super Bowl in such dramatic fashion. I guess we'll have to wait until the season gets cranked up in September.

It was hard not to smirk when Bill Belichick ran across the field with time remaining to quickly shake Tom Coughlin's hand and then proceed to leave the field before the final play. In some respects, that gesture symbolizes one of the league's greatest coaches. It's also one of the reasons America had no problem pulling for the underdog in Super Bowl XLII.

I can understand why Eli Manning won the MVP Award...he certainly engineered the pressure-packed 83-yard drive in the final minutes of the game. But how could David Tyree not get a piece of the award? Not only does he catch an earlier TD pass from Manning, but the play of the game and one of the great catches of all time was his impossible 32-yard grab in which he pinned the ball to his helmet and still managed to hold on for the reception.

The Giants' victory also gives hope to every NFL team. They became the third team to start the season 0-2 and win the championship. More importantly, they will look back at the third week of the season when they were on the verge of being blown out in Washington and slipping to 0-3. An amazing second-half comeback and defensive stand at the goal line against the Skins preserved the season and Tom Coughlin's job. The rest is history.

In the end, New Yorkers can finally feel better about themselves after beating their rivals from Boston. After countless Patriot Super Bowl wins and having to watch the Red Sox win a pair of World Series titles in recent years....the boys from the Big Apple are coming home with the Lombardi Trophy.

Somehow, I have a feeling that there will be a great debate in New York....who has the biggest upset in Super Bowl history....Joe Namath and the Jets, or Eli and the Giants?

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While the dramatic ending to Super Bowl XLII was mesmerizing, I had some other thoughts about Super Bowl Sunday and our travels to Phoenix for the week's festivities.

There are certainly things that need to addressed.....

Ryan Seacrest should never be allowed on the air, or on the grounds of a Super Bowl telecast. He has no place in America's most testosterone-driven event. He should be found on the Oxygen Network, breaking down the cheerleaders' dance routines on the sidelines. The "Red Carpet" gig on Fox was embarrassing.

Speaking of Fox, did anybody find it amusing that during the prediction segment, only comedian Frank Caliendo selected the Giants to upset the Patriots while the football gurus better known as Bradshaw, Long and Johnson predicted the Patriots?

ESPN shouldn't be laughing. I caught the tail end of their picks, too. Evidently, the Bristol suits thought it would be funny for a cowboy to ride in on a horse and deliver the picks. Unfortunately, the "Pony Express" was a little jittery and had a tough time making it to the stage where Keyshawn Johnson awaited the delivery. It's a shame that the mail was delivered....Mike Ditka was the only guy to pick the Giants. Everybody else on the set leaned heavily to the Patriots and that included Steve Young's 41-10 pick. The "wrong" department included Chris Berman, Emmitt Smith, Keyshawn Johnson, Chris Mortensen, Tom Jackson and Sean Salisbury.

While I'm making fun of bad picks...I'll give myself some credit. Before the season, I picked 9 teams that had no chance of making the playoffs. I was right about eight of them....unfortunately, I picked the New York Giants to miss out on the post-season fun. "D'oh!"

I thought the 2008 Super Bowl batch of commercials was OK....nothing special. I don't believe there was a single one that could stand the test of time as a "classic". I did read in the USA Today "Ad Meter", that Budweiser won the most popular commercial with the Dalmatian acting as a personal trainer for a Clydesdale. It was good, but not great. When was the last time the Super Bowl game was better than the commercials?

Tom Petty and Heartbreakers performed at halftime. They were predictable and solid, even though I'm growing tired of the made-for-concert crowd that rushes out to midfield and pretends to be into every chord. Much like the TV commercials, I don't think Petty's performance will rank as anything special...certainly not in the U2, Prince or Janet Jackson halftime spectacles.

As for the city of Phoenix, I had a great time in he Valley of the Sun. Our radio shows were filled with great guests...as a matter of fact, we ended up with 36 drop-ins during our three shows. All of them had funny stories and seemingly something to pitch. I didn't have a problem with any of it. The Super Bowl week is the biggest corporate party in America. As Michael Irvin pointed out on the air to us, "if you're not selling something, you've come to the wrong place".

One guy that really impressed me during our interview has local ties to the Charlotte market. It was the Panthers' Jon Beason. After a tremendous rookie season which saw him replace injured Dan Morgan, Beason had a great year. You can almost sense that he has become the vocal leader on the defensive side of the ball. I really enjoyed his candid remarks and the way he handled himself in the interview. Hopefully, we can have him back on the show more often. There's no question that he's going to be a big-time player for the Panthers and in the NFL.

I've now been to Super Bowls in the following venues: Phoenix, Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, Atlanta, San Diego, Houston, Detroit and New Orleans. While each city has their pros and cons, there is one that jumps to the front for me....and that would be San Diego. I know the stadium probably doesn't have all the amenities as some of the others, but as far as hosting the event with things to do, weather, easy-access and all of the other items needed to put on a great show....San Diego is #1 on my list.

Well, the season is over, the New York Giants are champs, and America sets their watches and calendars to the return of the gladiators in July for Training Camp.