Let's hear it for the New Jersey Giants

   I'm sure 98% of the country is with me that if I hear "New York football Giants" one more time my head is going to explode.
   The arcane reference to a defunct baseball franchise underscores not only the nattering narcissism of New York City residents but their total disregard of geographic reality.
   The Meadowlands stadium (actually MetLife Stadium) where the Giants play football (as does the other "New York" team, the Jets) is in East Rutherford, NEW JERSEY.
   While Jersey is not my favorite state to visit, I have always felt the pain of its populous in that they always have to take crap from New Yorkers.
   Jersey is the butt of relentless jokes and horrid stereotypes from the entertainment industry.
   Political discussions aside, I admire Jersey's governor Chris Christie for pushing back on the negative depictions of his state — particularly that waste of time and money depicted in Jersey Shore. If we are to believe what we are fed by the media, New Jersey is nothing but a collection of Italian mobsters and idiots.
   I have been to the state several times and the TV depictions are simply not [completely] true.
   Regarding today's Super Bowl between the New Jersey Giants and New England Patriots, it should be quite the contest as two of the league's premier coaches match discipline and wits.
   I can see the Patriots attempting to establish a ground attack to try and wear down New Jersey's big fellas up front so they'll be out of gas by the fourth quarter. The Giants live up to their name with a ferocious pass rush that includes Jason Pierre-Paul [6'5", 278] Osi Umenyiora [6'3", 255] and Justin Tuck [6'5", 268].
   If the Giants win today, Eli Manning will join a select group of quarterbacks to have won at least two Super Bowls: Bart Starr, Bob Griese, Terry Bradshaw, Roger Staubach, Joe Montana, Ben Roethlisberger, Patriots' rival Tom Brady, and .... (wait for it) ... Jim Plunkett.
  Huh? I never thought Jim Plunkett was the best of quarterbacks and in fact he is the only eligible quarterback to start (much less win) two Super Bowls without being inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The dude has a fascinating life story.
   As for today, because of the Wild Card Phenomenon enjoyed by the Packers last season (who had to win five straight games), I am going to pick the Giants to win their sixth consecutive game, even though the Patriots quarterback is married to Gisele Bündchen.
   So let's kick the ball already.