Ok, so maybe the beating this dead horse has taken reminds you of Amy Winehouse after a long weekend, but before we leave the ’07-’08 football season, I have a few leftover thoughts from Superbowl 42.

• Turns out Mercury Morris gets to keep his sign for another year. (Do you think if the Pat’s had won, he would’ve actually had another one made to adjust the stat? Is it possible that if he did, there would have been a mysterious scratch in an asterisk-like feature next to “Population 2”?)

• How many of you found yourselves liking Eli Manning through this whole ordeal? A little? At least some pleasantly neutral emotion? What a 180 this kid has done, especially in terms of the media. They ran an inside special on Eli Growing Up on ESPN the day after the big game, and they portrayed him as the most quietly confident, modestly great, internally complex quarterback to ever grace the game. But seriously, this guy is neither too high nor too low. He didn’t look like he was going to pee his pants when he held the Lombardi, contrary to some expectations. After being condemned for his apparent lack-luster concern with losing, he showed us, after the biggest game of his life, that he wasn’t tremendously emotional externally for this type of result either. But he certainly was focused. Perhaps he just deals with stress and accomplishments in Eli’s way. Well, shadow no more, this Manning brother shines brightly in his own spotlight now.

(My favorite story from the special: Big brother Cooper recounts a time when High School Eli came home from a game. Asked how it went, Eli said “We won”. Later, Cooper says, he found out from someone else that Eli had performed incredibly, and was responsible for the winning play. When he asked Little Manning why he didn’t describe those details, Eli replied “I told you we won; I thought that was all you needed to know”.)

• Staying on Manning for just one more minute, was that struggle out of the seemingly inevitable sack not just one of greatest last-ditch, victory-committed plays-to-significantly-affect-the-outcome-of-a-game ever? He was scrambling. For the down, for the game, for respect. In shaking off Richard Seymour and completing that (incredibly handled) pass to David Tyree, he also, in many ways, shook off all the cynics and the insults and the doubts that had been compiling for so long. Wow. Validation.

• Do you think that Plaxico was tempted to issue a public statement directed at Tom
Brady and his cocky chuckle about “only scoring 17 points??” Surely he, at a minimum, contemplated sending the star QB an anonymous voicemail…or at least until Michael Strahan loudly and angrily announced that “This was NOT to say I told you so; this is for no one but the Giants” (Plaxico: “Maaan…ok, fine, I won’t call him”)

• How much more satisfying was it for the Giants (who hadn’t won since 1991), Eli (who’s never been), Michael Strahan (who had waited 15 long years), and Plaxico Burress (who wanted it so bad he couldn’t hold back the tears) to go through the undefeated Patriots, proving to everyone that they were not just a “hot” team, but one who could go up against inarguably the best team in recent memory, and win.
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• With every heart-wrenching loss, there must be a goat. The proverbial duck. Who takes the Quack Award via Collapse of the Dynasty 2008? The obvious answer would be Ellis Hobbs, who got faked better than Jerry Seinfeld when he dated Elaine (What about the breathing? The panting? The moaning? The screaming? Fake, fake, fake, fake). But was that really Hobbs’ fault or was the call for a sell-out blitz leaving only the (incredibly mismatched) cornerback to cover fiery Burress? Wouldn’t you have to think that if Eli had his wish, he would send it to his favorite receiver? The other picked-apart management decision: opting not to kick the field goal, was another source for concern in New England Nation—only considering the result of the game (if Brady had managed a TD pass there—and let’s be honest, you would probably take his success over his failure if you had a gun to your head—everyone would have said what a gritty, smart move that was). I’ve heard Boston fanatics refer to the play as the Patriots version of deciding to leave Buckner on the field for the win (a scandalous account that vastly discredits Belichick’s unconcern with aesthetics). If we had to vote right now, I’d be forced to hand it to Hobbs, if only because Belichick as the goat just won’t fly. (Well, at least until we are shown evidence otherwise, Mr. Spector)

• Where was Tiki Barber after the game? Surely he would want to congratulate his old teammates…

• Is this the worst loss in Boston/ New England history? There was of course, the ’86 Sox in game six, but as crushing as that was, they did get another chance in game seven. We all know what happened in 1978, the Sox giving away what had for so long seemed like a guaranteed victory in the one game series with that other NY team. Bucky F’in Dent. Then the ’03 Sox come to mind as it was just an absolutely heartbreaking defeat in what was an incredibly exciting run. And unlike the ’86 version, it ended the hope of championship and ended the season so abruptly and miserably on that day. And both were accessorized with the tension of not taking The Series since 1918. (Wow. Those were six very depressing sentences.) But the New England Patriots, in this loss, not only ended their season and killed their hope of a championship, but they also killed the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to participate in a perfect season. (I told you that you might not want to read this).

No, this loss to the New York Giants on Sunday does not mean that the Patriots are doomed. Regardless of their discouraging loss to the Colts, ending the season the previous year, the Pats are not “incapable of winning clutch games”. It doesn’t mean everybody is skipping town tomorrow. Take a deep breath, New England. It may hurt, but we’re gonna get through it the same way we get through every other dismal beating: With angry over-dissection on sports radio, needless attacks on other teams, and maybe a Sam Adams or two (Also, with the recent additions of re-watching Red Sox championship DVDs, and glancing at the NBA standings). Pitchers and catchers report in 8 days, and soon following them will be an entirely different team on which to hinge all of our time, energy, and self respect. But Pats fans, beware of an “18-1” shirt to replace New Yorkers “1918” versions. Nothing a stray comment about Jeter and A-Rod wearing dresses can’t fix.