Big Blue are GIANTS...Again!!

New York comes from behind to shock New England for the second time in four years.

Giants - 21  Patriots - 17

The Giants were dominant at times. They were sloppy at times. At the end of the game, however, Eli Manning and the G-Men did what they have all season - they found a way to win it at the end.

The Giants dominated the first half, but a questionable holding call on New York guard Kevin Boothe turn the game around. Instead of potentially going up two scores at halftime the Giants were forced to punt and Tom Brady led New England on an epic 14 play, 96 yard touchdown drive to take a 10-9 lead at the intermission.

The Patriots continued to roll by scoring another touchdown to start the second half and extend its lead to 17-9. The TD reception by TE Aaron Hernandez would be the last points scored by New England for the rest of the season. The Giants offense moved the ball all game, but failed to put the ball in the endzone as the Patriots defense stiffened in the redzone. Sloppy play also hurt Big Blue offensively at times as Eli Manning had to burn turn timeouts early in the fourth quarter while fumbles by Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks, and Ahmed Bradshaw were bailed out by a defensive penalty and recoveries by FB Henry Hynoski and OT Kareem McKenzie.

A missed opportunity by Brady and Wes Welker later, the Giants trailed 17 - 15 with 3:46 remaining in the game as Manning led his team on the field. On the first play of the drive from their own 12 yard line New York's franchise quarterback launched a picture perfect pass down the left sideline to receiver Mario Manningham who made a sensational play to catch the ball cleanly and keep his feet inbounds. As good as the athletic display by the Giants' wideout to come down with the ball the throw by the elite Eli was even better. At that point, it wasn't a matter of if the Giants would score and take the lead, but how much time would be left when they did.

Super Bowl XLVI was a microcosm of the Giants' 2011 season. Just when it looked like all hope was lost for Tom Coughlin and his team, Big Blue found themselves with one last chance - and Eli Manning proved yet again he knows what to do with it.

Was there ever any doubt? Game, set, match.

Bleeding Links: Super Bowl Edition

Super Bowl XLVI is less than 24 hours away. Stories upon stories on the Giants, Patriots, and Big Game have been feature this week leading up to tomorrow evening. Below are links to the some of the best content around web surrounding the NFL's signature event.

1. Giants.com gaffe prematurely crowns G-Men as Super Bowl XLVI champions

2. Patriots release WR Underwood on the eve of Super Bowl

3. Giants' ability to 'Finish' has them on cusp of Super season

4. Missy Modell music video for the 'The G-Men Are Back Again'

5. Not to be outdone, Pats fans exclaim 'I Wanna Gronk'

6. Eli letting his play change outside perceptions

7. Giants' DEs bring the pressure

8. The mysterious role of Belichick's right hand man, Ernie Adams 

9. WFAN's Mike Francesa interviews Giants' head coach Tom Coughlin

10. Super Bowl XLVI match-up unlike any other history

Super Bowl XLVI Countdown Begins

The highly anticipated NFL Pro Bowl was played tonight. For those who care, the AFC was victorious. Football fans now only have one game left on the schedule to look forward to. Hardcore fans who still want to see more football after tonight can look forward to some game called the "Super Bowl" that is now less than a week away.

Until then, everyone has the pleasure to enjoy an overabundance of mostly worthless media coverage that surrounds America's marque sporting event. Next Sunday can't come soon enough.

In the meantime, here is an excellent NFL Films highlight package from Showtime's Inside The NFL of the New York Giants victory over the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game.

Giant Run Propels Big Blue Back to Super Bowl

The New York Football Giants went 9-7 during the 2012 regular season....and now the G-Men find themselves in the Super Bowl. The Giants struggled with consistency all season on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the team could never find a running game while defensively a propensity to give up big plays plagued them. Only the thing the Giants could rely on was the right arm of Eli Manning and his big play receivers coming from behind and pulling games out in the 4th quarter.

After a four game losing streak in November most observers expected the Giants to continue a seemingly yearly late season collapse and fade into oblivion. Instead, with Eli leading the charge the rest of his teammates finally caught up and put things together in the nick of time. The running game improved and defensively this unit looks like an entirely different squad than the one that showed up earlier in the season. The Giants entered the playoffs peaking at the right time. The end result has been another magical run that has resulted in second Super Bowl appearance in five seasons and a rematch with the Patriots.

More analysis to follow. In the meantime, checkout the highlights from the Giants' triumphs in Green Bay and San Fransisco.

Giants - 37, Packers - 20

Giants - 20, 49ers - 17

Giant Run Erases Talk of "Coughlin Collapse"

Bleeding Sports resident General Manager Be Nasty has been a long time critic of New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and his coaching staff. Mr. Nasty like to make reference to the annual "Coughlin Collapse" where the Giants usually start the season off fast only to fall apart during the second half of the schedule.

Earlier in the season, the Bleeding Sports GM provided the below analysis to support his incessant clamoring for the franchise to making a coaching change.

NY Giants record under Coughlin - First half of season vs. second half:

2004 - Final record: 6-10
1st Half:  5-3
2nd Half: 1-7
* No playoffs

2005 - 11-5
6-2
5-3
* Lost to Panthers at home in Wild Card round of playoffs

2006 - 8-8
6-2
2-6
* Lost at Eagles in Wild Card game

2007 - 10-6
6-2
4-4
* Spags wins them the Super Bowl  
(Notice no credit given to Coughlin)

2008 - 12-4
7-1
5-3
* Lost 3 out of last 4
* Lost to Eagles at home in Divisional round

2009 - 8-8
5-3
3-5
* Started 5-0 then lost 4 straight
* Pathetic losses to Saints, Chargers, Broncos, Panthers, and Vikings
* Charger game was a Coughlin time management blunder as usual
* No playoffs

2010 - 10-6
6-2
4-4
"You can kiss my a$$!" ~ Coughlin Collapse
* No playoffs

This season the after another strong start (6-2), the #NYG didn't fair much better going 3-5 in their last 8 contest. The difference this year is the Giants won the games they had to have down the stretch. New York won three of their last four games including the two wins against Dallas to overtake the Cowboys as NFC East champions. There were certainly reasons to once again doubt the passion of Coughlin's squad after a horrible home loss to Washington. For all their faults, however, the Giants were able to rediscover its vaunted pass rush led by monster Jason Pierre Paul and develop a component running game to complement Eli Manning, Victor Cruz and company on offense just in the nick of time.

Mr. Nasty makes some valid points, but fails to give Coughlin credit for leading the Giants to a Super Bowl championship against in '07 and division titles in 2005, 2008, and this season. The Super Bowl victory against the previously unbeaten, "greatest team ever" New England Patriots was historic and capped off the most remarkable playoff run in NFL history. Even the most passionate Coughlin haters would be hard pressed to label that season as a collapse and while the defense led the way it was a team effort led by its head coach.

As for the 2011 season, while not pretty, the Giants made the playoffs a division champions. Coach Coughlin has emphasized that its all about getting into the tournament and giving yourself a chance to win a championship. The Giants are playing their best football at the right time and how the team played two months ago is irrelevant. Right now the Giants have won 3 must-win games in a row and coming off their most complete performance of the season. There is no reason to believe the Giants can’t win come Sunday in Green Bay. If Tom Coughlin and his team can win its fourth straight game nobody will remember the Giants finished the regular season at 9-7. All the media and fans will be concerned with is how Big Blue would be just one game away from its second Super Bowl appearance of the Coughlin era.

Bye Bye Tom Bye Bye

Get your trash together because Tom Coughlin is going to get canned

The Talented Mr. Hamilton

Josh Hamilton started the 2010 Major League Baseball season slowly hitting for a decent average, but lacking in the power and run producing departments. The 2008 AL RBI leader had been overshadowed by new teammate Vladamir Guerrero and outfield buddy Nelson Cruz. All that has changed thanks to Hamilton's torrid June where the Texas slugger is batting .476 with 8 HRs and 26 RBIs to go along with a current 17 game hitting streak. This current exhibition has catapulted Hamilton back into spotlight among baseball followers and will now likely find himself once again starting in the outfield at the All-Star Game in Anaheim come July.

Make no mistake, Hamilton is the centerpiece of the Texas line-up and been the catalyst for the Rangers' current 9 game winning streak. After coming out of nowhere in 2008, Hamilton struggled through nagging injuries all of last season and again early on this year. His offensive outburst has silenced any naysayers who believed that his 2008 breakout season was a fluke. Hamilton's story is well documented, but still no less amazing. He continues to defy the odds and mesmerize fans with his all-around play. Despite everything he has battled through, the 29 year old Hamilton has performed at such a high level it is hard to argue against him as being one of the most gifted players in the game today. The financially strapped Rangers will need to rely on Hamilton to continue being one of the most dominant hitters at the plate if they hope to be playing in October.

St. Louis Should Deal Top Pick

Jimmy Clausen > Sam Bradford. This is what Bleeding Sports believes.

Everyone else? The consensus from NFL GMs, coaches, scouts, water boys to "experts" in the media to draft prognosticators is that Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford is the top quarterback and will be the first selection in tonight's NFL Draft. Inspired by the slogan of one of America's "most innovative" companies, Enron, we must ASK WHY? Sure, Bradford threw for 50 TDs passes in 2008 while playing in perceived competitive Big 12 conference. A conference where gimmick offenses and the lack of any semblance of defense (except at Texas) has turned college football into some bizarre hybrid between the Arena League and pee-wee football where coaches stand on the field and spoon-feed instructions to the offense prior to the snap. Are there any quarterbacks playing in the Big 12 who have lacked successful in recent years. Guys like Chase Daniel, Todd Reesing, Zac Robinson, and whoever Texas Tech decides to put under center on a given day have shredded Big 12 defenses and posted mind-boggling statistics. Yet none of these quarterbacks are or project to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

If it's not on-field production that has everyone so convinced that Bradford is the man, then what is it? His size and strong arm, ala JaMarcus Russell? Let's hope not. On the other hand, Notre Dame quarterback Jimmy Clausen was the best quarterback in the nation in 2009 playing against tougher, more diverse competition overall while playing in a pro-style offense led by Charlie Weis. Clausen was successful despite being surrounded by a lack of talent most glaring was the pathetic offensive line that couldn't block anyone for three years. Clausen made big plays, consistently led the Irish from behind, and played nearly mistake free all year. His mechanics are flawless and his deep ball is insanely accurate. Compared to Bradford, draft analysts readily admit that Clausen is the more polished, NFL-ready of the two based on his experience in an offense that translates to NFL success and his ability to actually read a defense and call an audible at the line. These are vital tools that Bradford has no experience implementing from playing in the almighty Big 12. Is it weird that not one NFL starting quarterback today is a product of that conference? What are the odds that both Bradford and Texas' Colt McCoy end up having successful NFL careers?

Back to the issue at hand, is Bradford worthy of being the top quarterback let alone the top pick? A telling sign are the rumors that the Rams are looking to trade down in the draft. And they should. A compelling sales story for drafting Bradford over Clausen is mythical. The biggest knock on Clausen is his Hollywood ego and lack of leadership. Interesting criticism for someone who consistently rallied his team late in games, had his skill players stay with him in the summer so they could practice together, and has a three-time Super Bowl championship offensive coordinator who raves about his ability and character. Oh, and with Bradford, there is also that tinny, tiny issue concerning the fact that he barely sniffed the field last year due to a shoulder injury that required season ending surgery. He has looked healthy and thrown well during pre-draft workouts, but what is going to happen when somebody like Shaun Rogers drives him into the ground. It's tough to rely on a quarterback if he can't throw the football and game tape of Bradford post shoulder surgery doesn't exist to suggest he can sustain live action.

The Rams have the right idea by considering moving out of the top spot. Now they have to pull the trigger. Trade down with a team like Cleveland, collect some extra draft picks, and still get your franchise quarterback at the 7th spot. Regardless of how much everyone prefers Bradford, the difference between him and Clausen is minimal. The talk that Bradford will go first while Clausen could potentially be bypassed in the first round is insane. The value added by trading down and taking Clausen is much greater than sticking at the top spot and selecting Bradford. You're on the clock St. Louis. Time to put the onus on some other disillusioned franchise.

The Giants will pick Rolando McClain. Take it to the bank.

By GM Be Nasty
Special to Bleeding Sports

2010 National Champs

For the second time in three years the Boston College Eagles are bringing the Men's Division 1 hockey trophy back to Chestnut Hill. The BC Eagles were utterly dominate against two of the best teams in the country outscoring their opponents 12-1 on their way to their 4th National Championship. On Thursday night the Eagles throttled Miami (OH) the consensus number 1 team in country to the tune of 7-1. The defeat was Miami's 4th loss in 5 years to BC in the NCAA tournament and well deserved after Miami's hostoric choke job last year against Sucks to BU. In the final game last year Miami blew a 2 goal lead with minutes to play before letting in a fluke goal in overtime. Due to this performane the River Hawks should never be allowed to even sniff a NCAA Championship.

In the title game against Wisconsin BC proved that flannel, lumberjacks, and women with mustaches are no match for the speed and quickness of the Eagles. The game was tight through the first two periods with the Eagles maintaining a one goal lead until Cam Atkinson and friends blew the game open early in the third period. This win capped an unbelievable finish to BC's season with the team rolling off a 12-0-1 in its last 13 games. During this stretch the Eagles trailed for a combined 54 seconds of game time. A remarkable achievement that we probably won't witness ever again.

Once again we sent our crack anlayst Be Nasty to chronicle the Frozen Four and he provided us with these pictures taken with his work authorized blackberry.

By GM Be Nasty

Special to Bleeding Sports

That is just Kansas being Kansas

Kansas going home early once again in the NCAA Tournament.

What else is new

By Be Nasty
Special to Bleeding Sports

AL First Half Awards

After handing out awards for the top first half performers in the National League, Bleeding Sports does the same for the American League.

Biggest Surprise: Ben Zobrist, Rays

Zobrist emerged as valuable utility man for Tampa Bay last season playing all over the field during the franchise’s unbelievable run to the World Series. This season the Rays haven’t been able to take Zobrist out of the lineup and have found him a steady position at 2B filling in for injured Akinori Iwamura. Zobrist is now a fixture in the five spot of the Rays’ lineup while finishing the first half 2nd in slugging and OPS while on pace to hit over 30 home runs for the season.

Biggest Disappointment: Joba Chamberlain, Yankees

There have been a quite a few household names in the AL that haven’t lived up to expectations this season. It took Boston slugger over a month to hit his first home run, but he was showing signs of decline at the end of last season so many observers saw it coming. Alex Rodriguez continues to disappoint on and off the field between steroid admissions, hip injuries, and tabloid fodder all while opposing pitchers no longer fear pitching to him. Arod’s Yankee teammate, Joba Chamberlain, has been a whole lot of hype with little to show for it as a starting pitcher. Yankee fan sure expected for than four victories in the first half while being among the top ten in the league in walks allowed.

Breakout Performer: Zack Grienke, Royals

Grienke began the season by putting together a historic string of pitching performances. Grienke was a staggering 8-1 with a 0.84 ERA on May 26th and his ERA didn’t surpass 1.00 until the last day of May. Grienke cooled off a bit for the remainder of the first half, but still leads the league ERA and has become a household name in baseball. He has been the best comeback in story this season after overcoming past battles with depression.

Cy Young: Josh Beckett, Red Sox

The complete antithesis of Grienke this year, Beckett started the year extremely slow. For the last two months, however, Beckett has been a ball of fire. He finished the first half tied for the league lead in victories with an 11-3 record and 3.35 ERA while reminding everyone in baseball that he’s still the best pitcher on the AL’s best team.

AL MVP: Joe Mauer, Twins

Picking an AL MVP is a tough one because nobody has really stood out, but nobody could argue against Minnesota’s All-World catcher. Despite missing the first month of the season, Mauer didn’t miss a beat and put up MVP numbers in the first half. Mauer finished the first half batting a league leading .373 with 15 HRs and 49 RBIs and also leads the AL in slugging and OPS.

NL First Half Awards

Before the second half of the Major League Baseball season gets underway, Bleeding Sports hands out some awards for the first half of the 2009 season. We'll start with the National League.

Biggest Surprise: Raul Ibanez, Phillies

Ibanez was a solid player who flew under the radar in Kansas City and Seattle, but even hardcore baseball fans couldn’t have seen this type of season coming. The 37 year old outfielder signed with Philadelphia in the offseason and jacked 22 home runs by June 13th before a groin injury put his on the DL. Ibanez has returned, and despite the missed time, is on pace to hit 48 long balls in 140 games played.

Biggest Disappointment: David Wright, Mets

Sure, Wright batted .324 in the first half, but, much like the rest of his teammates, the All-Star third baseman has been a major disappointment and it can’t all be blamed on spacious Citi Field. Wright is on pace to have the worst offensive season of his career after hitting an inexplicable 5 home runs and driving in just 44 runs before the All-Star break.

Breakout Performer: Heath Bell, Padres & Pablo Sandoval, Giants

It’s a tie between a couple of the NL West rivals. Bell has stepped into the closer role in San Diego, replacing all-time saves leader Trevor Hoffman, and hasn’t missed a beat. The former Met leads the league with 23 saves while posting a 1.69 era and striking out more than a hitter per inning. Sandoval, meanwhile, has come out of nowhere hitting .333 while belting 15 homers and driving in 55 runs for offensively challenged San Francisco. The hefty third baseman’s big bat and stellar pitching have keyed the Giants’ surprise lead in the NL wild car race.

NL Cy Young: Tim Lincecum, Giants

Speaking of that San Francisco pitching, it would be hard to vote against last year’s Cy Young award winner so far this season. The young ace is 10-2 with a 2.33 era and a ridiculous 149 strikeouts in 127.2 innings pitched out by the bay. Is there any wonder why he was picked as the NL starter in the All-Star Game?

NL MVP: Albert Pujols, Cardinals

This couldn’t anymore obvious as the reigning NL MVP is on the verge of triple crown status. Actually, forget about the Triple Crown because, other than batting average where is currently ranked 4th, Pujols leads in every other offensive category known to man. Pujols’ first half reads like a career season for most major leaguers - .332, 32 HRs, 87 RBIs in only 90 games while leading the league in walks. There isn’t a better, more feared offensive player in the game today.

Sammy Sosa the Consummate Cheater: But at least he is consistent!!

Any Magic Left in Orlando?

Tonight is Game 5 of the NBA Finals and the Orlando Magic need a victory to take the series back to Los Angeles. The Magic choked away a chance to tie the series in Game 4 by blowing a five point lead in thirty seconds. The Lakers were able to steal the victory in overtime and take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

The Lakers were a Courtney Lee layup away from losing game 2 and should have lost Game 4, but instead find themselves one victory away from a championship. The Magic could just as easily be leading the series 3-1. Throw out Game 1 and Orlando has been the better team. Moreover, if it wasn't for Lee's missed layup at the buzzer in Game 2 and Derek Fisher's performance down the stretch in Game 4 everyone would be talking about how terrible Kobe Bryant has been in this Finals. Bryant was the who got burned by Lee in Game 2 only to be bailed out and he hasn't been able to buy a basket in the fourth quarter in either of the two games in Orlando. If the Magic win either of the games people would be questioning whether Kobe is pressing too much.

Do the Magic have any chance to comeback from a 3-1 deficit with two still to play in L.A.? Probably not. However, one could argue that the Magic should have won each of the last three and the series isn't over yet. Look for Bryant to really try and force the issue in Game 5 in an attempt to put Orlando away. For the Magic, they have to find a way to get Rashard Lewis going after two fairly quiet performances in Games 3 and 4.

Look for the Orlando to extend the series and bring the Magic back to Hollywood.

Beatdown in Beantown

Just when it looked like the Yankees were turning it around reality set in once again with a trip to Boston. With a 4-3 meltdown loss tonight at Fenway Park the Yankees have now lost all eight meetings with the Red Sox in 2009. This most recent three game series was highlighted by poor Yankees pitching, awful outfield play, and zero clutch hitting.

As has been the case against their arch rivals this season, the Yankees' starting staff let them down once again. In the first two games of the series, Yankee starters A.J. Burnett and Chien-Ming Wang combined to pitch 5.1 innings and give up 9 earned runs. Tonight, CC Sabathia cruised through the first seven innings and entered the eighth win a 3-1 lead. The Yankees' ace, however, ran out of gas in the eighth and left the game without recording an out in the inning. Alfrefo Aceves relieved Sabathia and couldn't bail him out. The final line for Sabathia: 7 IP, 4 ER, 123 pitches. This isn't the first time Yankees have been burned trying to milk Sabathia late in the game and it highlights a glaring issue.

Manager Joe Girardi doesn't have a reliable reliever to turn to not named Mariano Rivera. The Yankees overrated starting rotation, unreliable bullpen, and poor defense may be good enough to win against mediocre competition, but its a mirage. Against the elite squads, like Boston, the only thing the Pinstripes have proven is that they can't get the job done.

ESPN Continues to Alienate Fans

ESPN is at it again. The "Worldwide Leader," responsible for such mind numbing ideas like "Who's Now," on its website today is leading with an article assessing how Lebron James would perform in the NFL. The discussion features an article by Tim Graham and video from the "NFL Live" panel speculating on what would be Lebron's ideal position in the NFL. Seriously? Clearly, ESPN has too many analysts and writers on payroll who specialize in the NFL that have absolutely nothing to do right now. So ESPN decides to make its "talent" earn their paychecks by insulting the intelligence of the fans who flock to their network and website as it force feeds an utterly ridiculous discussion.

How would Lebron fare in the NFL? Who knows and Who Cares. Any savvy sports fan understands that the mere idea is unrealistic. Lebron James plays basketball and played all of two years of football back in high school. Projecting if he could play in the NFL based on that body of work is illogical and a complete waste of time. Surely, ESPN has something better to feature on the front page of its website. Apparently not.

Such foolish nonsense has become all too familiar at ESPN as the media giants constantly tries too hard to please both hardcore and casual sport fans at the same time. What they have actually managed to do over the last handful of years is alienate the passionate, knowledge sports fan by dumbing down their product and coverage with the nauseating self-promotion of its on-air talent and coddling of the sports figures they cover.

Maybe tomorrow ESPN could lead with a story on the prospects of Yao Ming playing wide receiver. Who would be able to cover Yao in the red zone?

After Celtics - Bulls, Now What?

Are the NBA Playoffs watchable going forward? It has been widely assumed, even before the playoffs began, that Lebron and Kobe will be meeting in the NBA Finals. So why would any basketball fan even watch? Then the Celtics - Bulls series happened. Critics can argue all day attempting to rate the series among the best of all-time. At the end of the day who cares where the series ranks. The bottom line is that the series captured people's attention and was the only first round playoff series worth watching. So now that the series is over and the Celtics have moved on, what does the NBA have to offer? None of the second round series have much intrigue and the Finals are more than a month away. The most competitive of the bunch again features the Celtics as they face the Orlando Magic.

Tonight was Game 1 in Boston and most viewers were probably watching Red Sox - Yankees especially after the Magic opened up a 28 point lead. That means most people missed the Celtics near comeback before falling 95-90. One major reason for the Celtics down performance was Ray Allen scoring only 9 points on 2-12 shooting. Anyone paying attention has noticed that the former UConn star is the key to the Celtics success. Lost in all the excitement of the first round was just how poor Paul Pierce played for Boston. As much as he did to win game 5, he did even more to lose game 6 against Chicago. Allen was unstoppable against the Bulls and is a much more efficient offensive player than Pierce. If the Celtics are going to continue their run without Kevin Garnett, Allen must continue to be their top offensive weapon. But in the end, will anybody be watching?

New Layout

New look. Same great Analysis.

Will the real Michigan State please stand up.. please stand up

By Be Nasty

Michigan State proved once again how pathetic of a team they are (as I correctly predicted by that way, scroll down). They were manhandled from the start of the game and North Carolina was toying with them the whole second half. This game reminds me of the Rose Bowl this year when Pete Carroll called off the dogs during the third quarter so his USC Trojans didn't thoroughly embarrass Penn State and its do-nothing coach.

I am so sick and tired of Big 11 teams being allowed to play for National Championships and giving us such boring games that I am assembling an army of lobbyists to descend on Washington to pass legislation banning any Big 11 team from competing in future championship games. To aid me in this endeavor I urge everyone of you who values sports to call your Senators and Representatives and tell them they need to vote for this bill as it is the only way to save us from this garbage produced on a yearly basis by the worst "BCS" conference in America.