Last minute predictions, Pats vs Giants...

Last minute predictions re the big game?

I say 38-27, and the Pats will win!

Bob

No predictions??? I'm shocked at the score at half time, 7-3 Pats. I still say the Patriots will win but the only thing correct about my prediction is the 11 points they will win by.

Manning is succumbing to pressure, and Brady is getting his butt kicked by the Giant's defense. Watch out for the 4TH quarter when the Patriots will do a little magic to secure a victory.

GO PATRIOTS!!!

Bob

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Sorry Bob.

UGH! DOUBLE UGH!! TRIPLE UGH!!!

Congrats to all you Giants fans. The Giants did what seemed to be impossible this season, beat the Patriots.

Past my bedtime... Goodnight, Mrs. Calabash...where ever you are.

Bob

Have to say it was a hell of a game. Had to cheer for the Giants since it is Peyton's little brother... Quite interesting that brothers went as MVP in back to back Superbowls.

SOOOOOPER BOWL!

Congratulations to the NY Giants who pulled it off in the last minute.

I was rooting for the Patriots just for the historic significance of going undefeated.

But Pat fans can always say 2007 was the year their team went undefeated!

And so far, at least, the NY Giants are undefeated in 2008!

Glendale AZ, hometown of Ruthie Cooper, got lots of 'atta boys' for the fine job they did in hosting the event. There were many, many 'official' Super Bowl events around the Valley this past week.

I managed to avoid them all.

My neice, Stephanie, was at the game with her husband. $1000 a ticket for the seats they had. They live in Scottsdale so it was like a dream come true to have her favorite team come there to play. I'm sure she's not happy with the outcome.

Once again, congrats to the NY Giants and all their fans!

Bob

GIANTS
OUTRAGEOUS!

Dave,

Maybe there'll be a Manning Family Threepeat next year- Peyton vs. Eli in the big Game.

I think just about everybody- with the possible exception of Mrs. Manning- would love that scenario.

I was between a rock and a hard place with this game - since I'm an Eagles fan. I did actually think that the giants were going to win, though. that's hard for an Eagles fan - the alternative being the team that beat the Eagles in thier last Super Bowl appearance.

It was a great defensive game on both sides- if you could give the MVP to a part of the team the Giants defense deserved it.

Dennis

Well the Patriots had many chances to put the game away in the Giants last drive, put didn't. Any time you do that, it only takes one lucky play to turn around the outcome.

Congrats to Giants on there super win !!!

Congrats to Patriots as well, 18-1 and a trip to the Superbowl is fantastic !!!

All Remember: But for a 4th Quarter come back by Patriots the Giants almost beat the Patriots during the regular season. It must have been destiny. Art

The Dolphins PERFECT SEASON survives again!!!!

YES!

That game has to rank as one of the Best Super Bowls ever!! As a Colts fan, of course the Bradys of Indy were cheering against the Brady of New England and for Peyton's (no longer little) brother... Back to back MVP's for the Manning's, Peyton jumped about as high as I have ever seen him jump at the end of the game..

Best Game Ever!
Turning point of game - Bradshaw fumble and then he wrestles the ball away from Seymour who's twice his size.
Then Manning avoids the sack to scramble and pass to Tyree who makes his Helmet catch, just showed the Big Blue destiny!
Tiki Whooooooo?

Agreed.....Tiki Whooooooo?

http://www.syracuse.com/photos/nfl/galle...y.ata?g_id=5883

http://blog.syracuse.com/orangefootball/2008/02/tyree_on_si_cover.html

Those pics are amazing, Mombo! How the heck did he ever manage to hold on to that ball. That is probably the greatest second effort catch I've ever seen.

Bob

Listening to some of the interviews after the game showed his teammates in some amount of disbelief that he caught the ball. I think one of them mentioned he was dropping everything in the warmups. And, what about Eli getting free to make that desperation throw in the first place?

There was a very interesting story in Popular Photography about shooting the Superbowl and all it entails. The pictures Mombo linked to would make it look like those are the photos of at least 2 photographers. Be interesting to know how many frames the photographer ripped off to get the ones used?

Yes it was certainly the combination of Eli getting out of what looked like a sure sack plus the catch that made that play! It came right after I.O. got through saying, "Well there's always next year" and me saying, "It ain't over 'til it's over"!

As far as the photography goes - I've always wondered about those cameras you see now and then that seem to hang over the field, even fields that don't have domes? Sometimes you only see their shadow on the field. How they attach wherever they do is beyond me. Maybe Bob M knows as he goes to so many games??

Those cameras you are talking about, Sue, are probably TV cameras. They look to be on a wire that probably crosses the fields from an anchor point high in the stands? I would imagine most stadiums, especially pro and major college ones, have these set ups in place permanently to be used when broadcasting games. They are what allows the overhead perspectives often used.

The Pop Photo article I mentioned is quite interesting. Says each major news service would have 12 to 15 photographers at the game. 4 in each end zone, 2 on each side line and 2 up in the stands. They use runners to continually pick up used memory cards. The Sports Illustrated photo editor expected to edit in excess of 20,000 images during and right after the game. The article (in Feb 2008 issue) is really quite an intersting read.

more on " the catch in pictures "

That camera you speak of is utilized to get a great bird's eye view within the stadium itself. It's a robotic camera that travels along cables. It can be lowered and raised and moves along with the play as they go down field. They need the ability to raise it so it doesn't interfere with punts or kicks. Watch for the shadow of the camera on the field depending where the sun is shining in. It's quite a project to set it up so it isn't always used for every game, as far as I know.

Bob

Those traveling overhead cameras really give a great view of the action taking place! I believe they are set up for special games only.

Among the best additions to sports broadcasting IMO.


Others?
Remember the introduction of the 'instant replay'?
And the introduction of super slo-mo replays?
The use of 'challenges' by teams on the officials' calls (that one made a difference in this game)

NFL Films always did (still does?) great work at capturing games on film (probably now on video) for later editing.

As I understand it, the overhead robotic camera was instituted originally by NBC for their Sunday Night Football broadcasts. Special permission has to be granted by the NFL, as well as the teams playing the game in order for them to be installed for each game. The other networks have "borrowed" the idea, but because it is such an expensive proposition, you will find it used only on "national" telecasts, not "regional" games. Sunday Night Football, Monday Night Football, Thanksgiving Day games and playoff games all fall into that "nationally televised" umbrella. Those are the games that get the biggest ratings and the networks make more money on those games.