Super Bowl XLII

]
last = XLI
next = XLIII

Super Bowl XLII featured the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots in an American football game to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the 2007 season. In one of the most significant upsets in Super Bowl history, [ cite web
url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hHC1Iz-LbkPgwJ0e2CRnT8tFtxagD8UJ8QPG0| title=Fox Wins With Super Bowl Upset| date=2008-02-03| publisher=Associated Press| accessdate=2008-02-04] the Giants (14–6) won 17–14, preventing the Patriots (18–1) from becoming the first undefeated team since the 1972 Miami Dolphins went 17–0. In doing so, the Giants became the first NFC wild card team to win a Super Bowl. They also became the fifth wild card seed from either conference, and the fourth in eleven years, to earn an NFL championship. The victory marked the franchise's seventh NFL championship and third Super Bowl win—New York's first title since Super Bowl XXV in January 1991. The Giants head coach was Tom Coughlin. The Patriots were coached by Bill Belichick. The tagline for Super Bowl XLII was "Who Wants It More?"

The game, held on February 3, 2008 at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, [http://www.azsuperbowl.com/game_day.aspx AZ Super Bowl: Game Day Information ] ] was a rematch of the final game of the regular season. In that contest, the Patriots won 38–35 to complete the first perfect regular season since the aforementioned 1972 Dolphins team, and the first one since the league expanded to a 16-game regular season schedule in 1978. Thus, New England entered Super Bowl XLII as 12-point favorites.cite web | url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/news/story?id=3206173 | title=Pats' historic season earns large point spread in Super Bowl | publisher = ESPN.com | date = 2008-01-20 | accessdate = 2008-01-20]

The first three quarters of Super Bowl XLII were largely a defensive battle, as both teams combined for only 10 points, with the Patriots leading 7–3 entering into the final quarter. New York finally scored their first touchdown with 11:05 left in the game to take a 10–7 lead. New England eventually responded with a touchdown of their own to take a 14–10 lead with 2:42 left. Then came the defining play of the game: faced with third down and five yards to go from their own 44-yard line with 1:15 remaining, Giants quarterback Eli Manning avoided what looked like a sack and completed a 32-yard pass to wide receiver David Tyree, who made a leaping catch by pinning the ball on his helmet which put them at New England's 24-yard-line. Four plays later, New York wide receiver Plaxico Burress caught the winning touchdown with 0:35 left.cite web|url=http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29526&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2007&week=POST21&override=true|title=NFL Game Center: Post Game - New York Giants at New England Patriots - 2007 Super Bowl|author=|publisher=NFL.com|accessdate=2008-02-04|date=2008-02-03] Manning, who threw both of his touchdown passes in the fourth quarter, was named the Most Valuable Player.

The telecast was the most-watched Super Bowl of all time, with an average of 97.5 million viewers in the United States and 148.3 million total viewers watching some part of the game. The broadcast achieved the highest Nielsen ratings (43.3) for the game since Super Bowl XXXIV. It was also the second most-watched TV program of all time in the United States. [cite news | title=Record 97.5 million watched Super Bowl | url=http://www.dailynews.com/sports/ci_8164645
first=David | last=Bauder | publisher="Los Angeles Daily News" | date=2008-02-04 | accessdate=2008-02-04]

Background

Host selection process

As is always the case, the league considered several other cities before settling on the Phoenix area. In this case, the process was of special interest because the league considered holding Super Bowl XLII in New York City or Washington, D.C. as a symbol of the recovery from the September 11, 2001 attacks. [cite news | title=D.C.'s so unSuper in winter
url=http://washingtontimes.com/sports/20040131-120320-9611r.htm
archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20050415175629/http://washingtontimes.com/sports/20040131-120320-9611r.htm
archivedate=2005-04-15
first=Thom
last=Loverro
publisher=Washington Times
accessdate=2005-09-10] New York City's bid did not go far. Aside from the obvious climatic concerns, there were issues with finding a suitable stadium. Proposed renovations to the 1970s-vintage Giants Stadium were still being disputed amongst the various parties. (Giants Stadium lacked a roof, as did both of New York City's baseball stadia.) Also, the City of New York and the New York Jets failed to make a deal to build a new West Side Stadium (which, according to the initial plans, would have been built with a roof.) [cite news | title=N.Y./N.J. Super Bowl in 2008 may not come to pass
url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2003-09-22-ny-nj-superbowl_x.htm
first=Tom
last=Pedulla
publisher="USA Today"
date=2003-09-22
accessdate=2005-09-10] During the years since the Super Bowl XLII bid fell through, work has begun on a New Meadowlands Stadium, which in its current configuration lacks a roof.

Washington DC's bid proved to be more viable. The DC area had a relatively new (albeit roofless) stadium, FedEx Field, and DC's winter weather (although still potentially problematic) is milder than New York's.

In the end, the process boiled down to three finalists: Washington, DC, Phoenix and Tampa. NFL owners finally chose what is now known as University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona as the site for Super Bowl XLII during their October 2003 meeting in Chicago, Illinois. [cite news | title=Arizona awarded 2008 Super Bowl
url=http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6792635
archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070627002516/http://www.nfl.com/news/story/6792635
archivedate=2007-06-27
publisher=NFL.com
date=2003-10-30
accessdate=2007-02-08] In subsequent years, Raymond James Stadium in Tampa was chosen as the site for Super Bowl XLIII and the West Side Stadium was briefly designated as the venue for Super Bowl XLIV. (However, Super Bowl XLIV was moved to Miami when it became clear that the new stadium in New York City would not be built in time for the February 2010 game.)

Venue

The kickoff for the game was at 4:32 p.m. MST (23:32 UTC). This was the first time a Super Bowl was played on a retractable natural-grass field surface; the University of Phoenix Stadium's removable surface is unique among American sports venues. [ cite press release
url=http://www.azcardinals.com/stadium/detail.php?PRKey=960
publisher=CMX
title=Cards stadium rolls field into place for 1st time
date=2006-06-15
accessdate=2007-05-09]

This was the second Super Bowl played in a retractable-roof stadium (designed by Peter Eisenman and HOK Sport). During the regular season, the home team decides 90 minutes before kickoff whether the roof would be open or closed, and an open roof must remain open unless weather conditions get worse. However, as a neutral site, the NFL controls the option to open or close without any restrictions. The first time this was employed was in Super Bowl XXXVIII at Reliant Stadium; the roof was open for pregame and halftime shows and closed during the game. [cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/football/nfl/specials/playoffs/2003/02/01/bc.fbn.superbowl.roof.ap/index.html
title=Open and shut case
publisher=Associated Press
date=2004-02-01
accessdate=2008-02-06] Because there was rain in the forecast for Super Bowl XLII, the roof was closed for the entire day's activities.

During a February 6, 2007 ceremony with Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano, the NFL and the Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee unveiled the slogan "Who Wants It More?" along with its mascot "Spike the Super Ball" (an anthropomorphized football with sunglasses and sneakers) and a large "Super Bowl XLII Countdown Clock" at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.cite web | title=Governor Napolitano and Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee Unveil Countdown Clock, Official Super Bowl Logo, Statewide Outreach Program, and Mascot
url = http://www.azsuperbowl.com/news_detail.aspx?id=545
publisher=Arizona Super Bowl Host Committee
date=2007-02-06
accessdate=2007-02-07] The Super Bowl XLII logo was also unveiled, featuring the shape of the state of Arizona in red. The two horizontal white stripes in the middle represent the vertical lines on the University of Phoenix Stadium. The turquoise Roman numerals represent the Native American culture of Arizona. The red star represents the AFC and the blue star represents the NFC.

Teams

New England Patriots

By the time the Patriots arrived at Super Bowl XLII, competing in their fourth Super Bowl since the 2001 season, they were already billed as one of the greatest teams in NFL history. They compiled a perfect 16-0 record (the first team to go undefeated in a 16 game regular season - the NFL expanded the regular season to 16 games in 1978), and set NFL records with 589 points scored (an average of 36.8 points per game), 75 total touchdowns, and a net differential of +315 points (they gave up 274 points, fourth best in the league). Some experts have suggested that the Patriots' 16-0 record is the culmination of a larger trend towards better records for top NFL teams since the league realignment in 2002. [cite web | url=http://www.thefount.info/16-0isthenew15-1.html | title=16-0: The Myth of Perfection | publisher=The Fount | accessdate=2008-02-06] The team was led by quarterback Tom Brady who won his first NFL MVP & NFL Offensive MVP award, throwing for a career high 4,806 yards and an NFL record 50 touchdowns (which was 22 more than his previous best season), and just eight interceptions. His passer rating of 117.2 was the second-highest season rating in NFL history. One often-cited reason for Brady's improved numbers was the acquisition of receivers Randy Moss and Wes Welker.http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22687674/ Brady demands perfection, and gets it] The Patriots acquired Moss, a nine-year veteran, from the Oakland Raiders for a fourth-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft after Moss had, statistically, the worst year of his career (with 42 receptions for 553 yards and three touchdowns). With the Patriots, though, Moss caught 98 receptions for 1,493 yards and an NFL record 23 touchdowns, and was selected a first-team All Pro. The Patriots also gave the Miami Dolphins second- and seventh-round picks for Welker; Welker tied for the league lead with 112 receptions for 1,175 yards and 8 touchdowns and was named a second-team All Pro. Welker and Moss both earned votes for Offensive Player of the Year. Other major contributors to the Patriots' passing game included Donté Stallworth, who added 697 yards and three touchdowns, and tight end Benjamin Watson, whose 36 receptions totaled 389 yards and six touchdowns.

Running back Laurence Maroney was the Patriots' top rusher with 835 yards and six touchdowns, while Sammy Morris added 385 yards & 3 TDs, while Kevin Faulk had 265 yards. (Morris ended up on injured reserve midway through the season, and thus could not play in the Super Bowl.) Faulk was also a reliable receiver out of the backfield, catching 47 passes for 383 yards and a touchdown. The Patriots also had an offensive line that featured three players selected to the Pro Bowl, guard Logan Mankins, tackle Matt Light, and center Dan Koppen. The Patriots defensive line was led by nose tackle Vince Wilfork, who was selected to his first Pro Bowl, he was also fined four times during the season, for unnecessary roughness. [http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d8064845d&template=without-video&confirm=true NFL fines Wilfork for unnecessary roughness] . Associated Press. January 27, 2008.] The Patriots also had a set of veteran linebackers who had a combined 16 Pro Bowl selections. Outside linebacker Mike Vrabel had, statistically, the best season of his career to date. He led the team in sacks with a career high 12½ and earned his first Pro Bowl selection. Adalius Thomas, an off-season signing from the Ravens, recorded six sacks. Junior Seau, who had been selected to the Pro Bowl 12 times during his career but had never won a Super Bowl, returned for his 18th season and got 74 tackles with 3½ sacks. Tedy Bruschi recorded 92 tackles and two sacks. The Patriots secondary featured another player selected to the Pro Bowl, cornerback Asante Samuel, who led the team with six interceptions.

The Patriots' success became controversial when they were caught videotaping opponents' defensive signals in the first week of the season against the New York Jets. The incident later became known as "Spygate". Head coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000, while the team was fined $750,000 and lost their first-round selection for the 2008 NFL Draft.

New York Giants

Unlike the Patriots, the Giants began the season with low expectations. The Giants had lost in the first round of the playoffs in each of the previous two seasons and had not won a playoff game in seven years. Quarterback Eli Manning, the younger brother of Super Bowl XLI MVP quarterback Peyton Manning, had struggled to find consistency. In his three seasons as a starter, he had completed less than 54% of his passes with a career passer rating of 73.4. While generally regarded as a solid quarterback, he had been unable to achieve the same level of success as fellow 2004 draftees Phillip Rivers (for whom he was traded) and Ben Roethlisberger. By the 2007 season, many sports writers were starting to question if Eli would ever live up to the expectations of someone selected with the first overall pick in a draft.cite news|title=John Mara: Giants sticking with Eli Manning|publisher=New York Daily News|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2007/11/14/2007-11-14_john_mara_giants_sticking_with_eli_manni.html|date=2007-11-04|author=Vacchiano, Ralph]

Manning's criticism intensified as the Giants lost the first two games of the regular season, before recovering with six consecutive wins and finished the year with 10 wins, despite the loss of running back Derrick Ward, linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka, and four-time Pro Bowl tight end Jeremy Shockey to injury. Despite the injuries, Manning led the Giants to three road playoff wins without throwing a single interception. Their three playoff wins gave them an NFL record 10 consecutive wins on the road. The Giants finished the season with a franchise-low 77 penalties, despite the fact they set a franchise record two years before with 146.

Manning finished the 2007 season with 3,336 yards, 23 touchdowns, and 20 interceptions. His main target Plaxico Burress, caught 70 passes for 1,050 yards and 12 touchdowns. Amani Toomer, the Giants all-time leading receiver and one of only two players remaining from their last Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXV, was also a reliable target with 59 receptions for 760 yards. The Giants' ground game was led by running back Brandon Jacobs, who at 6' 4" (193 cm) and 264 pounds (118 kg), was one of the largest starting halfbacks in the NFL. He finished the season with 1,009 yards and an average of five yards per carry, while also catching 23 passes despite starting only nine games.

The Giants defense had a defensive line that was led by defensive ends Osi Umenyiora (the lone Pro Bowl representative on the team, the fewest a Super Bowl team has ever had), Michael Strahan, and Justin Tuck. Umenyiora led the defense with 13 sacks and five forced fumbles. Strahan, another veteran from the Giants last Super Bowl appearance in 2000, had nine sacks, giving him a career total of 141.5 and breaking the franchise record held by Lawrence Taylor. Tuck recorded ten sacks and 48 solo tackles. In the secondary, cornerback Sam Madison and safety Gibril Wilson led the team with four interceptions each. Cornerback R. W. McQuarters had no interceptions during the season, but he had been effective in the playoffs, with interceptions in each of their first three post-season games. Punter Jeff Feagles played in his first Super Bowl after 20 years in the NFL. This was also the last game for Giants athletic trainer John Johnson having been with the team for 60 years. Strahan and Toomer were the only Giants remaining from the franchise's last Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXXV.

Playoffs

The Patriots continued to set NFL records on their road to the Super Bowl. First, Brady set the NFL record for completion percentage in a single game (92.9%) with 26 of 28 completions for 268 yards and three touchdowns in their 31–20 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the divisional round, while safety Rodney Harrison tied an NFL record by recording an interception in his fourth consecutive postseason game. One week later, the Patriots defeated the San Diego Chargers 21–12. Although Brady threw three interceptions in the game, the Patriots defense forced two turnovers and limited San Diego to four field goals, while Maroney rushed for 122 yards and a touchdown for the second game in a row.

Meanwhile, the Giants became the first NFC team (third overall) ever to advance to the Super Bowl by winning three playoff games on the road. After beating the fourth-seeded Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24–14, the Giants upset the top-seeded Dallas Cowboys 21–17 when McQuarters intercepted a pass from Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo in the end zone as time expired. They advanced to the Super Bowl with a 23–20 overtime win over the second-seeded Green Bay Packers in the third coldest game of all-time (-1°F at kickoff, -24°F wind chill) with an interception by Corey Webster that set up Lawrence Tynes's game-winning 47-yard field goal. The field goal was the longest by a visiting kicker in Lambeau Field postseason history.

Pre-game notes

New England was heavily favored to win the game and become the first NFL team to go through a 16-game season and postseason undefeated. However, others predicted that the Giants could accomplish a win. New York's record of 10 consecutive road wins included five teams favored to beat them. This included their playoff wins against the Cowboys (who had defeated New York twice in the regular season) and Packers (who had beaten them in week 2).cite news|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/dr_z/01/22/superbowlxlii/index.html|publisher="Sports Illustrated"|title=Giants' grit will overcome Pats' talent in Super Bowl|date=2008-01-22|accessdate=2008-02-04]

The Patriots and Giants had played against each other in the last week of the regular season. Due to the Patriots' quest for an undefeated season, this game was one of the most heavily watched games in league history, and was the first game ever to be shown on three different networks (NFL Network, CBS, and NBC). As they were favored to do, the Patriots won the game to finish the regular season undefeated, but it was a close and competitive game. New England won, 38–35, by overcoming a 12-point deficit in the third quarter, the largest deficit they had faced all season. "There is nothing but positives," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said after the game. "I told the players in playing this game everything would be positives, there would be no negatives and that is how I feel. I don't know any better way to be prepared for the playoffs than to go against a team that was 15–0."cite news|url=http://www.nfl.com/gamecenter/recap?game_id=29435&displayPage=tab_recap&season=2007&week=REG17|accessdate=2008-02-03|publisher=Associated Press|title=The Patriots complete their perfect regular season, beat Giants|date=2007-12-29] Interestingly enough, this would be the third time in the Giants four Super Bowl appearances that they had previously played their eventual AFC opponent during that year's regular season. The Giants have won the Super Bowl all three times this has occurred.

For the third consecutive year, the arrival dates for the teams were staggered, with the Patriots arriving on Sunday, January 27 (corresponding to the traditional day that teams arrive for the game with the two-week break) and the Giants waiting to come in until Monday, January 28. A report filed by ESPN's Rachel Nichols suggested that the Giants stayed to practice more of their game plan in their home facility before arriving at the Super Bowl. The last three teams to wait an extra day to emerge in the Super Bowl city or area have won the game: the New York Giants before Super Bowl XLII, the Indianapolis Colts before Super Bowl XLI and the Pittsburgh Steelers before Super Bowl XL.

The Patriots practiced at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University, while the Giants practiced at the Arizona Cardinals' practice facility, both of which are located in Tempe.

Broadcasting

Television

United States

The game was telecast in the United States on the FOX network in 720p high definition resolution. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman called the game, while Pam Oliver (Giants) and Chris Myers (Patriots) were the sideline reporters.

This Super Bowl had an unprecedented nine hours of game-related coverage prior to kickoff on game day. Fox News started the coverage on the FOX network at 9:00 a.m. ET.cite news | url =http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6523339.html | title =Fox Sets Shepard Smith Super Bowl Special
publisher =broadcastingandcable.com| date = 2007-01-16
accessdate = 2007-01-27] .

Official pre-game coverage began at 2:00 p.m. ET, and was handled by the "FOX NFL Sunday" pregame show team led by Curt Menefee, joined by Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, and Jimmy Johnson. In addition Frank Caliendo appeared in various comedic skits and Ryan Seacrest provided coverage of celebrity arrivals to the game site. This was the first FOX Super Bowl not to be hosted by James Brown, who had returned to CBS after the 2005 season.

The official game broadcast began at 6:00 p.m. ET, with kickoff at 6:32 PM EST. [cite press release
url=http://www.foxflash.com/div.php/main/page?aID=1z4&ID=73
title=Primetime Listings: Sunday, February 3
publisher=Fox Broadcasting Company
accessdate=2008-01-27]

NFL Network had extensive post-game coverage.

The Giants became the fifth team to win Super Bowls on three different networks (CBS-XXI, ABC-XXV and FOX).

International

Outside North America, Super Bowl XLII was distributed by the NFL and NFL International. Overall, the game was available to an estimated potential audience of one billion viewers within 223 countries and territories.cite news
url=http://www6.lexisnexis.com/publisher/EndUser?Action=UserDisplayFullDocument&orgId=574&topicId=100021158&docId=l:734531662&isRss=true |title=Super Bowl XLII TV and Radio Facts and Figures |publisher = LexisNexis |date=2008-01-25 |accessdate=2008-01-31] However viewing figures outside North America rose only marginally on previous years with an estimated 10 million people tuning in from outside the USA, Canada and Mexico for an overall global audience in the region of 114 million. Dick Stockton and Sterling Sharpe were the announcers for the International broadcast. [cite news
url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/sporteditors/2008/01/what_a_superb_owl.html
title =Super Bowl XLII: The luck of London? (101)
publisher =bbc.co.uk
date = 2008-01-30
accessdate = 2008-02-20]

United Kingdom

The BBC acquired the rights in the United Kingdom. The game aired live on BBC Two, carrying the NFL International feed,cite news
url =http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2007/09_september/13/superbowl.shtml
title =BBC Sport to broadcast Super Bowl for first time
publisher =bbc.co.uk
date = 2007-09-13
accessdate = 2007-12-18] cite news
url =http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/us_sport/article2446613.ece
title =BBC win rights to show Super Bowl
publisher =TimesOnline
date = 2007-09-13
accessdate = 2007-12-18] cite news
url =http://www.nfluk.com/games/tvschedule/index.aspx
title =BBC win rights to show Super Bowl
publisher =NFLUK.com
date = 2007-12-18
accessdate = 2007-12-18] ending ITV Sport's coverage which began in 2005. The game was also subsequently available on the BBC's on demand service, iPlayer. Sky Sports broadcast the game in both standard and high definition using Fox's feed and announcers.

Internet broadcast streams

Independent Phoenix television station KTVK broadcast a live video stream from a Webcam located outside of the University of Phoenix Stadium. The camera provided millions of Internet users from around the world a chance to peer in on pre- and post-game activities, watching thousands of spectators file into and out of the stadium on Sunday, February 3. The Stadium Cam broadcast from Friday, February 1 to Monday, February 4, 2008 on the station's website.

NFL.com's " [http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/live NFL.com/live] " carried its own coverage of Super Bowl events leading up to and after the game, mostly simulcasting NFL Network.

Radio

On radio, Westwood One had the national broadcast rights to the game in the United States and Canada; Marv Albert and Boomer Esiason served as the announcing team for that network. The game was carried on BBC Radio 5 Live in the United Kingdom with Arlo White commentating.

Sirius Satellite Radio carried twelve feeds in eight languages in the United States. The following language feeds were offered:

*Westwood One (American English)
*Univision Radio/United Stations (Mexican Spanish, U.S.)
*New England Patriots Radio Network
*New York Giants Radio Network
*BBC Radio 5 Live (British English)
*NHK Japan (Japanese)
*NTV Plus (Russian)
*SMG (Mandarin Chinese)

FieldPass, the subscription Internet radio service provided by the league at "NFL.com," carried most of these feeds, with select international feeds for free.

Locally, Gil Santos and Gino Cappelletti called the game for the Patriots on WBCN-FM radio, and Bob Papa, Dick Lynch, and Carl Banks called the Giants' radio broadcast on WFAN-AM. By NFL rules, only WBCN, WFAN, Sirius and FieldPass carried the teams' local broadcasts, and affiliate stations instead carried the Westwood One feed. WBCN, WFAN, and Westwood One are all owned by CBS Radio.

DVD

The official DVD of the Super Bowl was released on February 26, 2008. The DVD covered the entire 2007 New York Giants season, as well as special features including the NFL Network postgame commentary, the halftime show in its entirety, the Media Day highlights, the and highlights, profiles on Mathias Kiwanuka and Tom Coughlin, and features on Eli Manning and Michael Strahan. A Postseason Collector's Edition was also released. It is a 5 disc set that featured the last game of the regular season and all four playoff games.

Entertainment

Pre-game ceremonies

Willie Nelson performed for a NFL-sponsored pre-game tailgate party, singing a duet with Sara Evans of his song "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be Cowboys" as part of FOX's pre-game show.cite news
url =http://www.allaccesstoday.com/tourhq/tourshow.php?function=tourinfo&siteID=16&tourID=11239
title =On the Road Again Tour Schedule
publisher =All Access Today
date = 2007-12-18
accessdate = 2007-12-18]

This year's Super Bowl entertainment had many connections to FOX's series "American Idol". On August 16, both the NFL and FOX confirmed that "Idol" host Seacrest would serve as emcee for the pre-game show, with Alicia Keys as the primary performer; as she sung a medley of her songs, including... "Go Ahead", Fallin', If I Ain't Got You, Teenage Love Affair, and No One as the final performance. "Idol" Season Six winner Jordin Sparks, herself a native of Glendale and daughter of former New York Giants cornerback Phillippi Sparks, performed the National Anthem,cite news
url =http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/1214jordin1214.html
title ='Idol' Jordin Sparks to sing anthem at Super Bowl XLII
publisher =The Arizona Republic
date = 2007-12-14
accessdate = 2007-12-18] while Phoenix College professor and theatrical interpreter A Dreamer interpreted it into American Sign Language. [cite news
url = http://www.azcentral.com/sports/superbowl/ent/articles/0129sb-dreamer0129-ON.html
title = Living the dream: Prof to sign anthem for deaf
author = Wong, Scott
publisher =The Arizona Republic
date = 2008-01-29
accessdate = 2008-01-30] The anthem was followed by a flyover from the U.S. Navy precision flying team, the Blue Angels.http://www.blueangels.navy.mil/ Blue Angels web site January 27, 2008] In addition, judge Paula Abdul premiered her first music video in over a decade, "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow", which she made with fellow judge Randy Jackson as part of FOX's pregame coverage to kickoff her official comeback.cite news
url =http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/paula-abdul-debut-new-music-video-during-super-bowl-pregame-6388.php
title =Paula Abdul to debut new music video during Super Bowl pregame
publisher =RealityTVWorld.com
date = 2008-01-14
accessdate = 2008-01-15]

The coin toss ceremony posthumously honored Pro Football Hall of Fame head coach Bill Walsh, who died on July 30, 2007. His former players Ronnie Lott, Jerry Rice and Steve Young joined Walsh's children, Craig and Elizabeth, at the ceremony.

Halftime

As is always the case, several big names were mentioned as possible performers for the halftime show before a final choice (i.e., Tom Petty) was announced. The halftime entertainer selection process in late 2007 was not unusual: however, since the site selection process four years earlier was of special interest, it is necessary to also mention some of the acts who might have performed, but did not do so.

According to the entertainment publication "Variety", a wish list of potential halftime performers was developed by the NFL. Among those on the wish list were Bruce Springsteen, Norah Jones and the Eagles. [cite web |url=http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0228B1-talker0228.html |title=NFL not naming wish list for Super Bowl halftime |author=The Arizona Republic |publisher=azcentral.com |date=2007-02-28 |accessdate=2007-03-01] In addition, interest in the slot was expressed by Bon Jovi, who had planned to open the U.S. leg of their Lost Highway Tour with a performance during the halftime show.cite web|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/4242429a4500.html|title=Bon Jovi to play one-off Christchurch show|accessdate=2007-10-22|publisher=Stuff.co.nz]

According to Rolling Stone Magazine, the engagement was actually offered to the Eagles by the NFL, but the offer was turned down. [http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/eagles%20turned%20down%20super%20bowl%20offer_1054250 Tom Petty: Eagles turned down Super Bowl offer] . Contact Music via Rolling Stone. December 20, 2007.]

Then, on December 2, 2007, it was officially announced that the halftime entertainment would be provided by Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers. The songs “American Girl,” “I Won't Back Down,” “Free Fallin',” and “Runnin' Down a Dream” were performed by the band to kick off their 2008 world tour. Bridgestone served as the halftime show sponsor.cite news
url =http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSN0236253220071202
title =Tom Petty to Play Super Bowl Halftime Show
publisher =WashingtonPost.com
date = 2007-12-02
accessdate = 2007-12-04] The halftime show itself, produced by Don Mischer and White Cherry Productions in association with NFL Network, was nominated for an Emmy Award in 2008.

Post-game ceremonies

Former Redskins quarterback Doug Williams, MVP in Super Bowl XXII, commemorating the twentieth anniversary of becoming the first African American quarterback to lead a team to victory in the Super Bowl, took part in the Vince Lombardi Trophy presentation ceremony after the game. [cite news|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3219782|title=Super Bowl to honor Williams during trophy presentation XLI|publisher=ESPN.com|date=2008-01-29|accessdate=2008-02-02]

Eli Manning was awarded the Pete Rozelle Trophy for being named MVP, and also received the keys to a 2009 Cadillac Escalade hybrid SUV. [cite news|url=http://www.imperialvalleynews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=781&Itemid=2|title=New England Patriots vs New York Giants—Superbowl Preview|publisher=Imperial Valley News|date=2008-02-03|accessdate=2008-02-03] Though not the only brothers to play in a Super Bowl, Eli Manning and Peyton Manning (Super Bowl XLI) are the first brothers to be named Super Bowl MVPs (doing so in successive years).

After the game, New York City erupted in celebration, with the sounds of cheers and honking horns echoing through city streets. Crowds of elated New Yorkers, many shocked by their team's victory, packed Second Avenue in Manhattan, literally stopping traffic, honking horns and cheering. [ [http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=78132 "Hero's Welcome: City Preps For Giants' Victory Parade After Historic Super Bowl Win"] on "New York 1," 4 Feb 2008.] Times Square was swarmed with celebrating Giants fans well past midnight. [Associated Press, [http://www.kttc.com/News/index.php?ID=22296 "Fans Celebrate After Giants Win"] on "KTTC-TV," 3 Feb 2008.] Similar celebrations could be found throughout Brooklyn, Queens, The Bronx, Staten Island, Long Island, Westchester County, Fairfield County, and Northern New Jersey, where the Giants play their home games [Associated Press, [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22984633/ "New Jerseyans, New Yorkers revel in Giant win"] on "MSNBC.com," 3 Feb 2008.] New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, witnessing the first New York sports team championship victory as mayor, praised the hometown team's upset victory, saying; "New York has come back many times in the past, and Big Blue proved tonight that you should never, ever, count us out." Many New Yorkers consider the Giants' win to be among the greatest championship victories in New York sports history. [Jim Baumbach, [http://www.newsday.com/sports/football/giants/ny-spjim0205,0,5722530.column "Giants' win ranks among NY's best"] from "Newsday," 4 Feb 2008.] It was also the first New York sports team championship since the city was attacked on September 11, 2001.

.

hooting incident avoided

After the game, federal authorities revealed Kurt William Havelock, a would-be bar owner angry at being denied a liquor license, had threatened to shoot people at the Super Bowl and drove to within sight of the stadium. Havelock had sent letters to the media, vowing to "shed the blood of the innocent." After buying an AR-15 rifle and 200 rounds of ammo, he drove to the stadium and then changed his mind. After calling some family members, Havelock turned himself in to the police. [cite news| url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/football/nfl/02/07/superbowl.gunfire.ap/index.html?cnn=yes | title=Super Bowl evades mass shooting | publisher=Sports Illustrated | date=2008-02-07 | accessdate=2008-02-16]

Game summary

After scoring a combined 73 points in their regular season meeting, the teams scored a mere 10 points by the end of the third quarter, with the Patriots leading 7 to 3. The Patriots' record-setting offense gave up five sacks and one lost fumble, while the Giants' offense managed only five first downs in the second and third quarters. Yet in the fourth quarter, quarterback Eli Manning threw two touchdown passes, including the winning drive that culminated with a 17-yard touchdown to Plaxico Burress with 39 seconds remaining. The game marked the first time that a previously undefeated team had lost in a National Football League championship game since the 1942 Chicago Bears as the Patriots fell shy of their bid for a 19–0 campaign.

After calling tails to win the coin toss, the Giants started the game with the longest opening drive in Super Bowl history, [cite web
url=http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=346770| title=Giants prevent perfect season, beat Patriots| date=2008-02-08| publisher=Sporting News| accessdate=2008-02-08] a 16-play, 77-yard march that consumed 9 minutes, 59 seconds and featured four third-down conversions, the most ever on a Super Bowl opening drive. But New England halted the drive at their own 14-yard line, forcing the Giants to settle for a 32-yard field goal from Lawrence Tynes that gave New York a 3–0 lead.

New England then responded with its own scoring drive as Laurence Maroney returned the kickoff 43 yards to the Patriots' 44-yard line, after which he rushed twice for 15 yards. Quarterback Tom Brady then completed three passes for 23 yards, but after two incomplete passes, New England was faced with 3rd-and-10 on the Giants' 17. However, on that play, New York linebacker Antonio Pierce committed pass interference by striking the helmet of tight end Benjamin Watson in the end zone, giving New England 1st-and-goal at the 1. This set up a Maroney 1-yard touchdown run two plays later, the first play of the second quarter, for a 7–3 lead. The two teams each only had one drive in the entire opening quarter, a Super Bowl record.

On the Giants first drive of the second quarter, on 3rd-and-7, receiver Amani Toomer caught in a deep pass from Manning along the left sideline while dragging his feet in-bounds for a 38-yard gain, moving the ball to the Patriots' 19. But three plays later, Manning threw a pass that bounced out of the arms of rookie receiver Steve Smith and into the hands of cornerback Ellis Hobbs for an interception.

The Patriots' ensuing drive resulted in a three-and-out as on 3rd-and-1 James Butler and Michael Strahan tackled Maroney for a two-yard loss and New England was forced to punt.

Then on the Giants' next drive, rookie running back Ahmad Bradshaw fumbled a Manning hand-off and it looked as though Patriots' linebacker Pierre Woods had recovered the ball at the Giants' 30. But after the officials picked through the pile, it was determined that Bradshaw had made the recovery. The Giants maintained possession and wound up punting. New England's next drive ended with consecutive Giants' sacks, the first by linebacker Kawika Mitchell, the second by tackle Justin Tuck.

On the Giants' following drive, New York moved the ball to the New England 25, but linebacker Adalius Thomas sacked Manning and forced a fumble. Smith recovered the ball, however Bradshaw was penalized for illegally batting the ball forward before the recovery. The penalty pushed the Giants out of field goal range, and following an incompletion, they were forced to punt.

After the punt, two 18-yard receptions by Moss and Donté Stallworth moved the ball to the Giants' 44. But with 22 seconds left before halftime, Brady fumbled while being sacked by Tuck and defensive end Osi Umenyiora recovered the ball. The game then went to halftime with the Patriots leading 7-3.

On the first drive of the second half, New England had a 4th-and-2 and chose to punt. However, after the play had been run, Patriots' head coach Bill Belichick challenged that New York had too many players on the field and replay confirmed that was the case as Giants linebacker Chase Blackburn was unable to get to the sidelines as the ball was being snapped. Therefore, referee Mike Carey reversed the play, and the Giants were penalized 5 yards for having too many players on the field, giving the Patriots a first down. The Patriots then drove to the Giants' 25, but Strahan sacked Brady for a 6-yard loss on third down. Then on 4th-and-13, with the ball on the Giants' 31, Belichick decided against a long field goal attempt by Stephen Gostkowski and tried to pick up a first down instead. Brady's pass to Jabar Gaffney was incomplete as it went out of the back of the end zone and the Giants took over on downs.

On the Giants' first drive of the fourth quarter, Manning completed a 45-yard pass to rookie tight end Kevin Boss. Following three runs by Bradshaw and a 17-yard reception by Smith on third down, Manning finished the 7-play, 80-yard drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to David Tyree, giving New York a 10-7 lead with 11:10 left in the game.

After consecutive three-and-outs by the Patriots and Giants, New England got the ball at its own 20 with 7:54 to play. Brady then completed a 5-yard pass to Wes Welker and a 10-yard pass to Moss, followed by a 9-yard run by Maroney to give the Patriots a first down at their own 44. Brady followed with a 13-yard pass to Welker, a four-yard completion to Kevin Faulk, and then a 10-yard pass to Welker for a first down at the Giants' 29. After that, Brady found Moss for an 11-yard completion and Faulk for a 12-yard completion and New England now had 1st-and-goal from the Giants' 6. Following two incomplete passes, New York cornerback Corey Webster slipped while backing into coverage, leaving Moss wide open in the end zone where Brady found him for a touchdown to give New England a 14-10 lead with 2:42 left in the game.

On the ensuing kickoff, Raymond Ventrone tackled Domenik Hixon after a 14-yard return, giving New York the ball on their own 17 with 2:39 left and three timeouts remaining. Following two receptions by Toomer for 20 yards, Brandon Jacobs kept the drive going with a 2-yard run on 4th-and-1. On the next series of downs, Patriots' cornerback Asante Samuel nearly caught a possibly game-ending interception on a ball intended for Tyree, but the ball slipped through his fingertips. On the next play, the Giants faced 3rd-and-5 from their own 44 with 1:15 remaining. Manning spun out of the grasp of lineman Jarvis Green, righted himself, and threw a 32-yard completion to Tyree, who made a leaping catch while covered by Rodney Harrison and maintained possession by pinning the ball against his helmet with one hand as he fell to the ground. Two plays later, on 3rd-and-11, Manning found a wide-open Smith for a 12-yard gain to the New England 13. On the next play, the Giants sent four receivers into the pattern while the Patriots sent six pass rushers after Manning and flipped four pass defenders to the right side of the field—resulting in Patriots' cornerback Ellis Hobbs being isolated on the left side to cover Giants' wide receiver Plaxico Burress one-on-one. Hobbs bit on a fake slant inside (a "slant-and-go" or "SluGo" route) and Manning lofted a pass to the end zone where Burress caught the ball for a touchdown to complete the 12-play, 83-yard drive and give the Giants a 17-14 lead with 35 seconds left.

New England began its next possession on its own 26 with 29 seconds remaining and three timeouts, but the Giants' defense didn't allow a single yard—forcing an incompletion on first down, a 10-yard sack by rookie lineman Jay Alford on second down, and then two deep incomplete attempts to Moss, the first that was broken up by Webster, and the second of which, on 4th-and-20, was broken up by Giants' safety Gibril Wilson and caused a turnover on downs with one second remaining. After the incompletion, the game clock briefly read zero (one second was re-added), [cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/peter_king/02/05/giants/index.html?eref=fannation | title=What it's all about, Giants' title a reminder of why we watch sports | date=2008-02-05 | publisher=SI.com | accessdate=2008-02-10] and coaches, players, reporters, and fans crowded the field as if the game had ended. Belichick hugged Giants' Coach Tom Coughlin at midfield, then an official explained to both coaches that the final second had to be run. The Patriots' defense took the field, and Belichick left for the locker room, not staying for the final play. This early departure was later criticized by some sportswriters. [cite web
url=http://myespn.go.com/blogs/hashmarks/0-5-366/Belichick-has-left-the-building---a-second-early.html| title=Belichick has left the building...a second early | date=2008-02-04| publisher=ESPN.com| accessdate=2008-02-13] [cite web
url=http://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/ny-spwally055565082feb05,0,2316915.column| title=Belichick Shows He Has No Class| date=2008-02-05| publisher="Newsday"| accessdate=2008-10-11]

The officials cleared the field, and restarted the clock. Manning took a knee, allowing the clock to expire, and consequently sealed the historic Super Bowl XLII championship for the Giants, while also ending the Patriots' prospects of a 19-0 season.

coring summary

*1st Quarter
**NYG - Lawrence Tynes 32-yard field goal, 5:01. "Giants 3-0." Drive: 16 plays, 63 yards, 9:59.
*2nd Quarter
**NE - Laurence Maroney 1-yard run (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 14:57. "Patriots 7-3." Drive: 12 plays, 56 yards, 5:04
*3rd Quarter
**No scoring.
*4th Quarter
**NYG - David Tyree 5-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 11:05. "Giants 10-7" Drive: 6 plays, 80 yards, 3:47
**NE - Randy Moss 6-yard pass from Tom Brady (Stephen Gostkowski kick), 2:42. "Patriots 14-10" Drive: 12 plays, 80 yards in 5:15
**NYG - Plaxico Burress 13-yard pass from Eli Manning (Lawrence Tynes kick), 0:35. "Giants 17-14" Drive: 12 plays, 83 yards in 2:07

tatistics

Overview

Manning completed 19 of his 34 passes for 255 yards, including a mark of 9-of-14 for 152 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, to be named the game's Most Valuable Player. Manning also joined Joe Montana as only the second quarterback to throw two go-ahead touchdowns in the fourth quarter. Toomer was the Giants' leading receiver with 6 catches for 84 yards and Bradshaw and Jacobs rushed for 45 and 42 yards, respectively. Burress had 2 receptions for 27 yards. The Patriots' offense recorded 274 total yards to the Giants' 338. While not scoring, Welker tied a Super Bowl record with 11 receptions for 109 yards. Moss had five catches for 62 yards and a touchdown and Maroney rushed for 36 yards and a TD. Brady completed 29 of his 48 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown. Brady's 29 completions gave him a career total of 100 in his four Super Bowls, surpassing the previous record for Super Bowl completions that was held by Montana at 83. Tuck and Thomas were the top defensive performers for the Giants and Patriots, respectively, as each recorded five solo tackles, two sacks, and one forced fumble.

Records

With this game, the Giants also established an unprecedented 11 consecutive victories away from home in a single season. Ten of those victories were in actual road games (official road record: 10-1). The Giants' matchup in in London was also an official Giants road game because it was originally scheduled to be played at Dolphin Stadium. The Giants were also officially classified as the "road" team for Super Bowl XLII based on the annual Super Bowl rotation where the NFC champions serve as the away team in even-numbered years. [cite web | title=Which jerseys will Bears wear in Super Bowl? | url=http://www.chicagobears.com/news/ChalkTalkStory.asp?story_id=2961 | quote=The home team alternates every Super Bowl with the NFC representative serving as the home team in odd-numbered years and the away team in even-numbered years. | date=2007-01-22 | accessdate=2008-04-12] [cite web | title=XLII facts about Super Bowl XLII | url=http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/story?id=09000d5d8062bc41&template=with-video&confirm=true | quote=The AFC is the home team in this year's Super Bowl [Super Bowl XLII] . | date=2008-01-22 | accessdate=2008-04-12]

Giants punter Jeff Feagles became the oldest player in NFL history to play in and win a Super Bowl, at age 41. [ [http://www.kansascity.com/491/story/486755.html] ]

Patriots receiver Wes Welker tied the record for most catches in a Super Bowl, with 11, during the Patriots' scoring drive in the fourth quarter. Welker was the fourth player to record 11 receptions in a Super Bowl, following Dan Ross (Super Bowl XVI), Jerry Rice (Super Bowl XXIII), and Deion Branch (Super Bowl XXXIX).

The Giants opening drive consumed 9 minutes and 59 seconds, making it the longest drive in Super Bowl history. The previous record was from Super Bowl XXV, where the Giants mounted a 6 minute-15 second drive against the heavily favored and offensively explosive Buffalo Bills in the 3rd quarter.

Due to the length of the Giants' opening drive (which itself contained a record 4 third-down conversions), the first quarter featured only two possessions, a record for an opening quarter. [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/recap?gameId=280203017|title=Eli, monster defense power Giants to shocking Super Bowl victory|publisher=ESPN|author=Greg Garber|date=2008-02-03|accessdate=2008-02-04]

The three lead changes in the fourth quarter were also a Super Bowl record. [cite web|url=http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/elias?date=20080203
title=Elias Says...|publisher=ESPN|date=2008-02-03|accessdate=2008-02-07]

tatistical comparison