American Dream Developers Propose Significant Mass Transit Improvements

American Dream is the new name for the former Xanadu project in the Meadowlands across from the new MetLife Stadium where the World Champion New York Giants share the field with the New York Jets. American Dream is now run by the same developers, Triple Five Worldwide, who operate the massive Mall of America and were brought in to rescue the bankrupt developers who pushed the hideous Xanadu project.

One of the major impediments to getting the project completed is dealing with the millions of people who are expected to come to this destination center. Existing highways are maxed out in capacity, particularly on game or event days at MetLife stadium. That means that mass transit has to be a central feature of bringing in people to the area.

NJ Transit built a spur line between the Meadowlands Stadium and Secaucus Junction, which currently operates only during event periods. I've used this service to go to concerts there, and it does a fairly good job of getting people to the Stadium, though it wasn't nearly as efficient as it could have been; it was designed as a spur stop, rather than a through stop, meaning that trains would have to backtrack to Secaucus for commuters or customers seeking to run up the Pascack Valley Line adding an unnecessary delay. One of the justifications for this was the added cost of cleaning up contaminated land on a route allowing a through stop.

However, this is a stop that has potential for significant growth and would add value to the existing Secaucus Junction location (both as a customer transfer point and development of parking and business opportunities there).

Triple Five Worldwide says that they're going to boost mass transit, but one has to wonder how they're going to achieve this. Are they going to pay for the 7-day rail service, or expanded bus service to the site particularly when NJ Transit just cut four bus lines to save costs.

Janna Chernetz, the New Jersey advocate for the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, an organization dedicated to reducing car dependency, questioned how NJ Transit would pay for increased service to American Dream. The public transport corporation cut four bus routes in July.

Seven bus routes make regular stops at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, the current titleholder for biggest mall in the county. The Plaza draws about 20 million shoppers a year, less than half of the expected annual turnout at American Dream.

"There's a lot of concerns as to whether or not or how New Jersey Transit's going to fund this," Chernetz said.

John Durso, a spokesman for NJ Transit, would not comment beyond one statement:
"Right now we're still in the process of finalizing our plan to provide robust bus and rail service to support this important economic development project."

Transportation advocates and officials from neighboring municipalities have questioned whether the region can handle the traffic that American Dream is expected to generate. Triple Five says on the American Dream website that the center will draw between 40 and 55 million annual visitors.

In July, Triple Five announced that it would partner with DreamWorks Animation company to create an indoor theme park at American Dream. Don Ghermezian, the president of Triple Five, said he expected the park to become a worldwide attraction.

The Giants and Jets have sued to block Triple Five's plans, claiming that they didn't consult the teams on the traffic plans, since it could affect game days.

Football Training Camps Open With Giants As Underdogs and Jets Again Overestimating Themselves

The last Super Bowl is already in the rear view mirror, and training camp is now open across the NFL. Despite having a stirring Super Bowl win over the New England Patriots, Las Vegas has a half dozen teams ranked ahead of the defending champion New York Giants including all the teams that the Giants beat in the playoffs to win it all.

You can be assured that will make for all the motivation that the defending champs need. Their regular season wasn't much to look at, but it was more than enough to get them into the playoffs where they showed their mettle. The Giants have already stated as much.

That’s why Eli Manning said in a radio interview on WFAN earlier this week that the Giants will begin camp with “a lot to prove” to everyone, even though their most recent championship isn't yet six months old. That’s a notion that has been echoed by some of his teammates who will arrive in Albany with chips on their shoulders the size of their Super Bowl rings.

“There’s always a lot to prove every year,” Osi Umenyiora said. “It’s not like the Olympics or the World Cup. Every year somebody’s got to win it again. Last year’s over with. Going into this year nobody’s picking us to win again, as usual. There’s always going to be a lot to prove every year we go out there.”

It’s still early, but in some places the Giants are already projected to finish third in the NFC East, and at least one Vegas oddsmaker has them the ninth choice to win Super Bowl XLVII behind four other NFC teams (including the Philadelphia Eagles). It’s been pointed out in many places too that before they were champions the Giants were a 9-7 team that barely qualified for the playoffs.

That fact will follow them this summer, and likely for most of the year.
“It’s understood,” Umenyiora said. “We’re used to it. It’s been like that since I’ve been here.

“My teammates understand we are the champions and we are the best team in football until someone knocks us off that mantle. To me there’s no question we’re a great football team and we’re going to play that way. But it’s just making everybody else on our football team understand that what we did last year wasn’t a fluke.

“What we did last year was real and we can do that again this year.”

They officially begin working toward that goal on Friday afternoon when they take the field for their first practice at the University at Albany, free from some of the distractions that have plagued previous camps. Umenyiora, for example, got his long-awaited raise and no longer has contract issues hovering over his head. And the Giants extended Tom Coughlin’s contract through the 2014 season, taking his usually perilous job security out of play.

The Giants do have some holes to address, including at tackle and tight end, but those are concerns that mirror the issues the team had last season as well.

By comparison, the Jets are already making newspaper fodder despite having not produced on the field. They also face the prospect of a QB controversy the moment starting quarterback Mark Sanchez hits a rough spot or a losing streak and fans begin chanting for Tim Tebow. It's a self-imposed mess that will only fester the longer the season goes. And the Jets don't seem to have the discipline to keep out of the headlines, which means that it's great for selling papers but not so good for sticking to football.

Has Eli Manning Established Hall of Fame Credentials With Second Super Bowl Win; MVP?

Kurt Warner, who knows a thing or two about winning Super Bowls, seems to think that NY Giant Eli Manning hasn't quite made the case to be in the Hall of Fame.

For the moment, I think he's right.

Two rings and two Super Bowl MVPs plus the rest of Manning's numbers definitely put him in the discussion for the NFL Hall of Fame, but don't mean he's a sure thing.

Just ask Jim Plunkett.

Plunkett won two Super Bowls with the LA Raiders, but he still needs to buy a ticket to get into Canton. Manning, if he plays at the level he did this year for the next few years, could find a space saved for him there. If he keeps his interception rate down, maintains his completion rate and accuracy on his long throws, then he'd be in the discussion both on the strength of his regular season numbers plus what he's done in the postseason.

After all, Manning has set all manner of records in the postseason. He's won seven straight road/neutral games. He's had several stirring come-from-behind wins in that stretch, including twice in the Super Bowl. He's led the Giants through some of the toughest competition to get to the Super Bowl this year, including wins over the number 1 and 2 seeds in the NFL plus the top seed in the AFC.

Yet, his statistics until the 2011 season were not quite Hall of Fame material. If Manning puts another couple of seasons together like he did this year, he cements his legacy as a Hall of Famer. If he does that, he might make it on the first ballot.

If he has a few more average seasons, with 18-20 interceptions to go along with 25 touchdowns, then he'd still have a good shot of getting in, but it would not be a sure thing. Someone would inevitably point to his uneven regular seasons as proof he's not Hall of Fame material.

I'm sure that Manning would love to put together another couple of years like this - particularly the outcome - and end all doubt about his credentials and career.

The thing is, that compared with his peers, he's certainly in the Hall of Fame discussion. That discussion starts with Tom Brady, with his three rings in five chances. It also includes Ben Roethlisberger, who has also won two rings. For Roethlisberger, his statistics are in good company:

He currently ranks 10th all-time in NFL passer rating (92.9), 5th in yards per attempt (8.06), and 11th in completion percentage (63.24%) among quarterbacks with a minimum of 1,500 career attempts. He has the fourth highest career winning percentage (.710) as a starter in the regular season among quarterbacks with a minimum of 100 starts.

Manning, by comparison, has a lower NFL passer rating, lower yards per attempt, lower completion percentage. Yet, he's done something that none of his other peers have done - and that's outplay Brady - the best quarterback of our generation - twice in the Super Bowl.

This is one discussion that I'm sure will be revisited in the next few years, particularly if we see a few more of these.

The NY Giants Celebrate Winning Super Bowl With Parade Down Canyon of Heroes

Gov. Andrew Cuomo; Eli Manning; Mayor Mike Bloomberg; Coach Tom Coughlin; Justin Tuck; Ann Mara, and co-owners  Tim Mara and Steve Tisch

Close up of Mayor Bloomberg; Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning with the Super Bowl trophy; Cough Coughlin  

Lawrence Tynes

Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, and Victor Cruz

Snowstorm Forces Cancellation of Giants-Vikings Game in Minneapolis

The massive snowstorm that has blanketed the Upper Midwest and Great Plains has caused all manner of mayhem for transportation and now it's affected NFL plans as well.

The New York Giants were initially unable to fly directly into Minneapolis because of the weather and the game was delayed until Monday to give the team time to reach the game site - the Hubert Humphrey Metrodome.

Now, there are reports that the air-supported dome has collapsed under the tremendous weight of the snow that has fallen. That means that the game cannot be played at the Metrodome for at least several days.

That throws the schedules for both the Giants and Vikings into chaos, and it further affects the NFL playoffs as the Giants are in the playoff hunt. For those who still follow Brett Favre, the delay means that Favre may be able to extend his streak of consecutive games played as he will now have more time to recover from his shoulder injury.

UPDATE:
NFL officials and the teams are considering alternative locations because the Metrodome is unavailable. Not only did the roof collapse, but several tears in the roof mean that repairs will take some time. Alternative locations include Detroit, but outdoor locations are not likely to be considered because the Giants did not travel with their outdoor gear (they were expecting to play indoors).

It is possible that the game may end up being played at the Meadowlands on Monday night, because the league wants to maintain the schedule.

UPDATE:


The game will be played Monday night in Detroit at 7pm.

Why This Giants Fan Is Rooting For the Cowboys

I'm a longtime Giants fan, but I know my division rivals well enough to know that to maximize the Giants playoff possibilities, it will require winning of their remaining games and hoping that the other division rivals beat each other up.

It wont hurt if the Cowboys win their remaining two games against the Eagles.

Cowboys can still make some noise.

At 4-8, the Cowboys are even more cooked than the 5-7 Vikings. But the Cowboys still can screw things up for other teams as they continue their climb to respectability.

Specifically, the Cowboys can throw a wrench into the Eagles’ playoff hopes. A year after Dallas took three from Philly, the Cowboys still have not one but two cracks at their NFC East rivals.

Lose both, and the Eagles could end up home for January, especially since they still have to travel to New York to face the Giants. The Vikings likely won’t be a pushover, either.

But it all comes down to Dallas and Philadelphia, and it starts on Sunday night in Dallas, where the Eagles lost twice in six days to end their 2009 season.

The Cowboys are showing life for interim coach Jason Garrett. They're 3-1 after he inherited a lifeless 1-7 team. Garrett has made the Cowboys dangerous and while the Cowboys are an outside chance for winning a playoff slot - they'd have to overcome both the Eagles, Giants, and a slew of other teams who are ahead of them in the NFC playoff hunt, they could derail some of those other teams - particularly the Eagles.

And nothing would make me happier than to see the Eagles implode to the Cowboys except seeing the Giants make a return trip to the playoffs on route to the Super Bowl.

The Voice of the Yankees Has Passed Away

Bob Sheppard, the voice of Yankee Stadium and the New York Yankees and New York football Giants for decades has passed away. He was 99.



He will be missed.

Plaxico Burress Pleads Guilty; Will Serve Two Years

Plaxico Burress, the former New York Giant wide receiver was back in court this morning on gun charges, and the New York Post reports in a banner on its website that he's entered a guilty plea and will serve two years.

Right now, there's no more information, but when it comes available, I'll post.

Burress, you might recall, accidentally shot himself in the thigh at a New York City nightclub, and then sought hospital treatment. He was carrying an unlicensed handgun, and his actions have been scrutinized ever since. The Giants dumped him in December.

UPDATE:
Burress will serve two years in a plea deal.

Justice Michael H. Melkonian of State Supreme Court accepted the guilty plea. Along with the two-year prison sentence, Mr. Burress, 31, will be sentenced to two years of post-release supervision.

Mr. Burress was indicted earlier this month on charges relating to an episode in November 2008, when he accidentally shot himself in the thigh in a Manhattan nightclub. The Giants released him in April without waiting for the outcome of the criminal proceedings.

If the case were to go to trial and Mr. Burress were convicted of all charges — two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a weapon and one count of second-degree reckless endangerment — he could face 3½ to 15 years in prison. The plea agreement still needs the approval of a State Supreme Court justice.

I don't think the court will stand in the way of approving the deal, which not only clears the docket but makes sure that Burress does serious time for the shooting. Now, while he was the only one injured, it could have resulted in someone else being shot and injured or killed. Burress is lucky that he suffered only a minor injury.

That's Going On YouTube

It should also go to New Jersey State Troopers looking to find out who vandalized a number of cars in the Giants Stadium parking lot following their loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday in a lackluster performance. The guy in the video had more hits on that car than the Giants did on Philly quarterback Donovan McNabb.

The State Police believe that three cars caught fire in barbequing incidents, but the actions in the video aren't related to fires, but to wanton destruction of property.

You can bet that alcohol played a role in the carbeques and subsequent vandalism.

More on the story is here at nj.com.

Giants Sack Burress; Hospital Sacks Doc Who Treated Him

The New York Giants did the right thing yesterday by suspending troubled star wide receiver Plaxico Burress. Burress was suspended for the rest of the season, and his career with the Giants is likely over. The last thing that the Giants need is a criminal headache, and that's what they got in Burress, and that threatens to derail Antonio Pierce who was with Burress when Burress shot himself in the leg.

Meanwhile, the doctor who treated Burress has been suspended by the hospital for failing to follow policy. The Manhattan District Attorney's office is investigating the Giants, the New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell Medical Center and the principals involved to determine who knew and why no one informed the police of the gunshot injury.

The Giants suspended superstar Plaxico Burress for the rest of the season yesterday, ending any chance for the troubled wide receiver to help his teammates repeat as Super Bowl champs.

Burress, who shot himself in the leg while drinking in a Manhattan nightclub Saturday morning, is ineligible to play in the team's remaining four games or the postseason.

"This is an important time for him to take care of his body and heal up, and also deal with the very serious legal consequences and other issues in his life," Giants President John Mara said.

Hours before the team disciplined Burress, the Manhattan district attorney vowed to investigate the alleged coverup of the Giants star's gunshot wound.

"We got the gun, we got the wound, but who knew and who failed [to report the injury] is part of the investigation," said District Attorney Robert Morgenthau, who will probe why neither the Giants nor New York-Presbyterian Hospital Weill Cornell notified police about the shooting

(snip)

The hospital suspended emergency room doctor Josyann Abisaab for failing to report the wound, sources said.

"Not reporting a gunshot wound is a clear violation of our policies and procedures," said Weill Cornell spokeswoman Kathleen Robinson, who said the hospital was investigating whether other staffers will be disciplined.

Abisaab, 44, could not be reached for comment. A 1989 graduate of the University of Rochester School of Medicine, she has no history of state disciplinary action.

There are reasons why policy requires reporting gunshot wounds, even if they are accidentally inflicted because of the potential for uncovering criminal activities in the process.

Burress faces criminal charges that could lead to a lengthy stay in prison - 3.5 to 15 years on two counts. Some suspect that Burress was carrying his gun after learning that a teammate, Steve Smith, was held up at gunpoint last week in Clifton in front of his home.

A Giant Headache

Even as the New York Giants continue to dominate their opponents on the field, a major off the field distraction continues to fester in the form of Plaxico Burress. The troubled star wide receiver has been injured for most of the season, but things turned downright bizarre on Friday.

Actually, bizarre doesn't quite cover it.

Criminal is more like it.

Plaxico Burress plans to turn himself in to police Monday morning in New York City and plead not guilty to criminal possession of a weapon, his lawyer said.

Benjamin Brafman wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press on Sunday that he was advised the New York Giants’ star receiver will be charged after accidentally shooting himself in the right thigh.

“I do not expect that Mr. Burress will make a statement,” Brafman wrote.

He met with Burress for about an hour Sunday at the player’s home in New Jersey.

“I would ask that his fans, the Giants and the media withhold judgment in this matter until all of the facts have been disclosed,” Brafman wrote to the AP.

Brafman is a well-known criminal lawyer who has defended mobsters and other high-profile figures, including hip-hop impresario Sean “Diddy” Combs on a bribery and gun possession charge in 2001.

Burress is lucky that he only managed to shoot himself in the leg in a non-life threatening injury. He just as easily could have shot and killed someone in the club with an unregistered firearm. Burress also doesn't have a New York concealed carry permit and his Florida license (which wouldn't be recognized in New York in any event) expired in May.

What was he doing with the firearm in the club in the first place? Why did he feel the need to start unloading the handgun while drinking a glass of wine? You can't get any more reckless than that while handling firearms (okay, there are a few ways, but drinking and firearms definitely do not mix).

Local papers are all screaming for the Giants to send Burress packing. I can't blame them either. He's not only a distraction, but he's broken the law and put himself and others in jeopardy with his actions. The NFL will have to consider disciplinary actions as will the team.

UPDATE:
A bad situation is just about to get worse. Antonio Pierce, one of the defensive leaders on the team, was apparently involved in the incident as well. He was with Burress at the time of the shooting. Also, The Record provides a different account of how the shooting occurred. According to this version, the gun Burress was carrying somehow slipped down his pants and discharged into his thigh and Pierce came to his assistance and began berating Burress for packing a firearm. Burress then pleaded not to get the police and ambulances involved.

According to the Daily News: "The mercurial Giant was waved inside the crowded Latin-themed club on Lexington Ave. about midnight. He downed several drinks, making already jittery security guards more nervous about his weapon.

"As Burress was being led into a VIP area, with a drink in his hand, the gun slipped down his pants leg. He reached for the weapon, but fumbled it and it went off, sources said," the News reported." The bullet tore through Burress' already injured right thigh, police said.

...

Pierce, 30, rushed to his bleeding teammate and applied pressure to the wound as Burress screamed in pain amid the hip-hop beats piping through the club, sources said. As he worked to slow the bleeding, Pierce berated Burress for bringing a loaded handgun into a club.

Panicking, Burress told his teammate not to call 911 for an ambulance, sources said.

Pierce helped the bloodied receiver out of the club before taking off with the gun and stashing it somewhere in New Jersey, sources said. A Giants representative left Washington, where the Giants are playing the Redskins this afternoon, to retrieve the gun for investigators.

Creep Invoked 9/11 Imagery and Jokes Over Football Game With NY Giants

There's no other way to put this delicately. Some people are just flat out creeps.

A few hours ago, one lunatic Seattle Seahawks fan took football trash talk a few zillion steps too far by posting a picture of the collapsed World Trade Center smoldering on Sept. 11, 2001 on a fan site called Seahawkshuddle.com, and following it with not one, but 17 horrifying jokes. I’m not going to post the jokes here, because they’re really offensive. If you want to see for yourselves, you can check it out in a cached version someone found on the Web right here.

Why invoke 9/11 imagery and joke about the terrorist attacks that resulted from Islamic terrorists murdering nearly 3,000 people and destroying billions of dollars in property over a football game between the NY Giants and Seattle Seahawks that will be played next week?

Why indeed?

I doubt that the person who made the post will be ashamed of what he did. He might be sorry for the avalanche of scorn and derision that will head his way, especially as his name and various other sundry details have been revealed.

This goes beyond the pale. Scorn and derision are properly deserved.

Michael Strahan Calls It Quits

The active sack leader and 7-time Pro Bowler for the New York Giants, Michael Strahan is calling it a career. His crowning glory is a Super Bowl ring this past January in one of the most improbably outcomes in history, as the Giants beat the vaunted New England Patriots 17-14.

The 36-year-old Strahan, the NFL's active leader in sacks, informed the Giants on Monday.

"I'm just finding out about it; let me get organized," coach Tom Coughlin said after a team offseason workout.

Strahan's retirement first was reported by Foxsports.com

"It was important that my teammates knew which way I was going before they got on the field to start the work to defend our title," Strahan told the Web site. "It's time. I'm done."

Strahan had hinted at retirement last season and missed almost all of training camp while coming to a decision to play.

Strahan also holds the NFL's single season sack mark and the Giants record for sacks, which was previously held by Lawrence Taylor.

Expect Strahan to make an impact in broadcasting and television, as he has made numerous appearances on both radio and television in several capacities.

He's also eligible for the Hall of Fame in five years.

A Super Ending

While I am not at today's parade down the Canyon of Heroes in Lower Manhattan, it is still a super ending to a super season for the New York Giants. They're going crazy along the parade route and it's a well deserved accolade after beating the undefeated New England Patriots 17-14 in Super Bowl XLII.

The Big Blue Wrecking Crew Crushes Patriots Perfection

The New York Giants stunned the football world and prognosticators who never gave them a chance of even staying close with the New England Patriots. They not only kept the game close, but played a game for the ages.

The Giants defense harassed Tom Brady all night and Brady spent half the time on the ground. Even if they didn't get a sack, Brady was hitting the turf.

And the Patriots defense was just as stingy. Until that last drive. While people will point to the Manning to Burress touchdown throw as the one that sealed the Giants win, it was the Manning to Tyree pass earlier in the series that cemented Manning's legacy in Giants and NFL lore.



The Patriots had Manning in their grasp, and they couldn't contain him. And David Tyree made his catch of a lifetime by going up for the ball and coming down with it with a circus catch.

So, the Patriots, who came in with dreams of perfection couldn't close the deal. And the Giants came away with the perfect ending.

Sweet.

And I'll also take this opportunity to mention that I picked the Giants to win 21-20.

UPDATE:
And for those who only watched for the commercials, I've got to say that by and large they sucked. Bigtime. Two did stand out; the Sobe Lizard Thriller and the Budweiser Clydesdale Rocky. Every other commercial fell flat or simply didn't get it done. An honorable mention does go to the latest trailer for Ironman.

Super Bown XLII Prediction

Well, here goes nothing. The Giants will win 21-20 on a last minute field goal by Lawrence Tynes shocking the world. It would also mean that I'd win a nice chunk of change in my office pool since those numbers would mean I win on the boxes. I love it when a plan comes together.

The spread on the game has been about 12-14 points depending on the day and what news comes out about Tom Brady's gimpy ankle. I don't think that injury will have any effect on his play. He'll still do well, but not well enough to break the Giants defense.

The Giants will come up big on a goal line stand somewhere during the game and will force the Patriots to make a field goal instead. They'll need their front four on defense to get serious pressure on Brady all game long to harass him into making early throws and keep the Patriots off balance.

On offense, the Giants will have to play error free ball. Eli Manning has done just that since the last meeting with the Patriots during the final week of the season.

For a slightly different take, check out Jammie's predictions, although the outcome remains the same - Giants win in a shocker.

NY Giants: Super Bowl Bound!

For all the naysayers who thought that Eli Manning couldn't finish the season, he's taken the Giants to within a win of holding aloft the Vince Lombardi trophy. This was quite the game for the Giants, who not only had to overcome a very game Packers team, but weather conditions that were horrendously cold.

Not only did Manning survive the game, but he thrived under pressure, which included watching his place kicker miss two field goals in regulation (one with seconds left on the clock). His defense kicked it up a notch in overtime, got the ball back in Eli's hands, who got the ball down to within range where Lawrence Tynes made his third field goal.

Giants 23- Packers 20 (OT).

As for recapping my predictions from earlier today, I'd have to say I did damn well.

The Patriots won their game 21-12, which I had predicted to be 28-13. Here, I had predicted 24-21 [fixed typo]. I also get to rub it in to anonymous emailer, who was bandwagoning on the Packers to beat the Giants. He thought the Packers would win, and gave me the spread (+7). Turns out, I didn't need the spread.

So, next stop, Glendale, Arizona where the Giants will face the Packers in a clash for the ages. Can the Giants stop the Patriots perfect season? Can the Giants continue their record run on the road? We'll see.

UPDATE:
Here's the box score. Read it and weep Packer fans.

UPDATE:
Apparently Eli Manning's long time girlfriend is the anti-Jessica Simpson. Hey, whatever it takes to win.

NFC and AFC Championship Game Predictions

The Giants and Packers will face off tonight in the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field. Big Blue has a big task today, but I think that they might be able to pull it out. They've been overcoming long odds all postseason, and today will be no different. If the defense gets pressure on Farve, it can be a long day for him - and no matter how used to the cold he is, being flat on his back isn't going to be comfortable. It might not be the coldest game ever played, but it will be the coldest that these players have ever experienced.

Eli will have to be on the top of his game, but he's come through in the playoffs so far. I see that trend continuing.

Giants 24 - Green Bay 21.

Meanwhile, the Patriots will face off against the surprising Chargers, who are as beat up as you can possibly imagine. Their starting quarterback is beat up, and their all world running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, suffered from a hyperextended knee.

The Patriots aren't going to lose their perfect season here.

Patriots 28 - Chargers 13.

Video of the Day

All I can say is boo hoo. The Giants won that game fair and square and it actually had little to do with Romo and everything to do with the fact that the Cowboys defense couldn't stop the big play involving Amani Toomer. Romo was merely average yesterday, and yet they were able to control the ball for 2/3 of the game. They simply couldn't get in the end zone. That's not all on Romo. It is, however, on the coaching staff, and on the Giants ability to stiffen up when they needed to make the big plays.

They Might Be Giants...

Giants 21 - Cowboys 17.

A mild upset, but those who are most upset are those Dallas fans who thought that their Cowboys would beat the Giants for the third time this season. Sorry to burst the bubble, but the Giants can bring it, and Eli Manning did just a wee bit better than Tony Romo.

With the clock running down, Romo threw an interception that sealed the Cowboys fate, and with it the questions will swirl as to whether Romo's relationship with Jessica Simpson had anything to do with the loss and everyone will wonder what will happen to the coaching staff.

The problem wasn't solely Romo, who had a 50% completion percentage and 1TD/1INT. I'd say the inability of the Cowboys secondary to stop Amani Toomer was a bigger problem. Despite a ball control offense that kept the Giant offense off the field for most of the game, Manning made the most of his chances, and going to his Mr. Dependable made the difference.

Dallas' failure is huge, much bigger than last season's flop in Seattle when Romo botched the hold on a go-ahead field goal in the final minutes.

The Cowboys just wasted a 13-3 season, which matched the best in team history. They're the first No. 1 seed in the NFC to lose in this round since the NFL went to the 12-team playoff format in 1990. They also became the seventh team to lose a playoff game against a team they'd beaten twice in the regular season -- joining Dallas' 1998 club.

Worst of all is the extension of all the skids: Romo now 0-2 in the playoffs, coach Wade Phillips 0-4 and the team 0-for-the-postseason since winning a wild-card game in 1996. The Cowboys have dropped five games since then.

The Cowboys might be headed into a stormy offseason. Team owner Jerry Jones said Thursday he would keep Phillips regardless of what happened in the playoffs. Now that will be tested, especially with highly valued assistant coaches Jason Garrett and Tony Sparano interviewing for jobs elsewhere.

Critics may point to Romo's trip to Mexico last weekend with his latest celebrity girlfriend as a disruption, but the problems went a lot deeper. There were all kinds of penalties that hurt Dallas drives and helped New York's, sloppy tackling on defense and special teams, dropped passes and wasted timeouts.

The Giants will next play Green Bay, who is coming off one of the more entertaining games I've seen in quite some time. There is something to be said for watching football with the snow flying. Now, if only they could play the Super Bowl in the snow.