[BenLurkin]

I have NEVER seen that kind of incomplete pass called intentionaL GROUNDING.

nEVER.

[FlyVet]

You have a point. In 40 years of watching football on TV, I can't remember another incidence like that. Intentional grounding is usually within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage. That was way down the field. If that's illegal, why isn't throwing it out of bounds illegal? The same intent is obvious.

Like the Calvin Johnson "possession" controversy from last year, I think the NFL has too many pointy-heads making up the rules.

The very next week after the Calvin Johnson thing, I watched a highlight reel of a receiver making an almost-identical catch in the end zone. But, he lost control of the ball after he crossed the plane of the sideline, and it was ruled a touchdown.

[MacMattico]

I think that's a relatively new rule where if you're still in the pocket and there is no eligible receiver within 10yards, it's intentional grounding. My brother in law disagrees with me only because I am female.

Oh, and I made a bet when the Giants were 7-7 that they'd win the Superbowl with said brother in law. I could see a change in their attitude. WooHoo! Now he has to give me his intended Obama contribution!

[moonhawk]

Maybe you should pay closer attention then. No one even questioned the call. Including the Pats.

[moonhawk]

And if you want to cry about calls, how about that non-call on pass interference?

[andy58-in-nh]

I was surprised that Brady's first play from scrimmage was flagged for IG, simply because it's the Super Bowl and in this case, it would result in a safety. But technically, he was still between the tackles and threw the ball far down field without an eligible receiver anywhere in the vicinity, even one that might have fallen down or broken off a route.

All he had to do was throw it to the sideline ten yards away and it simply would have been an incomplete pass.

But errors and poor offensive execution killed the Pats yesterday. A fumble recovery negated for having 12 men on the field. Three dropped passes in a key drive. An offside penalty that extended a Giant drive, eventually resulting in points. Zero points scored by the Pats' offense in the last 26 minutes of the Super Bowl. Those things do catch up to you eventually.

The other thing that caught up to the Patriots was the brilliant passing of Eli Manning, who has now removed any doubt about whether he is an elite quarterback - he is. And his corps of receivers and tight ends are among the best (if not the best) in the business. That catch that Mario Manningham made along the sidelines was just ridiculous. Impossible. Similarly, Victor Cruz went up into tight double coverage and snagged a ball out of the air that Manning had placed where only he could catch it, for a first down.

So while it hurts like hell to be a Patriots fan this morning (and trust me, it really, really does), the Giants deserved to win. They beat six of the best teams in the NFL to get there and that's no small accomplishment.