Oy, What A Game I Saw Today!

As many of my readers already know, I am a San Diego Charger fan, and have been since the late 1970's. What is unusual is that I am also (currently) a New York Giants fan. What makes that weird is that in 2004, Eli Manning was drafted by the Chargers, and made it clear in no uncertain terms that he was never going to play for the Chargers. The Giants had drafted Phil Rivers that year, but Rivers never knew he was drafted by the Giants because in less than an hour (more like half an hour) Manning was traded to New York for Rivers (along with Sean Merriman), and voila, you have the two teams as they are today.

Now, granted, Eli went to the Super Bowl, and won (I took the Giants over the supposed shoe-in Patriots, and boy did I win big that year), but when one compares the stats, it is Rivers that comes out ahead.

Today’s game was the first time either of them had faced each other since the draft. Also, this is the last year any games will be played at Giant Stadium (where I have actually been and seen a real time professional football game back in the 1990's). Although through the first half, the score was tied 7-7, it belies the true nature of the game, where the Giants went backwards more than they went forward. If it wasn’t for those "third and really, really longs" that were caught for first downs, San Diego should have been up by at least three touchdowns by the first half.

Anyway, the fourth quarter was where it got intense. After being ahead 14-10, the Chargers lost the lead with NY scoring 13 points, including an intercepted pass that netted them 3 points with a field goal. So, at that point, with only a few minutes left in the game, I went to do dishes. I figured the game was way out of touch (14-20) for the Chargers. Silly me. I should know that when it comes to them (whether it was Fouts or Rivers), this team had a two minute drill (or less, in some cases) that was to die for. And, with that two minutes, I watched the Chargers start first and ten on their own 20, and take it all the way down the field (without even using their final time out, mind you) and score the winning touchdown (and point after kick), leaving the Giants with the ball at their first and 10, with 21 seconds left.

Sigh ... what a great game (oh, yeah, the Chargers won, 21 to 20!