One For The Flipper
Ask most people what their most memorable moment from the Superbowl is and 90% of the time the answer will have something to do with a peek-a-boo middle-aged black tittie.
While I will always remember that night that JT became a man, this image of Tom Brady will probably top it and permanently sear itself into my brain.
You see a lot of pictures of Tom Brady around the blogosphere. Particularly on gay blogs. But, it’s usually picture of him with his Brazilian model-girlfriend. Or lounging around lazily in a Stetson ad. Rarely do you see pictures like this. Pictures where he’s just lost the big game.
This has officially become my favorite picture of Tom Brady (at least until I find one with his head hanging really really low). He looks like his pecker just stopped working.
You don’t see pictures like this very often because, quite frankly, he doesn’t lose very often. Especially not this football season. He and his new England Patriots went into SuperBowl XLII undefeated, expecting a perfect end to a perfect season.
And man (or should I say Manning), it was the perfect ending. An ending to all the bravado and swagger aboard the Brady-Belichick (coach) Express. Because they lost to the New York Giants.
New England 14, New York 17. That’s worth doing up in cross-stitch and hanging in the parlor.
The Giants become the Davids that took down Goliath. I guess that makes it a Giant on giant (ego) crime.
As much as I am a big fan of Peyton Manning (Eli’s older brother and last year’s Superbowl winner and MVP) it has nothing to do with my joy about Eli’s win (and MVP award). Even though I was impressed (and surprised) by the way Eli held it together in the last minutes to take back the game when the chips were down, it’s more about Brady’s loss than Manning’s victory for me. It’s not even about the Patriots alleged cheating scandal.
I know the Patriot are good. I know that this year’s team was one of the best in NFL history. I know it. So, I don’t need them to keep telling me.
You see, it’s all about karma. After all the thinly-veiled dissing of opponents, the running up the score on obviously weaker teams just because they can, and just the insane level of cockiness and self-importance they carried around for a year, karma has jumped up an bitten Brady in his flat ass.
Eli Manning remembered that “it ain’t over ’til the fat lady sings.”
Well, around about 10 o’clock last night somewhere there was a big beautiful woman just a-wailing.
And a bunch of old Dolphins went splashing happily into the sunset.
February 4th, 2008 at 1:11 pm
an awesome commentary!
February 4th, 2008 at 1:51 pm
For me, the best part of the entire event was watching Peyton congratulate Eli. Two brothers sharing a unique perpective on very similar experiences. You are responsible for my interest in Peyton through your love for the Vols. Thanks for making me better aware of two brothers from Mississippi, and kudos to the entire Giant nation!!!!
February 4th, 2008 at 3:01 pm
Thanks again for sharing your perspective. Your commentary adds depth and richness to a sport I never appreciated until this past fall. By the way, I attended universities in North Carolina but I now root for Tennessee.
February 4th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Sorry to burst your bubble, Brian, but these aren’t two brothers from Mississippi; their father, Archie Manning, was born in Mississippi, but Payton and Eli are both natives of New Orleans, Louisiana, where their father played for the New Orleans Saints
And believe me, it’s not pride of claiming ownership that makes me point out their birthplace; it’s just that “two boys from Mississippi” makes it sound like they were two poor hicks who managed to make it good in football.
Instead, they attended one of the most prestigious private schools in the city (Isidore Newman) and grew up in a pre-Civil War mansion in the Garden District of New Orleans. The elder Manning purchased the house in 1982 for $450,000 (making it among the priciest in the city at the time), but over the years, as the value of property in this exclusive area continued to rise, the assessed value of his house (the amount on which property taxes are levied) dropped to $285,000 by 1998, saving the Mannings over $3,000 a year in taxes over what they’d have paid if the valuation had merely remained constant.
By 2004, the house was still only valued on the tax rolls at $360,000 - 20% less than what it was purchased for - even though property values in that area had generally tripled (real estate appraisers estimated the property was worth roughly $1.2 million). On that basis, the Mannings were avoiding paying property taxes in the range of $10,000 a year - tax money that should have gone to shore up the crumbling streets and public schools in the city. But then, when you finagle that kind of reduction in your taxes, it’s easier to send your kids to expensive private schools–which in turn makes it possible to go to big schools with big football programs and get noticed. And in a city where the basic necessities of life (like food and utilities) were being taxed at 9 percent, it’s kind of unseemly that working families’ sales taxes were sky-high because the Mannings wrangled a tax break on their house. (Short version: it was long the custom in New Orleans that if you contributed to your tax assessor’s campaign and you had expensive property, it was lowballed for tax valuation. The elder Manning played that game better than he ever played football.)
Mind you, that doesn’t take anything away from their athletic achievements, and it’s not the boys’ fault that their father managed to defraud the city of many tens of thousands of tax dollars over the years. But they are not examples of rags-to-riches boys making it good in football against heroic odds.
February 4th, 2008 at 6:00 pm
Oh no mine would be Prince singing Purple Rain in the Rain… Just Kidding!
Thanks again for being on our show, and in case you didn’t know the show is up and ready to listen to.
Anyone else that is a fan of Large Tony need to check him out on the Jimmi & Dan Varietycast HERE
February 4th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Tony, my sentiments exactly.
February 5th, 2008 at 11:38 am
great shot. great post.
February 5th, 2008 at 4:43 pm
great pic and post but i’d REALLY like to see the secret bootleg video footage of how Brady had to pay off his lost best to the MVP Brothers…brings a whole new meaning to the phrase “Manning both ends of the playing field…”
February 5th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
I wrote a blog on MySpace about how I was so into the game that you would have thought I had money on it (and I’m not into football like that). The game was good and both teams played well, but New York wanted it more, played hard for it, and won it! The breakdown of pride, unexpectedly, was refreshing. I actually jumped up and down when New York won with 1 second left. Brady’s face during play was priceless! Yes, the team was too overhyped and arrogant. Did you hear about the book they were ready to publish?
The alleged cheating wasn’t alleged. They were caught and acted like it was no big deal.
I love that pic of Brady. He might be cute and rich, but his arrogance is disgusting.
Great post, Tony. Yep, the 1972 Dolphins threw a party on Sunday night, I’m sure.