This wasn't supposed to be. The football pundits said the 2007-2008 New York football Giants were not good enough to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Wild Card game, or the Dallas Cowboys in the Division Conference match-up or the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Conference Championship game.

They intimated that Eli Manning couldn't handle the pressure of the Big Apple and could never lead his team to victory as did his brother, Peyton, so many times with the Indianapolis Colts.

Well, now the pundits are peeling the egg shells off their faces and making amends to Tom Coughlin and his "Big Blue" players because the Giants will represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLII on February 3.

They assured themselves of a reservation to the Big Dance with a 23-20 overtime victory Jan. 20 against the Green Bay Packers and their revered leader, Brett Favre.

This wasn't supposed to be. The 10-6 Giants weren't supposed to beat the 13-3 Packers at Lambeau Field. They weren't supposed to perform well in sub zero weather conditions. The Giants defense had some holes in the secondary and they would never be able to keep pace with Favre and Donald Driver.

I heard it said that Favre would throw at will and expose the Giants "D" for the injury-riddled unit that they are. I heard the experts predict the Packers would run roughshod over the G-Men and that Eli would be too intimidated to throw.

Let's see. Favre was picked off twice and other than a long first-half bomb to Driver, did absolutely nothing. Let's see, Packers' defender Al Harris was supposed to make a living hell for Giants' wide receiver Plaxico Burress. So what happened? Burress taught Harris a lesson or two about being a wide receiver by catching 10 key passes for 154 yards.

And that vaunted Packers' running game that was supposed to shine in the Wisconsin frigid night produced a mere 29 yards. Seems like the Packers were outplayed in every aspect of the game. And, yet, the Pack still had a chance to win the game when the Giants' field goal kicker, Lawrence Tynes, missed a 37-yarder with four seconds on the clock in regulation.

So it goes to overtime and the Pack wins the toss. Okay, I thought. Game over. It's the Patriots and the Pack in the Super Bowl. But, wait a minute. Favre slings a pass to the dependable Driver and out steps Cory Webster who intercepts the ball to give the Giants new life.

Manning moves the ball to the Packers 30. But it's 4th down and seven. Now, Tynes is asked to kick a field goal and get it right after two botched attempts down the stretch. It's a mere 47 yards and no Giant fan in his/her right mind expects this guy to come through. But wouldn't it be something if this guy redeemed himself and made it? Piece of cake.

This wasn't supposed to be. But it is! And the football Giants have proven over the last three weeks that they are a championship caliber team and they deserve to be playing on the biggest stage in sports. Realistically? Both the Cowboys and Packers had better seasons than did the Giants. But, on a given day, anything can happen and they made it count.

Which brings me to the undefeated Patriots. Vegas already has the Pats favored by two touchdowns. My, aren't we a bit overzealous? To a man, the Giants feel they belong here every bit as do the Patriots.

My intuition tells me the Patriots ought to win the game. I hope they don't because I love the David slays Goliath stories. The Giants love the underdog role. If they're not supposed to be here, they might as well go out and just have fun. Let it all hang loose.

Could they rock the boat once more?

Learn more about this author, David Skolnik.
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