When your team pulls off an amazing upset and wins a championship, it sometimes takes a little while to realize that it actually happened. It’s like going to a great concert where at the conclusion you come off blown away by what you witnessed. The new Guns N’ Roses, The Police and the original Van Halen are all prime examples.

I’ve also been fortunate to attend a lot of memorable sporting events. No. Never to see a team win it all. Only recently did I finally get to experience a Ranger series win and a triple overtime second round classic to draw even with eventual Conference Semi winner Buffalo. That was just off the charts. In terms of the energy, electricity and excitement before the first drop of the puck, with Section 411 and the rest of the legions of diehards upstairs screaming as loud as we could during John Amirante’s national anthem. For those who can’t grasp why, it’s a Ranger fan tradition dating back to their 1994 run to the franchise’s fourth Stanley Cup.

New Yorkers are a different breed. We bleed for our teams and sometimes to a fault, go way overboard when they don’t perform. I admittedly have been guilty of that with my teams including the brand new Super Bowl XLII champion Giants. So much of what turned out to be an improbable run for Tom Coughlin’s team-oriented determined group could’ve gone the other way.

There were plenty of games during their 10-6 rollercoaster ride to the team’s third consecutive playoff berth which could’ve swung the other way altering history. Thankfully at least for myself along with many other Big Blue supporters, there isn’t an invention of a time machine like in Back To The Future. I’m still waiting for it anyday now. Especially given all the advantages in technology.

You can point to that halftime when the Giants trailed 17-0 at Washington and Steve Spagnuolo’s D had already given up 97 total points in 10 quarters. Whatever was said in that locker room, something drastically changed. They cameback to win that fateful day probably saving Tom Coughlin’s job and would go on to reel off six straight en route to a third consecutive postseason.

There were other obstacles such as overcoming embarrassing home performances in losses to Minnesota and Washington. This team never quit despite losing key performers Mathias Kiwanuka, Brandon Jacobs and Jeremy Shockey with a couple not even returning. They squeaked through in cruddy conditions at London over the hapless Dolphins.

Many including myself were pondering if Eli Manning was the right quarterback to lead this franchise to a third championship. Whenever the little brother of Peyton struggled during games, he would summon up the energy to lead his team down field for a key score like at Chicago.

Even when he struggled mightily in the team’s playoff clincher in the worst conditions you ever saw upstate, it never bothered him. He only cameback the next week against the best team and threw four touchdowns in a three-point loss making us wonder if this was the same guy wearing that No.10 white, red and blue jersey.

Nobody gave this team any chance. Remember when after the Giants held on for an ugly road win at Detroit when Jon Kitna concluded, “That is not a better team than us.”

The Lions dropped their next four for a six-game skid falling out of the playoff race while Michael Strahan’s team won three more to make January. 

Still, this team was questioned. It didn’t matter how close they played the perfect Patriots. It would have no impact on how they played in the postseason.

First, it was Tampa’s defense and Jeff Garcia. Then it was the bitter rival Cowboys who swept the regular season series and had the better quarterback Tony Romo. Or so it was believed? Then it was the freezing cold conditions at Lambeau along with the Golden Brett Favre with Vince Lombardi overlooking from the Heavens above.

Then the hailed Pats who didn’t even have to step foot on that field at The University of Phoenix last night. They had already secured their fourth Super Bowl. Don’t believe me? It was even advertised online at MACY’s before. It’s not available now but if you saw it, priceles$.

Kudos to Robert Davis!

You had to love how the Pats all walked out to midfield looking like bullies. As if that was going to scare these Giants. They didn’t fear them. This wasn’t Mike Tyson facing Michael Spinks. It was Buster Douglas or Evander Holyfield instead. I can’t take proper credit for that one which goes to a Hard Hits Atlanta caller last night.

This was George Mason beating Uconn. It was Rollie Massimino’s Villanova Wildcats shocking John Thompson and Patrick Ewing’s BIG BAD Georgetown Hoyas. It was Team USA pulling off that Miracle on Ice in 1980 which led Al Michaels to describe, “Do you believe in miracles? Yeeeeeeeeeeesssssss!!!!!”

It was the 2004 Red Sox doing something no baseball team has ever done coming back from 0-3 down to beat the Yankees and eventually sweep the Cardinals for their first World Series title in 86 years. It was Super Bowl XXV all over again with those Bill Parcells Giants squeaking by the Bills 20-19 on Scott Norwood’s 47-yard kick wide right.

It was Willis Reed limping onto the court inspiring the 1970 Knicks to a Game Seven win for the club’s first NBA championship. It was those 1986 Amazin’ Mets rallying in the bottom of the 10th with two outs to tie and then beat the Red Sox on a slow Mookie Wilson trickler which got by Bill Buckner to win Game Six and then comeback and capture the team’s second World Series in Game Seven. It was the Joe Torre 1996 Yankees reeling off four straight including three on the road to stun the Braves for their first world championship since 1978.

It was Mark Messier delivering on his Guarantee against the Devils with a natural hat trick before helping lead the Rangers to their first Cup in 54 years. It was Muhammad Ali floating like a butterfly and stinging like a bee to upset George Foreman.

It was Goran Ivanisevic coming through as an unseeded wildcard to win Wimbledon in a five-set epic over Patrick Rafter. It was Andre Agassi doing the same to win the 1994 U.S. Open over Michael Stich. It was a young Maria Sharapova stunning Serena Williams to win her first Wimbledon. It was a 17 year-old freckled German kid named Boris Becker winning Wimbledon. It was Pete Sampras stunning the tennis world by winning his men’s record 14th and final Grand Slam over his best rival Agassi.

You can name so many more great sports moments which symbolize what the Giants accomplished.

All I know is tomorrow they’ll be marching down the Canyon of Heroes. Enjoy it while you can.