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New York arrives for the Super Bowl wearing matching suits and bringing a goal of making their own championship-game history.

By MIKE LOWE, Staff Writer January 29, 2008

CHANDLER, Ariz. — Tom Coughlin set the mood for the New York Giants on Monday night in their first media appearance before the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots.

Asked what advice he had for his players to help them maintain their focus in the face of the upcoming media circus that precedes the game, Coughlin said simply, "This is like a normal day in New York, media-wise."

It drew a big laugh and showed that the Giants - double- digit underdogs to the undefeated Patriots - were loose and relaxed as they finally touched down.

They all wore black suits - a sign of team unity, they said - and the six players selected to meet the media answered questions long after NFL officials declared the interview session over.

They joked, they laughed, they relished their role.

"We're very familiar with this role, the underdog role" said Coughlin, also dressed in a black suit. "We've been the underdog for as far as I can tell for most of the season. So that hasn't changed.

"We've used the challenge, the motivational tool, of having something to prove pretty much all year long."

But the Giants don't see their role strictly as a patsy in Sunday's game. Just ask linebacker Antonio Pierce.

"This ain't about the Patriots," he said when asked about the Patriots' historic quest to go 19-0. "We're here about the New York Giants. To me it always is about us. I'm not really concerned about their record and their individual records.

"That's for their team, that's for their purposes. We're here to make our own history this week and hopefully by the end of the week we can make it."

The Giants arrived a day later than the Patriots because, Coughlin said, they wanted to work at home: "We just thought we would be best served by doing as much as we could at home."

The Giants, like all those successful Patriots teams of the past, have dealt with adversity all season. They started 0-2. Critics in New York called for Coughlin to be fired. They ripped quarterback Eli Manning, who struggled through the regular season. They criticized the defense.

"All those things made us strong," said Pierce.

Coughlin credited the veteran leadership with stabilizing the team. Among those are wide receiver Amani Toomer and defensive end Michael Strahan - the lone holdovers from the Giants' last Super Bowl appearance, an abysmal showing in a 34-7 loss to Baltimore in the 2000 season.

Both have played strong roles this season: Toomer, especially in the playoffs, where he has 15 catches and three touchdowns; Strahan getting nine sacks and a team-high 38 quarterback hits in the regular season.

Both appreciate a second chance to play on the big stage.

"I think, because of the age, and the years and the circumstances of getting here, probably so," said Strahan, who didn't participate in training camp because he wasn't even sure he wanted to play this year.

"Not that I didn't appreciate it the first time, but I didn't understand that after the first time it would be so long to get back.

"So I look at this and say, 'man I'm very fortunate to be here.' I didn't necessarily think I was going to play football this year anyway, so to come back and have the year we've had as a team and me personally, it's just icing on the cake for my career."

Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at:

mlowe@pressherald.com