The postgame interviews done, I returned to the press box high above the Gillette Stadium confetti-covered field to write about the Patriots' fourth trip to the championship game in seven years. It is truly a remarkable feat.
But while writing, my attention was continually pulled away.
There, on every television screen in the press box - and there are plenty - was the NFC final between the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants. The volume was just loud enough so you can hear the announcers' voices on a big play.
The Giants had no reason winning that game. But somehow they did. And even as the field goal by Lawrence Tynes split the uprights in overtime to send the Giants to the Super Bowl, I called my 14-year-old son, Alex.
"Yeah," he screams into the phone. "We're going to the Super Bowl."
Yes, I say. Yes, we are. The Giants are heading back to the Super Bowl.
And I can't even enjoy it.
I cover the Patriots for this newspaper and I love to watch this collection of talent - the greatest team I've ever seen - perform. They are good. Good players. Good guys.
But I have followed the Giants since, well, forever, and Alex has followed in my footsteps.
Growing up in New Bedford, Mass., in the 1960s, my father and brother - both named Harry - and I would watch the Giants on television - just like every other fan in New England. Back then the Giants were the only team on.
Fran Tarkenton was the quarterback of the first game I saw and man, could he scramble. My dad made sure to tell me about Y.A. Tittle and Sam Huff and Frank Gifford, Alex Webster, Kyle Rote, Del Shofner, Andy Robustelli and on and on.
My heroes were Tarkenton, Joe Morrison, the oft-injured Tucker Frederickson, Homer Jones, Carl "Spider" Lockhart (the best-named, and one of the most underrated, defensive backs in team history), Jim Katcavage, Ron Johnson, Bob Tucker, Don Herrmann, Ernie Koy, Bob Lurtsema.
The Giants never made the playoffs then. Some years they'd come close but invariably lose the final game of the season to some team they should beat, at home, and a season would be wasted. There was 1968, when they lost their last four games to finish 7-7. There was 1970, when they lost 31-3 to the Los Angeles Rams - at Yankee Stadium - to finish 9-5 and out. That was the year Ron Johnson became the first Giant to rush for over 1,000 yards.
I can still remember the announcers making it a big deal.
The Giants were bad for a long, long time, but I still rooted for them. I cheered their Super Bowl titles in the 1986 and 1990 seasons. I watched, dumbfounded, as Kerry Collins couldn't solve Baltimore's defense in a 2001 Super Bowl loss.
Certainly, living and working as a sports writer in New England, I followed the Patriots. I loved the years Jim Plunkett was throwing to Randy Vataha, because I thought if someone as small as Randy Vataha can play in the NFL, so could I. Ha!
And I really thought they could beat Chicago in their first Super Bowl. Double Ha!
Now I enjoy covering the Patriots. I've witnessed all of their Super Bowl championships, I've been to cities I never would have visited because of them. I can say I've grown professionally because of covering them.
But still, I follow the Giants.
On weeks I'm not covering the Patriots, I'm watching the Giants with Alex. This year's team was maddening. So good when Eli Manning didn't try to force things, so bad when he did.
And now this: a Super Bowl date with the Patriots. I guess it's actually fitting that the Giants will play the Patriots. They were the last team with a shot at ending New England's perfect regular season....
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