Big Apple becomes Big Blue in Giants parade

NEW YORK - Reuters

(L-R) Justin Tuck of the New York Giants, New York Gov Andrew Cuomo, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the champions’ quarterback Eli Manning stand on a float during the Giants Parade. The Giants defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. AFP photo

Giants by name, Giants by actions. When it comes to doing things in a big way, few sporting teams in the world rival the National Football League’s (NFL) New York Giants, on or off the field.

The Giants completed one of the most incredible turnarounds in NFL history this year to win the Super Bowl, the greatest prize in North American professional sports, for the second time in four years.

Against all odds, they won six consecutive must-win games, culminating with a 21-17 heart-stopping Super Bowl win over the favored New England Patriots on Feb. 5.

Then on Feb. 7, they brought one of the world’s biggest cities to a standstill with a ticker-tape parade through the streets of Manhattan.

Nearly one million people packed the sidewalks of New York City as the Giants players, coaches and owners were chauffeured through the streets on a convoy of open-air trucks.

“Does this city know how to throw a parade or what?” said New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. “Today, I am declaring the Big Apple, the Big Blue Apple.”

The crowd, packed with many people who could not afford a ticket to a regular season game let alone the Super Bowl, let out a deafening roar each time they caught a glimpse of the Big Blue players and the NFL’s Vince Lombardi Trophy.

When the cavalcade made its way down the Canyon of Heroes along Broadway, the convoy was showered with blue and white confetti and shredded paper from the office workers in the skyscrapers above them.

America loves a parade, but this was as grand and heartwarming occasion as New York has seen. It was mid-winter but the sun shone brightly. Even Mother Nature had been seduced by the Giants.

“There’s a group of guys in Dallas that call themselves America’s team, but looking out at all of you and the millions of people in the streets, we’re America’s Dream,” Giants part-owner Steve Tisch said.
The biggest cheers were reserved for head coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning, who was named the Super Bowl MVP.

“We made it tough on ourselves,” said Manning, whose team endured a four-game slide late in the campaign. “So, thank you for believing in us.”