Giants Super Bowl Party Circuit

Insider's view of the party scene at Super Bowl XLII

I'm at the Phoenix airport, surrounded by discounted Super Bowl XLII merchandise and straggling Giants and Pats fans, so there's no better time for reflection. That, and I'm trying to escape the inevitable cloud of gloom over a city following, like, the biggest week ever.

So, after 10 days of Scottsdale soirees, too many quesadilla appetizers and frustratingly cold Phoenix temperatures, here's a review of the Super Bowl XLII scene.

Associated PressFrom 0-2 to World Champions

Defensive tackles Fred Robbins and Jay Alford sat next to each other in the locker room, taking a quick rest from the mayhem of the Giants' 17-14 win in Super Bowl XLII.

"I can't wait until I get my ring," Alford, a rookie, said. "I'm never taking it off."

"Well I'm about to get 'Believe' tattooed across my chest," Robbins said, then the two quickly laughed.

In the perfect moment of achieving a world championship no one thought they had a chance at, the Giants celebrated in every permutation. Here's a taste...

Well, that was surreal.

A second still hung on the clock, but the outcome of the game was decided. Referees frantically blew whistles to get both teams on the field for the final play -- and then, the Giants' official celebration of their 17-14 upset could begin.

Patriots fans, meanwhile, quietly filed out.

With 35 seconds left on the clock, "Final Countdown" is being blasted through the stadium's PA system. After Plaxico Burress' 13-yard catch put the Giants ahead again, several fans flung their maroon seat cushions off the upper deck.

Stadium security volunteers, dressed in bright red, now circle the edge of the field two-people deep in anticipation of the game's conclusion.

During a break in the action in the fourth quarter, the Jumbotron flashed Super Bowl fast facts, one of which informed the crowd that 18 pairs of brothers have made the Super Bowl, but Eli and Peyton Manning are the first pair of quarterbacks.

Interesting... except Peyton's name was misspelled as Payton. Oops.

Giants fans might be outnumbered tonight, but after David Tyree's 5-yard touchdown catch put New York up by three points, they asserted their presence.

In the section adjacent to the auxiliary press area, one fan starting whipping his red Eli Manning jersey, and another fan in a red-and-blue Giants sweatshirt led a section in the upper deck in a "Let's Go Giants!" chant.

Moments later, Giants fans around the stadium synchronized a "Here we go Giants, Here we go!" cheer. As the Giants defense took the field, they egged on a loud, sustained roar from the Big Blue faithful.

Jenny Vrentas/The Star-LedgerThe halftime show from above... very far above.

Well, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers were fine. But Super Bowl halftime shows are supposed to be a bit more than just fine.

The pyrotechnics were pretty cool, but the songs sounded like they always do, and the performance itself was pretty stationary. Call me a hip-hop junkie, but with all the rappers in town this weekend, wouldn't one have them delivered a more dynamic show that actually hyped up the crowd? And it wasn't like there were any wardrobe malfunctions to get the stadium buzzing.

Maybe next year?