It’s well-known in the Big Apple that Patriots QB Tom Brady’s televised scoffing at former Giants receiver Plaxico Burress’ pre-Super Bowl XLII prediction of a 23-17 Giants win riled up the G-Men’s proud defense and — may have helped inspire their upset victory over the unbeaten Pats.
During a pep rally for thousands of Pats fans at Gillette fans Sunday, Brady said:
We’re going down there, and we’re going down there for one reason. We’re going to give it our best and hopefully we’ll have a lot more people at our party next weekend.
Not exactly Joe Willie Namath guaranteeing a win before Super Bowl III when it comes to bulletin board material. But it was enough to set the New York papers into uproar mode Monday.
“Keep Talking, Tom. Giants will make Brady pay for already planning victory party, ” reads the headline in the New York Post today. Writes columnist Steve Serby:
Tom Coughlin just might be inclined to mention Tom’s Terrific invite to, say, Jason Pierre-Paul, Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora, Chris Canty and Dave Tollefson, for starters. Just a hunch, but I don’t think Eli Manning will be inviting Giants fans to a victory after-party. Under any circumstances.
The New York Daily News weighed in with a headline reading: “Huh? Tom Brady already planning post-Super Bowl party.” Columnist Gary Myers warned Tom Terrific may be “inviting some Giant trouble.” Writes Myers:
It may seem pretty routine, but Brady was talking to Patriots fans Sunday about a Super Bowl party next weekend when he addressed them at a huge sendoff at Gillette Stadium before the team left for its charter flight to Indy. Super Bowl parties are just for Super Bowl winners, so the Giants, who love to feel disrespected, could take this one and run with it.
“Well, it was a pep rally,” Brady said at the team hotel in Indy Sunday night. Well, tell that to the Giants. Tom Coughlin has already proven he is not above using perceived slights to fire up his team.
