Watching the finale to the Giants/Packers game, it became pretty clear to me that there was a life force guiding Lawrence Tynes yesterday. In a matter of minutes, Tynes went from having his life ruined — marred by missing the biggest kick(s) of his life — to booting the Giants to the Super Bowl. Tynes would have been hated. Crucified. Vilified. Mortified. He would have been done. Cast aside to join the likes of Scott Norwood in the history books. He would have been the man that cost the Giants a trip to the Super Bowl. Not once, but twice. Tynes the goat — could you imagine the headlines? He would have been done. Over. Ruined.
Alas, everything happens for a reason. The interception in overtime was Brett Favre’s gift to Tynes. Insurance that Lawrence wouldn’t go all Cole Ford on everyone later in life. Instead, he made the 47 yarder and sent the Giants to the Super Bowl. All was well. I don’t know about you, but that’s how I saw the game. I didn’t see it as a Brett Favre failure, nor as an Eli Manning triumph. What I saw was one lucky, extremely lucky man, who got his shot at redemption — a third time — and conquered. He changed his life with swing of his leg. From ruining the rest of his years, to being able to live and breathe without much thought. Incredible. Luckily for him the Super Bowl won’t come down to a field goal margin, otherwise he’d be toast.
