Everyone is calling it a rematch, but for most of the players that is not the case. The Giants and Patriots of 2011 are much different from the ones of 2007. It is a rematch between cities and fan bases, but not entire teams. For that reason, younger players will be leaning on veterans like Tom Brady and Eli Manning for advice on how to approach the biggest game of their lives. According to the NY Post, Manning’s message to his teammates was simple: losing a game like this will stick with you. Don’t believe him? Just ask older brother Peyton Manning.
“I’ve never lost a Super Bowl,” Eli told his teammates last week. “I was with my brother (Peyton) when he lost one (Super Bowl XLIV to Drew Brees and the Saints), and three months after that, that’s all he could talk about. We don’t want that feeling.”
Only a handful of players on the New England side experienced the ultimate loss in Super Bowl 42, but if those five tell you it doesn’t still bother them they’re lying. Losing a Super Bowl is bad enough, let alone falling four points short of a perfect season.
As for how Peyton feels about being used as the losing example, I’m sure he welcomes it. We all know that pick-six he threw against New Orleans still haunts him, but at least he already had a ring before that. My guess is he’s happy to help his little brother anyway he can.
Chest bump to Pro Football Talk for the story
