Every year there are tons of examples of teams that were deemed to have no chance to be competitive that make surprising runs deep into the playoff rounds and sometimes win it all. The New York Football Giants were given very little chance to make the playoffs, and even less once they started piling up injuries in the preseason. Tom Coughlin’s job was in jeopardy nearly every week, and Eli Manning was laughed at for calling himself elite. The Giants were soundly criticized for mismanaging the cap and for doing nothing in the offseason.
Now there are only four teams left. One of them is the Giants, and no one’s doubting they have a serious shot at winning their game in San Francisco and going to, and perhaps winning, the Super Bowl.
Eli Manning won Super Bowl MVP in 2008 in Super Bowl XLII. That vindicated him some from the critics early in his career, but his failure to win a playoff since had brought back the doubts about his talent. Last year he had a lot of interceptions, and it really downgraded his status with a lot of people. In a way, it reminds me of David Wright.
I have hope that the 2012 David Wright will be a similar story to 2011’s Eli Manning. David’s strikeouts nicely represent Eli’s interceptions. Although he doesn’t have a title, Wright was a legitimate MVP candidate in 2007. In 2012 I expect to see Wright return to that form. After Eli outplayed Aaron Rodgers on Sunday there were people that were even comparing him to his brother Peyton, who may be the best ever. When the 2012 MLB season ends, no longer will we have to debate if he’s the best third baseman in the NL East. Instead critics will struggle to find a third baseman in all of baseball as good as he is.
