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NEW YORK: Hundreds of thousands of New York Giants
supporters lined Broadway and Manhattan’s main streets on Tuesday
as the New York Giants celebrated their Super Bowl triumph over the
New England Patriots with a rare tickertape victory parade through
the concrete canyons.
Players and owners rode huge
double-decker buses and waved to their fans who screamed “Let’s
go Giants,” as papers floated down from office buildings above and
a band a bagpipers led the National Football League team on a
memorable journey through the route.
Other attractions of the parade
included the Lombardi Trophy symbolic of Super Bowl supremacy.
Defensive star Michael Strahan,
who pondered retirement, photographed the scene with a hand-held
camera as throngs yelled their delight at the Giants for a 17-14
victory over the New England Patriots in Super Browl 42 on Sunday.
The Giants’ victory at Phoenix,
Arizona, brought the club its third Super Bowl crown, the first
since 1991, and sixth overall National Football League crown, the
NFL forming in 1933 but the Super Bowl era not starting until 1966.
New York’s triumph denied the
Patriots their fourth title in seven seasons and only the second
unbeaten run to a crown. Instead, the 1972 Miami Dolphins remain the
only Super Bowl winner to complete a perfect undefeated campaign.
Quarterback Eli Manning, who was
at the helm of the Giants victory, punched the air as he passed
through the Broadway crowds.
He was helped by a vibrant
defensive performance that stifled the National Football League Most
Valuable Player and New England quarterback Tom Brady.
City officials said they expected
50 tons of paper to rain down on the Canyon of Heroes Parade, which
was accompanied by more than a dozen bands.
Tuesday’s celebrations marked
the first ever parade in New York to celebrate a championship
football team. The city’s last tickertape celebration was in
October 2000, when the New York Yankees won baseball’s World
Series.
--AFP
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