Super Bowl XLII between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots was supposed to be a one-sided affair with the Pats completing a perfect 19-0 season and the Giants playing bystanders to history.
But those old adages of “any given Sunday” and “that’s why they play the games” seemed to be lurking before kickoff. New England was a 12.5-point favorite on an 18-game winning streak but the Giants came into the game with a streak of their own — three straight playoff wins on the road and a full head of steam.
The game was broadcast on FOX with Joe Buck and Troy Aikman making the call. They appeared to be ready to preside over a coronation. What they witnessed instead was a revolution.
The Giants played a conservative game on offense, which paired with a ferocious defense, kept the score down on the explosive Pats, who had averaged 34.5 points per game in the regular season.
Aikman, in an interview with Giants radio play-by-play voice Bob Papa (who incidentally also called the game), says that the game has a special place for him in his broadcasting career.
Troy Aikman on why Super Bowl XLII was so exciting to call
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The Giants won, 17-14, thanks to several unlikely plays such as David Tyree’s “helmet catch,” shocking the football universe.
Aikman has a right to be proud to have called the game. To this day, the game just might be the most exciting in Super Bowl history.
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