Maybe it was punishment for the Spygate"" scandal.
Maybe it was poetic justice that a team which began its rise to NFL supremacy by beating a heavily favored opponent in a Super Bowl fell when they were heavily favored in a Super Bowl six years later.
Maybe somebody wanted to punish Patriots head coach Bill Belichick for wearing a cut-off red hooded sweatshirt on national television. I'm no fashion expert here, but seriously, the man is screaming for his own reality show on Bravo.
Whatever the reason, it was pretty sweet watching the Giants upset the Patriots Sunday night.
It was sweet because it showed that the unbeatable Patriots were, in fact, beatable. It was sweet because it showed that Tom Brady, the resident GQ model of the NFL, could be bested by a quarterback who often has the expression of an awkward six-year-old child lost in a department store.
It was sweet because America got to see a shell-shocked Belichick speak in three-word sentences and indecipherable grunts during his postgame press conference.
""Coach, could you comment on the way the Giants' tenacious pass rush totally disrupted your offense?""
""It's how you win games.""
""Coach, what about Eli Manning's impressive scramble and 32-yard completion to David Tyree?""
""It's how you win games.""
""Coach, I heard you put spicy mustard on your ham sandwich before the game. Why did you do it?""
""It's how you win games.""
Although almost all the pundits picked the Patriots to win and win big Sunday, they probably should have seen the upset coming. The scene was set for the perfect David versus Goliath battle.
The Patriots, the dynasty with the perfect mix of young talent and proven veterans, were 18-0.
Brady, Moss, Welker, Stallworth, Seau, Bruschi - no first names were needed to list the stars from New England. The Patriots also had Belichick, the evil genius of a head coach known for coming up with the perfect game plan.
On the other sideline there was a team that for the majority of the year seemed to be in a state of internal turmoil.
The future Hall of Fame defensive end wasn't sure if he wanted to play. The quarterback couldn't lead. The tight end was always ticked off. The retired star running back made a habit of bashing his former teammates.
Even when the Giants made it to the NFC Championship game, head coach Tom Coughlin's windburn made him resemble an extremely uncomfortable raccoon.
It was a storyline only Hollywood could write. Well, I guess these days, Hollywood couldn't write it either. The team that seemingly couldn't do anything right until the playoffs stuck it to the team that couldn't do anything wrong all year.
The game transcended the realm of football. Manning gave nerds everywhere hope that they could one day become a star.
Coughlin proved to crotchety old men that they can reform and earn the respect of men much younger and more popular than themselves.
And New Yorkers still stinging from the Red Sox baseball dominance can finally tell New Englanders where to stick their chowda'.
It was a game for the ages and an upset America will not soon forget.
If you were as happy as Ryan was to see the Patriots lose and watch that boyish smile disappear from Tom Brady's face, e-mail him at reszel@dailycardinal.com.
