Giants-Patriots Clash Creates Local Buzz—

Local Sports Figures Chime In On Super Bowl Matchup

By Andy Hutchison

For the second time in the five Super Bowl matchups dating back to 2008, two of the three local National Football League teams — the New York Giants and New England Patriots — will square off in the big game. In other words, when the G-Men and Pats square off in Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday, February 5, plenty of people from Newtown will have a super interest in more than just the bowls of chips and other goodies at area parties.

This Super Bowl clash, in fact, has a way of piquing the interest of fans of all three regional teams — including the New York Jets. After all, as Newtown High School Associate Athletic Director Carl Strait points out, “As a Jets fan, it’s the worst Super Bowl matchup ever — the two teams you hate the most are going to play.”

The Patriots are the Jets’ toughest divisional rival and the Giants — well, they share the same stadium with the Jets and just seem to be despised by Giants fans and vice versa, despite the fact the teams don’t play in the same division of conference for that matter.

So which team does the left-out Jets fan pull for? The Giants of course, Strait points out. After all, the Giants are like the Jets’ stepbrother he explains. “We share the same house with them even though they’re not blood,” Strait points out. His prediction, with Giants quarterback Eli Manning being the difference-maker: Giants 31-Pats 27.

“Well, this is a tough one because we are Jets fans,” said New Maura Fletcher, Newtown High’s girls’ lacrosse coach, whose husband Dave, and sons will and Charlie, are also Jets supporters. “It will take everything out of me to root for either team. With that said, my brothers family (Kevin and his three girls) are huge Giants fans.” Fletcher said her good friend, Woody Thompson, a longtime coach and supporter of Newtown athletics, is a Giants fan, also prompting her to root for the Giants. Her prediction: Giants 24, Pats 21

Thompson may be a Giants fan, but he’s not so optimistic. “I just see Brady as the hero,” said Thompson, referring to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. His pick: Patriots 32, Giants 18.

In 2008, when these teams met in Super Bowl XLII, the underdog Giants ended New England’s perfect season in heartbreak with a 17-14, come-from-behind upset win. The Patriots have given their fans plenty to cheer about in recent memory with Super Bowl triumphs in 2002, ’04, and ’05, but that 2008 game leaves their fans with a bitter taste and hoping for some revenge this time around.

“I’m hoping I can finally go to sleep after the loss [in Super Bowl XLII]. That will kind of put closure to it,” said Zach Gauvin, Newtown High School’s swim coach, who is from Mattapoisett, Mass., and is a big Pats fan.

Gauvin got to cheer on the Pats in person in five games this year, including their playoff games leading up to the Super Bowl, because his dad has season tickets. He’s also been going to Patriots training camp since 1993 and is one of the lucky fans to have a ticket to the Super Bowl which, this year, will be held in Indianapolis, Ind. Gauvin’s prediction: Patriots pull away in the second half to win 38-25.

“I like the Patriots,” said Jack Shpunt, speaking in terms of the team he thinks will win — not the team he roots for. “I don’t like the Patriots, but I think the Patriots will win,” added Shpunt, who is a volunteer youth football and basketball coach in town. Shpunt and Gauvin “like” the Patriots in this game for different reasons. They both have something in common, however, which is disappointment bestowed upon them by the Giants. “Big Blue” as the Giants are sometimes called, knocked off San Francisco in the National Football Conference title game to earn a trip to this year’s Super Bowl.

The final score, Shpunt predicts: 34-17. Whoa! And New England was only a 2-3 point favorite in the days leading up to the game. For what it’s worth, Shpunt says he predicted Alabama would topple LSU by 20 points in the NCAA championship game last month. ’Bama trounced LSU, 21-0.

Another football fanatic to have his hopes squelched by the Giants is Newtown High Public Address Announcer Jason “J” Edwards. He’s a Dallas Cowboys fan and saw the Giants earn a trip to the postseason at the expense of the Cowboys in the last game of the regular season, but Edwards isn’t interested in rooting against the Giants — or for the Pats for that matter. “Being a Cowboys fan, I don’t care. I just want to see a great game because I love football. It’s the last game for a while,” Edwards said.

“I’m a Patriots fan, so you know who I’m rooting for,” said Steve George, Newtown High School’s football coach. Those who know George understand he makes no predictions about his own football team. So what about the Super Bowl? George’s prediction: “No prediction.” Although he enters into this game with less confidence than some New England fans. “The Giants scare me. Their defense is really good,” George said.

Newtown High School Athletic Director Gregg Simon sees no reason to believe the Pats will win, “Because the Giants have consistently owned the Patriots,” he points out. The Patriots were heavy favorites in a regular season matchup this past campaign, and the G-Men prevailed. Still, Simon predicts a close one: Giants 34, Patriots 31.

Newtown High School Security Officer Edward Alicea, who is on hand at numerous NHS sporting events throughout the school year, is a Giants fan who shares the same no chance for the Patriots, but expect a close game attitude. “I just think the Giants have got their number. I think the Giants have more weapons since the last time they played [in the Super Bowl].” Alicea’s prediction: Giants 27, Patriots 24.

Mary Tucker, a lunch lady at NHS, whose daughter, Tonya Tucker, is a Newtown High freshman volleyball and basketball player, was decked out in a Giants shirt while serving fans pizza at the concession stand during the varsity girls’ basketball game on Tuesday night. Tucker points out that New York’s strong defense and the fact the team doesn’t have any notable injuries means her favorite team has a good chance to win. Her prediction: Giants 24, Patriots 17.