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INDIANAPOLIS -- Bill Belichick was strangely happy all week. Until, that is, the Giants beat the Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI and Belichick blew off a postgame interview with NBC and gave clipped comments to the assembled media in the presser following the game.
But Tom Coughlin never changed this week. He talked about the team, eschewing questions about his legacy or about his future as an NFL coach, and during his Monday morning press conference, after a night of spending time with friends and family where there was plenty of “banter” and only 15 minutes of sleep, Coughlin’s answers were consistent. He stayed solid.
Now that you’ve won two Super Bowls, he was asked, can you discuss your legacy and what this win means to the way people see your coaching career?
“No, I’m not really into that stuff,” Coughlin said. “It’s not about me. That’s what we talk about all the time. We’re not about individuals. We’re about what’s in the best interest of our team. All our power is generated from our team. We’re cognizant of some of the superior individuals we have on our team, but it is the team that provides us with the strength and the ability to perform under pressure.”
| Giants 21, Patriots 17 |
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“There you go,” Coughlin said with a smile. “I’m just trying to do my job the best I can possibly do, thank you very much.”
One last attempt: you’re going to be back next season, right?
“I certainly hope so,” said Coughlin, ever humble. “My intentions are for it to be that way. I do have some ownership that has to give approval. But I’m looking forward to it.”
Yes, I’m sure the Maras will need to be convinced that Coughlin should be brought back next year. But aside from Coughlin’s legacy -- assuming Bill Parcells gets into the Hall of Fame at some point, doesn’t Coughlin, who now has as many Super Bowl titles as Parcells, deserve the same consideration? -- how will history look back on Eli Manning?
After his Super Bowl MVP performance (30 of 40, 296 yards, a touchdown) that garnered him his second Super Bowl title, Manning was asked the last time he had bragging rights over his brother Peyton Manning -- who, sadly, only has one Super Bowl ring.
“This isn’t about bragging rights,” Eli said. “This is a lot bigger. This is about a team and organization being named world champions, a team finding a way to get a victory. That’s the only thing I care about. Peyton and I know that’s the goal every year.”
And as to the question about Eli Manning’s status as an elite quarterback?
“This business about being an elite quarterback,” Coughlin said, “that’s come and gone. I don’t think we’ll hear much about that anymore.”
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