Friday Morning, every American paper predicts thats history will be broken, and that New England Patriots will not only beat the New York Giants in the Super Bowl, they will destroy them running the score up, and completing the impossible, a perfect season at 19 wins with no defeats. They all mentioned the ’spygate’ affair which has dogged the Pats since they were accused of filming the oppositions instructions, with new evidence being found that the Pats three previous ‘Superbowl’ victories could become tainted.

The British media focused on the Giants, after all, they had played in the first NFL regular season game to be played outside North America, at the majestic Wembley Stadium, but also because they had the Scottish-born kicker Laurence Tynes’ incredible story about his brother being jailed for 34 years, and how a victory, viewed as unlikely by all the British media, would help to pay for the legal fees that might see his brother freed. But, the media still suggested that the Giants didn’t stand a chance (much like their counterparts in the good ol’ U.S. of A.)

Wind your clocks forward 48 hours, and its a rather different story. The British, being British, has stood up for the underdogs, finding anyway to claim that the game at Wembley, HELPED the Giants win the biggest game of all, despite that game being played against one of the worst football teams of all time in the Miami Dolphins. Hardly true preperation for the pressure of playing against ‘Immortality’.

Instead, the American media have admitted their failing, and seen all the questions that they feared would dog the Giants, and their quarterback Eli Manning, answered in the strongest possible way. They happily admit that the Giants were the better side, played a much better game, and looked like the wanted the victory. More importantly, they admit that they were wrong, and should really have paid more respect to the Giants.

 So I ask, why can’t we in Britain admit our failings the same way in which the Americans do? Why, when Havant and Waterlooville pushed Liverpool in the first half of THAT FA Cup game, didn’t we admit that its wasn’t ‘them plucky non-leaguers punching above their weight’, and instead applaude them for playing above their standard? They achieved an immortality of their own, certainly in the big story of this years’ FA Cup, and next year, everyone will be looking at where they end up in the draw! Instead, they will be considered as ‘that non-league team’, rather than as a football team, who pushed a supposed big four team to the top. And unfortunately, I can’t see it changing for a long time to come.