Just a few days before the Ticket Tape Parade was held on February 5^th, 2008, the New York Giants pulled off the biggest upset in Super Bowl History by beating the un-defeated New England Patriots 17-14. 
 
As a third generation Giants season ticket holder, their Post-Season run was special for me on many levels. Not only was it the 1^st time I was able to see Big Blue hoist the Lombardi Trophy (I was barely a year old when they won in 1986 and 5 in 1990 with Norwood’s wide right), but I watched every playoff game (including the Super Bowl) with my Grandfather who is responsible for instilling Giants Pride deep inside my heart.
 
I watch the game with my Grandfather for a few reasons. 1. We watched every Playoff game together during their run to Super Bowl 42 and considered it unlucky if we decided to watch the big game separate. 2. Nearly every one of my friends are Giants fans but each had their own Super Bowl party. Who would I choose to watch with? Something like Visa’s YOU + TEN Draft app on Facebook, which analyzes  your social graph to find the ten best people you interact with, would have been a big help if watching the game with my Grandfather wasn’t an enticing option.
 
The morning of the parade, my blood was pumping with adrenaline and excitement, but there was only one problem. None of my fellow Giants friends were able to take off work that morning and join me in Manhattan. So I planned on going into New York City solo. I drove to Hoboken, New Jersey and hopped on the Path train. Typically the Path is packed with commuters in business suits heading into work. But on this day, the train was filled with fans wearing Giants Jerseys, jackets, hats, and shirts. “Go Big Blue” and “Lets Go Giants” chants echoed through each of the train’s car. The atmosphere and energy felt like we were at the stadium watching our favorite team take the field, but the truth was we were in a tunnel about a mile under the Hudson River.
 
The Path dropped all of us off in Lower Manhattan at the W.T.C station where everyone spilled off the train. Once on the street, the crowd’s roar was deafening. Giants fans and NYPD traffic officers were walking around on the closed off streets of Manhattan. The parade was schedule to start in an hour, plenty of time to find a good spot in the “Canyon of Heroes”….or so I thought.
 
As I tried to head up the street I noticed the NYPD was blocking off every cross street that would lead up to the parade. After a few minutes of walking up and down the block, I could not find a cross street to make my way up to the parade. I was a block away. So Close and yet so far. But there was no way I was about to just give up on this once in a lifetime opportunity. I hadto find a way.
 
I noticed a construction site had fenced off one of the cross streets but there was no Police re-directing traffic since the construction equipment and barriers blocked off the street. Would I hop the fence? No too dangerous. Then I noticed a department store had an entrance on the street I was on and another door leading to the blocked off cross street. As long as that 2^nd door was unlocked, I’d be set and have a great spot to watch the parade.
 
I walked into the store, made a hard right, headed for the 2^nd door and BOOOM, was outside just a few feet from the parade. I was very proud of myself of using my wits and not giving up, and it paid off. Finally I was back among all the other Giants fans who were waiting to cheer on the Super Bowl Champions.
 
I climbed up on a construction truck, which gave me an eye level view with all the players on the floats. A few other fans followed my lead. In our mind we had the best seats in the “house.”
 
The crew that joined me on the truck was a great group of guys. All of us exchanged stories about the past season, where we watched the Super Bowl, the amount of joy, excitement, and pride we all felt after the game. Even though my friends didn’t join me on this adventure, I felt among family because after all I was with other members of the “Giants Family.”
 
Shortly after we settled on the truck, the crowd started to get louder. The floats filled with our favorite players were getting close. Confetti started to pour from the sky. It was a scene that rivaled New Years Eve in Times Square, only better because this party was only for Giants and their Fans.
 
I was a bit trigger happy with my camera, but that’s the advantage of having a digital camera, no need to worry about running out of film. I even took a few shots with my cell-phone so I could txt it to my friends stuck at work. I sent them a few shots of the players, all the confetti, and even a few shots of myself along with my newfound friends.  It was great. Each one of them txt me something back regarding how jealous they were or how they wish they were there with me.
 
Even though I went to the parade alone, from the minute I stepped out of my car and onto the path and throughout the entire parade I was surrounded by new friends and other members of the Giants family. That’s what makes football so great. I was literally surrounded by total strangers, but because we had the Giants in common, we all felt like we’ve known each other and could celebrate in unison.
 
It was a great day, especially a great day to be a Giants fan.
 
Disclosure: We received compensation from Visa for sharing our views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely ours, not Visa or the NFL’s. For more information about Visa NFL’s You+Ten Draft App, please visit: http://www.facebook.com/VisaNFL?sk=app_259824094080710

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