Five Biggest Winners From Super Bowl 46

by Gautham Nagesh

The New York Giants’ victory over the New England Patriots last night will have profound implications for how both franchises are viewed, by historians and prognosticators alike. In boxing terms, the rematch lived up to its billing, with the Giants once again proving their defensive style is the perfect foil for Tom Brady’s aerial assault.

Of course, the biggest winners are New York fans and the Mara family. But the following five stand to gain a lot from their performances last night:

The Giants quarterback has officially cemented his position as one of the greats, and at the least earned his way into the debate over the best passer in the family. For the second time in five years Eli lead his team down the field for the winning touchdown, earning himself another MVP award. Any doubts that lingered about his caliber must officially be put to rest. Two Lombardi trophies is the definition of success in football, and he’s only 31 years old. One or two more is not out of the question.

After flirting with 1,000 years and ten touchdowns last year, Super Mario was supposed to break out this season. Instead, the former Wolverine watched undrafted Victor Cruz of UMass (!?) steal his shine and salsa his way into the spotlight. Mario was reduced to third wheel behind Cruz and Hakeem Nicks, whose physical tools make him a clear number one receiver.

But when the chips are down, great players make big plays. Manningham’s flare for the dramatic began in high school and flourished at Michigan. Sunday night it culminated in a stunning, 38-yard sideline catch that propelled the Giants to the winning score. Mario finished with five catches, 73 yards, and one moment that will play endlessly in the highlight reel of football history. He’s a free agent this summer, which gives him an immediate chance to cash in. But regardless of where he goes, he will never have to buy a drink in New York again.

The outdated taskmaster has once again reinvented himself to propel a late run to the championship. Coughlin is fairly inscrutable from the outside, but whatever he does to motivate his players clearly works. The group of coaches that have won more than one Super Bowl is small and they tend to rock yellow blazers. Coughlin is now in that discussion. His two rings place him alongside Bill Parcells in New York coaching lore, just months after he was on the verge of losing his job.

The Japanese sports car was retired in 2005 due to slow sales, despite a devoted following of loyalists. Honda showed off a gorgeous concept at this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, successfully re-starting the buzz ahead of a 2015 production date.

Now the big-budget commercial featuring Jerry Seinfeld and Jay Leno was the big winner among Super Bowl ads, lighting up Google with searches from potential consumers. Whether the NSX lives up to the hype remains to be seen, but people are definitely watching.

I’m no fan of the Material Girl or her music, but it’s hard to deny how positive youthful she looks at 53 years old. Most striking, she actually seemed happy to be in Indianapolis. Seeing my beloved The Who cough and hack their way through a terrible set in 2009 was a disappointment, but nothing compared to the torture of sitting through the Black Eyed Peas last year.

Madonna held the room’s attention for the full 15 minutes, while surrounded by a host of slightly more relevant performers. Her show even included some casual profanity, all without upsetting the FCC. Aside from the gratuitous plug for Berry Gordy’s spawn, it was one of the more effective cross-marketing efforts in recent memory.