For as long as I can remember I've always loved the underdog.

There's something uniquely American about pulling for the underdog, after all, our country was a huge underdog 232 years ago when the Declaration of Independence was signed.

What do you think the odds would have been in 1776 that those 13 colonies would develop into one of the most powerful countries in the history of the world? Because we have underdog in our blood, American sports fans have always had a knack for the unlikely and an obsession with the impossible.

...American sports fans have always had a knack for the unlikely and an obsession with the impossible.

It's the reason we loved George Mason's run to the Final Four a couple years ago, the Rockies unlikely push to the World Series and of course Appalachian State's thrilling victory over Michigan last fall.

So naturally America took interest in the New York Giants as they prepared to face the real giants, the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.

Having no real stake in the game other than my own affinity for the underdog, I watched rather objectively for two weeks as football analysts dissected everything from Tom Brady's ankle to Bill Billichick's bizarre personality.

Looking back, my favorite part of the week leading up to the Super Bowl was Tom Brady's reaction to New York wide receiver Plaxico Burress' prediction that his Giants would win 23-17. Brady smiled and laughed when asked by reporters about Burress' prediction, saying that he wished Burress had given the Patriots a little credit for scoring more points.

Actually Burress gave the Patriots too much credit and Brady gave the Giant's defense too little.

Seeing as he won his first Super Bowl ring as a 14-point underdog, Tom Brady probably should have known better.

The Boston area may be loyal to the 18-0 juggernaut with the antisocial coach and Hollywood quarterback, but the rest of America usually finds a place in their heart for the underdog.

Especially for an underdog like this one.

At the center of the Giant's nine-game road winning streak was Eli Manning, a guy who has never quite lived up to the expectations of critics and fans. In fact, he's been chastised by his own fans even when he plays well because he can't be great like his older brother Peyton.

On this Super Bowl Sunday, it was younger brother Eli's time to shine as his older brother watched intensely from the skybox.

In what is sure to go down as one of the greatest stories in sport's history, Eli Manning led the Giants to the most unlikely of victories over the undefeated and heavily favored Patriots.

Needless to say it was the first time in Super Bowl history that brothers had won consecutive Super Bowl MVP awards.

It all made for an amazing sight to behold. Bill Billichick's Patriots were within minutes of perfection, but the New York Giants never quit. They outplayed and outworked their opponents to the last moment when Eli Manning entered front and center to play the hero in one of America's great underdog stories.

...Eli Manning entered front and center to play the hero in one of America's great underdog stories.

It's not surprising that a record 97.5 million American's tuned in to see this underdog story unfold. In many ways, it was too good to be true.

I'll guarantee you Tom Brady never again forgets that this is America, the land of the free, the home of the brave and the birthplace of underdogs.