By J.J. Huggins
Staff writer
February 04, 2008 11:13 am GLENDALE, Ariz. — Even though they fell to the New York Giants 17-14 last night, the New England Patriots still did something phenomenal, according to Groveland resident and longtime fan Patrick Fay. "It's still not going to take away from what the Patriots achieved," Fay, 67, said from his seat in the highest row of the massive University of Phoenix Stadium, the site of yesterday's Super Bowl. Before kickoff, Patriots fans from North of Boston expected a win. They held signs saying 19-0, believing their team would pull off the first-ever 19-0 season. Once the game started, they bit their nails and watched a hard-fought battle that lasted all night. The game ended when Giants safety Gibril Wilson picked off a bomb from Patriots quarterback Tom Brady with one second left in the game. If Patriots wide receiver Randy Moss had caught the ball, the Patriots could have scored on the next play and won. Instead, fans had to watch the Giants celebrate. But last night's loss does not detract from the 18 wins in a row, which included all 16 of their regular season games, Fay said. "What they accomplished would probably be never accomplished by anyone else," he said. "Still the best team ever," said former Gloucester resident Mike Jackman, 61. Fellow Pats fans began to get a little anxious during the second half. "This game is killing me," said a nervous Curtis Braxton, 40, of Methuen. "We're dying in here," added his wife, Marcy, 39. The Giants played "a heck of a game," said Tony Longo, 57, of Andover. Failure is not something New Englanders are used to. "You just almost come in and expect them to win," Longo said. Methuen resident Paul Piro could barely crack a smile while watching the game with Naomi Bergstrom, also of Methuen. Piro didn't care about making history or going undefeated, all he wanted was a victory last night. "For me, it's just like another game. I just want to win, 19-0 doesn't matter, it's just another Super Bowl," said Piro, 49, who had made stickers that said 19-0 before the game. "It's driving me nuts right now," Bergstrom, 34, said during the second half. "I'm panicking." Methuen's Louann Santos, who won a VIP ticket to the Super Bowl, described last night's game as disappointing in a telephone interview after the game. The end was a letdown, but overall the team's season was impressive. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't bummed after tonight," said Santos, 30. "But I got to see the Patriots play in the Super Bowl and finish an 18-0 season." A Pats fan since age 5, Santos spent the weekend in Arizona after competing on the Ellen DeGeneres talk show last week. Her VIP ticket gave her great access to the field and players. Last night before kickoff, she got to meet Patriots owner Bob Craft. "I said, 'I'm from Mass. I'm a huge fan.' And he leaned over and gave me a big hug," Santos said. She is flying back to Los Angeles today to prepare for another taping of "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." That show, which will feature questions about her Super Bowl experience, airs Wednesday. Despite the outcome, Santos described the entire weekend as "incredible." "I'm wiped out. I definitely need to get some sleep," she said. The hype mounted all last week and ended in disappointment, but New Englanders were still happy to be witnesses. "This is spectacular," said Paul Nasser, 46, of Beverly. Scott Flanders, 46, of Derry, N.H., described the experience as "unbelievable." "It's one of the biggest thrills of my life," said John Cormick, 45, of Dracut.
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