History is denied, and Dolphins still can gloat

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Just a hunch, but Tom Brady probably will be all right, even if he does have to lean a little more on Gisele Bundchen for support.

Junior Seau lost his voice and maybe his last chance to win a Super Bowl ring, but he’s still got his restaurant in San Diego and everything else that comes with collecting paychecks for playing 18 years in the NFL.

As for Bill Belichick, if he owns a dog -- OK, it might be a good time for the little fella to run away. And someone might also want to remind Randy Moss that he’s still bound by a restraining order.

The New England Patriots’ run at perfection has come to a shocking conclusion, all right, and good for the Giants, but who really cares about the Giants?

This was a chance for everyone in University of Phoenix Stadium, as well as those watching TV at home, to be a party to history and do something good for mankind -- and forever rid the sports world of those annoying 1972 Dolphins.

Sure, a tension-packed fourth quarter might’ve justified watching the previous three dreadful quarters and a whole day of Fox TV blabber, but a 17-14 Giants victory was just another Super Bowl win on a list of 42.

The Rams stopped their Super Bowl opponent on the one-yard line on the final play of an incredibly exciting game to hoist the Lombardi Trophy, but as thrilling a night as that was, can you recall whom the Rams were playing?

There are any number of great games, or scintillating fourth-quarter finishes in every NFL season -- making for so many great nights of entertainment. But this was going to be the topper of them all.

This game was all about New England, a 19-0 season something to tell the grandchildren -- and I would have more than one if the daughter and son-in-law were doing a better job.

The Giants did their part when they took the lead in the fourth quarter, adding in their own way to the Brady lore and giving him one more chance to mount a comeback and certify the Patriots’ greatness.

And just imagine what folks might be saying of Brady today had the Patriots’ defense done its job down the stretch.

But instead we get a Giants rally, another Manning named MVP -- like that’s anything new -- and just another Super Bowl loser in the Patriots.

“WHAT I learned today was how tough it is to go undefeated,” said former Miami coach Don Shula. “That’s why I’m even more proud of our ’72 team than I’ve ever been.”

You see what I mean.

BEFORE THE game, it was the perfect San Diego nightmare, the TV cameras finding former Chargers Seau and Rodney Harrison standing side by side for the national anthem, Harrison’s right hand resting on the shoulder of his pal.

The Chargers got rid of both players because they didn’t think they had anything left.

And although Seau and Harrison didn’t win, it was the perfect San Diego nightmare at game’s end, and nothing wrong with that.

It was kudos all around for former Chargers coach Kevin Gilbride, who was calling the plays for former Chargers quarterback Eli Manning -- if only for a short time before being traded to New York. The best way to get to the Super Bowl apparently is to be an ex-Charger.

IT WAS almost impossible to hear anything Seau had to say after the game, his voice hoarse from yelling out defensive signals. He said he has not made up his mind if he has played his final game, and when asked if this defeat sullies the Patriots’ accomplishments, he said, “We didn’t win anything.”

Was he shocked the Giants pulled this off?

“No,” he said. “I was on the field when it happened.”

WITH THE exception of Jordin Sparks’ spirited rendition of the national anthem, and I don’t care what Simon Cowell says, this had to be one of the most boring preludes to a Super Bowl.

Alicia Keys performed on the field 90 minutes before the game in a stadium that was less than half full, although I think she showed the ability to clear the place if really given the chance.

After the players warmed up, instead of the usual big-name star who might take the field to entertain, the NFL brought out the Arizona State marching band. At $700 a ticket, what a treat.

As Sparks concluded the national anthem, those watching at home probably noticed the Blue Angels’ arrival, but with the stadium roof closed it went right over the heads of the paying customers.

FOX ROLLED out the red carpet to introduce celebrities before the game, the red carpet located several blocks away, which explains why none of the game’s stars showed up.

Ryan Seacrest, however, did introduce “superstar Nick Lachey,” so you can see how exciting things got.

Paula Abdul, yet another reminder that this was as much about “American Idol” as a football game, sang in a taped performance. If you’ve seen her reality TV show, you would know it’s the only way anyone could guarantee she’d appear here on time.

At halftime, after 30 minutes of boring football, they brought a dead man on the stage to perform.

The public address announcer urged the crowd to sing along with Tom Petty, hoping someone might sound better.

LIKE THE game, it appeared the commercials got off to a slow start, Hank the Clydesdale -- and now there’s a courageous horse -- giving it a good try. The biggest first-half giggle from NFL officials here came after a bunch of lizards tried to dance like Naomi Campbell. Keep in mind that NFL officials have the same kind of sense of humor as the folks who think the Fox pregame show is just hilarious.

The best commercial of the night, though, had to be the Bridgestone “squirrel in the road,” the little guy screaming and about to get run over only to be saved at the last second.

Who knows, Bridgestone might very well have saved Skippy. Barbaro would still be a pile of ashes, of course, but Skippy would be with us.

T.J. Simers can be reached at [email protected]. To read previous columns by Simers, go to latimes.com/simers.