So, who really was the biggest winner of the Patriots-Giants game tonight? The NFL!!!!

Not only was the game highly entertaining and well-played for the most part, but the score was close and it came right down to the final minutes of the game. It's the type of game which makes people want to watch more football.

Also, the game was historic on far more levels than just what happened on the field.

Let's count the ways:

1)  For the first time that I can remember (other than the State of the Union Address) all 3 original major networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) were broadcasting the exact same game. They were all broadcasting the NFL Network. Talk about maximal expsosure

2)  For the first time ever, all three of the networks were broadcasting the exact same commercials (except during the half).

3)  For the first time ever, all three networks had the same annnouncers

Trust me, such a thing will never ever happen again, and I hate using "never".  It was a historic moment in television history that will never again be equaled.

Other winners:

1)  The broadcasting squad of the NFL Network. Gumbel was not great but he wasn't terrible. Collinsworth is just Collinsworth.

2)  All the companies that paid for ad time on the NFL Network for this game. Imagine thinking that you were going to be advertising to a few hundred thousand households and instead you get to millions of houses. Just amazing.

3)  The Patriots for obvious reasons

4)  The Giants. they didn't win, but they almost beat the best team in football. For Manning, he needed a game like this one to show that he can compete and excel against the best. For Tom Coughlin, he needed a close game like this to show his team that the coaching staff really do know what's going on.

Sure, the Giants lost the game, but this is one of those times where everyone actually won and both teams benefitted.