Is it destiny or dynasty or could they ultimately end up as one in the same?  Super Bowl XLII, Boston vs. New York or East Rutherford vs. Forborough if you will.  No matter the winner history will be made, in what may be the most epic Super Bowl ever.

NFL Super Bowl XLII Pick: (Last week 2-0 overall season 167-98).

One team was supposed to be here, ever since there were supposed to be in this very game last year.  Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are going for something more here than a dynasty or immortality, they're striving for invincibility. 

Conversely Tom Coughlin and Eli Manning were not supposed to be anywhere near this game.  Sure the Giants had qualified for the playoffs the last two seasons, but now Tiki Barber was gone and outside of Kawika Mitchell it had appeared the Giants had done little to improve the squad overall.

The Pats of course re-loaded for the "one that got away."  They picked up the likes of Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Adalius Thomas for pretty much what the New York Mets just gave up to obtain Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins.

On the flipside of that the Giants made some shrewd moves as well, drafting the likes of CB Aaron Ross, TE Kevin Boss and RB Ahmad Bradshaw.  In addition they picked up LB Mitchell as well as FB Madison Hedgecock and KR Domenik Hixon. 

Both teams were Super Bowl contenders at the outset of 2006 and both apparently came into 2007 with a chip on their shoulders'.  One team deciding to just shut up and play, while the other simply refused to lose.  One team the ultimate finisher, the other simply would not be finished. If you don't know their collective stories by now, then you're probably more interested in the commercials at this juncture.

The Patriots were able to turn it on offensively whenever necessary, absolutely bludgeoning the competition in the early going, along with adapting and surviving down the stretch, feeding off the pressure, responding to history's calling.  They have not looked back since, they are 18-0 for a reason and amid all the resurfacing of new "spy-gate" allegations, God knows it was probably coach Belichick himself who made the leak un-purpose just to get his team even more riled up and motivated.

The Giants in the early going looked completely dead, especially on the defensive side of the ball.  But just when it looked like this team was going to wilt or fade like the two versions previous to it, they made a stand every time it counted.  Good teams win a playoff game in Tampa on the road, sometimes they even get lucky to pull one out in Dallas, other times they can be so numb to it all that they get out of Green Bay alive.  Great teams do all three of those aformentioned things and these Giants just did. 

Now as stupid as it sounds New England may not be getting enough credit here given the nature of their playoff wins, because of course they're supposed to beat everyone, they have much larger matters at hand.  If anyone can find new wrinkles on a 100-yard ironing board, it's Belichick, especially with two weeks to prepare, even if the sleeves are torn off.

However the Giants have been told all year that they can't do it.  By their former star RB Tiki Barber, by the New York media, by all the experts, the one's on the four-letter network and even the one's on this very network aside from Terry Bradshaw who picked them in the NFC Championship Game.  And yet these Giants seem to be content enough just thriving off it, playing like the Giants of '90 instead of proclaiming to everyone with an open mic who'll listen that they're already better than those Giants of '86.

From the beginning of the season the New England Patriots were my Super Bowl pick and I stated after awhile that I would no longer pick against them until they lost.  That is until now and it is about time they lost.  Everything is in place and all directions point as to why the Pats should win this game and ultimately 9 times out of 10 they are the better team between these two.  Yet this Super Bowl strikes me as only a couple of memorable Super Bowls do.

There's been a lot of talk beyond "spy-gate" comparing these Giants to those Pats who beat the high octane, "Greatest Show on Turf" St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI.  Additionally there have been the comparisons in how Phil Simms beat John Elway on this stage coupled with Jeff Hostetler being able to knock off Jim Kelly.  Here it is again with Eli Manning and Tom Brady.

Perhaps I see a little Hoss in Eli or maybe it's the duo of Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw that evokes memories of O.J. Anderson and Dave Meggett.  Overall though from what I have seen is that defense wins championships and this Giants defense which led the NFL in sacks, has turned it up a notch, has been a bend but don't break, make the big play when you have to kind of stingy defensive unit. 

In their last meeting the Giants lost to the Patriots at home 38-35.  Fortunately for the Giants, they are truly road warriors.

Pick: New York Giants 26 New England Patriots 21.

Super Bowl MVP: Brandon Jacobs.