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   Mr. PASCRELL. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to congratulate the football Giants on their improbable and inspirational Super Bowl victory. House Resolution 960, I'm sure, will get tremendous support here.

   On any list of the most memorable moments in sports history, the word ``underdog'' often makes an appearance. We always seem to remember the team that overcame adversity, and we always remember the team that overcame doubt to steal victory from the grasp of a supposedly superior opponent in the last second, against all odds, and against all predictions.

   In some ways, we can all see ourselves as underdogs. Sometimes, no matter what you do, how hard you try, it can feel like the whole world is rooting for the other team and the other guy. There are lessons here of perseverance. Whether you are a candidate, whether you are a Congressman, whether you are a truck driver is immaterial.

   Maybe this is why the Giants' upset over the heavily favored New England Patriots resonates so strongly with the American people and is sure to be remembered as one of the greatest victories in the history of the National Football League.

   At the start of the playoffs, no one believed the Giants would defeat the Dallas Cowboys, their flashy division rivals who had beaten them twice during the regular season, but they did.

   No one believed that the Giants would defeat the great Green Bay Packers; but on the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field, and against a living legend, they prevailed.

   And no one believed the Giants could compete with New England. The Patriots were the team of destiny. Man, we've heard that on this floor about a lot of things. They had the perfect team, the perfect season to complete.

   Only God is perfect, Mr. Speaker. Only God.

   No one but the Big Blue faithful believed the Giants had a chance to win that night.

   But history is known to repeat itself, and the history of sports is full of great upsets, victorious underdogs, from the miracle on the ice, to Buster Douglas, to Joe Namath. And now, in the same breath, we can say the 2007 football Giants.

   Who will ever be able to forget the almost supernatural catch made by Wayne, New Jersey, resident David Tyree? Born in Montclair, went to schools there. Indeed, it was this graduate from New Jersey's Montclair High who caught a not-to-be-believed 32-yard pass from Eli Manning that kept the winning drive alive with only 59 seconds left.

   As the final seconds ticked off the game clock, the emotions and excitement were immeasurable. But it was a bittersweet moment for me. I wished my friend and fellow Fordham alumnus, Wellington Mara, the Giants late owner, was alive to witness it.

   I congratulate the owners, the coaches and players of the Giants on an incredible season and a historic championship. I wish them the best of luck defending their title next year.

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