Somewhere Ernie Accorsi has to feel vindicated.

For those who truly understand the difficulties making decisions and running an organization in New York, you hoped this day would come - for his sake.

Consider also, Accorsi’s non-wavering believe in his franchise quarterback, having never blinked when thinking about having him set up behind center for the Giants for the next 15 years. Ironically, it mirrored the same non-wavering belief shared by his teammates and the quarterback himself as he drove the team down the field in the last two minutes towards Super Bowl immortality.

“This team has endured more than any team I’ve ever been with. If I were an objective observer and had been told last August, ‘Here is a team that is supposed to be a contender. It’s going to be given the mist difficult start of a schedule perhaps in history. It’s going to lose two All-Pro defensive ends, one of them a All of Famer, plus its number one backup, an All-Pro linebacker, both starting corners, the left tackle, and the greatest receiver in the history of the franchise. What do you think its record is going to be?’ I would have said 4-12, or 5-11. You have endured an incredible amount of criticism from all quarters and yet you made the playoffs and played your hearts out to the last second of the last game. You’re good kids. Stay together. Trust each other and be good teammates to one another. I believe there is a championship in this room.”

-From Tom Callahan’s book “The GM”- Ernie Accorsi addressing the team following the Giants’ playoff loss to the Eagles last year, his final game as Giants GM.

But it all started for Accorsi when he scribbled down his scouting notes of Eli Manning during his junior year at Ole Miss:

“Throws the ball, takes the hit, gets right back up…Has courage and poise. In my opinion, most of all, he has that quality you can’t define. Call it magic. As (former Baltimore Colts DB) Bobby Boyd told me once about Unitas, “Two things set him apart: his left testicle and his right testicle…Peyton had much better talent around him at Tennessee. But honestly I give this guy a chance to be better than his brother…If he comes out early we should move up to take him. These guys are rare, you know. “

For those doubting Giant fans, and there were all too many, when truly evaluating a QB Accorsi didn’t feel the need to read into “body language.” Clearly, it didn’t worry him too much.

If these two examples weren’t proof enough of Accorsi’s vision, here are his thoughts on Tom Coughlin:

“If we can’t win with this guy, I’m taking up tennis”

and Plaxico Burress:

“The best free agent signing of my career.”

But, aside from Eli, it was Accorsi’s faith in Jerry Reese to succeed him as GM which led to ownership promoting the gifted talent evaluator leading to one of the most successful NFL drafts in team history.

So, on this glorious day of celebration, Giants fans should collectively give a thank you to an almost forgotten man who put the weight of the franchise on a soft-spoken, pouty southern kid with a famous older brother and father. A kid who, in the minds of fans everywhere, had absolutely no shot of leading this organization to a Super Bowl.

On a snowy Monday morning in an exhausted New York City, the pouty little brother is waking up somewhere as Super Bowl MVP, World Champion and New York sports legend.

Turns out Ernie Accorsi had it right after all.

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