Giants Promise Dying Fan That They’ll Cover the Spread for Him
The New York Giants are not the kind of team to make boasts or guarantees, but when faced with the pained pleas of a young fan nearing his last breaths, the team was willing to make an exception.
“Yes, Tommy, we promise. We promise. We’ll do it for you,” quarterback Eli Manning whispered to young Tommy Whipple at New York Children’s Hospital hours before the team boarded a plan for Arizona and Super Bowl XLII. “We’ll cover the spread for you.”
Going against the undefeated New England Patriots on Sunday, the Giants face a tough task in getting the win. But covering the 12-point spread is much more manageable. And it’s all a dying boy wants before he says goodbye to the world.
“Look, dying before you turn 10 makes you a realist,” said Whipple. “I know the world is not a happy place full of fairy tales. Frankly, it sucks. Exhibit A ... my life. So while my body may be coursing with drugs, I still have my brain. I’m not going to waste a dying wish asking the Giants to beat the Patriots. That’s like one in a million. Like I need something else in my life not to work out as planned. Covering the spread, though, is doable.”
And with young Tommy as their inspiration, the Giants plan to do just that.
“Look, we never thought we’d get here and we’re just happy to have made it,” said defensive end Michael Strahan. “No one expects to win. We just wanted to have fun while we were here. But Tommy has focused our determination and changed our expectations: we want to cover that spread. We’ll do whatever it takes. Trick plays, two-point conversions – anything to lose by 11 points or less and bring some joy to this poor boy.”
In addition to the pleasure of watching his favorite team not get completely humiliated in the Super Bowl, Tommy says he has another reason for his dying wish.
“My parents are, like, $475,000 in debt because of all of my medical expenses,” he says. “So I told my dad to put up the value of our house on the Giants covering. Let’s hope they do or I’m not going to be the only one on borrowed time.”
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“Yes, Tommy, we promise. We promise. We’ll do it for you,” quarterback Eli Manning whispered to young Tommy Whipple at New York Children’s Hospital hours before the team boarded a plan for Arizona and Super Bowl XLII. “We’ll cover the spread for you.”
Going against the undefeated New England Patriots on Sunday, the Giants face a tough task in getting the win. But covering the 12-point spread is much more manageable. And it’s all a dying boy wants before he says goodbye to the world.
“Look, dying before you turn 10 makes you a realist,” said Whipple. “I know the world is not a happy place full of fairy tales. Frankly, it sucks. Exhibit A ... my life. So while my body may be coursing with drugs, I still have my brain. I’m not going to waste a dying wish asking the Giants to beat the Patriots. That’s like one in a million. Like I need something else in my life not to work out as planned. Covering the spread, though, is doable.”
And with young Tommy as their inspiration, the Giants plan to do just that.
“Look, we never thought we’d get here and we’re just happy to have made it,” said defensive end Michael Strahan. “No one expects to win. We just wanted to have fun while we were here. But Tommy has focused our determination and changed our expectations: we want to cover that spread. We’ll do whatever it takes. Trick plays, two-point conversions – anything to lose by 11 points or less and bring some joy to this poor boy.”
In addition to the pleasure of watching his favorite team not get completely humiliated in the Super Bowl, Tommy says he has another reason for his dying wish.
“My parents are, like, $475,000 in debt because of all of my medical expenses,” he says. “So I told my dad to put up the value of our house on the Giants covering. Let’s hope they do or I’m not going to be the only one on borrowed time.”
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