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What a game! The Giants win, the Giants win!! I couldn’t believe my eyes, and I was jumping around the lobby of my hotel in celebration, with the workers at the hotel looking on in wonderment and curiosity. The challenge of trying to watch the Super Bowl in India was a bit different than I anticipated.

Trying to Find a Place to Watch With Other Fans 

When I was first planning my trip in the fall, I knew that I was taking a chance that I would miss the SuperBowl completely. I knew the Giants may have a chance to make it, but most of the pundits didn’t give them much of a chance. As the season progressed, it was unsure whether they would even make the playoffs (Playoffs, did somebody say Playoffs! - remember that commercial with Jim Mora?).

Unfortunately, I missed all of the playoff games, but my family kept me up to date through e-mails. When the Giants won the NFC, I started thinking about trying to watch the game. By chance, I was going to be in Delhi! I figured I could definitely find a place to watch it in a city of 12.8 million people!! Regardless of the difficulties, I was determined to 1. watch the game, and 2. watch it with other people.

On the day before the game, I called 6 of the most expensive hotels in Delhi (rooms averaging $400 per night) figuring that they catered to rich business people from across the world. There had to be some American Football fans in the hotels that wanted to watch the game at 4:45 am in the morning in the hotel bar, right?! Wrong.

Everyone I talked to was baffled at the idea that I wanted to watch the game at 4:45 am with a bunch of strangers. They were shocked that I would even get up that early. Many people asked me why I didn’t just watch it in my hotel room. No one could understand why I wanted to watch with other people. I couldn’t help but wonder if I could find a place in NYC to watch a cricket match between India and Australia at 4 am if I wanted to.

Eventually I gave up on the idea that I could find a bar or other social place to watch the game, and extracted a promise from the people behind the reception desk in my own hotel that I would be able to watch it on the TV in the lobby. During my calls to the hotel, I found out that the game was going to be broadcast on a channel called “Sports Ten”. I also found a 24 hour internet cafe close to my hotel that I could watch or keep up with the game on the internet. Setting my alarm for 4:30 am, I went to sleep relatively confident that I would be able to watch or follow the game one way or another.

Watching the Game:  1st Half In My Hotel Room, 2nd Half in the Lobby

When my alarm went off, I turned on the TV in my room and saw the coin toss in black and white. I went down to the lobby and found that everyone was sleeping soundly, so ventured to the internet cafe to see if they had a TV nearby. No luck. So I decided to watch the first half in my hotel room, in black and white, with only Flat Kat as company (at least he was another Giants fan!).

As you already know, the first half ended with the Patriots leading the Giants 7 - 3. After calling my wife, parents, and sister, who were watching together, I returned to the lobby to find everyone awake. We turned on the TV on a larger, color TV.

As people came in to check in, they stopped to see what I was watching, but all of them either claimed not to know anything about American football, admitted that they had forgotten that the game was on, or both.  I talked to an Englishman who was more concerned about soccer, a German woman who had learned to play rugby when she moved to England and said that learning one complicated game was enough for her, and an American guy who completely forgot it was on and had no interest in watching.

Luckily, the third quarter ended with the Giants in striking distance.  When the Giants scored to take a 10 - 7 lead in the 4th quarter, I really got excited.  I could feel the eyes of the hotel staff on me as much as they were on the game.  I could tell that they had no idea how American football is played, but they were interested to see my excitement and reactions to plays as they happened.  As the tension grew, and the Patriots marched down the field, I was getting really nervous. Then, suddenly, the power went out!!

I couldn’t believe it! The Patriots were knocking on the door and I wasn’t able to see it! Luckily, the someone started the generator. When the TV came back on, I saw that the score was now 14-10. I missed the touchdown pass to Randy Moss. Oh well, I figured, at least it wasn’t a Giants score!

With the Patriots ahead now, 14 - 10, the Giants needed a touchdown, and I was about to jump out of my seat at every play.    With just a minute left, and the Giants on the verge of scoring a touchdown after an AMAZING catch by David Tyre in the middle of the field that kept the Giants’ hopes alive, a person was completing the check in process.  As a result, the staff wanted to change the channel in order to have the security camera (which could only be oriented through the lobby TV) take the person’s picture.

I almost went ballistic, pleading with them to wait just ONE minute.  Happily, the Giants scored on a touchdown pass from Manning to Burress in the corner of the end zone.  And I jumped around with my arms up in the touchdown signal and pumping my fists in excitement!  The staff just stood around amused and bewildered.  Quickly, the manager switched the channel, took a the gentleman’s picture, and returned to the channel just in time for me to see the extra point.  Another crisis averted!  First a power outage, and then the check in process!

When the game finally ended, I was on cloud 9.   I had to call home and talk to my family to share in the excitement.

I sure am glad I watched that Super Bowl.  Maybe I’ll have to go back to India the next time the Giants make it all the way - after all, the Roberg family is a very superstitious bunch of Giants fans. 

Filed under: India, Travel