New York celebrates Super Bowl Champion Giants

NEW YORK, Feb. 7 (UPI) -- New Yorkers feted and confetti-ed the Super Bowl champion New York Giants Tuesday with a parade and the keys to the city.

Thousands of fans lined the streets of Manhattan to congratulate the Giants, who came from behind in the fourth quarter to beat the New England Patriots, 21-17 Sunday in Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis, and claimed the team's second NFL championship ring in four years.

Weather conditions were perfect for a parade -- clear skies and a temperature around 50 degrees, the New York Post reported. The only rain was confetti from office building windows.

Wide receivers Hakeem Nicks, Victor Cruz and Mario Manningham were aboard the first float.

Running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw showed off their second Super Bowl Rings.

Giants players played toss with the crowd, returning footballs thrown to them by autograph-seekers. They also signed T-shirts and other items and worked to get them back to their rightful owners, the Post said.

Chants of "M-V-P" filled the air as the float with quarterback Eli Manning and his MVP hardware, defensive lineman Justin Tuck and coach Tom Coughlin passed.

Before the Giants received the keys to the city at City Hall, the cast of "Rock of Ages" sang Journey's "Don't Stop Believin.'"

Mayor Michael Bloomberg declared the city the Big Blue Apple before distributing the keys.

"Only can this happen in New York," Coughlin said, thanking the fans for making the players feel welcomed. "This is the greatest city in the world."

Coughlin said he spoke with President Obama, who praised the team for its mental toughness and its resiliency and said "to remember that all things are possible for those who believe."

Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch thanked the city and its citizens for an "incredible" parade.

Tish suggested, "we should do this every Tuesday."