It's A Deal

February 5, 2008

The Giants And M&A

Sheer agony.

That was the commute into lower Manhattan this morning for this rabid Philadelphia Eagles fan. Ecstatic Giants fans at every turn, eager to celebrate their team’s unlikely win in the Super Bowl. I didn’t take my eyes off the pavement walking through the masses, and cranked up the iPod as loud as it would go, but there was no getting rid of them, even two-and-a-half hours before the fesitivities began.

I’ll be safe in my office, I thought. Plenty of work to keep my mind off the parade, and surely the noise won’t hit me 26 floors above.

I should have had a plan B.

So, resigned to the fact that Feb. 5, 2008 wasn’t going to be my day, I tried to look for some positives, and actually found a few. For starters, there was a rare hint of civility on the PATH train (though I suspect if I were wearing my Westbrook jersey it would have evaporated). Having a heel dug into your foot or an elbow bounce off your head is more bearable when it’s followed by, “Sorry about that.”

More importantly, there were fathers and sons, and fathers and daughters, and whole families, hanging out together. I’ve been told by my wife on numerous occasions – OK, just about every weekend – that it’s “just sports.” But it’s more than that at times like this; it’s bonding with the family, rare quality time. (Feel free to use that line in the future. It should buy you at least a year of unencumbered sports watching.)

The Giants’ win over the Patriots may even be good for stocks, if you buy into the old adage about the market’s performance after wins by original NFL teams. And if daily commuters can be nice to each other, if only for a day, can’t Microsoft and Yahoo come to some sort of agreement?

Indeed, as many write off the chances for an M&A resurgence this year, remember this: The Giants looked putrid to start the season, played a horrible game against the Vikings late in the year, and in fact came close to missing the playoffs altogether. Now look at them. No reason why deal-making can’t bounce back later this year, too.

And it wouldn’t hurt as much.