Super Bowl Champs Greet Fans in Moorestown

South Jersey Eagles fans may bleed green, but it was a sea of Big Blue that took over the Moorestown Mall Saturday afternoon.

Hundreds of fans turned out to greet two New York Giants wide receivers, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks. The Super Bowl-winning players signed autographs for fans at the mall’s store.

Fans lined up hours in advance of the 1 p.m. event. First in line was Burlington’s Deleon family. Dad David brought sons Dazani, 11, and Devian, 9—all lifelong Giants fans who traveled to New York City last month for the parade, just as they did in 2004.

“We’ve been fans since birth. It’s in our genes,” David Deleon said. Despite living in Eagles territory, the family has found kindred spirits to watch games with. “You find out who’s who and you just sort of migrate together during the season.” 

As BC Sports played highlights from the Giants’ season—including the pivotal Super Bowl moment when Manningham caught a long reception at the end of the fourth quarter to keep the Giants’ hopes alive—fans reminisced about the year.

“It definitely was too close for comfort,” Mike Karafin said of watching the Super Bowl.

But when it became clear the Giants would win, Karafin and his extended family, all Giants fans except for two Eagles holdouts, were jumping up and down and screaming, wife Evett said.

“I was crying,” she confessed.

She held it together when it came time to greet Nicks and Manningham though. But Devian Deleon had a bit more trouble. His mouth agape as he moved closer to the autograph table, he kept whispering, “I don’t know what to say.”

The players let their autographs do the talking as they signed posters, helmets and other memorabilia.

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