Giants Get NY Pizzas Flown To Indianapolis For Good Luck

The New York Giants had 16 New York pizza pies flown to Indianapolis so the superstitious players wouldn't jinx their tradition of downing the Italian treat every Friday after practice.

Players personally asked that the pies— from Umberto's in New Hyde Park, Long Island— be delivered because some of them thought that there was a chance they could break their five-game winning streak leading into the Super Bowl if they didn't get their weekly dose of the cheesy snack.

After a 700-mile trip that began with a early morning escort by the Nassau County Police Department to LaGuardia Airport; the pizzas arrived safely in Indy and made it to the Giants dining tables after the Friday afternoon practice.

Defensive end Justin Tuck and guard David Diehl called in the order last weekend said the restaurant's manager Gaetano Corteo.

"They were gone in less than ten minutes," said Corteo.  "They destroyed all of the pies.  There was nothing left."

Corteo and his staff personally handed out the slices to the Giants players inside the temporary practice facilities at the University of Indiana.  Maybe he should have brought more than Kobayashi could down in 10 minutes by himself

"If there had been ten more pies, they would have destroyed those too," said one of the pizza servers.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning said the pizza was "excellent."

No cold pizza for the G-Men either.

The pies— which lifted off from New York with helicopters hovering above and a police escort fit for a king— were packed in heat-retaining bags, searched by security and whisked onto a waiting Delta MD-88 jet with a flight crew adorned in Giants jerseys.

All the TSA agents reportedly found were four kinds of pizzas with light tomato sauces, mozzarella and home-made sausage on oven-baked thin crusts.

"It's all about consistency," said Corteo.  "They come in the locker room every Friday and know the pies are there.  It's part of their everyday lives, and it's such an honor for me and my family back home— it's awesome."

Everyone knows nothing beats New York pizza (except New Jersey) and it sounds like Big Blue didn't mind going the extra miles for their lucky snack.

Since it took more than 30 minutes for the delivery, I guess the pies were free.