ONEONTA _ Christian Yakalis sports a New York Giants tattoo on his right forearm -- a legacy of Big Blue's unlikely march through the playoffs to win the 2008 Super Bowl.
And when the Giants face the New England Patriots in a rematch of Super Bowl XLII this Sunday, Yakalis, 41, will be at Legends Bar & Grill, the cook and bartender said Thursday.
"We're going to have a big old party going on," Yakalis said.
Having two teams from the Northeast, both with huge followings, battling in Super Bowl XLVI will make this year's big game extra special, according to Yakalis and several patrons at Legends.
"We're expecting a huge crowd. We'll probably have quite a few New England fans in here," Yakalis said. "Tom Brady. You either love him or hate him."
The playoffs have so far been wildly entertaining, and the crowds at the sports bar have been thick, he said.
"There's been a lot of good games this year," he said.
Yakalis said he has been a Giants fan since 1984 -- the days of Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor.
"It's kind of a different team these days," Yakalis said.
Those '80s-era Giants were known for a great defense, while today's team has a potent offense, he said.
Ben Fink, who was socializing with friends at Legends, said he is a San Francisco 49ers fan.
The Giants beat the 49ers, 20-17, with an overtime field goal to earn a spot in the Super Bowl.
For that reason, Fink, 23, explained, he will be rooting for the Patriots this Sunday.
Fink, a member of the West Laurens Fire Department, said he will be watching the Super Bowl at the West Oneonta Fire Department, which has a tradition of serving up food for the big game.
"Go Giants!" was the response of Legends bartender Jeanie Corna, 45, of Oneonta.
Corna said she is a Giants fan because that's her boyfriend's team.
"My boyfriend just loves football, so it just rubs off on me," Corna said.
Yakalis said it will be a big day for a lot of people, no matter where they watch the game.
As for his prediction, he said he expects a close 3-point game, with whoever has the ball last winning.
"Hopefully, that will be the Giants," he said.
Local News
Legends predicts big crowds for Super Bowl
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