The man behind New York Giants' black suit and tie combination on their flight to Phoenix for Super Bowl XLII was Bermuda's very own Antonio Pierce (left).

It is believed the thinking behind the 'look' was to represent the fact the Giants were on a business trip to pick up the Lombardi Trophy and take it back to the Big Apple.

"You have to wear a suit anyway, so we all decided it would be great for team unity," Pierce told the media yesterday, adding that at least 38 players on the Giants' 53-man roster followed through on the idea. "We had a couple of guys who didn't get the memo, but these things happen.

"We're not here to hand the (Lombardi) Trophy to anybody. Hopefully, we'll take that trophy back to New York and put up a good fight and good game for all the NFL and everybody to see."

According to a report on the ESPN website, Giants defense end Michael Stahan added: "Antonio has all the intangibles you want in a leader. I might be the guy who's making the locker room speeches and yelling on the sidelines, but he's the one who people really listen to when he speaks.

"He has a calming effect on this defense when he's on the field. I always feel more comfortable knowing he's out there."