In the struggle for supremacy, curses are exchanged, aspersions cast. These two great American cities cannot avoid one another, and they are on a collision course once again in the Super Bowl.

Sunday’s big game between the New York Giants (who really play in New Jersey) and the New England Patriots (home town: Foxborough, Massachusetts) is stirring passions across trading floors, bars and chatrooms throughout the U.S. Northeast, a proxy for greater battles over commerce, academia, cultural achievement and clam chowder.

“Half this firm has roots in Boston, the CEO is a Bostonian,” said Peter Kenny, managing director of the Knight Capital brokerage in Jersey City, New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan.

What? Blasphemy! How could that be?

Well, think about it: Back in the late 1970s, the Giants were simply bad. There was The Fumble in 1978, perhaps the one event that spawned all of this. A refresher for non-Giants fans:

On Nov. 19, 1978, the Giants led the Philadelphia Eagles, 17-12, and had the ball with seconds remaining. Rather than take a knee, quarterback Joe Pisarcik muffed a hand-off to Larry Csonka. Eagles cornerback Herman Edwards scooped up the fumble, ran 26 yards for a game-winning touchdown and crystallized the utter frustration the Giants had endured for more than a decade.

Long story short, that loss led to the eventual revamping of the Giants organization. A guy named George Young took over as GM, and hired a former Patriots assistant coach, Ray Perkins, as the Giants head coach. Perkins eventually hired a young assistant named Bill Belichick and another named Bill Parcells.

Jackpot. Then Parcells became the head coach when Perkins left to be Bear Bryant’s successor at his alma mater, Alabama. Belichick became the Giants defensive coordinator, and in three years – one year after the Patriots had gotten blown out by the Super Bowl Shuffle Bears – the Giants won it all. Four years later, they did it again, and Parcells’ status as a revered coach was cemented.

Belichick left to become the head coach at Cleveland after that 1990 season, and Parcells, fighting heart woes, stepped down. Two years later, the floundering Patriots hired him as their coach, then-owner James Orthwein choosing him over Buddy Ryan.

There you go. There’s the major link. Why? Because, frankly, it was Parcells, not Belichick, who fundamentally changed the culture of the Patriots, based on his success with the Giants. Since Parcells took over before the 1993 season, the Patriots have had only three losing seasons. He brought in some of the mainstays of the Patriots’ Super Bowl success that began 10 years ago.

Belichick’s years with the Giants spawned his coaching success, or at least put him on the map. He learned from his mistakes in Cleveland, did more time as a Parcells assistant, and then the rest is, well, history.

“Certainly those 10 years with Parcells in New York, as well as New England and New York (Jets) again,” Belichick said. “He was a huge influence as well. He reinforced a lot of things as well.”

We’re sure you’ll hear about it often over the next couple of weeks, but let us remind you that the Giants and Patriots did meet this season up in Foxborough. New England was a six-point favourite in that one before being upset 24-20 by the visiting G-men. The game stayed under the posted total of 52.

The coaching staff was shaken up with offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer being replaced by former Dolphins coach Tony Sparano and a few assistants saying they won’t be back.

The latest controversy involves the shaky status of Sanchez.

Some of his teammates say he lacks the work ethic and leadership skills to lead the Jets to the Super Bowl.

The Daily News quoted one player as saying Sanchez was “lazy and content.” Another player suggested the Jets should do all they can to try to bring in Colts quarterback Peyton Manning if he’s healthy, because Sanchez isn’t improving.

Center Nick Mangold defended Sanchez on Twitter and on radio, saying he “very much so, 100 percent” believes in Sanchez.

Retired Jets right tackle Damien Woody, an analyst for ESPN, said he thinks the team “does baby” Sanchez.