I noticed that Green Bay's head coach refused to give the Giants any credit during his press conference after the game. He basically made it sound like they lost it, rather than that we won it. Dropped passes, missed tackles, blah blah blah. Aren't there missed tackles in every game? Aren't there dropped balls regularly? Doesn't it rain sometimes? It's part of the game. Your team is not some made-up All Madden team that doesn't have the propensity to make mistakes.

I understand that he may be "shocked" or have his feelings hurt, but to me that is how a big baby would react.

I mean, did they really believe that they were invincible? Really? That's why we actually play the games, rather than just compare numbers and see whose are better.

Even Rodgers didn't say the better team won; he said that the team that played better won. OK, well at least he admitted that we played better. He was just mad that someone stole his move.

And which team doesn't have the goal of winning the Super Bowl? Like Green bay is some kind of special team or something. Give me a break; it's everyone's goal to go the Super Bowl.

Regardless, what respect I might've had for the Green Bay outfit is gone. That coach has lost my respect, and as long as they support a big baby like that, they've lost my respect as well.

Not that it means anything.

First of all, if you don't already know, I am a Giants fan. I have been for a long time, and will always be. I always want  the best for these guys, and I always want to see them win; I try to stay upbeat about the team, and wish the best for them, no matter what. having said that, though, I didn't come away with such a positive feeling after this loss.

"You always see the negative and it piles on after a loss" you say, and you might be right. I did see a glimmer of hope in places; however, I just didn't see enough good to offset the ugly.

We knew starting out that we were going to have an uphill battle with the losses we've had on defense, and it showed today. I would argue, though, that we didn't do well in the "Defense 101" area of tackling. We just didn't get consistent pressure on Grossman; I will give the defense a break on one facet of this, as our offense didn't stay on the field long enough to give our defense a breather. Then, when the defense did produce a gift for us, we did absolutely nothing with the opportunity.

The offense showed a few sparks, but really it was a continuation of the preseason - decent stats with few scores. Our running game was decent, but our passing game was below par. It is glaringly obvious that we haven't thought out aptly replacing the lost Smiths and Bosses; and Eli didn't help much with some of the passes he made(yes, we had a long play here or there, but I'm talking about the big picture here, not the small vignettes). When it counted on short yardage, again, we were completely predictable. Our offensive line didn't do terribly, but when we really needed them to hold the tide back, it just didn't happen. I'm not so sure that they're as good as we thought they were.

I saw some good things on special teams, and some horrible things, too. I'm not even going into details. You saw it.

Yes, I know it's Week 1, but I can't help but wonder exactly what we have with our team. I do know that, if we continue down this path, we can forget the playoffs. Maybe their will to win was greater than ours, and I'm not saying that it was - I'm just wondering. 

After this game, I have many more questions than answers, so I guess either way, we have a lot of work to do.

GO GIANTS and to (#_%()_$@ with the rest!

Man I knew this was coming, or really thought it was and here it is.

That honey-do list is growing here as the wife knows full well I may not be busy on certain Sundays when I usually am busy consuming high-caloric, high fat foods and certain beverages. Crap.

I guess I'd like to see what many of you are planning on doing in this 'down time'. Maybe a thought or two on whether or not you think we'll even have a season. Or part of a season? Who knows, but looks as if we will have plenty of time to talk about these things.

http://www.weei.com/sports/boston/this-just-in/2186216/nfl-locks-out-players

Ha, thought I'd grab a few looks with that headline.

Our record is nothing to be embarrassed about at all, and it's not a mediocre record by my account, but what really bothers me is how we just "let go" near the end of the season. We keep coming back to "if" or "what could be", and tend not to focus on what is.

Here are a few things that I've been thinking about as our season has drawn to an end:

Keep the DC. Yes, I know we've had some collapses on the defense recently, but my thinking is this - in the second half of games, obviously, the players are more tired. Couple that with the fact that our offense has had a cluster of "3 and out"s, and that just leaves our defense hanging out to dry. It also is not conducive to one of the Giants' tenets of the past - Eating up the clock. 

Forget this "Victory Formation" playcalling. It's what I call it, and it may not be properly named, but it's what I call it anyhow. This ties in quite well with the previous point. We even did this today against the Skins: We get a lead, and instead of playing to win, we play not to lose. The defense stops doing what it has done for 2 or 3 quarters, so we get very little pressure; meanwhile, the offense goes into this "run left, run right, run up the middle, punt " crap, also known as the "1,2,3 and punt" mindset. I have argued for years that our OC needs a job elsewhere, and my opinion on this has yet to waiver. Being predictable is not a good trait for the OC to possess. Yards are wonderful, but scoring is more important - and we can't ever put our foot on anyone's throat and finish the deal if we continue this playing not to lose.

Eli needs some leg conditioning, among other things. He runs like he has brickbats for feet, and he needs some strength and conditioning. I bet when he took off with the ball against the Skins today, you were thinking the same thing I was: Get the first down and GET DOWN! He still apparently hasn't learned, Man, he is slow.

Our OL needs several significant upgrades. Obviously, we all have our ideas about this point, and I will retain my thoughts about the exact thoughts on this until we discuss it in depth, but it is time for us to replace some guys.

TC probably should stay. Wow I know I just started a war with this statement, but really with the uncertainty with the CBA, I'm not so sure it would be the best idea to part ways just yet. I can understand reasons for keeping him and reasons for letting him go, but my gut says "keep him".

ST Coach has to go. This has been a black eye for us, and for many reasons. It's time for him to fall on the sword, regardless. Not rocket science here.

The bleeding with the turnovers has to cease. Now I know there are several schools of thought as to why we have this issue, but all of the ideas meet at this crossroads in the end - they simply must cease so that we can at least  have a chance. Bench someone. Curse 'em out. Hurt their pride. Do what needs to be done to kill the turnovers.

While overall I'm not happy with our demise, the record isn't so bad and I'm only embarrassed that we let the end of the season go. Ultimately I think this is a good thing, however: it will force us to look in the mirror and take stock of exactly where we are rather than where we want to be.

For the record, though, never am I, nor would I, be ashamed to be a Giants' fan. I'd rather lose 20 games as a Giant fan than win 20 as a Cowboy fan. 

This is something I was working with on Saturday and didn't get to finish....

Fear is described as an emotional response to a perceived threat.
Confidence is a state of being certain either that a hypothesis or prediction is correct or that a chosen course of action is the best or most effective.

Both of these things have a major tie to feelings.

I've seen a lot of confidence with regard to the Bears, and any fan, I'm sure, could give me any number of logical reasons as to why the Bears should, could, or will win this game; conversely, any number of fans could give me any number of logical reasons as to why the Giants should, could, or will win this game.

And yet, none of those means anything when the playclock starts on Sunday night. It's why we play the game. Otherwise, as one poster stated, we could just "mail it in" rather than showing up.

Minus any of the press, any football minded person (with any current NFL pulse) should be surprised to see the 49ers going through the turmoil that they've encountered so far; that same person should also be surprised to see Kansas City doing as well as they have so far. And most would surmise that on paper, Dallas has quite a roster, and yet, they have very little to show for it. And anyone that comes along and says "Yeah I expected that", well, I would keep my distance from them, just in case lightning were to strike them dead for lying. Maybe you're happy that those things are happening, but to say that you "saw them coming" would alert me that you might just have a propensity to stretch the truth a bit, or maybe you think a little too much of yourself.

Yes, the Giants have struggled with so many issues that it would take multiple single-spaced pages just to list them. And yes, the Bears have performed quite admirably to this point. We can measure those things because they have already happened.

What we don't know is the future, and while we can speculate, the one positive thing I take from this is that no one knows if the Bears will be complacent. No one knows if the Giants are pissed off, or even, how much they're pissed off. No one knows how much the Giants fear losing this game. No one knows just what the Bears or the Giants are assuming as they step onto the field. Those two things, fear and confidence - or a lack of them - can make for some crazy outcomes.

Truth is, every game is a great shot for both teams. Since neither confidence nor fear can be measured, there really is no way to know what will happen Sunday night. But that, my friends, will not stop myself and countless other fans from cheering on our Giants Sunday night. Every game is an opportunity to turn it around or to let it down. Let's hope we turn it around.

A few days ago, my son and I (friggin' teenagers grrr) were going back and forth about which Giant player embodies most the spirit of what Giants football is all about. As you might have gathered, we couldn't agree on one specific player, but it is still an interesting question. We're not necessarily talking about the BEST Giants player, we're trying to find out who best epitomized/epitomizes the spirit of Giants football in your opinion. Then, if you feel led, let us know several keywords that define the spirit of our storied franchise.

I'm interested in hearing what the problem is, from any of you, with the 3-4 defense. I am not necessarily interested in going to the 3-4, but it wouldn't bother me either. I would bet that they're probably looking for the best guy for the job within the 4-3, but I could be wrong. If they're looking for the best guy period, then we could be getting ready for a change in defensive style. The good thing regarding the terrible defense we had: If we get someone from the outside, he won't have any connections to any of the players. That, my friends, is a good thing all the way around.

I know it's just speculation at this point, but what could we do to strengthen the 3-4 (from within) if we went to it? I think Sintim and Kiwi played in a 3-4, but not sure about any others or where we would put them.

Just wondering about your $.02.

This season has been a true test of hope for all of us as Giants fans. There's just no arguing about it, this season has been a ride worthy of being placed at Coney Island, King's Island, or Six Flags. Take your pick - It has been a roller coaster ride for its duration.

Testing one's faith in something is almost always a stressful, mind-numbing, mentally draining event. And this Giants season has been just that for me. One week we have a performance against the Redskins that is nearly flawless, and the next week we have an awful performance against the Panthers,  worthy of no laud whatsoever. 

I just can't figure out which team we are (I have my suspicions), but I do know this: The defense overall has been horrible, and whether the culprit is players slacking off, players getting old, or poor coaching, we have to address the defense in some manner. Some will say it's injuries that have done us in, and others will say it's poor coaching; what's scary to me is that it could be both, but I'm just not sure. I do, however, know this: What I saw today from the Giants' defense was ridiculous.  A tenet of any defense is tackling, and obviously the defense never received the fax on that. We probably broke a record today on allowing 3rd down conversions.

The offense has struggled from time to time this season (and I know we had injuries today), so we need to address some things there, too. We could discuss who needs to go and who needs to stay, but I doubt any of us would agree on anything. I know that I haven't personally been impressed by Jacobs this season. Why is that? Is the line not performing as well as in the past? Does Jacobs run with more indecision than in the past? Who knows, it could be both. But to me, he's been OK at best, whatever the cause.

Now, has the offense not being able to sustain drives helped to further weaken an already weak defense? You bet. So there's another "theory"....

Right now, I have mostly questions and few answers, but I know that change is in the air. And though my faith has been tested week in and week out, I will still watch this next game with my son, pulling for the Giants as I always have. Somehow, I still hope that they win, regardless of how dreary  this season has become.

And then there's always the future...

The Cincinatti player passed on this morning. So young. Apparently he had some trouble early on, and the team never gave up on him and basically gave him a second chance. This would've made such a great story and now it's been cut short.I don't know all the details but just heard the news on ESPNs morning show. I think he was 26 years old.

I'll be praying for his family and the others left behind.

Where was our defense that played with a zealous fire only a week ago? Where was our defense that once swarmed to the ball to make a stop on a screen pass?

We did miss several opportunities. Eli's and Brandon's fumbles were boneheaded mistakes, and we suffered because of them. But I can't recall when our defense EVER stopped the Eagles, with the exception of the interception. I mean, the Eagles really stopped themselves: McNabb threw a couple of bad passes to wide open guys on a few third downs, and they weren't completed for  first downs, but those weren't really  wins  by our defense. You say "Well I'll take a stop any way I can get it!" Well good for you - to me the defense outrightly SUCKED and I'd wager that the Valdosta High School Wildcats offense could score against the Giants' defense. I'm offended to even call it a defense at this point. 

I surely hope the defense that played the Cowboys shows up again, and really soon. Or else it's back to the drawing board.

Well, I concede that we NEED to win this game. I won't say it's a "must win", but it's a very important game.

First let's look at these scenarios:

Oakland beating Philly, Oakland beating Pittsburgh, Green Bay losing to Tampa Bay, Arizona losing to Carolina, and Kansas City beating both Washington and Pittsburgh all lead me to believe this (and there are more examples) -
When all of the factors have been figured in, we have a good chance of taking the Eagles. If there's anything that has been stable and consistent, it has been inconsistency. With that inconsistency, we just don't know what will happen to other teams fighting against us for a playoff spot. We need to win mostly because we don't just want to leave our playoff entry/exit up to the wind. A little more control would be nice.

You say "Yeah, but Pittsburgh is having a time with injuries," or "Yeah, but Oakland is bound to beat someone," or "Yeah, but Kansas City is a better team than their record shows" - to all of that, I say "True!"

However, there are so many immeasurable things that happen, such as injuries, team chemistry, and the like. Injuries can be measured but their impact can't be, at least right off the bat. We can speculate about injuries, I did when we lost AP - I thought he was playing slow (and hated it) and that I would not miss, but I thought his knowledge on the field would be sorely missed. Looks as if that's not necessarily true. Truth is, there are so many factors outside of the numbers that can determine the game. For instance, what if Philly doesn't "show up" as they say? What if we DO show up? I know that McNabb, like Eli, has been stove-hot in one game and freezer-cold in the next.

That's why we play the games. Not many talking heads made it known that they believed we would beat the Cowboys. And I think we have one of those non-measurable things going on, and I believe in it : M-O-M-E-N-T-U-M. You say "Momentum?! We can't string together two wins!"

I think more happened to our team during this last  win than has happened all season. For the first time, Giants fans everywhere had at least a little more confidence that the defense might actually make some stops. The offense made enough plays, and we didn't always settle for field goals. Our special teams got a score. This is the kind of togetherness we have not seen until this past Sunday.

Last Sunday, we actually played with fire, we played with zeal, and we made plays when plays had to be made. If we continue with that type of play, we can beat anyone. And there's ultimately only one way to measure THAT - with another check mark in the WIN column. 

Bring your wing clippers to this one, guys. It's time to ground a few birds and get some revenge.

The player I trust the least was the most trustworthy tonight. Tynes did what he was supposed to do, even kicked off into the endzone for once and we couldn't even cover that one reasonably. Maybe it was because we're not used to him kicking it that deep.

Notes for the defense:

Tackling is important, and we didn't do it. Being in the correct position defensively is important; again, we didn't do it. Getting pressure on and through the opposing offense is important, and we didn't do it. Challenging the opposing offense is important, and we didn't do it. Yes we had a number of good plays, a small number. Good job on those. To me, the stupid penalties offset these. Personally, I was embarrassed as we couldn't even stop their token runs at the end of the first half when they were just trying to run out the clock. They ran when they wanted to and passed when they wanted to with success. Really the only thing that stopped them was themselves. Sad to say.

Notes for the offense:

Scoring TDs instead of field goals is important, and we didn't do it. FYI, penalties against you make your team go backwards. Running the ball was once a staple of our team. We didn't (or couldn't) do it. Holding on to the ball is important, and we didn't do it. FYI, having a sustained drive is not only important in helping us demoralize the opposing defense, but it also gives our defense a rest. I'm not sure of the numbers, but I'll bet our defense was on the field more than the offense in the first half alone.

What DID we do? Not hard to figure out that we just didn't do much at all tonight.

At least I am thankful today. Thankful that this game is over.

Problem is, I'm feeling more and more like this defense is, too.

Trust me, I'd rather be proven wrong.

We all know what a difference 4 weeks make. The roller coaster that has been our season can turn out to be a fun ride afterall, though. Here's why:

I never would've though that Carolina would edge out Atlanta today; I never would've thought Tennessee would CRUSH Buffalo today; I never would've thought St. Louis would give New Orleans the run that they did today; I never would've imagined that Washington would beat Denver; and I surely wouldn't have given Cincinatti the nod over Pittsburgh.

My thinking may be skewed in all of these situations, I'll give you that. Maybe I am not the NFL-cyphering guru  that many here are.

And yet, these unthinkable things, however mighty or small, have happened.

There's hope for us yet. Now let's get healthy and play to win instead of playing not to lose.

First time I've seen THIS. I believe it could compete with...well, I will have to plead the 5th, other than to say: Dayum lol...take a gander and let me know what you think. At least this will provide a break during the bye.

We oughta make some kind of calendar, and if you think about it, have all the chicks wearing NYG blue, and it would be so easy to name it - "The Big Blue View"

wow

The play calling was a little better. The running game was OK. The passing game was better than it's been in
weeks (as far as taking what they gave us). The defense played better, in my opinion, than in recent games.
So what happened?

I think this week's breakdown was a result of a weaker-than-recognized offense. Here's why:

You can't give me any reasonable excuse, try as you might, that we should kick a field goal when we start
out with a 1st-and-10 inside the 5 yard line. There's just no excuse, no excuse. The defense, which has been
made fun, has been critiqued, and has been re-critiqued, stepped up and secured an important turnover. The
opportunity for the offense to capitalize was there like a Christmas gift just waiting to be opened. I'll be
damned if we just took the gift and put it back under the tree. Who in the hell does that? We do, apparently.

People might blame this loss on the defense, and many will focus on the defense because the press has done so
recently. The game ended with a defensive breakdown, so that's the impression that stays in peoples' minds.
Some of the aforementioned criticisms are deserved, but there was one point in the game where the announcers
were discussing that the Giants' possession time was twice that of the Chargers', and we had nothing to show
for it. Why? It's because we POSSESS the ball while scoring NOTHING or scoring VERY LITTLE. Mere possessions
are good sometimes, but not if they happen drive after drive after drive.

The offense can move the ball, they just can't move it once they get inside the 15 - at least on a consistent
level. You say "But the Giants scored two touchdowns!" True. So what? I've noted on several occasions that
we just don't sustain scoring drives regularly enough. And I still maintain that position. Bad play from the
defense has masked the offensive problems that we've had for weeks.

We have so little confidence in our offense that we can't get a TD with a 1st-and-10 inside the 5. To me,
that is just not acceptable. "Well, we had penalties" you say. Yes, we did. It doesn't make it any more
acceptable, does it?

To me, that field goal was more demoralizing than having the TD scored on us at the end. It was a POSSESSION
that meant nothing for us. Scoring a TD would have put it out of reach for the Chargers.

I'm not saying that the defense played with "Steel Curtain"-esque play . In fact, they couldn't be further from that. What I am saying is this: We have to take advantage of the opportunities that our defense DOES give us. People have knocked the defense for weeks, myself included, but they produced turnovers for us today and our offense
didn't get it done. When in the position to be "hero" today, we asked the offense to step up, and they didn't.

We kicked a freakin' field goal. This one took some wind out of the sails for sure. This game will be marked as a "defensive letdown" but the offense sucked when we needed them to step up.

Here's what can bolster success for us in the upcoming games:

We have to be less predictable on play calling. Pass on first down sometimes, and I don't mean going for a bomb. Try the intermediate routes from time to time, or better yet, take what they're giving. Let me ask you this: If we try a run on first down and get 6 yards, then what do you think we might call for 2nd and 4? Point is, let's get them to backpeddle, unsure of whether we will pass it or run it in that situation. We can use the short-medium passes to back the defense up a bit, and then run. Or we can run, run, and run more, and then pass when everyone's playing too closely. Either way, we can't be predictable with this chess match. If we can do these things, our offense should be able to sustain long drives, thus giving the defense time to rest and prepare for their next series.

We have to win the turnover battle. The bottom line here is, we can't afford a turnover PERIOD. This will require Eli to make the best decision, as far as pass distribution. It will also require Eli to put the gun back into the holster and back down from the gunslinger mentality. Running backs must protect the ball at all times. If we win this battle, we have a great chance of getting the win.

We have to catch the passes we're supposed to catch, whether we are challenged or not. Wide receivers, you'll have to get open often and early. You'll have to catch passes that hit your hands; you may have to dive for a catch every now and then. You may have to extend for a catch with the knowledge that you may get your block knocked off.  And you surely have to catch them if you're wide open. Fight to get open and stay on your routes. Look at some Kevin Boss footage if you're still unsure about what I'm saying.

Special Teams have to tighten up. We absolutely cannot punt bricks, let returners run freely,  or be timid about returning kicks or punts. Get out there and make the play, and get off of the field. Quit giving the opposing team so much of a field advantage.

Stupid penalties are unacceptable. When it's 3rd and 4, could we please have at least one series where we DON'T get a false start? Quit letting other teams get into your heads, and move when the ball is snapped. Watch the holding and pass interference, but don't be afraid to coldcock someone if you have to.

The defense has to have a stop once in a while.  I know the offense has been sucking lately, and I know the've put you in some tough positions recently, and I know your backfield has sucked worse than a child on a lolipop, and I know that the offense has been putting you back on the field repeatedly, but you have to keep your heads up and do whatever it takes to make Rivers antsy. Hit him often and hit him hard. Force him to make mistakes. Speaking of mistakes, we absolutely have to catch passes that hit our hands. Those are called interceptions, and we need as many of them as we can get. Do what you have to do to get into Rivers' face and cause him pain. Because you have "Can't Cover" out there, it makes it that much more important that you be in their backfield before Rivers can take his 3rd step. AP, this might also cause you to tighten your coverage at times. You will have to lead by example, and the others will follow you; however, that doesn't mean that hanging all on a running back before the ball gets there is acceptable.  If we win the battle on the defensive line, we have a great chance of securing a victory. Just get mean, get pumped up, and run them over.

Focus. Put the newspapers down. Whatever your responsibility, play your "A Game" and let everything else go. Play as if your future depended on it. You never know, it just might.

     Hey guys and girls. My job has taken me many places and I've been around some, but I think I'm back for a while - ready to share some stuff whether you like it or not!

     The most alarming thing to me, especially in this last game against the Cards, is how many times our defense was put back on the field because of our offense (or lack of it). This has increased some over the past couple of games, and it is tied very closely to play calling (Gilbride) and then decision-making (Manning). Also, there are those occasional fumbles, dropped passes, weak punts, or stupid penalties that really screw things up. Let's just hope that those things remain on the "occasional" side rather than the "frequent" side.
     The play calling in this last game was very predictable. It seems that there was one play that would've gotten me as an opposing DC, and I think it was a 3rd-and-2 pass play (which was unsuccessful). We have the players on offense to beat up any defense we face, but we can't decide to throw the bomb on 3rd-and-2, and surely not when we're losing. What about an intermediate route, or even a short route on that play?

     Our defense really did OK in this game, and probably would have done even better - if our offense could gain 10 yards every now and then, you know, maybe put together what we call a "drive." At least then the defense, which is already nicked up almost across-the-board, could get a few moment's rest. Long, sustained drives (which we are capable of) give the offense confidence, and at the same time, demoralize the defense. Avoiding predictable calls on 1st down would be a good start in the right direction.

     Having said all of that, I still believe that the Giants are mostly "in a funk" right now; though there have been bright spots intertwined with the dark. The past two games have been indicative of this intersection we have come to of "all things bad" - dropped interceptions, dropped passes, fumbles, bad punts, interceptions, stupid penalties, and the like. Time and training solve a lot of those things, but if we remain predictable on play calling, lose the turnover battle, and can't sustain drives, there's a better-than-good chance that we're staring a loss right in the face every time. Really it's Football 101. It's back to basics, guys. Just spice up the calls a bit.

Underdog or No Underdog?

One guy says the best the Giants will do in 2008/2009 is 8-8.

Another says that he believes the answer is maybe, but not likely, that
the Giants can extend the legacy began last season.

Still, another says that he thinks the Giants could have a record of 8-8,
but they also could go 12-4. Either way, he says, they'll finish second
in the NFC East.

Here's a quote from an aspiring sports journalist: "New York: Had an
improbable playoff run ending with a spectacular superbowl win. It wont
happen again."

What this leads me to believe is that many out there really do have
"IHAG", which is surely not a new brain condition, but it seems so
prevalent today. For many years, I thought this was some type of myth or
something. "Internalized Hatred about the Giants", or affectionately -
dubbed "IHAG", runs uncontrollably through the veins of many, and it
seems as if that condition will continue to spread with the "Big Boy"
analysts as they step up to make their claims for the upcoming season.

This is nothing new. We saw the emergence and the rise of this
condition last season as the Giants made their amazing playoff run and
went on to win the Super Bowl.

To me, though, it's an awesome thing to see "IHAG" spreading like a
wildfire! All it means is that we've done something right.

Many seem to repsect the great run that the Giants went on, but most
contend that it was a fluke. What that means to me is that we can dress
in our underdog clothing again. Sure, as Harry Carson spoke about
recently, we should beware because each team we play will be out to win
against the current Super Bowl Champ. (still sounds good huh)

I understand about championship teams stumbling after they win, and that's bound to happen to us. However, I don't think we have a fluke on our hands. We have a solid team with a solid coach, and best of all, we play as a team. Those things all bode well for an excellent future.

But to get little respect is a good motivator and allows us to work under the "us against the world" line of thinking. So, we're the Super Bowl Champs and what, we  weren't supposed to be? We weren't supposed to win against (insert team name here) ?

Isn't it so lovely to be hated?

We live in an age where the government has, for the most part, made
jaded a large number of constituents. I'm speaking of your local and
state leaders and all others involved. For every good politician that you
can name, I'll name five who weren't so good. As a matter of fact, for
every good one you can name, I can name five who were as crooked as
pecan tree limbs (they are rarely very straight in case you were
wondering). Think of it - they use cell phones and ride in limos to go to
places where they could walk in minutes - at taxpayers' expense. They fill
their gas tanks with money put there by the taxpayer. They say that they
will do 'this' or 'that' if elected; many, however, don't follow through
on their promises. Do you need any examples? LOL! It seems as if the only
thing that everyone can agree with every year is to give themselves
raises. It's not hard to realize just how we arrived at a point where
used car salesmen and politicians are thought of as one and the same.
(No offense there, any of you used car salesmen out there). As a whole,
these guys and girls can't take care of their own jobs with efficiency,
so why would they want to branch out to handle something that they know
nothing about?

I say that to preface my disdain of the government's recent involvement
with baseball and their future involvement with football. They sniffed
around baseball for quite some time before they began threatening
baseball regarding players who may or may not have used steroids. As far
as I can tell, there is no reason for the government to get involved here.
What good can come from this? These people, who can't even pronounce the
players' names correctly, or even handle their government-related jobs in
a decent capacity, are now overseeing something well beyond their limits.
It is blatantly obvious that the government is hoping that people will
view them differently, or even more accurately, just view them at all.
And this is my two cents here - but it's all about attention. Just watch
how 'serious' our government is about 'handling' steroids.

There are blips now, here and there, of the government sniffing around
football. Heck, they did it to baseball and 'no one' was overtly pissed
off at them, so why not shoot at a much larger target? The NFL is, has
been for some time, and will be a big-profit operation. Let's see in the
coming days just how excited our own government is at taking pot-shots at the
league. If it gets them on the front page, I can assure you they will do
it.

This is truly something to be concerned about, NFL fans. These people
can't manage their own offices and yet they want to have a hand in
something that was so great LONG BEFORE THEY CAME SNIFFING AROUND.

I'm not saying that the NFL doesn't have steroid issues on some level.
What I am saying, however, is that I hope that the NFL will truly fight to
keep any issues "in - house" and refuse publicly to allow "Big Bro" to
get involved. At the least, go screaming and kicking!

They intensely and zealously pursued baseball. Now I see them sniffing
around football, and it doesn't really relate to steroids necessarily. Now ,if they would only use the same intensity in seeing that gas prices are lowered, I  wouldn't be riding a freakin' scooter. Note to NFL - Keep Big Bro at a distance.

Has anyone heard anything substantial about the CBA?

I think they actually meet Tuesday to decide about things....

I think that if the owners don't like it and oust the plan, then in 2010 there would be no salary cap. At least that's what I've heard. It would be cool to find out some facts that might occur in the wake of a CBA rejection.

Pretty scary thought there with Skeletor Jones over in Dallas just emptying his pockets on anything that might even hint at giving the 'terds a chance at getting to the SB.

Just a few facts regarding receivers and the slot at which they were drafted:

Over the last 10 years, NFL teams have drafted 43 wide receivers in the first round.

TWO (yes, 2) of those 43 had 1,000-yard seasons as rookies, which is the same number of 1,000-yard seasons produced by receivers drafted after the first round.

26 of the 43 first-round receivers never, never,never have had a 1,000-yard season. Of the 17 remaining, only 8 have had a single (A SINGLE) season in which they gained 1,000 yards.

Because of the wide range of defensive styles that the NFL incorporates, it's just too difficult to predict how any wide receiver will fare in the NFL. There is a drastic defensive jump when coming from college and going to the NFL.

With that said, we need to draft a wide receiver. It's just that we don't need to worry about it in the first few rounds. While we could sit here and debate for the next year about when we should draft a wide receiver, it doesn't change the fact that it is nothing better than a crapshoot.

Go with history on this one, guys. Take a receiver or two late in the draft.

Not that it affects us directly, but Brett has hung up the cleats. I think it's odd that this comes on the heels of Randy Moss being signed by the Pats. I think he wanted Moss badly and is probably disgruntled.
I admit I am surprised. I always thought of Favre as being one of those players that they'd have to cart off of the field before he would quit.
Maybe his drive has faded. Maybe he's angry at the Packers.
Regardless, he is an NFL hero of sorts, and I will remember him as being quite the gutsy quarterback with a 'never say die' mentality - even when he was injured. Thanks for the memories, Mr. Favre.

     The season begins with no wins and two losses. Oh yeah, and we've had 80 points scored against us in two weeks.Questions swirl around the organization: Will Coughlin be brought back? What in the heck is up with this defense? Why bring Eli back for another season of getting to the playoffs, maybe, only to lose in the first round? At this point there surely are more questions than answers.

     Fast forward to the playoffs. First of all, we shouldn't be here by most accounts. We've "stumbled in" to the playoffs - the gift was ours for the taking and we allowed other teams to potentially take our Wild Card spot. We shouldn't be here.

     Let's go to Tampa. There's no way that this offense, especially because we're crippled by the absence of Shockey, can move the ball in the air against a top-rated pass defense. We won't be able to win because we used up what emotional gas we had on the last regular season game against the Pats. Three players were also injured in this "meaningless" game. To top it all off, we're playing the game in their house, so that point is yet another strike against us. And we surely can depend on the past as a model that we won't make it past this, the first round of the playoffs. We never have done it with Coughlin or Manning, so it must be an impossible task to undertake. Tiki will be on the Tampa Bay sidelines, too. And my gosh, what Tiki said about Eli's lack of leadership earlier in the year surely is the gospel truth. Is there any positive aspect about this game for the Giants? I just don't see it. How about a win? And therein, the first shock has taken place - a Giants victory. Within the circus of post-game disbelief, we see that we don't get much credit for the win. The opposing team's players would rather blow off the loss by saying that Eli just chose the easy throws and did nothing special.A few sports people notice the win, but they're already focused on the next game - round two of the playoffs - versus the Cowboys.

     Let's go to Dallas. There's no way that this rag-tag group of future "dirty players" can win in Dallas. Besides, everyone remembers that Dallas has beaten us twice in the regular season. We're playing in their house, so just as it was in Tampa, that's a strike against us before we even walk onto the field. Romo is simply unstoppable according to the medias' standards; he "torched" the Giants in their two regular season contests, so he will do just that again. Eli won his first playoff game, but that's as far as he will go. He's not the typical leader. He's too quiet, he's too reserved, and it's just difficult to fathom Eli leading any team to another post-season victory, because he always has his head down. Dallas is sending a record number of players to the Pro Bowl, and the Giants are sending only one. Not many notable sports people are giving the Giants a chance in this game, so that's another strike against us. Also, Eli is due to have a bad game, and Romo is due to have a great game. The confidence of the Cowboys and their staff is overwhelming at this point. How nice it is to play a familiar foe, especially one that you have already beaten twice! The mental edge goes to the Cowboys. There's simply no way that the Giants can win, especially if the Cowboys get Barber running well early in the game. Oh, wait a minute - the second shock has now taken place. Eli has a banner day. T.O. is in tears, making soggy the popcorn he had prepared for devouring after a Cowboy win. Crayton, who ran his mouth constantly leading up to this game, is unusually quiet now. The Cowboy's coach maintains that the better team lost. And Prince Romo, poised for perfection, closed the final game of his season with an interception. "At least we had a chance to score the go-ahead touchdown", they think," instead of fumbling the field goal snap." A few more sports people notice this win, but again, most have already focused on round 3 of the playoffs versus the nearly unstoppable-at-home Packers.

     Now let's go to Green Bay. Man, put on the gloves and sleeves for this one. We can't win this game mainly because it's too cold. History says that since we are playing at Green Bay, and because it is below freezing, we are at a terrible disadvantage. The Packers "dusted" the Giants earlier in the season, so once again, the chance is great for that to happen. There's no way that this dirty defense could cover the Packer's receivers. History always repeats itsself. Brett Favre is such a wylie veteran who has been in this situation before. The crowd noise at Lambeau is, alone, a strike against us. Eli's been good for the past two weeks but everyone knows that is bound to change. We've watched Eli for years and he probably had a lucky two-week run. OK, so he's won two playoff games now. He won't win his third; he's not Payton Manning, you know. And in walks the third shock. This one is the shock-of-shocks. Favre, that same seasoned, wylie veteran, has thrown an interception that seals the Packer's unlikely loss. The Packers have lost? Eli is as consistent as ever, throwing the ball as if he has no idea that the temperature is slightly under 0 degrees. One or two more people notice this win and decide to jump on the bandwagon that has recently formed; surely, however, the streak has to come to a complete dead end in two weeks versus the Patriots.

     Time to head to Arizona for the Game of Games. Funny how many of the "in the know" sports people pick the Giants early on, only to recant prior to the Big Game. You know, the Giants should have lost the game two weeks ago. Heck, it took them three field goal attempts, and one of those in overtime, just to win the game. The Patriots may be taping/videoing all our practices (just kidding there, Patriots fans). The Giants are wishing that this game was being played a week earlier, because now the Giants will find it difficult to continue the week-by-week momentum that they had accrued since round one of the playoffs. The opponent has set all kinds of scoring records. This team is undefeated, and once again, we have history to guide us. The Pats beat us in our last regular season game; we let the lead go in that game, so that means that our defense can be beaten. The head coach is a well-known guru. He's like the "Yoda" of the professional football world. The opponent's quarterback is due for a great game, as he didn't play so well in their previous playoff game. There's no way that the Giants defense can get to the quarterback because they didn't do too well at it in the previous matchup. The Patriots missed so many "big scoring opportunities" in our previous contest. They are much older on defense, but that's really a plus for them because it means they have more experience. They have more players going to the Pro Bowl. The weather will be perfect for football, which will allow the Patriots to capitalize on the Giants' dinged-up secondary in the passing game. They haven't lost one single game; we've lost six. It's been forever since they've lost a game. They have too many offensive weapons, so there's no way that they could all be covered consistently. They've already won a few Super Bowls recently. The last Super Bowl that we went to, well, wasn't so good for us. Even after three unlikely playoff wins, Eli is still quiet. Plaxico says that the Patriots will only score seventeen points in a loss, a stupid comment directed at a team responsible for NFL scoring records. Vegas says that we're two score underdogs. They won their division; we didn't. In our last meeting, the only reason why we kept it close was because we had a fluke kick return for a touchdown. Eli is Payton's younger brother. He's a baby because he refused to go play for the Chargers and wanted to play for the Giants instead. Eli's older brother, a better quarterback, couldn't win against the Pats earlier this season. Coughlin is happy enough with the team's progress that he really doesn't care if the Giants win or lose this game. The Patriots have two weeks for the guru to prepare against the Giants. The changes that Coughlin made earlier in the year with regard to players/discipline/etc really elude to how "soft" he has become, which basically means he's letting the prisoners run the prison. The Patriots are a more physical team. David Tyree wouldn't even be a starter on most NFL teams. The past three weeks have spent all of the Giants' remaining emotion. Only two teams starting their seasons 0-2 went on to win the Super Bowl, which is one more checkmark in a long list of checkmarks against us. There's no way the Giants could get another "on the road" win; crap, they've already set the reocrd for that - which is an irrelevant record, by the way. Randy Moss is due to have a banner game, as he has been virtually invisible since the playoffs began. The commercial with Eli and Payton licking cookies is just stupid. The coach for the Patriots was once a coach for the Giants, you know; he knows the Giants very well. A co-worker told me that the Pats would win by at least two touchdowns. Eli would just look dumb at Disney World. The Giants team, as everyone knows, is dirty. The Giants won't be able to pick up the exotic blitzes that the Patriots will bring. Maroney is really coming on here lately. If the Giants are losing at halftime, they will lose the game; history says so. One of those ESPN Radio guys says that the Patriots are better in all categories of the game, except for one. Shockey isn't playing for the Giants in this one. Eli will choke in this game because he has no idea what range of emotions he will experience; there's no way he can prepare for that. Eli isn't too swift on his feet, so that plays into those exotic blitz packages mentioned earlier. Brady will complete a few big bombs in this game, just as he did in the earlier matchup with the Giants. Tom Coughlin didn't get this far with the Jaguars.

     I'm sure you get the idea by now, and as incredibly stupid or as plausible as you find these to be, they are ALL reasons I have heard as to why the Giants will lose this game or that game. These either came from fan chatter or incessant rambling by "sports authorities".

     And as you might have guessed, enter the fourth shock - the shock that really counted! Eli showed up yet again. There were actually discussions between my Giants cronies and myself about how he looked like Tarkenton on a few plays, uncharacteristically scrambling around to get free to make a play. Tyree, that guy who probably wouldn't start on any other NFL team - the guy who made few catches this season, if any - made (in my estimation) the most important catch to facilitate the unlikely victory that was ours. Plaxico showed up, as well. He made a catch that all but sealed the fate of a previously "perfect" team. The defense stood tall, put Brady on his back when necessary, and didn't give up when the going got rough. We took one of the best offensive teams in NFL history and held them to their lowest point total for the season. As a matter of fact, they had season lows in several categories, all of which escape my thoughts.

     There were incredible odds against us in this game; there were incredible odds against us all season. These were the same odds that made most believe that we didn't have a chance in Hell of pulling this off. Just as in the past games, with all of the ominous predictions against us, we pulled off the upset. This reminds me of David and Goliath, a story fitting for us as underdogs. We are Giant Underdogs, known now to the long line of beaten, unbelieving naysayers as GIANT CHAMPIONS. Our guys wanted it more and decided to just take it outright from the Pats.

     Erase the idea for any publication regarding 19-0, unless it reads something like this, somewhere: ".....what could have been...."

     We didn't have the perfect season, but we did have the perfect ending.

     TO )#%_#)% with the rest. New York Giants, Super Bowl Champions, World Champions - has quite the ring, huh?!

Once again, we did it. It shouldn't have taken as long as it did; regardless, we did it. Looks as if, once again, the things that happened earlier in the season were not relevant in this game.
Giants win! Packers lose!

Looks like someone here earlier who said our defense was worse than Seattle's was WWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG. One who was wrong, in a long line of fans who were wrong - and losers.

To Eli: Keep warm, son. If you need to wear a glove, so be it. Just make sure you pump fake and shoulder shake enough that you keep the defense off kilter. Don't forget what we've instilled in you the past few weeks - the players wearing the same color jerseys as you are the ones you throw to. Have fun and remember that you have defied logical pro football analyzation in the playoffs and that there's nothing wrong with continuing the tradition. You CAN, as opposed to some peoples' views, DO IT.

To the Offensive Coaches: Put Bradshaw in earlier than you did last week. He will be able to hit the hole quicker and take advantage of the opposing team's quickness. Once they're not quite as fresh from chasing after Bradshaw, let Jacobs run some. Pretty scary if you're sucking in freezing air while you see Jacobs barreling through the line at you.

To the Offensive line and other blocking units: Play dirty, obviously as you always have. Start when the ball is snapped and don't stop until the whistle blows. Or don't stop until they pull you guys apart or off of someone.

To the Defense: Don't forget to play as dirty as normal, guys. Remember, Favre gave Strahan the record-breaking sack, so when you hit him, put him on the ground gently. No one yet has really talked about how the cold affects Favre's arthritis (he is old), so just go in and do your job anyway. It will be a sidebar later in press conferences. DBs, you have, as Eli has, defied any logical analyzation - so continue on that path. And since we all know that the regular season has everything to do with the playoffs, and that we can cross - compare as other people here have, and since Seattle is a better defense by all accounts- Remember that Dallas had how many Pro Bowlers? You did just fine against them, so don't sweat this. Oh yeah, and they beat Green Bay. May as well use that kind of logic if others can.

To the Receiving core: You will be open on many occasions. Don't be surprised that you are as open as you are. Take it down the field and don't look back. And always block well on running plays - even if they say you're dirty.

To the Whole Team and staff: You have outdone yourselves through your journey to this place in history. You have broken a record with road wins; you beat a team that had a record 12 Pro-Bowlers to get to this point; you beat a number one seed, when you were ranked 5th to get to the NFC Championship. Just a few in a long line of accomplishments for 2007-08.

How much more is there to write about within what has already been a historical season for the Giants? Let's just say I'm keeping the pen and paper handy.

Go BIG BLUE and to )%($_)# with the rest!

[EDITOR'S NOTE: This was originally a diary. It is an excellent entry, so I've moved it here to the main section.]

1. Beat Tampa Bay. The talk leading up to that game was all focused on how bad Eli had played prior to the New England game, and how good of a pass defense that Tampa Bay had. We all heard of how Eli might have a good day at throwing because it would be warm, and then there were those that thought Eli would go back to bonehead fumbles and interceptions as soon as the game started. At the end of the day, were were victorious and few gave Eli due credit; the Tampa Bay defense tried to blow off the fact that they were burnt many times by making comments that eluded to how simple the Giant's passing game was.
2. Beat the Cowboys. Their vaunted offense, according to prior meetings, should easily put them in front of the Giants early. Their swarming defense should cause Eli to fumble and mumble and poke his lip out. Hmmm, not much pre-chatter about our defense, except how they wouldn't be able to get to Romo in time to make him mess up. Plus, we're in Dallas - so they have the advantage all around. No one will be able to cover T.O. and Witten should eat the Giants up. It's time for Eli to have a bad game. Did anyone hear similar crap? I'd be willing to bet so. And what do we do? We go in, score when we need to, get ahead of the Cowboys, and hold them to an end-of-the-game scoring opportunity that turns into an interception. We take a 13-3 team and send them home. Wait a minute, this wasn't supposed to happen! Eli has a strong showing and I don't think he had his head down in this one. And turns out that TO had no catches in the second half and Barber had 5 or so yards in the 4th quarter. And what happens in the Cowboys' post-game interviews? They elude to how the better team lost. They talk about all the opportunities that they had left on the field. They still believe that they should be in the NFC Championship, even after we sent them home with T.O. crying. Eli gets a little more respect and the defense gets props as well.

I say all of this to say LISTEN - we've heard it all before. The pre-game chatter this week has been mainly about the weather, which by the way, both teams have to play in. There's been a little about how people would like to see Brett Favre win another one. A few blips about Eli and watching Seinfeld. And now we're hearing about how dirty the Giants players are. What's the story gonna be tomorrow? Who knows, but you can bet there will be a new one soon. Maybe someone will write something about the odd similarities between cast nets and the Packers defensive backfield. Maybe someone will say that the Giants can't win with the injury bug hitting them hard in the defensive backfield.

Maybe, just maybe that next big story will be of an unexpected Giants victory propelling them to the Super Bowl.

We've gone against the grain since week one in the playoffs; now is not the time to turn and run.

The past doesn't have much to do with the 'here and now', or does it? A certain frequent troll here told me that the past was very relevant and that I would be very sad on Sunday (based on 'shredding' the Giants defense previously, according to that individual). Really? Not so much. Apparently, the previous Cowboys' wins were not so relevant. Maybe they were relevant, maybe the Cowboys were trying to live off of the past. Either way, troll, your two regular season wins didn't equal a playoff win, did they? I'm not so sad afterall, popcorn boy.

I love the fact that Crayton dropped a few passes. Wow, way to run your mouth all week - only to choke when it counts. Couldn't happen to a bigger sack o' poop with corn husk in it....lol Maybe, as Strahan eluded to, Crayton and TO can eat their friggin' popcorn and WATCH the Giants play in the NFC Championship from home.

Our D-line didn't pressure too much during the first half, but they really came on after halftime. Just hitting Romo rattled him enough to cause errant and hurried passes, among other things.

The only thing that bothers me, and it has for some time is - too much predictability at times during the games. When you have the lead in the 4th quarter with little time left, opposing teams are going to play the run. And what do we do? We run, run, run, punt. Run, run, pass (duh on that pass call, predictable), punt.

This was a great win for us. Period. So many "couldas", "shouldas", and "wouldas". So what if the Cowboys beat themselves, as someone here eluded to. The end result is the same - a loss for the Cowboys and a chance for the Giants to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.

T.O. cryin' was priceless. What happened to the big talker everyone has come to know? Maybe that popcorn was stale. Everyone has talked about Eli's demeanor (inlcuding me) but I don't think I've seen Eli cry.....lol

Did Jerry Jones look like "Skeletor" on the sidelines or what? I've said it before, I'll say it again - the Cowboys lost their best asset when they lost Parcells.

#1 seeded NFC teams are now 17-1 in divisional games since 1990, thanks to that historic loss by a 13-3 Cowboys team.

And I don't care to see or hear any 'kudos' from that other team. They were beaten, what in the hell are they gonna say?

Anyway, a great win. Nothing sweeter than beating the 'boys to get to the NFC Championship. On to Green Bay.

I have to give it to the guy; Eli played with intensity today. He was accurate, other than the 4 or 5 grass - cutting passes that he's good for every game. He broke the ridiculous trend of stupid fumbles. He kept the INTs at as low of a number as possible. Damn, did he read my 'Keys to the game' post??? Glad I could help, Eli....lol

I think alternating Bradshaw and Jacobs against the Cowpokes is a good idea. Probably more of Bradshaw would be a better idea, though.

I was concerned early in the game when we were doing the '3 and out' dance repeatedly. We were falling into the same old trend of our O being on the field for 1/4 of the game and our D being on the field for 3/4. And what happens, just in time? We take it down the field for a score!

Following that, I think it was good to have sustained drives for a change. It's one of the reasons why our defense played better today.

Having no Giants turnovers was a welcomed, long - awaited bonus.

Oh yeah....hmmm....I wonder if that last TD pass was thrown to Toomer on purpose? Ahemmmm, I think so, but you be the judge - Ronde was covering him! How sweet it is. Now go home, Boober.

All in all, a fine win by Big Blue. One of the finest this season. Now it's time to focus on putting Romo's head in turf. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And I was wrong that we had used up our emotional gas on the Pats. Apparently that game gave us some confidence.

refs "are a convenient excuse" for losing teams and that the refs had very little to do with the Patriots winning the game. I disagree wholly.

First I would say that, in fairness, we don't have much proof in the NFL that refs take sides or have favorites. We have proof of that in basketball and possibly baseball. Secondly, the refs are human. We have seen some unsightly behavior by NFL refs this year, with regard to particular players. I say all of that to preface this:

The defensive pass interference call against the Giants was not pass interference. I quizzed a number of people here who aren't Giants fans - all saw the play - and all agreed that based on what they had seen in the past, and what had been called and not called in the past, that they thought it wasn't pass interference. That call changed the demeanor of the game.

And don't even get me started about holding calls. If you think for one minute that the refs can't determine the outcome of the game with this call, you are sadly mistaken. There were a number of blatant offensive holds for the Patriots that went uncalled. Two of the no calls were when the Patriots were in crucial 3rd down situations, when we had guys in the backfield. All I'm saying here is make the call across the board. Don't say that 'it happens on every play' and then call it sometimes. Dammit, if it happens, make the call. Or don't make it - but then don't make it at all. Don't just make a damn call when the spirit hits ya.

And the incident where our player was almost poked in the eye - these guys are refs, they are supposed to be in charge of the game. And no one saw it? No one saw it? You mean to tell me that not one damn ref saw that happen? Are you kidding me? Wow. That alone told me just how blind these guys were.

Any call that these guys make should be up for challenge - whether it be a penalty, a ball spot, whatever.

Yeh, ref calls don't affect the game. Anyone remember the apology we got from 'Mr. Mike' and the refs about blowing a call in a game vs. San Fran a few years ago?

What ticks me off about all of this is that we could've had the same result without playing our starters. We would've had a loss and we would be looking towards Tampa. The only difference is, we would be doing it without 3 injuries to key players.

why Eli's ball control (or lack thereof) hasn't really been an issue that the team acknowledges and openly seeks to fix. At an alarmingly consistent rate, he is fumbling the ball, losing it in pass transition, etc.

When Tiki was fumbling, this was a public issue that TC sought to fix. Seems as if they're 'mum' on it regarding Eli. Maybe I just saw the wrong interviews or press conferences.

Oh - You say to me that today, part of the problem was that the ball was wet? Well, the ball was wet for Buffalo too, and their QB only fumbled when he was crushed a few times between Giants players - an understandable happening.

I'm ecstatic about our win today, as the defense did some long awaited scoring themselves. I hope that fans truly realize just where we are, though.

Our QB has the propensity to 'stink it up' (which he did today) and our 'D' scored twice so our 'O' didn't have to score as much as usual to win. Hopefully Eli has some kind of magical regeneration within the next couple of weeks, because as it stands, he is as much a liability as an asset.