The email, phone calls and comments keep pouring in. And I can tell you, it ain't pretty. Everyone needs a Giants grief counselor right now, including yours truly.
Here is one from Arnie V., a diehard Giants fan for 7 decades. Arnie was interviewed by the blog a while back, and I felt it appropriate that his perspective be shared with the ultimatenyg giants blog.
In trying to get over the frustration of yesterday's game, I thought that I would take the long view of Giant disappointments. I have been a Giant fan since 1940, and we have only won 4 championships in those 68 seasons (1956, 1986, 1990 and 2007). Before the Super Bowl in that span, the Giants lost 8 Championship Games (1941, 1944, 1946, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962 and 1963). They therefore were 1 and 8 in that era in playoff games.
Since the Super Bowl started in the 1960s, the Giants have been in the playoffs by my count 14 years (1981, 84, 85, 86, 89, 90, 93, 96, 2000, 02, 05, 06, 07 and 08), with a record of 16 and 11. However, 10 of those wins were in the 3 Super Bowl Championship years. They therefore lost their last game 11 years out of the 14. Some of those losses were very painful:
1989- The Flipper Anderson TD to end OT
1993- The 44-3 loss in SF, which was LT and Simms' last game
1997- Blew the game to Minn. at the very end
2000- Terrible loss to Baltimore in the Super Bowl
2002- The 39-38 loss in SF, maybe the worst of all
2005- Blowout loss to Carolina
2006- Close loss to the Eagles by a late FG
2008- Giants were the better team and should have beaten the Eagles yesterday
With this summary, you have to conclude that being a Giant fan will most times result in end of season frustration and disappointment. That is why you have to particularly savor the winning seasons like 2007. Lets hope another one comes along sooner than the 17 years between 1990 and 2007.
We all are smart enough to know that you cherish the wins. I think the thing that is most painful about this loss is that we beat ourselves A LOT MORE than the Eagles beat us. You cannot take away anything from the Eagles. But you have to accept the fact that the Giants let one get away. The Flipper Anderson game for me was cured only by the 1990 championship. The SF 39-38 loss was cured by the 2007 SB XLII title. Call me a poor sport, call me in grief 'denial,' but it is going to take more than time for me to close this chapter. Right now I would settle for Gilbrown being booted. That is not happening, for the same reason that Fassel stayed and Fox went. The Giants love that loyalty. I love that thing called championships. This New York Giants Blog is about championships, and when you do not close on a year like this, it is a sin far greater than Detroit 0-16. I never 'accepted' the Flipper Anderson result. Neither did Parcells or his players. That gave them plenty of hunger to climb back for a title. Maybe that is what this team needs right now- to not "accept" the outcome in the sense of rededicating themselves to not wasting their opportunities this coming season and to remember the feeling right now as a motivating factor for next year.
Yes, I saw the interview by Michael Strahan of Earth, Wind and Fire on the Fox pregame. And when Bradshaw answered truthfully (with a coy smile) that he did not want BOTH Jacobs AND Ward back, I had a coy smile too. Bradshaw may or may not be the answer next season, but at least we are going to TRY and FIND OUT, which is a lot more than our friend Gilbrown did THIS season.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Arnie V's perspective
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
9 comments:
Hi. I'm very frustrated fan from Mexico, this year I had a very high expectative to get another SB Championship, but when Burres shoot himself, the team begins with a troubles finding themselves in a red zone, Jacobs injuries, our friend Gilbrown with his low imagination as offensive coordinator in some games, well, maybe is this insane feeling of frustration speaking, it's a sad feeling.
I truly appreciate this column's passion for the Giants--it's passion I share. And while Gilbride's play calling is often pretty obvious--we're going to do this, you know it, try to stop it!--the loss on Sunday falls on Eli Manning's shoulders. He had a very bad day. The Giants were unquestionably the better team but the margin is not great enough to overcome Eli. He was throwing badly. Would a slant insead of an up make him throw better? Did you fall off a turnip truck? Please. Could Jacobs have run a few more times? Sure. And he very likely would have gained significant yardage. But can the Giants win against a competitive opponent without an effective passing game? No chance. Might have been closer but this isn't horseshoes. Quarterbacks are critical in the NFL. Eli is on balance a very good one, capable at times of carrying the team back from behind late in games. Not Sunday. He just didn't have it. We lost.
I'll be sad to see my favorite Giant, Derrick Ward, go, as he no doubt will because the Giants can't afford to give him the payday he's earned. But keeping Bradshaw is a nice consolation prize. Looks like his time is coming and he knows it.
First off, great blog Andy. First rate commenatry and analysis.
Second, I think everyone is missing a huge piece of the picture that was missing on this years giants. Where the hell was Lt Col Greg Gadson? That man turned the giants season around last year, and was MIA this year. He was the Ultimate good luck charm. He spoke to the team in Week 3 last year, they turned it around. he addresses the team before each playoff game, and they one every one. He was even on the sidelines for the Green Bay game, and (I think) the SuperBowl. What Jerry Reese really needs to do is sign this guy to a long term deal.
the first thing i see when i click on your site is the sad poll on the righthand side that reads X amount of people thought we were going to win XLIII this year. it hoyts, it hoyts! i have a hard time putting blame on any one player's shoulders, but i agree with mezz...this was eli's game to win or lose and i could tell from the first few passes he threw that he was off. WAY off. he could not get into this game, for whatever reason, and you could see it all over his face. i'm a yankees fan as well, but for some reason, this loss hurt exponentially more than any yankees loss has in the past few years and i can't explain why. people at work keep asking me if i'm ok, and i keep telling them the same answer. no. i'm still in the denial phase and i keep thinking i'll wake up from this bad dream. what's the next phase of grief i have to look forward to? maybe i'll hit it by august...
Mona...
I feel your pain...we all do. If you are still in denial, Don't despair...Anger is definitely next. At least now you will have something to look forward to.
I have seen in the papers & hearing a lot of sports talk on the radio that the Giants have left the "door open for Plaxico." ( quoted by our GM )
Don't believe it!
It will never happen!
Jerry Reese is very shrewd. He is just doing what any good GM would do. If he says that Plax is a goner, then what could he obtain in a trade for him? The answer would be BUPKIS! This way if Plax is able to play ( March 31 is the court date ) then at least the Giants could get something for him.
....and Mona for me I am in the depression stage of grief. I have not accepted it yet. But we will all get there eventually. There is some bit of good news. My voice returned today, I stopped sounding like Vito Corleone.
I am hoping for an annoucement that the Giants have fired Gilbride. Perhaps they are waiting until after Oakland chooses it's next head coach. Knowing how classy the organization is, hopefully the Giants don't want to ruin his chance to be the head coach. Maybe I am just dreaming. But this is a real test of the GM. Will he honestly sit down and evaluate the performance of Gilbride? Will he be brave enough to make such a forceful move just one year after Gilbride supposedly won the SB? This sungle decision will tell volumes about our future with Reese. We already know he has assembled a fine staff of talent graders when it comes to players. Can the same be said about coaches?
thanks mitch. a guy named cody left a great article on my blog that i appreciated re: our boy reese. check it out here: http://www.northjersey.com/sports/giants/OConnor_Giants_GM_upbeat_about_future_despite_loss
. and as for vito carleone, i'm there with you. my goal in every post-season game is to lose my voice and as it sounds, you did as well. i think i still sound like i ate a bag of gravel sunday... gravel and sorry soup.
Ralp V's article on Eli's big pay day coming up:
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/giants/2009/01/13/2009-01-13_giant_payday_coming_to_eli_manning_after-2.html
They better mandate that he puts x amount of work and gets x amount of results for improving his technique in the confines of the swamp. Simms did it Eli has to do it. Aikman said that Simms is underappreciated for his ability and understanding of how to adjust to playing in Giants Stadium. Eli must adapt.
Be careful when listening to Ralph V as he doesn't want to criticize Manning because he has a book to promote about him. I heard that he stated on WFAN that the wind had no effect on his throws and he just had a bad game. Give me freakin break! You mean to tell me there were no gusts of wind on that day. Although it wouldn't take much force and drag to knock his throws off line but a gust would have a major effect.
Post a Comment