This is a blog about being a fan of sports in general. We're not talking stats here, we're talking heart. Focus is on the Mets, Giants, Devils, Newcastle United and Georgia Tech as they are my favorite teams.
I’m not really sure where to even start with this. A couple quick counter points and then I’m done with this post:
1) There is nothing to say that Plaxico will be any good and that he should be lobbied for. The guy has been in jail.
2) Big Ben and his motley crew went out to lunch with Burress and yukked it up. A lot of good that did. He’s not back in Black and Gold.
3) Maybe Eli has some undelying issues about Burress hurting the teams chances at a repeat when he SHOT HIMSELF IN THE LEG because he holstered his gun in a sweatpants waist band. It’s a much bigger deal if he comes out and causes a controversy saying, “Yes, I resent the guy. I don’t like him at all an he’s an idiot. I don’t want him on this team.”
4) Maybe he was leading by not fawning over a guy and begging him to come back. Showing lack of faith in other teammates.
Sometimes the media really just creates stories. There is no reason Eli needed to go back slap Plax and “show him the love”. But apparently there is enough there to get a radio segment, some callers and even some people to write about it.
Last season (2009) the G-Men crashed out of the playoff race with a terrible second half to the season (3-8 since week 6). Overall, the team is 17-18 in the regular season since week 9. If you include the playoffs, they are 21-20 including the 4 wins on the way to Super Bowl XLII. Many people believe that Tom Coughlin is to blame for the late season swoons, however, he then must be responsible for the early season surges. He has been the main constant each season but there may be a different explanation, at least for the past couple seasons. The New York Giants are mentally weak.
This team seems to not be able to motivate themselves. They appear to believe their own hype and rest on their laurels far to often. I’ve talked to many fans who are the least confident when this team is the talk of the NFL. The time to be nervous is when analysts start pegging this team as Super Bowl favorites. That seems to be when Big Blue turns on the TV, opens the paper and thinks “Yeah, we’re the sh*t. Cruise control.”
It’s only when everyone doubts them (see any time Tiki Barber speaks, 2007 playoff run) that they can show up to play. Might as well put Barber back on the payroll or forfeit the first 5 games of the season.
Don’t believe it? Look at this season; start 1-2 then rattle off 5 wins. Coming off a big win in Seattle, HUGE letdown at home to Dallas and a loss to Philly. Jacksonville is decimated by injuries, G-men favored by +7 and they barely show up in the second half to sneak out a win.
I guess at the end of the day a win is a win and this team is still alive in the playoff race. It’s little consolation and gives me zero confidence that they will even make it, let alone challenge for anything.
Below breaks out the remaining schedules for NFC teams in the playoff/division hunt.
Remaining Schedules:
Giants- Philly, @Skins, Carolina, @Minn
Dallas-SD, @NO, @Skins, Philly
Philly- @NYG, SF, Denver, @Dallas
Green Bay- @Bears, @Pitt, SEA, @Cards
In my opinion, Green Bay has the easiest schedule and therefore assuming they lock up one of the 2 NFC Wild Card spots, the Giants will have two options left to make the playoffs. One, by winning the NFC East for a second consecutive year, or 2, pulling ahead of Dallas or Philly for the Wild Card. I’ve maintained that the Giants have to “win out” starting with the Dallas game last week. Although that may not be statistically true, it would ensure them the division if Dallas loses only 1 of the next 4 games.
With a Giant win and Dallas loss tomorrow, the Giants will be in first place and control their own destiny to the playoffs.
