SuperFan: Giants vs. Vikings (12/29/08)

Here Comes the Fun Part…

By SuperFan   

            First of all, let me apologize for my hiatus last week (my article had technical difficulties).  To catch up, let me start with some of the thoughts I had following our incredible victory over Carolina a couple weeks ago  (this was written last week, which is why it’s in italics):

            Like last week (after the Dallas loss), I got very little sleep on Sunday night after beating the Panthers.  This time, however, it was because I was too excited.  I just sat up and thought about what a great clutch performance our Gmen had put on.  It makes me so proud to be a fan of this team!  To come out on the national spotlight for the second consecutive week and get a huge win when they needed to against a top-ranked team, well, what more could a fan want?  This team represents everything that is great about sports – the players on the field are humble and let their performances speak for themselves.  We’re not bought and paid for like some teams out there, sporting a bunch of all-stars with egos as large as their paychecks.  Just some hard-working, team-oriented athletes and coaches doing what they love to do, and doing it very well.

            Which brings me immediately to my first tangent.  I’ve been a Yankees fan for a long time, relishing in the tradition, history, and admiration that comes with the pinstripes.  To say the organization has strayed away from that over the last several years would be the understatement of the century.  I recently got wind of Texiera’s new contract, on top of C.C.’s and Burnett’s (not to mention A-Rod’s), and in all honesty, it’s a little embarrassing.  My dad was telling me earlier about something a friend of his who happens to be a banker said:  “When C.C. Sabathia throws his first regular-season pitch as a Yankee, he’ll have earned more money than 99% of Americans make in a year.  This all happening while our economy is in its worst state ever.  Pathetic.  This revelation helped reaffirm something a theory I’ve been developing for quite a while.  The Steinbrenner family is doing everything in their power to destroy everything the New York Yankees once stood for, and it’s working.  I’m really doubting if it’s worth being a Yankee fan just to go watch a team that looks like someone drafted it in a video game with all the rules turned off.  Really – it’s beyond laughable at this point.  Okay, I’m done.  Let’s get back to talking about a REAL New York sports team.

            It’s amazing what a different team we become with Jacobs on the field.  Eli has more time in the pocket, the receivers seem to get open easier and catch more passes, and the other running backs perform at a higher level (Derrick Ward ran out of his MIND)!  Plaxico may not be there, but as long as Jacobs is on the field, we’ll always have a really good shot to win.

            I can’t tell you how amazing it was to receive so many e-mails over the past week from you fans.  I tried to get back to most, but unfortunately, I couldn’t use the internet for the majority of last weekend.  I was working at a golf tournament in Thousand Oaks, CA, and the Hyatt I was staying at had one of those “$9.99/day” internet deals.  I didn’t want to give in to the man’s demands, so I went most of the weekend disconnected from the world.  Sorry about that, but I wanted you all to know that I read them and you all have no idea how pumped up your e-mails got me for the game!  It’s so refreshing to hear from other crazed Giants fans, especially being all the way on the West Coast, where it’s only appropriate to get excited about something if pop culture says so.  So, THANKS AGAIN EVERYBODY!  Please keep them coming!  The address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com. 

 

            And now, back to the present.  Obviously, our loss last Sunday wasn’t nearly as dramatic and satisfying as the one we had in our last regular season game last season (regardless of how hard most NY sportswriters will try to compare the two), but I’m still feeling pretty positive after-the-fact.  Bottom line, we played our back-ups for over half the game, and Minnesota still needed a miraculous last-second 50-yard field goal to beat us, in their house.  Everyone got in the game and contributed.  Also, David Carr didn’t look too bad at all.

            Most importantly, our defense is BACK.  Barring one big 67-yard breakaway run, Adrian Peterson did very little running the ball.  And our offensive line reminded everyone that we’re more than capable of running the ball against a very good rush defense, even without Mr. Jacobs in the backfield.

            Heading into this very well-deserved bye week, while most teams in football will be looking for a new head coach for next season, many Giants’ fans can only pray that Coach Spags doesn’t decide to become one of them.  I also wish and pray that I find an incredibly hot model who’s a huge Giants’ fan and falls in love with me simply for writing these weekly blogs.  Both probably aren’t gonna happen.  Still, it’s fun to dream.

            With the regular season officially over, the playoff match-ups are set and ready.  As much fun as it would be to get to play the Eagles at home in the divisional round (it worked out very nicely last time), I really hope we don’t have to.  That team scares me more than anyone in the post season.  Nothing creates a bigger chip on your shoulder than having a tie in your record.  Gross. 

            That’s about it for this week.  I don’t want to write about too much since I won’t have a recently played game to talk about next week.  Enjoy the bye week (especially you Cowboys fans – hope you’ve already planned your golfing trips), where we’ll get to watch all the games with a mostly unbiased view. (I mean, if the Eagles are playing, I’m always gonna root against them.)  Hope everyone’s holidays have been going well so far, and have a happy and safe New Year’s this week.  Until next time, GO GMEN!!         

SuperFan: Giants vs. Panthers (12/23/08)

What Happened, Cat Got Your Tongue?

            By SuperFan

            Like last week, I got very little sleep on Sunday night.  This time, however, it was because I was too excited.  I just sat up and thought about what a great clutch performance our Gmen had put on.  It makes me so proud to be a fan of this team!  To come out on the national spotlight for the second consecutive week and get a huge win when they needed to against a top-ranked team, well, what more could a fan want?  This team represents everything that is great about sports – the players on the field are humble and let their performances speak for themselves.  We’re not bought and paid for like some teams out there, sporting a bunch of all-stars with egos as large as their paychecks.  Just some hard-working, team-oriented athletes and coaches doing what they love to do, and doing it very well.

            Which brings me immediately to my first tangent.  I’ve been a Yankees fan for a long time, relishing in the tradition, history, and admiration that comes with the pinstripes.  To say the organization has strayed away from that over the last several years would be the understatement of the century.  I just got wind of Texiera’s new contract, on top of C.C.’s and Burnett’s (not to mention A-Rod’s), and in all honesty, it’s a little embarrassing.  My was telling me earlier about something a friend of his who happens to be a banker said:  “When C.C. Sabathia throws his first regular-season pitch as a Yankee, he’ll have earned more money than 99% of Americans make in a year.  This all happening while our economy is in its worst state ever.  Pathetic.  This revelation helped reaffirm something a theory I’ve been developing for quite a while.  The Steinbrenner family is doing everything in their power to destroy everything the New York Yankees once stood for, and it’s working.  I’m really doubting if it’s worth being a Yankee fan just to go watch a team that looks like someone drafted it in a video game with all the rules turned off.  Really – it’s beyond laughable at this point.  Okay, I’m done.  Let’s get back to talking about a REAL New York sports team.

            It’s amazing what a different team we become with Jacobs on the field.  Eli has more time in the pocket, the receivers seem to get open easier and catch more passes, and the other running backs perform at a higher level (Derrick Ward ran out of his MIND)!  Plaxico may not be there, but as long as Jacobs is on the field, we’ll always have a really good shot to win.

            It’s also amazing how differently people talk about us after a game with Jacobs on the field.  A week ago, we were a team spiraling out of control, with no hope of regaining the momentum we once had.  Now, suddenly, we’re the team to beat once again in the NFC.  What a crazy game.

            I can’t tell you how amazing it was to receive so many e-mails over the past week from you fans.  I tried to get back to most, but unfortunately, I couldn’t use the internet for the majority of last weekend.  I was working at a golf tournament in Thousand Oaks, CA, and the Hyatt I was staying at had one of those “$9.99/day” internet deals.  I didn’t want to give in to the man’s demands, so I went most of the weekend disconnected from the world.  Sorry about that, btu I wanted you all to know that I read them and you all have no idea how pumped up your e-mails got me for the game!  It’s so refreshing to hear from other crazed Giants fans, especially being all the way on the West Coast, where it’s only appropriate to get excited about something if pop culture says so.  So, THANKS AGAIN EVERYBODY!  Please keep them coming!  The address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com. 

            Finally, let me be one of the last to wish everyone out there a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy New Year, Happy Flag Day, well, you get the picture…  This holiday weekend should be a nice, relaxing one for Giants fans.  It’s practically another bye week, where we can see how Minnesota’s first string fares against our back-ups.  If we see them in the post-season, we’ll have seen everything they have to throw at us, and they’ll see almost nothing from us.  Good deal!  Enjoy the holidays, and until next week, GO GMEN!!

 

SuperFan: Giants vs. Cowboys (12/16/08)

Please, Get Your Finger Off The Panic Button.

            By SuperFan

            Like I’m sure was the case for most Giants fans, I hardly slept at all last Sunday night after watching the pitiful beat-down the Cowboys put on our Gmen.  Let’s face it – they flat-out beat us.  Instead of sleeping soundly like I’d hoped after what I thought would be a glorious re-affirmation of our NFC dominance, I spent most of the night sitting up in bed, staring blankly at the white canvas that is the back of my sliding closet door.       

            I did a lot of wondering:

            Is this just two bad games in a row that can be flushed?  Is not having Plaxico really going to mean the end of our ability to score on offense?  Will things be completely different when Jacobs gets back in the lineup?  Or have defenses finally figured out how to shut down our offense by focusing on stopping the run with Plaxico not on the field?  Was the great fill-in play of our receivers in Plaxico’s absence earlier in the year simply a fluke, or have they just hit a slump?  Why have so many players stopped having the ability to make plays when they have to, which includes catching first-down and touchdown passes that hit receivers in the hands?  Why do we wait until there’s hardly any time left in the game to finally start trying some no-huddle, even though anyone can see it’s when Eli’s at his best?  AND WHAT IN GOD’S NAME HAPPENED TO OUR OFFENSIVE LINE?!?!?!

 

            No matter how long I sat and thought about them, I couldn’t answer a single question.  And now Giants fans, who are already notorious for being the biggest worriers in the league, have reason to be legitimately concerned.  Fantastic.  This season I’ve become more positive than I can remember, having assumed the Giants had already crossed the threshold from being a good team to a great team.  And in many respects, they certainly have – but definitely NOT in the last two weeks.  So now I’m trying as hard as I can not to revert back to the nervous wreck of a Giants fan I used to be.

             When the team decided to keep Plaxico off the field for the remainder of the season, they had to anticipate what it would do to the offense.  Clearly, they feel the other receivers we have are capable of stepping up in his absence.  So do I – and so should everyone else. 

            What I’m most worried about is whether we’ll have to play a team from the NFC East during the playoffs.  They scare me the most.

            The fact is, we sit at 11-3, have clinched the division, and control our own destiny when it comes to clinching the #1 seed in the NFC.  We’ve had two really ugly losses back-to-back, and it stands out that much more because they were against division rivals.  Don’t people remember when those ugly losses happened last season?  Around the same time! 

            There’s still time left to get this incredible season back on track and go into the playoffs with momentum.  Eli hasn’t necessarily played very poorly in our last two losses.  He had one really bad throw on the first interception Sunday night, but the second was nothing more than a heave to close the first half.  He hasn’t really had any time back there, and our lack of a dominant running game makes it very hard to soften the blitzes, which would open up the passing game.  It’s also hard for receivers to get open when the pass rush is getting to the quarterback so soon after the ball is snapped. 

            Hopefully the offensive line will let whatever bad press comes out this week settle in and use it as motivation to return to dominant form next Sunday night.  We will also get to see how much help Jacobs’ return to the offense brings.  I’m thinking quite a bit. 

           

            The NFC pro bowlers got announced recently, and six of them are coming from the New York Football Gmen.  Now it’s time for them to show everyone why they belong in Hawaii. 

           

            This team (and it’s fans) SHOULD be angry right now.  We’re better than this!  The defense has played well, but we’ve seen that they’re capable of playing even better.  We were crushing Romo in the first half, but our pass rush slowed down considerably after half time.  We have to adjust to the way other teams adjust to us late in the game.  Now that Eli’s turned the corner (he has, so please don’t bring those arguments back, that would just be ridiculous), it’s time for him to step back up and put this team on his back.  Keep firing those passes downfield – they won’t all get dropped.  And Jacobs, who didn’t make the pro bowl (I’m sure it’s because of the time he’s missed from being injured), has to remind everyone what a beast he can be in the backfield. 

            It’s not like we lost ourselves out of playoff contention – we’ve just had two bad games.  Now we can either decide, “Oh, well – it looked like a good run there for a while, but I guess we’re doomed without Plaxico,” or we can be true Giants fans and realize we bounced back from MUCH WORSE ODDS only a year ago!

            The Gmen have the ultimate stage to make their glorious comeback to the class of the elite – Sunday Night Football at home against the Panthers for the number one NFC  seed in the playoffs!  Get excited, fans, not scared!  You know who gets scared?  Teams that LOSE.  We have to appreciate the opportunity we have before us and relish it!  Carolina thinks they’re gonna come into our house, when we’re hungrier than we’ve been all season, and push us around??  I’ll bet Spags has a little something to say to that!  BRING IT ON!

            As always, I’d love to hear from all of you – the address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Keep those heads up.  There’s a lot of football left to play.  Until next week, GO GMEN!!           

 

 

              

SuperFan: Giants vs. Eagles (12/9/08)

Just Another Bump in the Road…

            By SuperFan

            I’m not going to lie to you – that one really stung.  Not just because it was against the Eagles (at home), or because it was a divisional game.  No – I’m most upset because now all those people who said the whole Plaxico situation was going to be too much of a distraction will walk around believing they were actually right.  Damn!

            Of course having Plaxico on the field would have helped, but please don’t think for a second that that’s the reason we lost Sunday’s game.  They may have only scored twenty points, but our defense still let Philly’s offense completely dominate.  When some higher power reached down right before halftime and gave us that blocked-FG return for a touchdown, cutting the deficit to 10-7, I thought we’d have all the momentum in the world to take over that game in the second half.

            Unfortunately, it’s really hard for an offense to build any kind of momentum when they only get SIX PLAYS in the entire third quarter!!  Plaxico’s absence had NOTHING to do with our defense being unable to get off the field.  And I don’t care what Antonio Pierce was going through:  there’s no way he could ever catch Brian Westbrook one-on-one.  It’s just not physically possible. 

            Plus, and I don’t mean to play the “what-if violin” for too long here, if Hixon makes that catch on the deep post route, well, we’re talking about a completely different game.  In fact, several receivers were dropping passes Sunday.  In all fairness, however, Plax had made his fair share of drops this season as well.  Bottom line, dropped passes happen – they’re a part of the game.  We’ve got to accept it and move on.

            Let’s not forget, we’ve been very spoiled fans this season.  Out of the thirteen we’ve played so far, this is only our second bad performance.  When I was freaking out (ironically enough, RIGHT before the blocked-FG-touchdown-play), my little brother had to calm me down via text messaging.  What he wrote was, “relax, man, it’s only thirty minutes of a season.”  And then our touchdown happened.  To apply his wisdom a little further, last Sunday was only sixty minutes of a season.  All-in-all, after seven hundred eighty minutes of football the Gmen have played this year, they’ve played poorly for only one hundred twenty of them.  That means we’ve got about an eighty-five percent awesomeness rate thus far this season!  Hey, it’s all in the numbers.

            While it wasn’t the way most fans would have liked for it to happen, we did walk away from this football weekend NFC East champs.  Yeah, that’s right, we won the division!  Actually, I’d always love it if a Cowboys’ loss results in our winning the division.  But still, a W would have done even more for us.  Barring some huge catastrophe, I’m still pretty positive about our chances to clinch that #1 seed for the playoffs, regardless of how well Carolina played Monday night (that’s really going to be quite a match up on December 21^st, huh).  

            What I came out of the last game most concerned with was Jacobs’ knee.  Hopefully he’ll be okay.  He is a monster, after all. 

            I’d compare this game to either the Minnesota or (second) Washington game last season.  Late in the year, overall bad performance, and now we have to get right back up and start playing hard again.  And don’t you dare think Coach Coughlin will take this loss lying down.  No way.  I have a feeling he’ll get our players incredibly fired up for this Sunday’s match-up against Dallas.  What better way to rebound from an ugly divisional loss than to get to play another one the very next week?!  And who better to make a statement against than the Dallas Cowboys?!  A big win against the ‘boys this week will surely remind everyone who the best team in the league (still) is.

            So pick your heads up, fans!  Big game coming up!  And please keep the e-mails coming, to gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Until next week, GO GMEN!! 

SuperFan: Giants vs. Redskins (12/2/08)

Giant Pride

By SuperFan

            Adversity can do one of two things to a team.  On the one hand, it can expose serious flaws, and create internal damage to a team’s core.  On the other hand, if the team can rise above it, well, it can expose true greatness.  And that’s what we all saw last Sunday as the Giants put a pounding on the Washington Redskins.

            Everyone, myself included, seemed pretty worried going into the game that the whole “Plaxico situation” would be too much of a distraction for the Gmen to overcome.  Not so much!

            This team is too full of talent and too well-coached to let something like this effect them.  That’s why we’re the defending Super Bowl champions, and on pace to have an opportunity to repeat again this season.  Ironically, it was the Giants’ defeat of the Patriots in the Super Bowl last February that has seemed to desensitize fans from how unbelievable of a season we’re having.  We’ve played twelve games, and won eleven of them.  Wow.  That’s already more wins than last year’s regular season!

            Eli is finally getting some MVP consideration, and deservedly so.  People are beginning to understand that numbers aren’t the only thing that make a player great.  His value to this team is arguably greater than any other player in consideration.

            I must say I’m really glad NFL Network is on the air, so fans aren’t relying on ESPN all the time to get their sports fix.  Why is that, you might ask?  Because unlike ESPN, the NFL Network’s main focus is on SPORTS!  Here’s what I mean:  I woke up this morning and turned on Sportscenter, and all I saw for the first twenty minutes of the show was “analysis” of the Plaxico Burress situation.  I understand it’s a big story, but what does it have to do with what happens on the field??  No offense, Plax, but I think the gmen have proven that your absence hardly makes a difference.  Now, I switched back to NFL Network, and they were wrapping up last Sunday’s action.  THAT’S FOOTBALL.  A player being escorted to a precinct (by the way, how ironic is it that he went to the 17^th precint!?!?!) – that’s an off-field issue.  Let Jim Rome go to town on it..  You can easily update us on the situation with a quick telling of the facts (five minutes at the most).  Why you feel it necessary to have a legal analyst come on the show and blab on about things that have nothing to do with the impact on the team, I can’t understand. 

            Fortunately, the team did the right thing and put him on the non-football injury list, pretty much ending his tenure with the team.  Good.  Let’s close the book on this and be done with it – the team’s certainly been able to.

            Remember before the Seattle game, when everyone was saying how it was a good thing to test the team’s waters without Burress just in case God forbid something were to happen?  Well, “God-forbid-something-happened.”  And Giants fans can rest comfortably knowing this team has the depth and the ability to win, just despite it all.

            What I’m most worried about is the situation surrounding Antonio Pierce, however I’d like to believe that he’s a smart enough guy to know how to deal with the situation in the right matter. 

            As for the state of the team, well, I’m really getting low on adjectives.  You look at the numbers, and they’re staggering.  Every week people are waiting for the wheels to fall off, and when we face our most distracting challenges, we prevail incredibly.  Every player is contributing, and every decision being made by the coaches is working.  This is the kind of team you show a person who’s never really heard of football and say, “you want to know what a great football team looks like?  It looks like THIS!” 

            I have no doubt that we’ll be able to continue this top-notch play for the rest of the season and right on into the playoffs.  Yes, Plaxico had a huge game against the Packers last January, and obviously had the game-winning TD catch in the Super Bowl, but this team will be able to adjust to his post-season absence appropriately.  As I heard a Giants’ fan say calling into a radio station, “Are we a better team with Plaxico on the roster?  Yes.  Are we a worse team with him off it?  No – we’re just a different team.”  Well said.

            Putting this behind us, let’s get ready for a huge game this weekend against the Eagles.  It’ll be for the season sweep against them, and all but clinch the division.  In our house.  BRING IT ON!!

            I hope everyone had a great thanksgiving – I know I did (although I did miss the warm weather a whole lot – glad to back out west).  If you want to contact me to discuss the gmen, this week’s game against the Eagles, or even tell me a funny Thanksgiving story (I promise I’ll attempt to respond with a good one of my own), the address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Until next week, GO GMEN!! 

SuperFan: Giants vs. Cardinals (11/25/08)

In Spite of It All

By SuperFan

            Greetings from cold, wet, dreary, depressing New Jersey! (Great to be home for the holidays.)  The one great thing about being back home is my family’s Sunday Gmen ritual was back in full effect – we had the same faces, the same outfits, even the same seating arrangements as last season!  The only thing missing was my buddy Jon, but he’ll be around next weekend.  Oh, I also discovered that the long-sleeved blue shirt that I used all last season doesn’t really work as well this season, so I switched back to my California uniform – Eli Manning Super Bowl jersey.  Obviously, it worked!

            Once again, the Giants have proved that their versatility makes them, by far, the best team in the league.  No Brandon Jacobs, nor Plax (for the most part), and we didn’t even flinch.  Granted, we didn’t get over 200 yards rushing again, but Eli reminded everyone what a great leader he can be.  He’s certainly making a reasonable case for MVP this season – just ask Rich Eisen.

            Now I’m hearing a whole lot of talk about a potential Giants-Jets “subway series” come February, and I can’t say I’m surprised.  There are, however, a few things wrong with that.  First, it wouldn’t be called a “subway series!!”   There’s no subway system to Giants Stadium, and the Super Bowl isn’t a series – it’s one game.  A more appropriate nickname for that match-uip would be, perhaps, the “Swamp Bowl.”  Not only is the Meadowlands a swamp, but this year’s big game is going to be played in Tampa Bay.    Also, I mean, is everyone really convinced the Jets are the clear favorite in the AFC?  Yes, they were the best team in the AFC on Sunday, but that was all.  The Titans are still 10-1.

            I’m very happy for Madison Hedgecock.  He’s been having an amazing season so far (don’t forget – regardless of who’s been running the ball, it’s always the same guy leading the way), so it was only fair for him to finally get himself a touchdown.  And yes, the way he’s been playing, he’ll row all the way to the Pro Bowl.

            What was most impressive about their victory was the fact that the Giants pulled it off, despite the referees doing everything they possibly could to help the Cardinals win it.  I mean, it got obnoxious with how many awful calls were being made (and missed).  How bad was it?  So bad that Coach Coughlin challenged a play, knowing ahead of time it wasn’t reviewable because of a bogus penalty.  I think he only did it so the referee would have to make the crowd (and TV audience) aware of the horribly missed ineligible man downfield penalty.  Shame on you, officials.  I hope you lost your bets.   

            I am a little surprised that Ahmad got so few carries, given that Jacobs didn’t even play.  But, you can’t really complain with a W.  We have ten wins, and we’ve only played eleven games.  Think about that.  This season has continued to be unbelievable week after week.  There’s never been a better time to be a die-hard gmaninite!  Wooooo!!!

            The only other thing I wanted to get off my chest this week was more protest about Kornheiser working in the Monday Night Football booth.  ESPN, is it really necessary to have three guys in there?  What purpose does it serve?  If anything, it confuses the people watching the games more.  Although, it does make me feel REALLY REALLY smart every week, but I’m not sure whether or not that’s a good thing.

            Okay, that’s all.  Have a happy turkey day!  Keep sending me e-mails at gmensuperfan@gmail.com, and until next week, GO GMEN!!            

SuperFan: Giants vs. Ravens (11/18/08)

    Another Week,  Another Wonderful Win

            By SuperFan

 

            I went to dictionary.com and looked up the definition of the word “dominate,” and this is the one I felt was most appropriate:

            Dominate

          dom⋅i⋅nate [dom-uh-neyt]

         1. to rule over; govern; control. (in case you don’t believe me, here’s the          link - http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=dominate&db=luna)

 

After watching Sunday’s incredibly impressive victory by our New York Football Giants over the Baltimore Ravens, I think there’s no better way to describe our offensive line’s performance than that word – DOMINATE.  That’s exactly what they did, all game.  It was truly a sight to behold.  We ran for over 200 yards against the number one rush defense in the NFL!!!  An offensive line can’t play much better than that.  We dominated the best - bring on the rest!

            As each week passes, I’m starting to really believe that Brandon Jacobs must have been artificially created in a lab somewhere.  What he does, week after week, is beyond human.  The guy missed nearly half the game Sunday from a bruised ankle, and the MRI comes back completely negative.  Must be bionic.  Even though he’s been sharing the load with two other guys, you could make a reasonable argument for him for league MVP this season.  Wow.

            I’ve been a fan of this team for a long time, as I know many of you are as well.  This team is unlike any Giants team I can think of, ever.  Never before have I been able to watch a game, regardless of the situation, and just know in my gut that a simple draw play can probably get us whatever yards are needed for a first down.  AT ANY POINT IN THE GAME!  All we can do is watch with awe and admiration.

            Obviously, this sort of success has many fans understandably worried about Jacob’s free agency come this off-season.  I’m not worried.  I have all the faith in the world that Jerry Reese knows exactly what he’s doing, and when the time comes, will make the decision that works out best for the team (hopefully that means keeping our backfield EXACTLY THE SAME).  In the meantime, our worrying won’t change anything, so why not step back, enjoy this wave of greatness being shown every week, and cross that bridge when we come to it. 

            All this praise, and I haven’t even gotten to the defense yet!  Yes, we’ve stalled a bit in the sack column (I think we’ve managed just one in the past two games), bu the interceptions have gone way up.  Welcome back, Aaron Ross!  Nice to see you playing up to your potential once again!

            Unfortunately, I feel potentially misinformed discussing too many details from last week’s win.  I decided to watch the game at home, since it was on the local West Coast feed, which meant that I lost the game somewhere in the beginning of the fourth quarter, when CBS decided it was a blowout and that people would care more about seeing the end of the Denver-Atlanta game.  Once again, my faith in televised sports hindered my ability to fully enjoy (and see) the game.  Go figure.  First Fox, now CBS.  Going along with that, since ESPN has Tony Kornheiser in the booth and NBC has been letting Keith Olberman pretend to be able to talk about sports (again), doesn’t it seem like there’s a conspiracy with all the networks televising NFL games to try and make the experience less enjoyable?  That’s not even including the complications of a game televised on NFL Network to a person with cable!  Okay, that’s enough for my ridiculously far-fetched and long-winded rant for this week.  Whew.

            Last Sunday, our offense proved its dominance over a very talented Ravens’ defense.  This week, it’s the defense’s turn to re-affirm its intensity over a very good Cardinals’ offensive attack.  I have a good feeling that not only is the secondary going to be fine, but they’ll be helped a lot by a hungry (and very due) pass rush.

            The really good news is I’ll be back home in Jersey for the next two Sundays, so I’ll get the watch the games in the same ritualistic style as last season!  Get ready to introduce the win column to double digits, baby!  Keep sending me those e-mails, you crazed gmen-a-holics!  The address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Until next week, GO GMEN!!

           

 

SuperFan: Giants vs. Eagles (11/11/08)

    One Heel Of A Win

            By SuperFan

            In week one, when the Redskins decided to throw short routes on 3^rd  and long for the whole second half to help us get the win, I thought, “Well, that’s fortunate.”  After the Bengals game, when they let the clock run out in the fourth quarter and settled for a field goal to send it in to over time, instead of going for the win, I thought, “Gee, the football gods really must wan to see us win.”   Then, against Pittsburgh, a backup long-snapper had to come into the game on a punt, and he sailed the snap into the back of the end zone, tying the game for us.  That’s when I started thinking, “hmmm….lots of stuff going in our favor so far this season, and it’s still kinda early…”  Finally, Sunday night, there was the challenge on Eli’s illegal forward pass that got overturned in our favor.  Is it too early to start saying that this may be another destined season?  Probably – but it’s still really fun to say so!  WE’RE 3-0 IN THE DIVISION, BABY! 

            If you had to pick just one team in this division to be our number one worst enemy, it would be the Philadelphia Eagles.  And we went into their stadium and, despite the close final score, completely outplayed them!  Go figure, it takes the season after we win the Super Bowl to finally take a firm strangle-hold on this division.

            This team is so good from top to bottom that, to a Giants’ fan, you’re just waiting to find the catch.  But no matter how hard I try, I can’t find one.  Sure, there are mistakes made here and there, but none that stand out enough to really be a called a “chink” in this team’s armor.  To that point, I’ve made this conclusion:  the only team in the National Football League capable of knocking the New York Giants off their current track to a second dream season is – THE NEW YORK GIANTS.

            Every close game we’ve played this season, and the one we lost, were results of the Giants making mistakes.  The Redskins game – our offense pretty much turned off in the second half, and we settled for a bunch of field goals..  The Rams – we beat handily.  The Bengals – we settled for field goals most of the game, and didn’t challenge a pass to Plax in the end zone that should have been a touchdown.  The Seahawks – we beat handily.  The loss to the Browns – stupid penalties, turnovers, and every time the Browns would lose yards on a penalty, we’d let them come right back with a huge yard-gainer. The 49ers game – well that one was just ugly.  The Steelers game should have been a blowout, the Cowboys game should have been a BIGGER blowout, and last Sunday’s final score was only deceptively close.  Just imagine what would happen in a game if every aspect of our team was clicking at 100% - we’d be heads and shoulders above every other team in the NFL. 

            While there was one bad change last Sunday (no sacks for the defense), I noticed a great improvement – managing the play clock.  No timeouts were wasted to save us from a delay of game penalty (this time, the other team got that penalty).

            I know a lot of people are talking about how unbelievable it was to give the ball to Westbrook on 3^rd and 4^th and short at the end of the game last Sunday.  Really?  The game’s on the line, and they put the ball in their playmaker’s hands!  (Anyone who thinks McNabb is more of a playmaker for that team than Brian Westbrook is clearly hasn’t been watching that team very closely.)  If you can’t trust your offense to be able to gain ONE YARD on the ground in two tries, then you don’t deserve to win that game, and don’t deserve to be considered an elite football team.  It was the right call.  Period.

            Hey, after such a historic election, if you’re still in the voting spirit, why not go ahead and vote some G-men to the pro bowl?  They certainly deserve it! 

            Well, that’s all I got for this week.  Time to go get ready for the vengeful slaughter we’re gonna lay on the Ravens this Sunday (even though there’s only one guy from that Super Bowl team still on our roster).  If you want to e-mail me, the address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Until next week, GO G-MEN!

           

 

SuperFan: Giants vs. Cowboys (11/4/08)

            Business As Usual

            By SuperFan

          As a Giants fan, when you find yourself thinking, “man, we should really be up by more than twenty-one points,” during a Dallas game, things are going pretty well.  What a sweet spectacle Sunday’s slaughter was (nice alliteration, I know).  It’s one thing to win a game you’re supposed to win.  It’s another thing to win it handily.  And it’s a whole different beast when you win it handily against the Cowboys.  Let’s face it – with the exception of a few big plays in the first quarter, our offense didn’t play that well on Sunday.  Turnovers, penalties, bad clock management (I’ll get back to that later), and we still racked up thirty-five points.  Imagine what the score might have been had the offense really been clicking! 

            What I loved most about Sunday’s win was that our defense showed no mercy or sympathy, regardless of who they threw in at quarterback.  I got the feeling that people thought (for whatever reason) that our pass rush was going to ease up against a back-up and otherwise banged-up Cowboys offense.  WHY WOULD ANYBODY THINK THAT!?!?  Do you really think guys like Antonio Pierce and Justin Tuck are going to underestimate the Cowboys simply because Romo isn’t in there?  Hell no!  Our defense came even harder, to the point where Jerry Jones might have been looking for Cowboys fans in the Meadowlands who could step in under center.  You can’t really blame Bollinger for playing the way he did – he came in in the middle of the game, to a defense that was scorching hot, and had to try and make some plays.  I’m surprised he didn’t lose any limbs back there.  That’s something positive the Dallas coaches can focus on during this week’s film sessions – all their quarterbacks made it out of the Meadowlands alive.

            I can’t wait until Week 15 when we play Dallas again, in Dallas, with Tony Romo as their quarterback.  This is such a great rivalry, and it’s so much more satisfying when you beat a rival when both teams are at full strength (well, as close to full strength as a team can be in week 15).  I’ll admit, I was a little ridiculous last week when I wrote about Brad Johnson being just as capable a quarterback as Romo.  Not to say he isn’t a good quarterback (I still say he is), but his style of play doesn’t work at all with a high-powered Cowboys offense.  However, I’m sure our defense is equally as capable of giving Romo the sort of fits they gave his fill-ins the other day.

            When you’re a championship team, you’re supposed to look at mnistakes being made each week and correct them.  Yet, it seems like every time our offense walks up to the line, Eli has all of five seconds left on the play clock to read the defense, make any necessary adjustments to the play, and snap the ball.  I can’t remember the last time we played a full game where Eli didn’t have to burn a timeout because the play clock was running out.  What’s going on there?  Are the plays not getting into the huddle right away?  Are they sharing life stories in the huddle instead of calling a play?  I really don’t understand why this team can’t seem to fix it’s problems with clock management.  This isn’t a new problem – it’s been an issue for a couple of seasons now.  Unbelievable.

            By the way - if this were college football, we’d be miles ahead of the Redskins in the rankings.  We’ve beaten every team that’s beaten them!  (Plus, you know, we’ve beaten them.)  Of course, if this were college football, it wouldn’t matter because we already have one loss – all hope would be lost.  Damn Elvis-loving computer ranking systems! 

            As a football fan, the NFL Network in many ways is the greatest thing that’s ever happened to this league.  Sorry to get distracted, but as I’m writing this, I’m also tuning in to “NFL Replay Real-Time.”  It’s you’re entire Sunday’s worth of football crammed in to one hour!  That’s like the instant gratification of instant gratification.

            Back to the G-Men.  We’ve beaten each team in our division we’ve played so far – all that’s left is Philly this Sunday night.  Sunday Night Football against our biggest rival, on the road.  This team’s quarterback is going to play, and looking pretty healthy from what I’ve seen so far.  This will be a real test for our defense, and I can’t wait for them to pass with flying colors.  If Plaxico can start hanging on to the passes thrown his way, he should have a big game (I’m going to keep saying he’s due until he has one).  Hopefully, our offense’s greatest secret weapon will get a chance to come out of hiding and actually play more than 4 downs!  Seriously – use Bradshaw like you’re supposed to, or get rid of him – it’s really not fair to him or the team.

            I’m continuing to love all the e-mails you guys have been sending me (even you bitter Dallas fans), so keep them coming!  The address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Get ready for Philly baby, and GO G-MEN!!

SuperFan: Giants vs. Steelers (10/28/08)

Legitimacy, Thy Name is G-Men

By SuperFan

     In a game where the referees had me questioning whether or not football was still intended to be a contact sport, our G-men came out victorious in what I’ll consider to be the most physical game this season (in your face, refs).  I mean, to go into Pittsburgh, against a team playing as well as any anyone else in football right now, and out-tough them?  Heads better start turning our way again.

            With the exemption of two big plays, our defense completely shut them down.  It was incredible.  Our secondary had four picks!  I can’t remember the last time a Giants defense has done that (if it happened more recently than I remember, and I simply forgot about it, please don’t e-mail me telling me how wrong I am – just trying to make a point).  This defense is about as top-of-the-line as it gets in professional football.

            I know some has been said about our offensive and defensive lines, but it’s still not enough in my opinion.  I’m making the argument, right here, that we have the best lineman (on both sides of the ball) in the league.  Anyone can feel free to try and prove me wrong. 

            Now, onto the play-calling.  Maybe we held back because the game was supposed to be a low-scoring, grind-it-out nail-biter, but am I the only one who sat there the whole time thinking, this should be a blowout?  Our defense played so well, I felt bad we didn’t give them much of a cushion at all.  What ever happened to the play-action pass?  Eli’s always at his best when he’s running the play-action (our one touchdown came on one).  Why not try it more?  Also, what’s the point of worrying whether Plaxico’s going to play or not if we’re going to decide to stop trying the deep ball?  Given the types of plays called for him, Eli played extremely well.  To his defense, it’s hard to have an explosive offense if they’re not given the opportunity to create big plays.  Finally, and if you’ve been reading these blogs long enough, you know it’s coming – WHAT HAPPENED TO AHMAD?!?!?!  He can’t be much of a weapon if he’s only brought in to change the pace with a cushioned lead.  Last week, we went to him in the first half on a 4^th and 1, and he made some moves to get the first.  A three-headed monster becomes far less dangerous when one of its heads gets discarded.  Maybe he got in trouble and was limited only to kick returns.  I don’t know.  But I do know that I’m not the only Giants fan who’s very confused by his lack of play.  The guy can create big runs both on the ground and after the catch.  He’d certainly be the primary running back on most teams in this league, yet I feel we don’t take advantage of having him.

            Okay, enough complaining.  Bottom line, we had to get a HUGE win on the road against a very good team, and we did.  There shouldn’t be any confusion anymore as to who the best team in the NFC is.  That’s all I’m saying about it…on to the next game… 

           

            IT’S DALLAS WEEK!!!!  Especially after a win, it’s one of my favorite weeks of the season.  We get to spend all week thinking about the recent match-ups between these two teams, and therefore remember just how much we hate the Dallas Cowboys.  And make no mistake – WE HATE THEM.  Don’t forget, this is the same team who was the hands-down favorite during the pre-season to win the NFC, and most likely the Super Bowl , even after we beat them (in Dallas) in the playoffs and went on to win it all.  Time to make another big statement and prove to everyone (especially Cowboys fans) why we’re the better team.  Don’t give me any of that “Romo’s out” crap – Brad Johnson is a Super Bowl-winning quarterback (something Romo isn’t, I’ll remind everyone), and they still have a great o-line and plenty of weapons at the skill positions.  No excuses if we beat you, Dallas fans!  As you can tell, Sunday can’t get here fast enough for me.

            Lastly, and I don’t normally do this, I wanted to give a shout-out to a fan from Rockville, Maryland, who sent me one of the best e-mails I’ve ever received.  His pride, optimism, knowledge of the team, and enthusiasm gave me goosebumps!  Ironically, I haven’t written him back yet (which I’m sorry about), but it’s because I didn’t know how to respond to such a well-written note without feeling like a copycat.  Nicely done! 

            While I’m giving them, I wanted to send a shout-out to the troops writing me from overseas.  The fact that you guys find time to care so much about the Giants while putting your lives on the line to defend us is, well, AWESOME.  You definitely bleed blue through-and-through, and it’s quite inspiring.

            So, on that note, keep sending me your e-mails!  The address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  I shouldn’t have to tell everyone how excited we should be for this game – if you’re like me, you’ve already started pacing.  Until next week, GO G-MEN!!

            

SuperFan: Giants vs. 49ers (10/21/08)

    Back on the Wagon

            By SuperFan

  Sundays can never just happen normally for me anymore.  First it was my roommate being all up on our couch (I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s important nonetheless).  Then, it was helping my cousin kick his door down.  This past Sunday, our satellite dish’s channel guide BETRAYED me.  Before I called it a night on Saturday, I made sure to check the guide to see whether or not the game would be on locally.  To my pleasant surprise, it said it would be.  However, when I woke up around 9:30-ish the next morning, the guide displayed not my G-men, but the Cowboys-Rams game!  I had thirty minutes to wake up, shower, and find a bar airing my game.  Luckily, notebook in hand, I arrived in one just after kickoff.

            It was a pretty cool, low-key dive bar here in Culver City.  Go figure, I wasn’t the only Giants fan in the bar.  The bartender was a nice guy, and seeing as how it was 10:00 in the morning I didn’t really feel pressured to by a whole bunch of drinks just for sitting there.  That’s not to say there weren’t a handful of guys throwing a few early morning drinks back.  I remember walking in and hearing one guy order a jack and coke, and it clearly wasn’t his first of the morning (what he ordered was a “jaghhh ann cochhlll”).  A buddy of mine met me at the bar, because he too didn’t want to have to settle for watching the Cowboys at home (although it sure was a great game to glance over at time and time again during commercial breaks).

            The game wasn’t the most electric to watch, nor was it flawless.  Aaron Ross is still in a bit of a funk, though he’s very talented and should get right out of it.  Brandon Jacobs still runs like a monster, and takes on average five opposing players (plus a few flailing arms) to get to the ground.  Eli looked a lot better than he did the last week, but still not quite at the level he was nearing prior to the Cleveland game.  Maybe it’s all the press about him playing better than his brother right now (obviously kidding – I’m sure Eli could care less what anyone writes about him).  But his touchdown to interception ratio was 1:0 last week, which I’ll gladly take every game.  Derrick Ward is turning into a key player both running the ball and catching it, and Ahmad Bradshaw will always provide a perfect change of pace when he carries the ball late (although he has to avoid what looks like an oncoming case of Tiki-itis – hold onto the football). 

            Hey, how ‘bout Michael Johnson!  We needed a playmaker – he stepped it up.  That deserves an ‘atta boy’!  Speaking of playmakers – is it just me, or does it seem like every time Steve Smith catches a pass, it’s for a first down?!  That’s clutch, baby.  And regardless of whatever happened with a certain player’s reaction to a certain HORRIBLE call last Sunday, Plaxico Burress has caught a touchdown pass in each of his last two games.  Not too shabby. 

            So here we stand, 5-1, on the fringe of what is most likely the hardest remaining schedule in football.  Most Giants fans I’ve spoken to lately are a little tense and nervous about the weeks to come.  Can I tell you something?  I’m excited for them.  Bring it on.  It’s time for the Giants to re-establish themselves as the elite team to beat, and what better way to prove that legitimacy than by taking on some of the league’s toughest teams? 

            Get excited, Giants fans!  We’ve got St. Louis doing our dirty work for us, so all we have to do is worry about our own schedule.  And we’ve got a few great months of football ahead of us.  If your excitement gets too overwhelming and you feel as though if you don’t share your fandom with others, you’ll implode, feel free to contact me.  The e-mail address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Until next time, GO GMEN

SuperFan: Giants vs. Browns (10/14/08)

This Humble Pie Tastes Bitter As Hell

By SuperFan

 

            The possibility of Monday night being a trap game was the furthest thing from my mind.  It wasn’t supposed to be a trap – it was supposed to be a statement.  A statement that we were the one NFC East team that WASN’T going to implode like everyone else had recently.  Boy was I wrong.

            I should have seen it coming though.  Watching the pre-game, this wasn’t the way people should be talking about the Giants.  Monday Night Countdown on ESPN looked like homage to the majesty that was the New York Football Giants.  Not that I had a problem watching it or anything – it’s always great to bask in your favorite team’s glory – but with this team, if things appear too good to be true, they always are.  We’re the team that’s supposed to be overlooked, not over-hyped.  On top of that, my copy of Madden NFL 09 got so scratched earlier in the day that it was unplayable, making me unable to play out the match-up beforehand, which has become a new ritual for me this season.  On top of all that, my roommate was home for the entire game, and you can bet he was sitting right there on the couch the whole time.  Just a bad night altogether. 

            The only thing worse than watching your favorite team getting embarrassed in primetime by what was supposed to be a far lesser opponent is having to listen to Tony Kornheiser the whole time.  Talk about adding insult to injury.  By the end of the game, I was so humiliated that I actually turned up the TV’s volume and forced myself to listen to every word he was saying, the worst kind of punishment I could think of for myself.

            But, it’s in the past, and there’s nothing anyone can do to change it.  It’s not like we were going to go undefeated throughout the season, so at least we got a bad loss out of our system.  On the bright side, the loss couldn’t have come at a more opportune time.  After the way the other NFC teams played, we’re still alone atop the division.  Also, we lost to an AFC team, leaving our conference record intact.  Like I said to a friend of mine who’s a Redskins fan after their stunning loss to St. Louis on Sunday, if this were any other sport but football, it would simply go down as a bad game and the team would try and rebound next time.  Unfortunately, next time isn’t for a week, and in the meantime we’ll have to hear about it on sports radio, NFL Live, NFL Network, Inside the NFL, and online. 

            Last week I mentioned that there was very little bad to talk about regarding this year’s team.  Aside from the new concerns raised Monday night, one concern that was true before was very apparent again – clock management.  It was the only thing we hadn’t corrected yet this season, and the other night it stood out like a sore thumb.  There’s absolutely no reason for a championship-caliber team to have to waste precious timeouts when they’re behind in the fourth quarter because the play clock is running low.  Inexcusable.  Another thing that stood out was the defense not taking advantage when the Browns offense kept shooting themselves in the foot.  They must have had about as many false start penalties as Steve Smith had receptions, yet every time they would lose yards on a penalty, they would follow it immediately with a huge play.

            It wouldn’t be the Giants’ style to go a whole season without giving their fans something to feel miserable about once in a while.  Believe it or not, we happen to thrive on it.  Disturbing, yes.  True, absolutely.  Let’s face it – Monday night, we flat out got beat.  Do I think we’re about to go head first into a downwards spiral?  Absolutely not.              Unlike previous years, I still feel this team is too complete and confident to not learn and bounce back from a loss like this in a big way.  Our entire defense should feel embarrassed, which hopefully will make them a very scary group to line up against in the weeks to come.  Eli was brought back to reality (as was our offensive line), and they’ll have plenty of film to watch and improve on.  Plax and Eli I’m sure will work on their timing quite a bit this week in practice (a luxury they didn’t have last season).

            Like the Minnesota game last season, we as fans need simply to chalk this one up as an ugly, humiliating, degrading loss, and flush it away.  We’re very fortunate that it will end up doing more damage to our team’s perception than our playoff hopes (right now).  So, fans, stew on it a little, hit a pillow, take a deep breath, and move on.  There’s a whole lot of football left, and I’m actually really excited to see how well we’re able to bounce back and re-establish ourselves as an elite team.  Losers sulk about it all week, winners learn from it and get better.  I see no reason why we shouldn’t believe the Giants will react like winners.

            I’m sure you fans have a whole lot you’d like to get off your chest, so feel free to vent to me all you want – the e-mail address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Keep your heads up, and GO GMEN!!

           

             

SuperFan: Giants vs. Seahawks (10/7/08)

Still the Top of the Class

         By SuperFan

 

            When you’re writing about the Giants, it’s not often that you consistently have nothing bad to say about them.  Sad but true.  Yet, the Giants are currently still unbeaten and looking very good after a dominating victory over Seattle.  Everyone’s playing at the top of their game, so much so that our backups are making the highlight reel, and our younger guys are scoring all our touchdowns.  It’s unbelievable watching them play this year.  Week after week, Eli’s continued growth and mastery at the helm is nothing short of spectacular, and Brandon Jacobs is completely redefining the running back position.

            Seeing them play the last couple weeks, I’m feeling really glad that we played and beat the Redskins when we did – they’re on fire right now.  Then again, so are the G-men.  It’s funny how suddenly all NFC teams that aren’t in the East are viewed by people as second-rate teams.  That’s how tough our division is right now. 

            Fortunately for me, the game was on the local Fox channel out here in Culver City, so I got to watch the game from home as soon as I woke up.  At first I wasn’t quite sure if I was completely awake, seeing how well we were manhandling the Seahawks.  Finally I realized I was in fact up, we were in fact playing amazingly well on all cylinders, and I was very happy.  Plus, our secondary finally got into the stats column!  Atta boy, Kevin Dockery.  Watching the game yesterday, as good as our offense was playing, I couldn’t get over how great our secondary’s coverage was.  I understand the Seahawks wide receiver core has been plagued with injuries, but still the guys they had on the field were completely shut down.  Every short pass seemed like it was immediately met with blue jerseys.  It was awesome.

            It was so awesome, as a matter of fact, that I couldn’t even watch the end of the game.  No, I mean it.  It was such a big blowout that Fox switched it over to the telecast of the Reskins-Eagles game.  I had to watch the rest of the game on NFL.com’s play-by-play gamecast.  Television has done so much for the sport.

            I never thought I’d say this, but after sitting through another mind-numbing telecast of Monday Night Football, I actually miss Dennis Miller.  Honestly, you could throw Howard Stern in there and he would sound smarter about the game than Tony Kornheiser.  How that guy gets to be in the booth of a primetime football game every week is beyond me.  Howard Cosell used to work in that booth!  What the hell happened?!

            As you can see, it’s hard to find a lot to write about when your team’s playing very well.  It pretty much means everything is as it should be, all jobs are being performed the way they’re supposed to, which leaves nothing more than stating the obvious more often than not.  Believe me, I’d much rather have the G-men be playing as well as they are and have little to indulge on than the other way around!

            Right now, we’re looking like an elite team.  We’re beating the teams we’re supposed to beat.  Therefore, I see no reason why the next few games should pose any real problems.  Let’s see our G-men keep making a statement every week as to why they’re the team to beat in the NFC!

            If you have any comments or questions, the e-mail address is gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  GO G-MEN!! 

SuperFan: Bye Week (9/30/08)

All Alone at the Top

            By SuperFan

            What a great bye week!  We didn’t have to play a snap, and we’re suddenly all alone atop the toughest division in football.  That’s the way it should be.  It’s funny that it took a week of the G-men not playing for people to realize we’re the top team in our division.  Who cares what the Cowboys look like on paper?  The last time I checked, we’re the ones keeping the Lombardi Trophy safe in our stadium.  Who’s the team to beat in the NFC?  How about the defending Super Bowl champions?  Shouldn’t we automatically be the team to beat in football?  You know, that expression, “if you want to be the best, you have to beat the best?”  How quickly people seem to forget.  Tsssk, tsssk. 

            It’s a very different experience watching football on the weekend your favorite team isn’t playing.  There’s a level of sanity and reason apparent that wouldn’t normally be there.  You can watch the games with a sense of detachment, knowing that whatever you’re watching isn’t just a filler while your game is at a commercial, or while you’re waiting for it to start (if it’s a late game).  On the flipside, it also made me realize what a waste of a day Sunday seems to those who aren’t huge football fans.  Generally, the Giants are my excuse to sit around and do nothing but watch football all day on Sunday.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that – as football fans, it is our duty – I’m referring to the perception of us by others.  When they aren’t playing, I still sit around and watch football all day.  Granted watching them and other NFC East teams play could be considered part of my “superfan job description,” but it still makes me feel really lazy.  For example, this past Sunday, while I casually flipped between the games all day, my roommate was painting the whole time.  My team wasn’t even playing in a game, yet I stayed glued to the couch all day as Ryan performed manual labor.  Oh, well.  Next Sunday will be back to business as usual.

            As for the whole Plaxico suspension issue, well, it’s really just unfortunate.  I don’t blame the Giants for suspending him – he violated team rules, and the rules are there for everybody.  Even if the excuse was valid, and he was unable to contact the team himself for whatever reason, he should have been all over Drew Rosenhaus - getting him to explain the situation to the Giants, and thus preventing something like this from happening.  The team seems to understand his absence, and only is suspending him for one game because they kind of have to.  I noticed that when they reduced his fine from two weeks pay to just one.  And I don’t think Plaxico is taking it personally.  The guy just signed a huge contract, and seems to be behind the whole “team concept,” so hopefully he realizes that this is just a minor setback that won’t even matter at season’s end.  Also, this gives the Giants a chance to see what they’re made of.  We are pretty deep at wide receiver, so let’s get the other guys some action – see how they handle themselves on the big stage.  If, God forbid, something were to happen to Plax later in the season, this is a perfect chance to see how the G-men would respond without him.  And personally, I think we’ll be okay this week against Seattle.  Amani’s route-running and hands are the best they’ve been in a while, Steve Smith is turning into an incredible third-down weapon, and we all saw against Cincinnati that Kevin Boss is more than capable of stepping up when his number is called.

            To switch gears from pro to college, I had a recent question.  With all the fuss about college nicknames having to be P.C., why is it only directed towards teams named after Native Americans?  This is nothing against the University of Miami, but given what’s happened over the last 5 or so years especially, wouldn’t it only seem logical for people to have as much of an issue with a college football team being named the “Hurricanes” as they would the “Indians” or the “Redskins”?  This is only my opinion, and in no way am I trying to argue one way or the other for either side.  Just trying to be fair.  I mean, you don’t see any teams in Japan being called “Tsunami” or the University of Hawaii Volcanoes.  It just doesn’t seem right to glorify natural disasters.  That’s all.  Wait, that’s not all.  One more thing.  When I brought this little argument of mine up to a friend, he made a very good point.  Regarding the University of Miami Hurricanes, the nickname isn’t the problem - it’s the mascot.  What does a duck have to do with hurricanes?  When a hurricane is on its way, don’t ducks usually fly away?  (That rhymed.)  I’m sure there’s an explanation behind it that I just don’t know about, but Jon, I wanted to give you some props on bringing this to my attention.  Ok, now that’s all.

            Switching gears back to the professional ranks, I’m going to go ahead and keep riding this wave of Giants success as long as I can.  They look great right now, and the secondary doesn’t even have an interception yet (this means they’re due). 

            Due to comments like the one I just made, or the “God-forbid” situation I described earlier, I would really appreciate it if all Giants fans reading this right now would take a moment, find some wood, and knock on it like crazy.  Don’t worry, I’m writing this on a wooden table, so I’ve been knocking periodically the whole time.  Thanks.

            I’m loving all the e-mails I’m getting from you fans, so please keep sending them!  You can reach me at gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Lastly, to my fellow Hebrew Homies, La Shana Tova!  Until next week, GO G-MEN!