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!

SuperFan: Giants vs. Bengals (9/23/08)

The Wild and Wacky World of Week 3

By SuperFan

  First off, thanks for all of your e-mails.  It’s always great to hear from other Giants fans.  Keep ‘em coming!  After a wild week 3, I have decided that since they get to evaluate and grade teams after each week’s performance, it would only be fair for the same rules to apply to the so-called “NFL experts” who get paid to share their two cents every week.  The reason why that could never work, however, is probably because the networks would be going through hosts like the Bears and Buccaneers go through quarterbacks.  You don’t believe me?  This upcoming weekend, record most of the NFL analysis shows, then go back and watch them a week from now.  I guarantee you that most of what was said was later disproved.

            For example:  The Dolphins are 1-2, and people are saying that they could very well win the AFC East.  And they very well can.  Next week, Ronnie Brown probably won’t rush for four touchdowns and throw another.  Does that mean that, if they happen to lose that game, this past week was just a fluke and they’re doomed?  How do we know whatever happens next week isn’t a fluke?  We don’t.  That’s the whole point.  Like I’ve said before, one week at a time. 

            Now, for the G-Men.  My experience in watching the game was almost as exciting as the game itself.  I have a cousin who lives out here, is a huge Giants fan, and has NFL Sunday ticket, so I went over there to watch the game.  Having arrived a little late (if you haven’t been to LA, you don’t know how hard it is to deal with the traffic lights), I found my cousin in the garage.  Somehow, the door from the garage to the house had locked behind him, and he had no spare key.  Meanwhile, the game had already started, we had absolutely no idea what was happening, and I hadn’t even eaten breakfast yet!  After trying and failing to pick the lock with a credit card, a paperclip, and a screwdriver, we decided it was time for drastic measures.  The G-Men needed us to be in the house watching the game!  To borrow from Dane Cook, it was time for a B and E.  Yes, that’s right, we kicked down my cousin’s door.  And, for that kind of a nail-biter, totally worth it!

            Most are saying that shouldn’t have been a close game – that we should’ve blown them out of the water.  I guess I never realized that if a good team starts out with two ugly losses, they’re supposed to throw in the towel for the remaining fourteen games.  My mistake.  It’s not like that sort of a start would be at all familiar to a Giants fan or anything…

            Even if the win wasn’t as pretty as some fans would have liked, so what?  It’s not like league officials are going to put an asterisk next to the win column at season’s end.  A win is a win.  Now we have three, with zero losses, heading into the bye week.

            Ah, the bye week.  Players and coaches love it, because they get a week off to enjoy themselves.  But if my own experience has taught me anything, then I’ve learned, to a fan, the bye week is the loneliest week of the football season.  The Giants’ game gives me something to look forward to every week.  Now, I have to wait two weeks.  I hope the other games I’ll have to settle for are at least entertaining.  What’s worse, now our record gets all discombobulated when compared to the other teams in our divisions.  We’ll have to wait for the other three teams to have their bye weeks before everyone’s played the same number of games again.  I realize it’s not that big a deal, but I like the consistency.  It’s comforting.  But I don’t want to rant too much about the bye week – I’ll obviously need to save some for next week’s blog.

            In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy being 3-0 heading into the bye week, with what still has to be the most feared sack attack in football.  The rest of G-Men nation should feel the same way.  Once again, if anyone has any questions or comments, feel free to e-mail me at gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Until next week, GO G-MEN!

              

            

SuperFan: Giants vs. Rams (9/16/08)

One week at a time, please…

            By SuperFan

           

            After week two, I can conclude two things: the Giants are the most mistake-free team in the NFC East so far (knock on wood), and NFL analysts have very selective memories.  I’m hearing a whole lot of sports talk lately about how the Jaguars are down-and-out because they lost their first two games, Gerrard has thrown as many interceptions (3) as he did all last season. and the Patriots are all but finished because Brady went down.  First of all, the Jaguars played a lot better in their first two losses than the Giants did last year, and we went on to win the Super Bowl.  Three interceptions in two games isn’t great, but did anyone really think Gerrard was only going to throw three all season again?  And, lastly, of all the teams in the NFL, wouldn’t the Patriots be the last for people to assume can fall apart because of one significant injury?  They still have an incredible team, all Cassel has to do is follow Belichick’s orders.  EACH TEAM HAS ONLY PLAYED TWO GAMES, PEOPLE!  STOP TRYING TO PREDICT HOW THE SEASON WILL PLAY OUT EVERY WEEK BY THE MOST RECENT PERFORMANCE!  The season needs simply to play out.  Let it be.  Seriously, it doesn’t matter that only so-and-so percent of teams who’ve started their seasons 0-3, with their first game at home, the second on the road, and the third back at home, since 1974, have gone on to win the Super Bowl.  Yes, I made that all up.  But doesn’t it still sound like something you’d hear next week on NFL Live?  Ridiculous.  Anyway, back to the G-Men…

            Is it just me, or does everyone else feel really different while watching the Giants this season?  Each time they walk up to the line of scrimmage, both offensively and defensively, there’s a new confidence and swagger that I haven’t seen in a long, long time.  The players and coaches look like they fully recognize how great this team is capable of being, and carry themselves the way the defending Super Bowl champions ought to.  This feels like it could be another special season (that’s not an analysis or a prediction, just a feeling).   

            I discovered last Sunday that superstition is superb, whether my roommate will admit it or not.  He was still asleep (hence NOT ON THE COUCH) when the Giants scored their first touchdown bright and early Sunday morning, West Coast time, of course.  That’s another thing I’ll never get used to.  NFL football games starting at 10 am.  What’s up with that?  It’s a good thing the game was on locally, because I couldn’t see myself going into a bar at 10 am on a Sunday, even to watch football. Anyway, they G-Men stalled a bit in the second quarter, when Ryan was awake and on the couch.  At the beginning of the second half, he ran out for a late breakfast, and he Giants scored.  Then, when he left to run errands in the fourth quarter, the points just kept building.  Ryan, you’re an awesome guy and an even better roommate, but when the Giants are on offense, I may very well want NOTHING to do with you as a couch observer. 

            Looking at the state of the NFC East, it is safe to say that after two weeks of football, the Giants are the only team to play two complete games so far.  Yes, I understand their opponents were both rather weak, but it’s not like they can help it.  We can only play the teams on our schedule each week.  Some fans are saying those 13 points were even too many to give up to a lowly Rams offense.  Listen, that kicker made two 54-yard field goals.  Nothing the defense could do about that.

            By the way, only Ron Jaworski would compare a simple week-two potential game-winning drive for the Eagles to Eli Manning driving the field for one of the most miraculous Super Bowl upsets of all time.  You wish, Jaws.  In that very same telecast, Tony Kornheiser, in my opinion arguably the greatest play-by-play guy in the history of sports television (clear throat), had the nerve to say that the Cowboys, especially their blue star, had become more popular and recognizable in the world of sports than the Yankees.  Right.  Because there are so many kids in Japan sporting fresh, fitted Cowboy hats, and none sporting the vintage “blue Yankee fitted.”  Tony, you totally get it.

            This has nothing much to do with anything, but what the hell am I supposed to do with my “NFC Champions” t-shirt?  Now that they’ve won the Super Bowl, it only seems half-true and not even worth wearing.  I mean, why wear that when I can just wear the “Super Bowl Champions” t-shirt?  I guess the shirts only have value for more than a week if your team loses the Super Bowl.  After that, I suppose they might best be suited as a smock. 

            Numerous tangents aside, I’m feeling really good if I’m a Giants fan right now.  Our defense is playing like one of the best in the league.  Eli’s spreading the ball around and going deep a little more often.  Our star-studded backfield finally released the change-up, and he jumped right out with two TDs.  Nicely done, Ahmad.  Now we look ahead to Cincinnati, and if we keep playing the way we’re playing, it could be yet another step to the start of a magical season (that too was not a prediction – just a possibility, relying on certain factors remaining equal).

            Lastly, I would love to hear from you fans.  If anyone has any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at gmensuperfan@gmail.com.  Go big blue!

SuperFan: Giants vs. Redskins (9/8/08)

Off and Running…

By Blue-Blooded           

 

            Hello from sunny California!  I’ve been living out here for several months now, and in doing so, can fully appreciate what winning a Super Bowl can do for a team’s notoriety.  I drove here cross-country last February with a friend, donning my “official” Super Bowl XLII Champions hat the entire time, and must have conversed with people in about five or six different states about how the most recent Super Bowl was probably the greatest ever played.  As an aside, how cool is the hat?  I mean, obviously there’s the part in front indicating the fact that we indeed are the defending Super Bowl champions, but I mean in back.  You know, where it says “We wanted it more” on the Velcro strap?  We sure did. 

            I must have worn every piece of “Super Bowl Champion New York Giants” gear I owned over and over for months – having to constantly pinch myself was getting both painful and irritating.  Not to mention I almost immediately went online last February and ordered a new subscription to Sports Illustrated, and not at all for the magazine.  Don’t get me wrong – it’s a great magazine and I always get a kick out of the “this week’s sign of the apocalypse” piece – no, I did it for the commemorative hardcover season recap, the commemorative Super Bowl Champions football, the framed Super Bowl Champions SI cover, and, of course, the DVD.  I’ve watched that DVD at least ten times from start to finish, and still watch it just for fun.  Plus, the new “America’s Game” episode, featuring our 2007 New York Giants, recently premiered on NFL Network.  Finally.  It was awesome.  We’re living history - not just the Giants’ history, but football history. 

            Now we find ourselves 1-0, heading back onto the road in the in the early stages of a fresh, new season.  No Shockey, no Strahan, no Osi.  No problem.  Our defense looked just fine last Thursday, and, minus a couple errant passes and stalled drives, so did the offense.  A few people were worried about our tight end run blocking capability with Shockey gone.  Not so much.  Every running back we used did great, and our most explosive weapon hasn’t even been unleashed yet out of the backfield.  This terrific example of team depth only confirms my newfound philosophy - until he goes a season as our GM without winning a Super Bowl, I really don’t see how anyone can doubt the decision-making of Jerry Reese.  If you’re honestly still that upset about it, go pick yourself a copy of Madden 09 – we still have Strahan, Shockey, and a healthy Osi – and play vicariously.

            By the way, did anyone else think it was cool that, for a while there over the weekend, Eli Manning was leading the league in rushing touchdowns? 

            I have to say I was a little nervous going into the game Thursday night.  Having moved to Culver City, California, the whole ritual I had going last season was obviously going to be lost.  When the game began, and Eli led that near-perfect touchdown drive, I was by myself on the couch in my condo.  Eventually, my roommate came back, and that’s when the drives turned into just field goals.  I asked him to stand up when they were on offense (just offense, I was the one standing when they were playing defense), but he was having no part of it.  I guess not everyone fully appreciates the importance of superstition.  However, the defense played great, and we hung on for the win.

            Last season, Eli had a four-touchdown passing game and we lost.  This year, he opened up with no touchdown passes, one interception, and we won.  I’ll take the win.  If Giants fans can take anything from last season, they can take the fact that a win is a win, even if it’s an ugly one.  All that matters is having enough W’s come playoff time.

            So stop worrying, and start getting excited!  Football season is once again upon us!  For the next few months, we will all have an excuse to not have to do anything on Sundays except to sit in front of the TV and scream like maniacs.  Well, that’s my rationale anyway.  Also, and I in no way mean this in any disprespect to Tom Brady, it seems like fate has decided to keep the curse of the Super Bowl losers going for one more year.  Anyway, it’s time for Big Blue to get our road game swagger back into full gear.  Look out, St. Louis. Go G-MEN!