The Giants traveled to Dallas Sunday night, scored 35 points, and lost. This team has been built around offense. And a good offense it is - an offense dominant enough to put up 35 points on the road against a divisional rival. But it is also a team with a defense that has been ignored - has been the step child of the offense - for far too long. A defense pathetic enough to give up 45 points in a big game against a divisional rival.
Such state of affairs is heart wrenching, especially to an old timer like myself whose first live Giants game dates back to Yankee Stadium. I never thought I'd live to see the day that the Giants organization would turn its back on its own heritage. Through thick and thin, good times and bad, Giants football has always been about defense. Defense came first, front and center, before anything else. Defense has always been the core, the focus, and ultimately the heritage and tradition of this proud franchise. That focus - that defense before anything else mentality - has been lost for quite some time now and the defense has slowly withered and become frail, faltering and hesitant over the past few years. And finally, like a terminal illness, Sunday night brought the sad realization that the proud heritage of this franchise has passed on.
I've been a Giants fan all my life. That won't change because I don't consider it a choice. It just is. But I'm not happy. High powered offensive football - teams that put the emphasis upon offense over defense resided in the AFL/AFC. The NFL/NFC was all about toughness. About mud and guts and lost teeth. The "offense first" teams were for the girls and women - it was entertaining and exciting and put new fans in the seats. But real football - what the men watch - where the gladiators play - has always been the province of the NFC. Today everything has been turned upside down. Tough defensive football is the province of the AFC and my four daughters are suddenly interested watching Eli Manning and the Giants.
I'm not saying what we witnessed Sunday night is what we see all year long. It won't be. The defense will get better - but that's not saying much. I don't see how it can play much worse. But I will not be happy so long as Giants football is more about offense than defense. As far as I am concerned, if you like offensive football, go join the girls in the other room and root for the Colts or the Jets but leave us men - and the Giants - alone.
The current Giants ownership and management should be ashamed. As the guardians of this franchise, they have sullied and damaged its one true tradition. They've broken faith with their own heritage and legacy. I've always enjoyed watching the "fancy boys" and their high powered offenses but for me they were always side shows - warm ups - to the real blood and guts football played by men - by gladiators - by the Giants. I suppose I should be happy that my daughters now show a passing interest in my football team but frankly it just rubs salt in the wound.
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2 comments:
I couldn't agree more with you. When you bleed blue, you bleed with running and defense. For good reason its a formula that wins championships, one that stands the test of time. But our franchise has forgotten this.
In addition, for every era in football there is signs that the importance of Defense and good running game is the most important thing.
very true ari... and as someone on BBI just pointed out, its a formula that works in the cold northeast especially with the tricky winds in our stadium... and it makes me sad that ownership would allow such a proud tradition to be tossed aside
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