Basking in the Glow of the NY Giants

Seven plays. 71 yards, :46.

Now that’s why I watch sports!

I’m still shaking my head in disbelief. Possibility exists the Giants have never been that efficient on offense—not in Super Bowl XXI when Simms performed like a surgeon, not when they ran a 14 play drive over the first 9:29 of the second half in Super Bowl XXV, not when they thrashed the Vikings in the ’01 NFC Championship.

Yesterday’s performance, after the Super Bowl wins, falls somewhere between the victory over the 49ers in the ’91 NFC Championship and the aforementioned throttling of the Vikes.

My three-plus decade’s allegiance to the Big Blue has been on standby for too long—drowning in a flood of false starts, missed routes, dropped passes, late hits, botched snaps—the list goes on and on, but last night that changed.

Last night and the last three weeks have been something different. Renewed is the only way I can explain it. Not even a date at Lambeau, in temperatures that everyone knows Favre will use to his advantage can squash my spirits.

Today is a great day to be a Giant fan!

I could ramble on about Pierce, Webster, Tuck, Strahan, Umenyiora, Toomer, Bradshaw, Eli, and Jacobs (don’t know what that play clock did to him—just glad it got him all fired up), but I’ll save it for another time.

Despite all that I can’t get my mind off the ‘Pokes. Remember how they rode Parcells out on a rail after last year. He was too old-school. He couldn’t communicate with the modern player. He didn’t know how to motivate any more.

Do you remember that stuff?

Guess what—Here we are one year later, and the ‘Pokes occupy the same spot: playoff exit without a win.

Wasn’t it great how Tony Romo laughed off Parcells’s criticisms last year as: “That’s Bill being Bill.” Like anything Parcells had to say lacked relevancy in the 21st century NFL. Romo seemed so cavalier, so charismatic. The media fawned over him, and super models waited in line.

Romo didn’t look so poised yesterday with the G-Men D-Line breathing down his neck (Is there any question how good the Pats’ O-line is?). The charismatic Romo was snapping at his linemen – kinda like Parcells tried snapping at him last year.

Thing is we all know that’s what Parcells is about, and it has worked for him. But Romo? Would the real Tony Romo stand up? Is it the guy who can flash the cute smile when the camera is on? Or is it the guy who’s barking at his line men when they have had enough of Osi and Strahan?

And Wade Phillips—everyone proclaimed him the savior in Big D - just what ‘Pokes needed. He was the players’ coach who could let his athletes perform. Hey Wade! Remember how everything went sour in Buffalo? You had nothing positive to say about Bills’ owner, Ralph Wilson, and now your cronies are keeping Wilson from his rightful bust in Canton.

Wade, how do you like having your owner standing right next to you on the sidelines shouting out orders to the team? Do you still feel like the coach Wade?

One last question: If Tuna was coaching yesterday, would the ‘Pokes have lost?

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