Fans: Forged by Memories

                Ask a person why they’re a fan of a particular sports franchise, and more often than not; they’ll relate their answer to a number of defining experiences they’ve had as a result of that team.  Such is the case with my devotion to the New York Giants.

                Like so many others, I place some responsibility with my father, whose knowledge and analysis of football matched the best of them.   He nurtured a passion for the game that I hold with me to this day, with one of my oldest and most prized possessions being an electronic Super Bowl handheld game he gave me as a toddler.

                In addition, he’s the reason I’m a New York Giants fan.  In January of ‘91, I sat on his lap as we watched Scott Norwood’s infamous wide kick in the waning seconds of Super Bowl XXV.  He would end up dying a few months later, but such memories, to say nothing of my affection for Big Blue; I have treasured my entire life.

                In the years since, like so many others; I went through the motions following the Giants.  While hardly a long suffering fan-base compared with other teams, there has been a good number of loyalty testing periods.  Such as their collapse following Bill Parcells’ departure, and the mediocre and anticlimactic tenures of Dan Reeves and Jim Fassel .  Though these eras included the fabled “playoff guarantee,” and multiple berths,  there were also sub .500 seasons, and a heartless showing in Super Bowl XXXV.

                Even the early part of current coach Tom Coughlin’s time with the team could be referred to as a mixed success at best.  The wait for Eli Manning to start paying dividends was at times as nerve-wracking; and unfortunately played itself out against the alienation of Jeremy Shockey, and the twilight of Tiki Barber. 

                Whether or not their absence was what finally allowed Manning to emerge as a leader is not for me to say, but regardless of the dynamics, the Giants found themselves riding into Glendale, Arizona last February as the underdogs in Super Bowl XLII.

                Once again, personal experience comes into play when regaling this particular victory, as my Aunt and Uncle, people who’ve loved and cared greatly for me especially since the death of my father, and were in a position where fate could certainly deal them a favorable hand; won a significant sum of money in a Super Bowl pool as a result of the 17-14 final score.

                In the year and a half since, it’s been funny to watch them go from people with little or no interest and knowledge of football in general; to now watching every Giants game, discussing playoff possibilities, and acting every bit the part of tried and true fans.