The
New York Giants are a professional
American football team based in
East Rutherford,
New Jersey, representing the
New York City metropolitan area. The Giants are currently members of the
Eastern Division of the
National Football Conference (NFC) in the
National Football League (NFL). The team plays its home games in
East Rutherford, New Jersey at
MetLife Stadium, which it shares with the
New York Jets in a unique arrangement.
The Giants were one of five teams that joined the NFL in 1925, but
the only one admitted that year which still exists. The team
ranks third among all NFL franchises with
seven NFL titles: four in the pre–
Super Bowl era (1927, 1934, 1938, 1956) and three since the advent of the Super Bowl (
Super Bowls XXI (1986),
XXV (1990), and
XLII (2007). Their championship tally is surpassed only by the
Green Bay Packers (13) and
Chicago Bears (9). During their history, the Giants have featured 15
Hall of Fame players, including NFL
Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winners
Mel Hein,
Frank Gifford,
Charlie Conerly,
Y. A. Tittle, and
Lawrence Taylor.
To distinguish themselves from the
professional baseball team of the same name, the football team was incorporated as the "New York National League Football Company, Inc." in 1929 and changed to "
New York Football Giants, Inc." in 1937. Although the baseball team moved to
San Francisco after the 1957 season, the football team continues to use "New York Football Giants, Inc." as its legal corporate name,
[1] and is often referred to by fans and sportscasters as the "New York Football Giants". The team has also gained several nicknames, including "Big Blue", the "G-Men", and the "Jints", an intentionally mangled contraction seen frequently in the
New York Post and
New York Daily News, originating from the baseball team when they were based in New York. Additionally the team as a whole is occasionally referred to as the "
Big Blue Wrecking Crew", even though this moniker primarily and originally refers to the Giants defensive unit during the 80s and early 90s.
[2]
The team's heated
rivalry with the
Philadelphia Eagles is the oldest of the
NFC East rivalries, dating all the way back to 1933 and has been called the best rivalry in the NFL in the 21st century.
[3][4]
Team history
1925–32
The
Giants played their first game as an away game against All New Britain in
New Britain, Connecticut, on October 4, 1925.
[5][6] They defeated New Britain 26–0 in front of a crowd of 10,000.
[5] The Giants were successful in their first season, finishing with an 8–4 record.
[7]
In its
third season, the
team finished with the best record in the league at 11–1–1 and was awarded the NFL title.
[8] After a disappointing
fourth season (
1928) owner Mara bought the entire squad of the
Detroit Wolverines, principally to acquire star quarterback
Benny Friedman, and merged the two teams under the Giants name.
In
1930, there were still many who questioned the quality of the professional game, claiming the college "amateurs" played with more intensity than professionals. In December 1930, the Giants played a team of
Notre Dame All Stars at the
Polo Grounds to raise money for the unemployed of New York City. It was also an opportunity to establish the skill and prestige of the pro game.
Knute Rockne reassembled his
Four Horsemen along with the stars of his 1924 Championship squad and told them to score early, then defend. Rockne, like much of the public, thought little of pro football and expected an easy win.
[9] But from the beginning it was a one-way contest, with Friedman running for two Giant touchdowns and
Hap Moran passing for another. Notre Dame failed to score. When it was all over, Coach Rockne told his team, "That was the greatest football machine I ever saw. I am glad none of you got hurt."
[10] The game raised $100,000 for the homeless, and is often credited with establishing the legitimacy of the professional game for those who were critical.
[9]
1933–46
In a fourteen-year span from 1933 to 1946, the Giants qualified to play in the NFL championship game 8 times, winning twice.
[8] During the period the Giants were led by
Hall of Fame coach
Steve Owen, and Hall of Fame players
Mel Hein,
Red Badgro, and
Tuffy Leemans. This period also included the famous "
Sneakers Game", where they defeated the
Chicago Bears on an icy field in the
1934 NFL Championship game, while wearing sneakers for better traction.
[8] The Giants were particularly successful from the latter half of the 1930s until the United States entry into
World War II. They added their
third NFL championship in
1938 with a 23–17 win over the
Green Bay Packers.
[8]
1947–63
They did not win another league title until 1956, aided by a number of future
Pro Football Hall of Fame players such as running back
Frank Gifford, linebacker
Sam Huff, and offensive tackle
Roosevelt Brown, as well as all-pro running back
Alex Webster. The Giants' 1956 championship team not only included players who would eventually find their way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but a Hall of Fame coaching staff, as well. Head coach
Jim Lee Howell's staff had
Vince Lombardi coaching the offense and
Tom Landry coaching the defense.
[11] From 1958 to 1963, the Giants played in the NFL Championship Game five times, but failed to win.
[8] Most significantly, the Giants played the
Colts in the
1958 NFL Championship Game that is considered a
watershed event in the history of the NFL.
[12] The game, which the Giants lost in overtime 23–17,
[8] is often considered one of the most important events in furthering the NFL's popularity. The following year, they lost the championship to the Colts again, giving up a 16–9 4th quarter enroute to 31–16 loss. In 1963 led by league MVP
quarterback Y.A. Tittle, who threw a then-NFL record 36
touchdown passes, the Giants advanced to the NFL Championship Game, where they lost to the Bears 14–10.
[13]
1964–78
From 1964 to 1978, the Giants registered only two winning seasons and no playoff appearances.
[7] With players such as Tittle and Gifford approaching their mid 30s, the team declined rapidly, finishing 2–10–2 in
1964.
[7] They rebounded with a 7–7 record in
1965,
[7] before compiling a league-worst 1–12–1 record,
[14] and allowing more than 500 points on defense in
1966.
[14] During the 1969 preseason, the
Giants lost their first meeting with the
New York Jets, 37–14, in front of 70,874 fans at the
Yale Bowl in
New Haven, Connecticut.
[15] Following the game, Wellington Mara fired coach
Allie Sherman,
[16] and replaced him with former Giants fullback Alex Webster.
In
1967, the team acquired quarterback
Fran Tarkenton from the
Minnesota Vikings. Despite having several respectable seasons with Tarkenton at quarterback, including a 7–7 finish in 1967 and 9–5 in
1970,
[7] the Giants traded him back to the Vikings after a 4–10 finish in
1971 .
[17] Tarkenton would go on to lead the Vikings to three Super Bowls and earn a place in the Hall of Fame,
[17] while the Giants suffered through one of the worst stretches in their history,
[7] winning only 23 games from 1973–79.
[7] Before the 1976 season, the Giants tried to revive a weak offense by replacing retired RB
Ron Johnson with future HOF fullback
Larry Csonka, but Csonka was often injured and ineffective during his 3 years in New York. The
1977 season featured a roster that included three rookie quarterbacks.
[18]
The Giants were allowed to play their home games at the
Yale Bowl in
New Haven, Connecticut in 1973–74, and at at Shea Stadium (home of the Mets) in 1975, due to the renovation of
Yankee Stadium. They finally moved into their own dedicated state-of-the-art stadium in 1976,
[11] when they moved into
Giants Stadium at the
Meadowlands in
East Rutherford, New Jersey. One of the low points during this period was the play known as the "
Miracle at the Meadowlands", which occurred in 1978.
[19] With the Giants trying to secure a win against the
Philadelphia Eagles,
[19] they chose to call a running play—which resulted in a fumble that was returned for a game-winning touchdown by the Eagles'
Herman Edwards.
[19]
The Giants' front office operations were complicated by a long-standing feud between Wellington Mara and his nephew, Tim Mara.
[20] Jack Mara had died in 1965, leaving his share of the club to his son Tim. Wellington and Tim's personal styles and their visions for the club clashed, and eventually they stopped talking to each other. Commissioner Rozelle intervened and appointed a neutral general manager, George Young, allowing the club to operate more smoothly. The feud became moot on February 20, 1991, when Tim Mara sold his shares in the club to
Preston Robert Tisch.
1979–93
In
1979, the Giants began the steps that would, in time, return them to the pinnacle of the NFL. These included the drafting of quarterback
Phil Simms in
1979, and linebacker
Lawrence Taylor in
1981.
[11] In
1981, Taylor won the NFL's
Defensive Rookie of the Year and
Defensive Player of the Year awards and the Giants made the playoffs for the first time since 1963.
[7][21] One of the few bright spots during this time was the team's excellent linebackers, who were known as the
Crunch Bunch.
[22] After the
strike-shortened 1982 season, in which they finished 4–5,
[7] head coach
Ray Perkins resigned to take over the same position at the
University of Alabama. In a change that would prove crucial in the coming years, he was replaced by the team's
defensive coordinator,
Bill Parcells.
The
Giants struggled in Parcells's initial year and finished with 3–12–1 record.
[7] After 9–7 and 10–6 finishes in
1984 and
1985 respectively,
[7] the
Giants compiled a 14–2 record in
1986 led by league MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Lawrence Taylor and the
Big Blue Wrecking Crew defense. The Giants defeated the
49ers 49–3 in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs
[23] and the
Redskins 17–0 in the NFC championship game, advancing to their first Super Bowl,
[24] Super Bowl XXI, against the
Denver Broncos at the
Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Led by MVP Simms who completed 22 of 25 passes for a Super Bowl record 88%
completion percentage, they defeated the Broncos 39–20,
[25] to win their first championship since 1956. In addition to Simms and Taylor, the team was led during this period by head coach
Bill Parcells, tight end
Mark Bavaro, running back
Joe Morris, and
Hall of Fame linebacker
Harry Carson.
The
Giants struggled to a 6–9 record in the
strike-marred 1987 season,
[7] due largely to a decline in the running game, as Morris managed only 658 yards
[26] behind an injury-riddled offensive line.
[27] The early portion of the
1988 season was marred by a scandal involving Lawrence Taylor. Taylor had abused cocaine and was suspended for the first four games of the season for his second violation of the league's substance abuse policy. Despite the controversy, the
Giants finished 10–6, and Taylor recorded 15.5 sacks after his return from the suspension. They surged to a 12–4 record in 1989, but lost to the
Los Angeles Rams in their opening playoff game when
Flipper Anderson caught a 47-yard touchdown pass to give the Rams a 19–13 overtime win. In
1990,
the Giants went 13–3 and set an NFL record for fewest turnovers in a season (14).
[28] They defeated the
San Francisco 49ers, who were attempting to win the
Super Bowl for an unprecedented third straight year, 15–13 at
San Francisco [29] and then defeated the
Buffalo Bills 20–19 in
Super Bowl XXV.
[25]
Following the 1990 season, Parcells resigned as head coach and was replaced by the team's offensive coordinator,
Ray Handley. Handley served as coach for two disappointing seasons (1991–92), which saw the Giants fall from Super Bowl champions to 6–10 records. He was fired following the
1992 season, and replaced by former
Denver Broncos' coach
Dan Reeves. In the early 1990s, Simms and Taylor, two of the stars of the 1980s, played out the last seasons of their careers with steadily declining production. The
Giants experienced a resurgent season with Reeves at the helm in
1993 however, and Simms and Taylor ended their careers as members of a playoff team.
1994–present
Former Giants' wide receiver
Sinorice Moss at the Giants' Super Bowl parade, February 5, 2008.
Retired Giants' punter
Jeff Feagles at the Giants' Super Bowl parade, February 5, 2008.
The Giants initially struggled in the post Simms-Taylor era. After starting 3–7 in
1994, the
Giants won their final six games to finish 9–7 but missed the
playoffs.
[30] Quarterback
Dave Brown received heavy criticism throughout the season.
[31] Brown performed poorly the following two seasons, and the Giants struggled to 5–11 and 6–10 records.
[7] Reeves was fired following the
1996 season, and replaced by
Jim Fassel, former offensive coordinator of the
Arizona Cardinals. Fassel named
Danny Kanell the team's starting quarterback, and the
team finished 10–5–1 and made the
playoffs in
1997.
[7] After losing in the first round to the
Vikings in 1997, the
Giants needed to close out the season with four wins to finish 8–8 in
1998. One of the bright spots of that season was a win over the Denver Broncos in week 15, giving the Broncos their first loss of the season after starting 13–0.
Before the
1999 season Kerry Collins was brought in to help the team. Collins was the first–ever draft choice of the expansion
Carolina Panthers in
1995, and led the
Panthers to the NFC Championship game in his second season. However, problems with alcohol, conflicts with his teammates and questions about his character led to his release from the Panthers.
[32] The Giants finished 7–9 in
1999.
[7]
2000 season
The
2000 season was considered a make-or-break year for Fassel. The conventional wisdom was that Fassel needed to have a strong year and a playoff appearance to save his job. After two back-to-back losses at home against
St. Louis and
Detroit, the Giants fell to 7–4
[33] and their playoff prospects were in question. At a press conference following the Giants' loss to Detroit, Fassel guaranteed that "[t]his team is going to the playoffs".
[34] The Giants responded, winning the rest of their regular season games to finish the season 12–4
[33] and earn a bye as the NFC's top seed. The Giants won their first playoff game against the
Philadelphia Eagles, 20–10, and defeated the
Minnesota Vikings 41–0 in the NFC Championship game.
[33] They advanced to play the
Baltimore Ravens in
Super Bowl XXXV. Though the Giants went into halftime down only 10–0,
[35] the Ravens dominated the second half. Their defense harassed Kerry Collins all game long, resulting in Collins completing only 15 of 39 passes for 112 yards and 4 interceptions.
[35] The Ravens won the game 34–7.
[35]
2004 season
In 2004, three years after their last Super Bowl appearance, Fassel was replaced by current coach
Tom Coughlin. Although Collins had several solid seasons as the Giants quarterback, he experienced his share of struggles. In
2004, the
Giants completed a draft day trade for
University of Mississippi quarterback
Eli Manning.
[36] Manning became the team's starting quarterback in the middle of the
2004 season, taking over for
Kurt Warner. The early part of Coughlin's tenure produced inconsistent results (a 25–23 record and two playoff appearances—both losses, before the 2007 season
[37]) and spawned intense media scrutiny concerning the direction of the team.
[38] During this period in their history, standout players included
defensive end Michael Strahan, who set the NFL single season record in
sacks in
2001,
[39] and running back
Tiki Barber, who set a team record for rushing yards in a season in 2005.
[40]
2007 season and Super Bowl victory
Going into
2007, the Giants had made the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. In 2007, the Giants became the third NFL franchise to win at least 600 games when they defeated the
Atlanta Falcons 31–10 on
Monday Night Football .
[41] For the 2007 season, the NFL scheduled the Giants' road game against the
Miami Dolphins on October 28 in
London's
Wembley Stadium; this was the first NFL regular-season game to be played outside of
North America. The Giants defeated the Dolphins, 13–10. The Giants finished 10–6, and became NFC Champions after defeating the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers,
Dallas Cowboys, and
Green Bay Packers in the
NFC Playoffs. They set a record for most consecutive road wins with 10 (a streak which ended with a loss to the
Cleveland Browns during week 6 of the 2008 season).
The
Patriots (18–0) entered the Super Bowl undefeated and were 12 point favorites going into game weekend.
[42] The Giants defeated the Patriots 17–14 in
Super Bowl XLII, capped by the famous "
Manning to Tyree" pass. the third biggest upset by betting line in Super Bowl history. (The Baltimore Colts were favored by 17 over the New York Jets in
Super Bowl III, and the St. Louis Rams were favored by 14 over the New England Patriots in
Super Bowl XXXVI.)
[43] Co-owner
John Mara described it as "the greatest victory in the history of this franchise, without question".
[44]
Post Super Bowl and Late Season Collapses: 2008-2010
In
2008, the Giants won the NFC East with a record of 12–4 (and also were the number one seed in the NFC after beating the
Carolina Panthers for
home field advantage), but lost 23–11 to the
Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the
playoffs.
[45]
In 2009, the Giants opened a new training complex, the Timex Performance Center, also located in the Meadowlands. After starting 5–0 in the
2009 season, New York lost to the likewise undefeated
New Orleans Saints at the Superdome 48–27, beginning a four game losing streak,
[46] in which they lost to the Arizona Cardinals 24-17, the Chargers 21-20 and the Eagles 40-17. The streakwhich was broken with a 34–31 overtime victory against the
Atlanta Falcons. On Thanksgiving night, they lost to the
Denver Broncos 26–6. The Giants next beat the division leading
Dallas Cowboys. A week later, with a record of 7–5, they lost to the
Philadelphia Eagles, 45–38. On December 27, the Giants lost to the Carolina Panthers 41–9 in their final game at Giants Stadium, and were eliminated from playoff eligibility. The Giants finished the season 8–8.
hail to the new york giants, my family has been to yankee stadium to see 1960 and 61 world championships, have met team members and been to many games,
