OK, I wasn't around on the original "black Friday". Stock brokers in the NYC jumping out windows, scribbed suicide notes on the back of worthless bonds, abject dispair. But New York has put on a similar display this weekend involving the New York Giants. Fans jumping ship, talk radio guys saying the end is at hand, players criticizing Coach Tom Coughlin.
Now I grant you that the 24-21 fall the New York Football Giants, as they were once called, took against the Tennessee Titans was fast enough to cause nosebleeds and compressed vertebrae. Losing a three touchdown lead in the fourth quarter may have side affects that include listlessness, loss of interest in normal activities (like playing football), and depression. But, here is the worst part. All these symptoms were present before the Giants touched down in 10-O-C.
To a southerner, at a distance, New Yorkers can seem an exciteable lot. Consider this article that appeared in Saturday's New York Times "An Erratic Manning Puts Giants on Blue Alert":
Is the third year pro a has been already? Is this as good as it gets for Manning? Is a change at QB needed (oh yes, please bring on Jared Lorenzen, that will fix everything)? How big an impact crater will there be after the crash? New York wants to know.
Manning went into the game with 16 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions. His completion percentage is up from 48% his rookie year to 58% this season, despite significant injuries to his receivers and to standout tackle Luke Petitgout. Just to repeat this for emphasis, Manning is just over half way through his third season. Tony Romo of the Cowboys has clipboards older than that.
Then there is Tiki Barber. When your name sounds like a rum drink the odds are you are neither philosopher or strategist. But there was Barber sounding off to the New York media about play calling after a 12 run/42 pass misfire against Jacksonville. Barber and tight end Jeremy Shockey have both taken time from their busy schedules this season to advise Coughlin through the media on the proper way to run an offense. All that was missing was Fred McMurray whisphering into Barber's ear that it wasn't really mutiny at all and that Captain Queeg Coughlin was going to sink the Giants ship.
Underpining it all is a fatalistic sense in Giants land that a lengthening shadow is forming in Texas and will soon darken the skys in Gotham. Darth Parcells has donned his helmet and the empire will soon be enslaved by the star boys. Tony Romo is Staubach with a quicker relase. The end is at hand. Doom, doom, doom!
In the middle of this madness you step back, unless you are the New
York media or apparently the Giants players themselves, and look at the
standings. If the Giants beat Dallas on Sunday (and they have once
already this season) they will be in a 7-5 tie with the Cowboys with
the tiebreaker advantage and 4 games to go. Three straight losses are not a positive sign, but the season is not over by a long shot. That is, unless the panic is so complete it causes a complete collapse.
This is where we find out alot about Coughlin, the coach, and Manning the quarterback. Coughlin has brooked minor mutiny throughout the season without resorting to the iron fist he was well known for earlier in his career. Now is not the time for kinder, gentler Coughlin. As for Manning, he will become a leader only by becoming a leader. It is time for him to make the Giants his team and to make sure Barber and Shockey are aware of his presence. No more Mr. Nice Manning.
As for the rest of us, the media included, it's time to sit back and watch. Don't predict the fall of Rome until at least the first fires by the Coliseum. Ceasar is not dead yet, but young Barber and Shockey have a lean and hungry look. This challenge had best be met soon, or the empire will have fallen before Manning the boy king can be crowned.
As a Cowboy fan hoping the Giants can extend their streak to at least one more loss in a row, which is to admit I am biased, let me say this......
Coughlin is no stranger to mutiny's. His reputation has been to be colorless, harsh, unyielding and dogmatic. The best I can remember anyone saying about Coughlin prior to his coaching the Giants is that he's "in the mold of Tom Landry". Well maybe so but times change and even Landry's players were mutineers towards the end.
I hardly think Eli is the problem. I suspect the primary problem is the Big C.
Hey Tiki and Shockey said what they felt was needed to say. Did they take the wrong approach in doing it, thats an argument all on its own but hey ill take a player who can give me his adivce on whats going wrong with a team anyday. I guess they felt that the only was they could get through to their coach is through the media, then hey the sky is the limit baby. Some of Coughlin plays were no good i agree but the plays that were good weren't executed by his players, a coach can only do so much, it isnt like hes throwing the ball or receiving it, or even playing on defense for that matter, his job is to set the guidelines to guide this team and give them plays to execute. To me Coughlin is doing both of them but as for his team, they need to just execute. The giants offensive line is just horrible, therefore putting alot of pressure on Eli. Eli has absolutely no time to set his feet and throw a good ball and when he does his flam of a receiver P.Burress doesn't do his part. I mean come on burress is 6 feet 5 inches at a glance you would think that he would be dominating but nope haven't seen it yet. As for tiki he probably owes the last few years of his career to Coughlin who teached him how to carry the ball, before coughlin tiki fumbled the ball atleast once a game but now he rarely does. Ultimately its the players that win games. To sum it all up the Giants Will recover bringing back all those bandwagoners on that beautiful wagon once again but this time they will be coming on the Giant express..All Aboard
Go Colts!!!
Last edited by samcolts on November 27th at 10:37 PM.
