Matt Simms was a guest on a radio show with his brother Chris, and Mike Florio, talking about being a Jaguars fan as a kid. (Apparently Matt liked the Jags, because he thought their logo was cool.)
Anyway, when the Jaguars lost an AFC Championship game, Matt referred to it as his “first emotional, devastating football moment”.
It got me thinking about MY first devastating (Giants) football moment.
Back in 1965, my first year watching every Giants game, the NFL was comprised of two, 7-team conferences (East and West). At the end of the 14-game season, the winners of the East and West played for the NFL championship.
The NFL also held an extra postseason game during the 60s (60-69) which was kind of weird, as it pitted the two second place teams against each other (East vs. West). It was known as the Playoff Bowl or the Runner-Up Bowl, or by its’ official title, the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl. (Yes, for 10 years the NFL actually played a postseason game to determine the league’s 3rd best team.)
The last Giants game of the ’65 regular season was against Dallas, with the winner representing the East in the Playoff Bowl. If you don’t know (or haven’t already guessed) the Giants lost that game (38-20) and the Cowboys (not my Giants) advanced to the Playoff Bowl.
At the end of the game, I remember leaving the room, so my Dad couldn’t see that my eyes were welling up with tears. (I really, really wanted that Playoff Bowl game.) It was my first (of many) devastating, Giants football moments.
What was your FIRST devastating, Giants football moment?
Please note: I’m not looking for your MOST devastating, Giants football moment, but for your very FIRST moment…which for most of us, would have been when we were kids and not when we were adults, watching DeSean Jackson or Flipper Anderson screw us.
Feel free to share your story.
LT’s and Simms’ last game as Giants.
It extra sucked losing that bad to the 49ers.
Second was 1997 wild card round vs Minnesota.
Even when we were up 34-0 in 00 NFC title game, I was still a bit nervous that the game was in the bag, Haha. That 97 game scarred me that much.
How about blaming the defense for the collapse?
That is really a terrible memory for me, to see them get eliminated in person like that.
I was there also...I believe that was OT
Quote:
the 1989 game against the Rams where Flipper Anderson caught the TD pass with a minute left and ran into the tunnel and never came back on to the field.
That is really a terrible memory for me, to see them get eliminated in person like that.
I was there also...I believe that was OT
Yeah it was overtime
I forgot the 88 finale vs the Jets. I was there not sure how I forgot that awful day. That's on the list.
Quote:
Fuck you Trey Junkin.
How about blaming the defense for the collapse?
It's like people forget why Junkin was there in the first place. The Giants FG operation that year had been a complete mess, Bob Jones had the yips as their long snapper and was replaced around Thanksgiving. Then Dan O'Leary got hurt in Week 16 so they had to sign Junkin out of retirement.
Then you had Jeremy Shockey whooping it up on the bench taunting 49ers fans in the 3rd quarter before it all fell apart.
The defense melted.
Shockey dropped what should have been another TD (after the Giants had 1st-and-goal at the 3).
The offense going three-and-out twice then having a shitty punt and unsportsmanlike penalty give the 49ers the ball at the NYG 27.
That was an undisciplined, weak-willed team that imploded in every single facet of the game. I used to think (and a lot of people still think) that if the Giants had won that game they could have beaten TB the next week. I'm here to tell you that they would have had their f'ing doors blown off by that Bucs defense.
And the Fumble and F'ing Flipper.
Well, this is the most DEVASTATING one, but the opening night game against SF pissed me off. Johnny Lynn's defense was a fucking sieve on that last possession. Garcia and Hearst tore us apart and then that fat fuck Jose Cortez nailed the GW FG.
Runner up: Giants home loss to Eagles in '88, when LT blocked field goal only for Clyde Simmons to run it in off the bounce without breaking stride. Caveat: I was out of the country and didn't see the infamous Jets debacle live.
Honorable mention: home loss to Dallas in '87, right before the strike. Allegre just barely hooked a fg wide that would have made us 1-1. Instead, 0-2 became 0-5 and season over.
"Bummer"...I can't tell you how much I enjoyed the fact that Steve Mariucci never won shit as a head coach.
Quote:
In comment 17097434 Jay on the Island said:
Quote:
Fuck you Trey Junkin.
How about blaming the defense for the collapse?
It's like people forget why Junkin was there in the first place. The Giants FG operation that year had been a complete mess, Bob Jones had the yips as their long snapper and was replaced around Thanksgiving. Then Dan O'Leary got hurt in Week 16 so they had to sign Junkin out of retirement.
Then you had Jeremy Shockey whooping it up on the bench taunting 49ers fans in the 3rd quarter before it all fell apart.
The defense melted.
Shockey dropped what should have been another TD (after the Giants had 1st-and-goal at the 3).
The offense going three-and-out twice then having a shitty punt and unsportsmanlike penalty give the 49ers the ball at the NYG 27.
That was an undisciplined, weak-willed team that imploded in every single facet of the game. I used to think (and a lot of people still think) that if the Giants had won that game they could have beaten TB the next week. I'm here to tell you that they would have had their f'ing doors blown off by that Bucs defense.
I tend to agree. The 02 NYG offense was nowhere near as good as the folklore might suggest. They scored 320 pts that season. That blows. They got hot down the stretch while lighting up a bad dallas team and a good colts team. They were streaky but not consistent.
The sad thing is Kerry Collins and Ron Dixon hooked up for a huge play on that last fateful drive before the Junkin FG ST issues cropped up once again. Would have been nice to celebrate Dixon and Collins getting that team off the mat but it wasn't meant to be.
There's little chance that offense scores 28+ against the Bucs but the sad thing is we'll never know.
That is really a terrible memory for me, to see them get eliminated in person like that.
This is quite precisely my same answer. There’s tough losses then there’s Flipper Anderson live.
Quote:
Fuck you Trey Junkin.
How about blaming the defense for the collapse?
or Shockey for dropping a sure TD? or the ref for not calling penalty on the Junkin play for PI which the NFL acknowledged the next day. Way too many other things in this game to make it an all time "devastating loss". They lost for the same reasons they always lost under Fassel: sloppy, undisciplined play and behavior.
I learned 2 things that day: 1 Shockey was a million $ talent and a 2 cent head and 2 Collinsworth is a complete idiot. Aikman saw the PI and was trying to call it out while that asshole screaming other inanities.
Quote:
the 1989 game against the Rams where Flipper Anderson caught the TD pass with a minute left and ran into the tunnel and never came back on to the field.
That is really a terrible memory for me, to see them get eliminated in person like that.
This is quite precisely my same answer. There’s tough losses then there’s Flipper Anderson live.
The ending of this game stands out in my mind.
There are teams that have had it worse than us, for sure. But I cannot think of a team that has such a massive gap between XLII and Joe Pisarcik, to take just two examples...
I was 11 years old living in New England just as the Pats bandwagon was picking up steam. Dave Meggett had a punt return TD to swing the game in the 4th...for the Patriots. Devastating. Still pisses me off thinking about it, haha
In the late 70's, Van Pelt and Jennings were the only Giants who would regularly get Pro Bowl nods.
Was crushed when Van Pelt was traded.
Little did I know, he's be replaced with my NEW favorite Giant!
Initially went for the tailgate parties, but quickly fell in love with the sad sack team.
Lou
I'm sure the words "consolation game" were used to refer to that game, but my research suggested it was called the Playoff Bowl, Runner-Up Bowl, or officially as, the Bert Bell Benefit Bowl.
Anybody here at the game??
If yes,where were you sitting??
So, I started watching more religiously with my dad.
They didn't start 1983 off great, but weren't terrible, I think they were 3-2 or 2-3 and then Phil Simms on a follow through of a throw hit his hand on the helmet of an Eagles player and broke his thumb. Missed the rest of the season. I was devastated.
Not because I loved Simms at that point, but I felt like at that age he was the QB and they needed him. He missed the rest of the season and I don't think the Giants won another game after that injury.
2002 meltdown vs 49ers was on a different level. I was beyond fully invested by that time. The rage and disappointment over that game has gone unmatched and truly could only be felt by a teenager with no perspective on the real world
Good times
Same. The 2000 Superbowl lost was up there too but I felt we didn't have a chance against that Ravens defense.
Another noteable mention: 2010 against the Eagles when our punter kicked it right to Desean.
In the late 70's, Van Pelt and Jennings were the only Giants who would regularly get Pro Bowl nods.
Was crushed when Van Pelt was traded.
Little did I know, he's be replaced with my NEW favorite Giant!
Wasn't Van Pelt traded for Tony Galbreath? I didn't cheat. I think I got it right. Galbreath was terrific here the ultimate 3rd down back.
I mean to say starting in 1964
Of course 1/5/03 still bugs me to this day. I went for like a 3 plus hour walk after the game in shock. It didn't help that I had to piss every like 20 minutes because of the beer I had consumed that game initially in celebration then complete despair, Haha. Thankfully places back then weren't so stingy about 'No public restrooms'.
Anyways-to echo Greg-I'm so glad Mooch never won shit after his 'Bummer' comment. I fucking hate that man.