New Yorkers loves their players who work hard like themselves. They like guys who produce and get the job done. They love winners.
Unlike the Jets, the Giants embody those traits. This is an organization that made the playoffs 31 times, which is the most amongst any NFL team. They won seven championships, 16 NFC East titles and 10 NFC Conference Championships. They feature many Hall of Famers in their successful history.
It’s no wonder why New Yorkers love the Giants over the Jets. They know winners when they see one.
The Giants provide a refreshing approach. They don’t self-promote or talk a good game. They go out and produce. They know they are good, so they don’t need to talk about it. It’s something the Jets can learn from after flaming out with high expectations this year.
This has always been Tom Coughlin’s philosophy. He talks about how talk is cheap and that his team has to play the game. It is simple yet effective. It’s not something the new wave of coaches like to do anymore. They encourage their young players to express themselves, and they spend most of the time taunting the other teams.
Quite frankly, many teams should follow Coughlin’s lead. No fan cares about comments leading up to the game. It’s noise at best. They only care about the end result and nothing else.
Jets head coach Rex Ryan is finally finding out what happens if his team failed to meet expectations despite promises. He has been getting ripped by the local media, and some Jets fans have expressed their outrage about his coaching performance.
There’s something to be said about doing your job, and the Giants have done it so well. They are not getting the local coverage the Jets need, and they are okay with it. They know if they advance in the playoffs, they will get coverage.
The Giants received a nice ovation Monday night when they were watching the Knicks earning another embarrassing loss to the Raptors. Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz was the center of attention by sportswriters and the fans. He even was serenaded with salsa music and a standing ovation when he was introduced to the crowd. This is how a team earns respect.
Granted, the Jets were the center of attention in town in the last two years at this month. They went to the AFC Championship Game in both years, but they failed to go to the Super Bowl. Falling short fuels anger in the end.
There’s so much to like about the Giants. The players never embarrass the organization. Most of them are so quiet that I wonder if they have personality. During training camp, the Giants bored me during interviews on WFAN’s Benigno and Roberts show. I encouraged Evan Roberts to tell Giants to show personality, but he didn’t bother.
It turns out Giants are not here for entertainment. They are here to work and earn their pay. That’s the approach New Yorkers take when they do their jobs. They don’t talk or fool around, which is what a professional should be doing.
That’s a credit to Coughlin for creating an environment for success. He works so hard at his job, and that filters to the players. His players take notice of it, so they don’t want to put him down. They want to be an identity of their coach.
It’s no coincidence a coach sets the tone of the team. If a coach is serious, it will have an effect on the players. Coughlin thinks football, so the players will follow his lead. Ryan acts like a loudmouth, so players start acting like him and be undisciplined in the process.
The proof is in the pudding whose approach is good. There has to be no debate whatsoever.
If Coughlin wins a second Super Bowl, there’s no question Jets fans will encourage Ryan to be like Coughlin. Jets fans do not react well when the Giants do well. The same can be said for Jets owner Woody Johnson.
The Giants have a chance to create a 2008 this season. They can go on a nice playoff run. They have the quarterback in Eli Manning to make it happen. They have three good pass-rushers in Jason-Pierre Paul, Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora that can affect the opposing quarterback by blitzing him. Giants have an efficient running game in Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.
They match up well with the Packers and the Saints. One has to figure the Giants will beat the Falcons, who do not play defense. If they can win the NFC Championship Game, they are winning the Super Bowl.
It would be a great story if they do. It would show they overachieved. It would show how winning with high character means something, not getting mercenaries or guys that can destroy a team as the Jets demonstrated this season.
There’s no question New Yorkers have always appreciate the Giants for the good and the bad. They know their team always conduct themselves with professionalism, which is hard work and being good citizens on and off the field.
The Giants are a team that New Yorkers should be proud of every year.