When it comes to football in New York, the Giants are the big brother; the Jets are the little brother. The Giants have won 2 Super Bowls in the last 5 years, giving the franchise 4 in total, compared to the Jets lone one, back in 1968. Yet it’s always the case of the Jets having the media spotlight on them. If it isn’t their boisterous head coach Rex Ryan guaranteeing a Super Bowl, or the dysfunctional locker room of the 2011 season, it’s the quarterback situation for the 2012 season with Mark Sanchex and the latest signing of Tim Tebow. Oh how the media loves the New York Jets. The Giants are the defending Super Bowl champions; yes they do like to stay under the radar and out of the media spotlight, but come on, show some acknowledgement to the champs. After all this is the Giants’ city.
Last season Eli Manning made a statement saying he believed he was an elite quarterback in the NFL, and did the criticism ever begin. Sports analysts were quick to criticize Eli for thinking he was in the same category as Drew Brees, Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and even his big brother Peyton. Yet Eli already had a Super Bowl victory and Super Bowl MVP under his belt, having beaten Tom Brady in the process. That’s just as many as Brees, Rogers, and Peyton, yet Eli was wrong for believing he was elite in the eyes of many. Where’s the respect? Well Eli proved his critics wrong, once again, he was without a doubt the best quarterback in the 4th quarter last season, and led the Giants to the NFC East title, beat Aaron Rogers at Lambeau Field in the Divisional Round and led the Giants to the Super Bowl and beat who….Tom Brady…..once again. Eli racked up another Super Bowl MVP and now has more Super Bowl rings then Brees, Rodgers, and big brother Peyton. So who’s not elite now? Then after the Super Bowl every analyst wanted to sing Eli’s praises after they had criticized him at the start of the season, talk about two faced.
Now Joe Flacco, quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens said he was the best quarterback in the NFL, and has to feel that way to be successful. Now there is nothing wrong with thinking that but this is pro sports and Eli was dogged for saying he was elite. Flacco now says he’s the best yet I haven’t heard one bit of criticism coming his way because of that. Well let me be the first, Flacco hasn’t led his team to a Super Bowl just yet, so the fact that he thinks he is the best quarterback in the NFL is preposterous.
Now my last point has to do with the latest comments of Michael Vick, quarterback of the Philadelphia Eagles. Vick stated and I quote “When I look at our football team and what we have on paper, I think about when I was growing up and the great San Francisco 49er teams, the great Green Bay Packer teams, and the great Dallas Cowboy teams, how they just positioned themselves to compete and be one of the best teams out there” This is the same Eagles team that deemed themselves the “Dream Team” last season and turned out to be a disorganized bust. I guess Vick forgot the defending champs are in their division and they have to go through the Giants first if they want to be a dynasty.
Like I said, there is no love for Big Blue. The Giants are the defending champs yet all the focus seems to be on teams that couldn’t make the playoffs last season. Give acknowledgement to the Giants, because this is not the team you want to sleep on, because they always seem to surprise you when you least expect it.
