ntang: (Default)
ntang ([personal profile] ntang) wrote2008-01-14 07:40 am

Giants win!

I cannot tell you how happy it made me that the Giants finally beat those assholes down in Dallas.

Added bonus: making T.O. cry.


I have to say, at the beginning of the year, I thought the Giants were en route to a terrible season, but bit by bit they've really proven themselves to be scrappy and tough and I really appreciate that. They don't always win "pretty", but they grind it out and fight to the end - an attitude they've had missing for several years. It's good to see.

P.S. Before anyone gets on my case for mocking Owens, let's not forget who we're talking about here:

[identity profile] wyliekat.livejournal.com 2008-01-14 02:15 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm kinda happy about that win, too. However, all football joy has been sucked out of my life.

[identity profile] ntang.livejournal.com 2008-01-14 02:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I know. I watched most of the Colts game - I was shocked.

[identity profile] wyliekat.livejournal.com 2008-01-14 02:34 pm (UTC)(link)
I wasn't, really. Too many damned injuries over the year, too many rusty players, the D didn't turn up and really - Peyton was off his game. Red zone was almost non-existent. Breaks my heart, but it wasn't their year.

[identity profile] ntang.livejournal.com 2008-01-14 02:45 pm (UTC)(link)
I dunno - banged up or not, it was still surprising to me. The Chargers have had their own struggles, and after losing both Rivers and LT I figured they'd be toast - those two players are supposed to be their entire offense, but somehow they managed to keep going, which was impressive.

I was disappointed by Peyton - he started off sharp (11/11!) and looked like he was going to have a great game, but at the end he just seemed to run out of juice. I was hoping for a Manning-bowl in February, so I was sad to see them go. That, and I don't really like the Chargers.

Honestly, at the beginning of the playoffs, I figured the Colts would move on to next round to get knocked out by the Patriots, and the Giants would lose to Green Bay, making it a Pats/ GB superbowl. There's still a pretty damn good chance of that, I guess, but I was still surprised by the Colts.

Here's hoping my initial prediction about GB/Giants was wrong... but the way the G-men have played in the cold for the past few years, I have trouble predicting anything else.

[identity profile] wyliekat.livejournal.com 2008-01-14 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
They should've been toast, but the D was not live. Maybe it was the lack of Freeney, though I've never thought of them as a one-player D.

But yeah - it's like they couldn't get the momentum going. Their precision wasn't there. And like I said . . they just tanked in the red zone.

You know, re: your prediction - that would probably be the superbowl match up I'd most like give a miss to. Seriously - Green Bay and the Pats? *shudders*

[identity profile] ntang.livejournal.com 2008-01-14 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, I dunno - I think it could be a hell of a game. Between the Pats' relentless high-level play, and Favre's experience and skill and luck, it could be fun. But the only one I'd really be interested in seeing on a personal level would be the Giants offing the Pats.

Basically: I'm happy the Cowgirls were knocked out of contention, and I don't have strong feelings towards any other team. I do like Brett Favre, he seems like a nice guy and has a heck of a scrappy record as a QB. I don't like anyone on the Pats, but I do like Bill Belichick and think a lot of the arguments about fair play and sportsmanship are a bit overblown.

It sucks to be on the receiving end, but having watched the Giants blow multiple late-game leads because they went easy on their opponent, and being of the mindset that these guys are being paid to win, not to coddle their opponents, I say hell with it - play to win. If your team doesn't want to be humiliated, then play to win. The Giants were massive underdogs and almost stopped their undefeated season - and that's how it has to be played.

I do wonder if he's done any cheating - spygate and the like - and I hope not. But cheat or not, the man is a freaking genius - what other coach has ever managed a team as well, overall? Some of it's luck, of course, but you don't have a season like this or a track record like he's had in NE without having some real talent and putting in some real effort. And, y'know, he's a grump but he doesn't trash talk and seems to care mostly about how he feels about himself and how his players feel and less about public opinion, and I respect that.

I just wish he'd come coach the Giants. ;)

[identity profile] wyliekat.livejournal.com 2008-01-14 05:42 pm (UTC)(link)
I really don't like Favre. I've seen some commentary he's made in the media over the past few years and he seems all to aware of his own status as "scrappy, legend-still-playing quarterback". It gets on my nerves. When the much ballyhoo'ed rookie quarterback was drafted to follow him (Alex Rodgers? Can't quite remember), the media asked him if he would mentor the guy and his response was all "No, that's not my job. He's got to survive on his own."

Hello? Threatened much?

Also, all the bollocks about retiring/not retiring just bugs me. It's selfish and at least a little bit about self-gratification, hearing the fans bemoan his retirement.

As for Belichick . . . cheat or no, I think that they lost a lot of their fire when their coaches all moved along, which to me suggests he's not *that* much of a genius, except maybe in terms of coach selection (most likely a very important skill in it's own right). However, a number of players have fled the Pats, citing what borders on "chilly climate". I actually think that Dungy is a good contrast to Billy - an example of how you can lead dispassionately without coming off as a borderline aspergers personality with savante skills.