Ah, the Agony of Fandom
Is there any team more heartbreaking to root for than the New York Giants?
Two weeks ago, they lost to the Chicago Bears after they tried to make a 52-yard field goal, missed it, then watched as a Bear caught the ball in the end zone and ran it back 108 yards to break the Giants' backs. I have never seen a more dispiriting play in football.
Then, yesterday, they lost to the woeful Tennessee Titans, who entered the game with a 3-7 record, by giving up 24 points in the fourth quarter and losing on a 49-yard field goal with six seconds to go, 24-21.
It was a quarter filled with mistakes. Wide receiver Plexico Burress simply stopped running on a long pass from quarterback Eli Manning, allowing it to be picked off and substantially returned by defender Pacman Jones. Boo. Then Giants linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka appeared to have ended the Titans' last drive of the game by sacking Tennessee quarterback (man, is he going to be good) Vince Young on 4th down. But Kiwanuka inexplicably just...let him go. (I had the image of a shark grabbing a human being, shaking him, then swimming off.) A delighted Young promptly ran for a first down, then led his team to the tying touchdown....
...after which, the Giants got the ball back with about 40 seconds left and the game tied.
Let it go into overtime! I screamed at the television.
Take a breather!Oh no. Manning casually lobbed an interception, his second, to the same Pacman Jones, on a ball that wasn't even close to his receiver. A rookie mistake; he should have thrown the ball out of bounds.
And a couple plays later—you knew the kicker wouldn't miss it—here comes that 49-yard, game-winning field goal.
Tragedy. One of the top three losses in Giants history.
My prescription for the Giants:
1) Fire Tom Coughlin. His players consistently complain about the coaching, even players, like Tiki Barber, who don't make a habit of complaining. They also make mistakes that they should never make at this point in the season. J'accuse.
2) Dump Burress. Every game or two, he simply gives up in the middle of a play. It's killing the Giants.
3) Eli Manning is done, baby, done. Stick a fork in him. He can't run, he can't throw, he doesn't inspire the team, and three years into his career, he looks no better than when he was a rookie. Get rid of him and find someone who can play in New York.
The amazing thing is, the Giants can still win the division, if they beat the surging Cowboys next week and hold on for the rest of the season. But I wouldn't bet the ranch on it.
