"Finish." That was Giants' coach Tom Coughlin's theme for the season. During the four-game losing streak, it seemed more like: "Finished." Again, the bounces seemed to go their way. They twice recovered their own fumbles. Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez dropped passes at crucial moments. Welker made a diving catch in bounds on the final drive that took a lot of time off the clock. Eli found another receiver, Mario Manningham, to make an unbelievable play that seemed a prayer. And the pass rush, absent most of the game, stepped up in the fourth quarter. Coughlin, who fans and writers wanted fired, is now being talked of as a Hall of Famer. Good for him. He's a stand up guy, a stern, old-fashion task master. There are too few of them. Offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride has once again been vindicated. And the stature of the Ryan family of coaches seems diminished even further. The Giants win should be a lesson to every team in the modern NFL - it's possible to quickly turn things around. Take heart Jets fans. Your team is not that far away.
I do not like Bill Belichick, but he is a heckuva coach. When he deferred after winning the opening coin toss, I did not understand it. When the offense drove the length of the field to take an eight point lead at the start of the second half, it seemed a stroke of genius. I should have known better than to doubt him. Then he boldly allowed Ahmad Bradshaw to score in order to give the great Tom Brady more time to try and pull out a win. I question this move only because Bradshaw has shown a propensity to fumble. Even if the Giants would have had to settle for a field goal attempt, snaps have gone awry or been dropped (ask Tony Romo), and kicks have been blocked, as the Giants did in Dallas to start their incredible run to their third Super Bowl title. Still, I give Belichick credit for uncommon guts and guile. As Brady launched that last Hail Mary, I held my breath, wondering if the Giants' luck would run out. If Gronkowski's ankle had not been damaged, he might have gotten to that deflected pass. Maybe God has changed his allegiance from the Skankees to the Giants. Many are touting Manning as the greatest Giants QB of all-time. He will have to exhibit the same level of play he did this year to match the consistent excellence of Phil Simms and Y.A. Tittle. I did not see Charlie Connerly play. Even I am not that old.
I thank the gentleman who purchased the miniature New Testament, my only sale of the day, as the Russians are passing on the current box of books I have on display, which, judging by the covers, seem to be sci-fi. Maybe tomorrow.
I also thank Adam and Sharon for the great food and company at their annual party. They've bought a house in Marine Park. I'll have to drive to next year's bash. Best of luck, my friends.
Read Vic's stories, free:
http://members.tripod.com/vic_fortezza/Literature
No comments:
Post a Comment