New York Giants

New York Giants

Ken Durden / Shutterstock.com

The New York Giants play in the National Football League’s National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The Giants play at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey and they share this with the New York Jets.

The New York Giants were formed in 1925 and are one of five teams that joined the National Football League in that year. Of that five, the Giants are the only team still in existence. The Giants are ranked as the third most successful NFL team ever, winning four NFL titles before the Super Bowl era and four Super Bowls.

The Giants have had some of the best football players ever to play in the NFL, including a total of 28 Hall of Fame players, including Lawrence Taylor, Frank Gifford, and Mel Hein. The team is well known for its rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles, which goes all the way back to 1933 and remains one of the best-supported franchises in the NFL.

Fast Facts

  • Full Name: New York Giants
  • Conference: National Football Conference
  • Division: East
  • Location: New Jersey
  • Stadium Name: MetLife Stadium
  • Year Established: 1925
  • Owner: John Mara and Steve Tisch
  • Head Coach: Ben McAdoo
  • Manager: Jerry Reese
  • Nickname: Big Blue Wrecking Crew
  • Mascot: None
  • Team Colours: Royal blue, red, white

History

Giants vs Cardinals

Giants vs Cardinals (UTBP / Shutterstock.com)

Established in 1925, the New York Giants quickly established themselves as one of the great teams of the early NFL by winning the championship in 1927, 1934, and 1938. During the next few years, they continued their run of good form by reaching another four championship games in 1939, 1941, 1944, and 1946 – although they were unsuccessful in each one. The late 1940s saw the team’s form dwindle and they posted losing seasons in 1947, 1948, and 1949 before returning to success in the 1950s.

The 1950s saw the Giants move to the Yankee Stadium and, in 1956, they won their fourth and final NFL championship. The team, at this time, included Emlen Tunnel – a defensive back who would go on to become the first ever African American player to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The 50s also saw the Giants have two future legends of NFL coaching on their staff with Vince Lombardi their offense coach and Tom Landry the defense coach. These would go on to have success as head coaches of the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys, respectively. 1958 saw the Giants play the Baltimore Colts in the NFL championship game and they were beaten 23-17 in sudden death overtime in a game that many regard as the greatest game of football ever.

The Giants started the 1960s well and made the NFL championship game in 1961, 1962, and 1963. However, this form soon dropped and they only posted two winning seasons between 1964 and 1980. It was during this period that also saw the Giants move from New York to New Jersey, playing their games at the Meadowlands.

The 1980s saw the Giants return to form after assembling a strong team that included line-backers, Harry Carson and Lawrence Taylor, and quarterback, Phil Simms. A Super Bowl win followed in 1986 and again in 1990 although this then led to a dip in form that saw them post just four winning seasons during this decade. They did reach the Super Bowl in 2000 though although they lost to the Baltimore Ravens by 34-7.

Tom Coughlin joined the Giants in 2004 as head coach and has helped them to two Super Bowl wins, including Super Bowl XLII in 2007 and Super Bowl XLVI in 2011 – beating the New England Patriots on both occasions. Since then, the Giants form has suffered and Coughlin left the Giants after the 2015 season.

Super Bowl Appearances

2011 Super Bowl XLVI New York Giants 21 – New England Patriots 17

Played at the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on February 5, 2012, Super Bowl XLVI saw the Giants play the New England Patriots. It was a remarkable game in that the Giants came into the game with the worst record of any winning Super Bowl team, winning just nine games during the season. A close game, the Giants won 21-17 with Eli Manning being named the Most Valuable Player.

2007 Super Bowl XLII New York Giants 17 – New England Patriots 14

The University of Phoenix Stadium was the venue for Super Bowl XLII which saw the Giants play the New England Patriots. Regarded as one of the biggest upsets in sport, the Giants defeated 12-point favourites – the Patriots – by 17-14 with Eli Manning the Giants’ quarterback being named the Most Valuable Player.

2000 Super Bowl XXXV Baltimore Ravens 34 – New York Giants 7

The Giants played the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV on January 28, 2001 at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay. The Giants were dominated by the Ravens from the start and were eventually defeated 34-7, the Giants only being allowed 152 yards of offense.

1990 Super Bowl XXV Buffalo Bills 19 – New York Giants 20

Super Bowl XXV was one of the closest ever Super Bowl games that saw the Giants take on the Buffalo Bills. The Giants eventually ran out 20-19 winners with Ottis Anderson being named the Most Valuable Player after carrying the ball 21 times for 102 yards and a touchdown.

1986 Super Bowl XXI Denver Broncos 20 – New York Giants 39

Played at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, California, Super Bowl XXI saw the New York Giants capture their first ever Super Bowl title, playing against the Denver Broncos. After a close first half, the Giants scored 17 points in the third quarter that established an unassailable lead and eventually saw them win 39-20 in a game watched by over 87 million viewers.

Stadium

MetLife Stadium

MetLife Stadium (Richard Cavalleri / Shutterstock.com)

The New York Giants play their home games at the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It was opened in 2010. Uniquely, the stadium is shared between the Giants and the New York Jets and was built from funds provided by both teams at a total cost of $1.6 billion. This makes it the most expensive stadium ever built in the NFL and it is also one of the largest with a capacity of over 82,000.

The design of the stadium reflects the fact that it is shared equally between two New York teams. The outer skin and lighting of the stadium can be switched easily between the two teams’ respective colours depending upon who is playing. Unlike many other recently built NFL stadiums it does not feature a roof, thanks to a problem with funding during the build.

As well as being the Giants and Jets home, the Metlife Stadium has hosted lots of other events, including Wrestlemania 29 and a large number of gigs, including Taylor Swift, Bon Jovi, and One Direction, as well as a number of International soccer games.

Famous Players

Eli Manning

Eli Manning (at the time of writing this article) still plays for the New York Giants and holds Giant franchise records for most touchdown passes, passing yards and completed passes, as well as the NFL record for the most fourth quarter touchdown passes. He has led the Giants to two Super Bowl victories over the New England Patriots winning the Most Valuable Player award in each game.

Lawrence Taylor

One of only two defensive players to have ever won the AP NFL MVP award, Lawrence Taylor made 10 Pro Bowls, 10 All Pro selections, and also won two Super Bowls with the Giants. Not just one of the best players ever to play for the Giants, he is one of the very best defensive players ever to play in the NFL.

Emlen Tunnell

The first African American player to play for the Giants and the first African American to be elected to the Hall of Fame, he was also one of the best players ever to play for the Giants. During his career, he had 79 interceptions and made nine Pro Bowls.

Did You Know?

  • The New York Giants aren’t actually based in New York and play their home games in New Jersey.
  • The New York Giants share their home stadium with the New York Jets.
  • The New York Giants actual name is the New York Football Giants and were named so to distinguish themselves from the New York Giants baseball team.
  • The Mara family have owned (or partly-owned) the Giants since its inception.
  • The Giants were the first ever pro football team to retire a number, the number one in honour of Ray Flaherty.
  • The Giants’ stadium – MetLife Stadium – is the world’s most expensive stadium, opening in 2010 and costing an estimated $1.6 billion to build.