HOF Game Countdown: 9 Days to Ryan Nassib
Nine Days to Ryan Nassib
Now… who knows just how much playing time Ryan Nassib will get when the New York Football Giants take on the Buffalo Bills in the land of the Hall of Fame: Canton, Ohio. In NINE days, team BLUE will make their presence felt in a place where legends go to be remembered and immortalized. There’s many a GIANT superstar that graces those hallowed halls, exceptional men like Harry Carson. Mr. Carson isn’t specifically a number nine, but he did in fact have one of the coolest moments against nine men in the history of cool moments. A moment that will soon be revisited in a sense at the Hall of Fame Game, but back to that and Ryan Nassib in a minute. First…
The Harry Carson Nine:
"“The Hall of Fame will never validate me. I know my name will be in there, but I take greater pride in the fact that my teammates looked at me as someone they could count on. I still remember, and I will remember this for the rest of my life, the Super Bowl against Denver. We had three captains — me, Phil Simms and George Martin. But when it came time for the coin toss before the game, I started to go out and looked around for those guys. Bill Parcells said to me: ‘No. You go. Just you.’ And that was about the coolest feeling I’ve ever had in the world — going out to midfield for the Super Bowl, as the lone captain. There were nine Denver Broncos out there, and me. Just me. An awesome responsibility. The greatest respect.”"
That’s from this page — HERE — make sure to read those words. They’re from Harry Carson, himself. Think about this, it’s worth repeating in bold:
Bill Parcells said to me: ‘No. You go. Just you.’ And that was about the coolest feeling I’ve ever had in the world — going out to midfield for the Super Bowl, as the lone captain. There were nine Denver Broncos out there, and me. Just me. An awesome responsibility. The greatest respect.”
Imagine that for a brief moment… really pretend you’re there with thousands and thousands in attendance… all of the leading hype to get there. And then, actually going out in that particular environment, nine Denver Broncos and just you — Harry Carson — desperately wanting to win the Super Bowl. Knowing everyone around the entire world is watching, wanting, needing, and some depending on you with everything they are, or with all of their money on the line. And you’re one single man, bound and determined to dominate these men standing in front of you in the biggest moments of their lives as well.
Seriously? Nine on one at the Super Bowl coin toss? What a story. In the upcoming Hall of Fame game in nine days, Harry Carson will be there again, centerfield in his Canton backyard. You know, where greatness goes to bloom into legendary memories. Harry Carson will be facing off against an old foe, Bills Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. It will be a moment that will call back the emotions of the Harry Carson Nine. However, according to this read from the Hall of Fame website titled: Jim Kelly, Harry Carson to Participate in Coin Toss at NFL/Hall of Fame Game —
"Carson will represent the Giants franchise during the coin toss. It was another coin toss that ranks as Carson’s greatest moment of his Hall of Fame career that spanned from 1976-1988. The nine-time Pro Bowl linebacker shared a story during the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s first-ever Fan Fest in early May about how he served as the lone captain for the pre-game flip in Super Bowl XXI, the team’s first Super Bowl."
Did you catch that? Nine- time Pro Bowler, nine days to the Hall of Fame game. Sure, it’s also nine days to Ryan Nassib, the Giants current number nine. However, how cool will it be for Giants Nation to relive this moment with one of their true greats living one of his ultimate moments. So cool.
For Ryan Nassib, if you really want to get a good look, you’ll have to check out our offseason piece, Giants QB Simms-ulator: Evaluating Ryan Nassib. Something that was written a couple months back by @AdamGaneles, but still holds true going into the preseason:
"The Ryan Nassib era is upon us Giants’ Nation. Well… at least the era of Nassib as the backup quarterback to Eli Manning. Or so it would appear on paper. With Josh Freeman removed from the equation after just a month, the door couldn’t be more wide open for the former Syracuse standout. If Nassib can’t beat out an ailing Curtis Painter and journeyman Rusty Smith (since waived) for the backup spot, then he’s not good enough to perform at this level; plain and simple."
Over the course of the next nine days, you won’t learn too much about Ryan Nassib. However, the New York Football Giants play five games this preseason. This will give the young gunslinger ample opportunity to display his arm talent and prove his value. Franchise QB you insist? That’s not a sentiment shared by George Willis of the New York Post, who strongly believes nobody should count on Nassib.
Now obviously, if you’re writing a piece saying Manning needs to step it up, suggesting Nassib is a star might prove counter-effective. That being said, it would be nice if some of these guys would let a kid have an opportunity or two, before they declare: “He’s not the guy — like it’s already yesterday’s fact.
The fact is that Ryan Nassib is 24 year old, playing professional football for a living. He did it so well, he was drafted in the fourth round and his collegiate coach was promoted to the NFL. For someone to say, “he’s not”, you’d think he’s already stocking shelves in Kurt Warner‘s old stock boy outfit.
This GMEN HQ writer calls shenanigans. Who knows if Ryan Nassib will excel, bust, or be average — no one, that’s who — four questions for analysts like George Willis:
- Can Ryan Nassib play the season?
- No, can Ryan Nassib play the preseason?
- Excuse me, can can Ryan Nassib throw one semi-live action pass?
- Better yet, can he put on Giants full pads at least one time in 2014?
Can Ryan Nassib do any of these things before you throw him in the absolute NO section of reality. Predictions are one thing, bold statements are another, saying Eli Manning needs to step it up is a given. Maybe “he’s not”, maybe that kind of label is right. But… why not watch him play.
Maybe at least for the next nine days. Or just give him nine more NO’s and HE’s NOT’s. Either way, football is back, training camp is on and Ryan Nassib will show us what he has to offer in terms of talent for five games. It’s exciting times, and at GMEN HQ, we know and understand that there are many fans pulling for Nassib to succeed and impress. In nine days, number nine will begin to show Giants Nation which side is more accurate.