Question: I know you attended Notre Dame. How excited are you that they are in the BCS Title game this year?

Bavaro: “I’m very excited and surprised that they could be this good, this quick. As an alumni, I am very happy for them.”

Question: Was it weird to make the transition from playing for the New York Giants to playing for the Philadelphia Eagles later in your career?

Bavaro: “Well, I took the year off after the Super Bowl season of 1990. I played for the Browns before I landed in Philadelphia. So by the time I got there, the animosity was out of my system. But it was a little strange going back to Giants Stadium to play the Giants in an Eagles jersey. But, the NFL is a business and you get over that quick enough when the paycheck comes in and you realize who’s paying you.”

Question: What is your proudest moment in football?

Bavaro: “I don’t have one specific moment, but as you get older you look back and the highlight of any ones career would be winning a championship. So, I would say the Super Bowl winning seasons in 86’ and 90’, they were great years.”

Question: Do you plan to release another book in the future?

Bavaro: “I have no plans, but writing is my hobby so you never know if i’m going to write something people will want to buy. So… I’m not saying yes and I’m not saying no, we’ll see what happens.”

Question: Do you prefer the old Giants stadium or MetLife stadium?

Bavaro: “I definitely prefer the old Giants stadium. It is special to me and I miss it.”

Question: I was at Metlife stadium when the Giants unveiled their own Ring of Honor. How did it feel to be a part of that ceremony?

Bavaro: “That was special. It was an honor to go up there with all those great names. I loved it for myself, but I do think a lot more of my teammates from the 86’ and 90’ teams should have been acknowledged there as well. But… I’m sure in time those guys will get recognized.”

Question: If you could be any athlete in football this day and age, who would you choose?

Bavaro: “I’ve always liked Jason Witten, he’s been the best tight end for quite some time.  Rob Gronkowski is coming up strong though. But nowadays, there are so many great tight ends, almost every team has one and that certainly wasn’t the case years ago. Now people realize how important a tight end is to a team whether it is for receiving or blocking or both. There were not a lot of all-around tight ends when I played. As a former tight end, it is really nice to see that position gain some prominence.”

Question: What’s your prediction on tonight’s Giants game when they go up against RGIII and the Redskins?

Bavaro: “I think the Giants will win, they are a great team. RGIII is a great quarterback. He is just an outstanding athlete all around. His only flaw is that he’s young, so hopefully the Giants defense can take advantage of that and rattle him. But, if RGIII gets comfortable, they are in for a long night.”

*I would like to thank Mark Bavaro for taking his time out to give his professional insight.

Question: What was it like being coached by two of the best in Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick?

Carson: ”It was good, maybe you should ask them how it was to coach guys like me and Lawrence Taylor”, he said jokingly. “No, but they were great coaches and taught me a lot. They really made me become a better player and helped me realize a championship.”

I also mentioned to him that Bill Belichick referred to him as the best linebacker he has ever coached. His response was “Well I’d have to agree with him on that, I’m a little biased.”

Question: What was it like being a member of the Big Blue Wrecking Crew defense in the 1980s?

Carson: ”We had a great group of guys. As a captain, the guys really did everything the coaches and I asked of them. We had a lot of fun playing the game during those years.”

Question: I was at Metlife stadium when the Giants unveiled their own Ring of Honor. How did it feel to be a part of that ceremony? 

Carson: ”It was great. When you play the game for a team like the Giants, there is a lot of history and tradition. It’s an honor to be the first class that they inducted.”

Question: What was your proudest moment throughout your NFL career?

Carson: ”The Super Bowl in 1986 when I went out as the lone captain for the coin toss.”

Question: What was it like to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Carson: ”It was an honor to represent the Giants and my teammates in the Hall of Fame. It really meant a lot to me.”

Question: Would you be able to tell us about your role with the retired NFL players?

Carson: ”I’ve tried to be an advocate on behalf of those retired players that really don’t have a voice, like I was as captain of the Giants.”

Question: If you could be any athlete in football this day and age, who would you choose?

Carson: ”There are a number of great players in the league. If I had to pick one, it would be Patrick Willis on the San Francisco 49ers. He is a very active inside linebacker, which I admire.”

Question: What do you think of the Giants opposing quarterback tonight, Robert Griffin III?

Carson: ”RGIII is a super athlete. He is the most athletic quarterback I have ever seen, period. He has 4-3 speed, just the complete package. He is the key for the Redskins to get to the next level.”

*I would like to thank Harry Carson for taking his time out to give his professional insight.

Harry Carson was a stand out linebacker at Southern Carolina University where he majored in Education. A little know factoid about Harry Carson is that he also completed graduate work at Fairleigh Dickinson University too. Harry was drafted in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the New York Giants

Most amazing about his 13 year NFL career with the Giants, Harry Carson was team captain for 10 years. During those 13 years with the Giants, Carson played in a total of 173 games starting 149 of those games. He added 8 sacks, 11 ints, and 14 fumble recovers. In depth statistics are lacking due to the era in which he played and what stats were kept accurately. Harry was known as the heart and sole of the Giants defense and he was extremely close to the Mara family.

Upon his retirement from the NFL Harry started broadcasting and currently works for numerous charity organizations. Fond of his NY Giants, Harry still considers himself a Giant and can be found at numerous Giants events throughout the year. Harry was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2006.

Let us know what you think of Harry Carson and sound off in the comments section

@tom_brant on twitter

]]> http://gmenhq.com/2012/03/19/giants-ring-of-honorharry-carson/feed/ 0 http://gmenhq.com/2012/03/12/giants-ring-of-honor-frank-gifford/ http://gmenhq.com/2012/03/12/giants-ring-of-honor-frank-gifford/#comments Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:45:58 +0000 Tom Brant http://gmenhq.com/?p=10200 During the off-season, the staff here at GMenHq will be featuring a member of the Giants Ring of Honor on each Monday and Friday.  Today’s feature is on: Frank Gifford Modern day NY Giants fans know Frank Gifford as the announcer, not the legendary halfback, that made his name long before he was picked number [...]

Giants Ring of Honor: Frank Gifford - GMEN HQ - GMEN HQ - A NY Giants Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

During the off-season, the staff here at GMenHq will be featuring a member of the Giants Ring of Honor on each Monday and Friday.  Today’s feature is on: Frank Gifford

Modern day NY Giants fans know Frank Gifford as the announcer, not the legendary halfback, that made his name long before he was picked number one in the 1952 NFL Draft. Gifford played with the Giants from 1952-1960, briefly retired, and then returned to the Giants in 1962 through 1964. He officially retired from the Giants in 1964 and was inducted into the Pro-Football Hall of Fame on July 30, 1977.

As a member of the Giants, Gifford dominated the first half of his career as halfback and playing on defense. In all he played 136 games

Jan 11, 1970; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback (16) Len Dawson is interviewed by Frank Gifford after Super Bowl IV after defeating the Minnesota Vikings 23-7 at Tulane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Photo By Malcolm Emmons- US PRESSWIRE Copyright Malcolm Emmons

for the Giants, rushed for over 3600 yards and 34 touchdowns. When featured as a WR (flanker back in those days), he totaled 367 catches for 5400 yards and 43 touchdowns. He also threw for 14 touchdowns, kicked several extra points/field goals,returned punts and kicks, and intercepted two passes scoring one touchdown. To say the very least, Gifford was an all around threat for the Giants.

In 1971, Frank Gifford joined the Monday Night Football crew where he stayed until 1997. He was one of the longest tenured announcers in the history of the NFL. Frank Gifford has also covered the Olympics, ABC’s wide-world-of-sports, and various other sporting events. Simply put, Frank Gifford is a legend on and off the field!

Let me know your thoughts! Comment here or on twitter @tom_brant

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There is so much to say about the second greatest coach in Giants football history (Yes, I said second; see Steve Owen for the greatest coach in Giants history). First things first: Bill Parcells is not his legal name; Coach was born Duane Charles Parcells in Englewood, New Jersey. As a graduate of Wichita State University, Bill got involved with coaching immediately after graduating. Working his way through the college ranks, Parcells got his big break in 1978 when he was named linebackers coach for the Giants.

In 1979, Ray Perkins named Bill Parcells as his defensive coordinator. Parcells would remain in this role, until he replaced Perkins in 1983 at the age of 43. Parcells got off to a rough, very rough start with the Giants. In his inaugural season as the Giants head coach he was 3-12 with one tie and finished dead last in the NFC East. Parcells followed up that season with three consecutive play-off seasons which ended with a Super Bowl Championship over the Denver Broncos. Think of Phil Simms being nearly perfect for the entire duration of the Super Bowl.

After winning the Super Bowl, the Giants faltered going 6-9 and widespread talk began about Parcells “retiring.” The Giants would miss the play-offs for a second consecutive season in 1988 even though they went 10-6 (they lost a tie breaker to the Eagles).  In 1984 the Giants were a dominating 12-4, but were one and done in the play-offs. A major disappointment to all NY sports fans.

Finally, in 1990 after going 13-3 and running rough shot through the play-offs, the Giants played one of the greatest Super Bowls in the history of the game. After celebrating the missed FG by Scott Norwood, the big tuna was hoisted into the air and rode off into the sunset (or at least we thought he did). This would be considered his first retirement. As a coach with the Giants, Parcells went 77 and 49 with two Super Bowl Championships.

After leaving the Giants, Parcells would go on to coach the Patriots, Jets, the Cowboys, a “CZAR” with the Dolphins, and finally working for ESPN. Parcells was denied entrance into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year and many experts believe it is because of his career of moving between locations. Only time will tell; however, he will go down as one of the greatest coaches in the history of one of the greatest NFL franchises.

Jim Howell may be one of the lesser known members of the New York Giants Ring of Honor. Howell was drafted by the Giants in 1937 and played with the team as a Wide Receiver and defensive back until his retirement in 1947. He played in 74 games starting 50 of them for the Giants. He had 61 catches for 921 yards and 7 touchdowns. He also recorded one interception during his playing tenure.

After his retirement from the Giants as player in 1947, Howell was named head football coach of Wagner University. He was named the Head Football Coach of the Giants in 1954, taking over for former Giants coach and the popular Steve Owen. He helped the Giants to the 1956 Championship and recorded an overall coaching record 53 wins and 27 losses along with 4 ties. One of Howell biggest success  as a Head Coach was having Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi as his coordinators.

After the 1960 season, Howell moved to the front office of the Giants and served in various roles including player development. He finally retired from the Giants organization in 1981. Sadly, he passed away in 1995 in his home state of Arkansas.

Steve Owen is simply a legend that all future Giants stand upon the shoulders of. Steve Owen was born in 1898 in Oklahoma when it was still a territory! Mr. Owen joined the New York Giants in 1926 when he was sold to the team for $500. He played for the Giants from 1926-1931 and then again in 1933. He played in a total of 69 games for the Giants as a player.

Steve Owen then became one of the legendary coaches in the history of the New York Giants. He was the lone head coach of the Giants from 1930-1953. The most amazing fact during his tenure…he never had a contract. It was a handshake agreement between him and the Mara family. Under his tutelage, the Giants played in eight of the first 14 championship games of the National Football League. The team’s victory in the 1934 “Sneakers Game” is well documented. He coached the Giants to another title in 1938. He originated the “umbrella defense” – the secondary was likened to an umbrella with four deep defensive backs representing the umbrella’s spokes. (NFL Hall-of-Fame). He ended his Giants coaching career with a 150-99-17 record. One of the best in Giants history.

After retiring from the Giants, Mr. Owen had coaching stints with the Eagles, the Canadian Football League and the United Football League. He died in May 1964.

Feb 4, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; General view of the NFL logo during a press conference announcing the NFL hall of fame class of 2012 finalists at the JW Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

]]> http://gmenhq.com/2012/03/02/giants-ring-of-honor-steve-owen/feed/ 0 http://gmenhq.com/2012/02/27/giants-ring-of-honor-george-young/ http://gmenhq.com/2012/02/27/giants-ring-of-honor-george-young/#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2012 13:45:28 +0000 Tom Brant http://gmenhq.com/?p=10066 During the off-season, the staff here at GMenHq will be featuring a member of the Giants Ring of Honor on each Monday and Friday.  Today’s feature is on: George Young Simply put: George Young saved the New York Giants football franchise. Before arriving to save the Giants, the Giants had missed the NFL Play-Offs for [...]

Giants Ring of Honor: George Young - GMEN HQ - GMEN HQ - A NY Giants Fan Site - News, Blogs, Opinion and more.

During the off-season, the staff here at GMenHq will be featuring a member of the Giants Ring of Honor on each Monday and Friday.  Today’s feature is on: George Young

Simply put: George Young saved the New York Giants football franchise. Before arriving to save the Giants, the Giants had missed the NFL Play-Offs for 15 consecutive seasons! During his tenure with the Giants (1978-1997) he was Executive of the year five times and won two Super Bowl championships. While leading the Giants, the team had an overall record 155-139-2 once again regained there legacy as being one of the premier National Football League franchises. Upon his retirment in 1997, Young went to work with the NFL. George Young passed away in 20o1.

Before spending time with the Giants, Mr. Young worked within the Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins organization. George graduated from Bucknell University in 1952 where he was a stand out defensive tackle. Mr. Young was drafted in 1952 draft by the Dallas Texans.

Feb 6, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Detail view of the Vince Lombardi Trophy during the Super Bowl most valuable player and winning head coach press conference at the Super Bowl XLVI media center at the J.W. Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

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Born April 29, 1926, Preston Robert Tisch was the chairman and part owner of the Loews Corporation and in 1991 became part owner of the New York Giants. Bob Tisch bought his stake in the Giants from Tim Mara and held ownership in the New York Giants until he passed away on November 15, 2005. Sadly, Mr. Tisch passed away three weeks after long time owner Wellington Mara passed away.

Beyond the New York Giants, Mr. Tisch was named Postmaster General of the United States of America on August 16, 1986 and held that position until February 4, 1988. Tisch made substantial donations to his alma maters, leading to these institutions naming a building and a school after him. Tisch Hall, on the University of Michigan central campus, houses that university’s history department. New York University’s Tisch School of Arts and NYU Medical Center’s Tisch Hospital are named after Laurence A. and Preston Robert Tisch. NYU’s Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism, and Sports Management was founded in 1995 and expanded in 1999 to meet the needs of a growing student population. In 1997, the Central Park Zoo opened the Tisch Children’s Zoo. Given two months to live by his New York doctors, Tisch lived for 14 more months under care at Duke University’s Medical Center. In recognition of their efforts, the Tisch family donated $10 million to the Duke Brain Tumor Center which was renamed the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center in October, 2005. The Tisch Building in New York City which is the headquarters of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis is named for him and his wife (who is on the GMHC Board of Directors) after they donated $3.5 million for it in 1997. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preston_Robert_Tisch)

Feb 6, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; A detail view of the Vince Lombardi Trophy awarded to the New York Giants during the Super Bowl most valuable player and winning head coach press conference at the Super Bowl XLVI media center at the J.W. Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE

Born March 21, 1908 as John V. Mara, “Jack” Mara died from cancer at the young age of 57 on June 29, 1965. Jack Mara graduated with a law degree from Fordham University and assumed the role President of the New York Giants in 1941. Along with Wellington Mara, he assumed ownership of the team in 1959.

Fordham University Rams

Wellington Mara was born 1916 and died in 2005. Wellington’s funeral was held at St. Patrick’s Cathedral and was attended by Giants from the past and present. Players rumored to have visited with Wellington before he passed included, but are not limited too: Jeremy Shockey, Tiki Barber, Eli Manning, Kurt Warner, Harry Carson, and Pepper Johnson. Wellington is survived by his wife Ann, 11 children, and 40 plus grandchildren.

Feb 5, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Giants matriarch Ann Mara holds the Vince Lombardi Trophy after Super Bowl XLVI against the New England Patriots at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee/Image of Sport-US PRESSWIRE Kurt Warner, Harry Carson, and Pepper Johnson. He is survived by his wife Ann 11 children and 42 grandchildren.

At the age of nine he was the first ball boy for the New York Giants in 1925. In 1930, Wellington was given an ownership principal in the team. After graduating from college he served as Assistant to the President and Treasurer, 1937; Secretary, 1938–1940; Vice-President and Secretary, 1945–1958; Vice-President, 1959–1965; President, 1966–1990; President and Co-CEO, 1991–2005. For his first 28 years in the organization, he handled the franchise’s football decisions.

Wellington along with his brother Jack are well known for the ground breaking concept of revenue sharing. Without revenue sharing the NFL would not be what it is today. Wellington Mara’s legend is on every football with the simple words: The “Duke.” Wellington Mara was elected to the Pro Football Hall-of-Fame in 1997. While a controlling member of the New York Giants, the Giants won the 1986 and 1990 Super Bowls.

Feb 4, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; General view of the NFL logo during a press conference announcing the NFL hall of fame class of 2012 finalists at the JW Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-US PRESSWIRE

During the off-season, the staff here at GMenHq will be featuring a member of the Giants Ring of Honor on each Monday and Friday.  Today’s feature is on: Tim Mara

Mr. Mara was born on July 29, 1887 and died Feburary 16, 1959. Mr. Mara founded the New York Giants in 1925 for 500$ and the first player he signed was Jim Thorpe. The Giants won championships in 1927, 1934, 1938, and 1956 under the guidance of Mr. Mara. Mr. Mara was elected to the pro football hall-of-fame in 1963.

Mr. Mara was the father of Wellington Mara and Jack Mara. His grandson Tim Mara later was part-owner of the Giants, his other grandson John Mara is currently the Giants’ president and his great-granddaughters Rooney and Kate Mara are actresses. Rooney Mara is up for an Oscar for her role in the movie “The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo.”