Giants Fans or Foes
By author
I had the privilege, for the third time this season, on Sunday to go to the New Meadowlands Stadium and witness the game. I pulled up to the stadium at about 11 A.M. to a packed parking lot. After navigating through rows of tailgaters for several minutes I finally found a spot. The pregame atmosphere was great, as it has been for me each time this year, G-Men fans were grilling, partying, and having a great time in anticipation of the game. When 12:30 P.M. rolled around, I joined the crowds who were flowing through the turn styles to the melody of Giants chants. I worked my way to my seat eight rows up in the southeast end zone, amped for what I was about to witness. However, I sat wondering where all the atmosphere I had just taken a part of went to.
I’m not going to sit here and say that I didn’t boo at half time, because I did. I knew my boys were capable of playing better than what I had just seen and I wanted them to know that. Yet, from the time the game started until the fourth quarter the crowd could have been comparable to a funeral, it was dead quite and in the background you could hear people crying. Not literally, but just about, I don’t get what it is with a majority of Giants fans, they don’t get out of their seats when there is a big play on offense or a crucial third down on defense, it’s pathetic. And to add to that when you get up to cheer and get loud for your team when they need it, you have these so called “Giants Fans” giving you crap because you are in their way. I sat there at parts of the game questioning myself, asking why I had spent all that money on a ticket to go hang out with a bunch of boring cry babies. Honestly, give me a break! If you wanna sit down, lifeless and complain about everything your team is doing wrong, sit at home and watch it in your basement so the real fans trying to get their team pumped up can enjoy the game.
Like I said this was the third game I attended this season and one of several in the past couple of seasons. More likely than not, the atmosphere at Giants games are the same, giving exception to prime time and playoff games. To be completely honest, I have no idea what the problem is. I’m not sure if season ticket holders get tired of going to the games after awhile. I don’t know if it’s corporate ticket holders consistent to what the new Yankee Stadium deals with. It’s like a majority of Giants fans attending games feel like the Giants owe it to them to play well and if they don’t they are going to sit down on their hands the whole game and whine about it instead of trying to make an impact.
Antrel Rolle talks every Tuesday afternoon on WFAN with Joe and Evan. This week, Rolle had this to say about what he heard at halftime,” I don’t like it one bit, we’re not gonna always have those dominant blow out games, we’re not going to win every game as much as we’d like to. Through it all, our fans are huge. They play a critical part in the game, whether they know it or not. No they are not on the field, no they’re not making the plays, no they’re not playing, but at the same time we need them to have confidence in their team as we have confidence ourselves. You know it pissed me off. You don’t boo your team, this is your home team, were out there playing, we’re out there pouring our hearts out for our team and our fans. You don’t boo your team, we’re 7-4 not 2-10, there’s going to be up’s and down’s throughout the season, that’s the reality of it.” Joe and Evan continued on saying that this is New York it’s just what the fans do here. Rolle continued with this, “If they’re going to boo then they are going to boo, but when 2-6 comes on the field I don’t care you can boo me you can hip hop hooray me, it don’t matter. You are going to get the same guy each and every week, I come to play and win. The Giants are coming to play ball regardless.”
I don’t know if what Antrel Rolle said in his interview on WFAN reaches out to you as is reaches out to myself as Giants fan, but as I see it the Giants need their fans week in and week out to support their team, especially from this point on. So like Rolle said, “”When 2-6 comes out on the field your are going to get the same guy each and every week, the Giants are coming to play ball regardless.” Forget Rex Ryan’s cry to the Jet fans to get to their seats early on game day, this is Antrel Rolle calling you out G-Men fans. Will you continue to sit down and boo all game about how your team is tied for first place in the NFC East despite playing without six starters or are you going to get up, get loud and be a true fan. Either way “The Giants are coming to play ball.”