Or just pragmatic.
I have seen the worse (maybe not the worst, but I was in attendence for a 6-0 loss to the Jets in a cold rain that sure felt like rock bottom )and I was at the Vikings 4-17 play after that, the Giants never looked back and I was at the Rose Bowl to watch them beat the Broncos.
I have read some extreme stuff of late......and I understand, why.
The past 2 years record....was horrible. Poor drafts, an OL that got old and a ton of injuries.......are squarely to blame. We are what our record says we are.
Some reason for hope......OBJ, Hankins....Spags.....and a 2nd year with McAdoo. If we stay healthy......
So who are you?
In the spring.....I usually always have hope. Especially when None of the others in division scare me.....which is usually my first general comparison.
The Aikman year were painful.....but Romo?.......really? So why not us.
I think I am pragmatic....with a ting of rosecolor.
This time of year, I find it hard to not be optimistic. Some years the optimism was warranted, other years it isn't.
Especially in the NFL, where the rules and policies are set up to try to make the weak teams stronger and the strong teams weaker, there is at least some reason for optimism for almost every team.
And I feel pretty good about this year's team. Of course, it's June.
Fast forward to now. The team is much younger, Spags being back alone should mean the defense is actually fun to watch. Richburg and Pugh moving to the position they should excel at is a plus. Donnells development t a surprise and a plus. Careen on the field at the same time as Beckham, just trying to cover those 2 is daunting. And Manning is ready to go by all accounts.
This is the first time in the past 3 years I felt the giants have enough talent on the roster to be an over 500 team. Sure I'm worried about safety and OL but I like what they did and are doing and hope for the playoffs this year.
--Doomster
We do not need to outrun the bear......just the person next to you.
While the NFL East do not have an elite team, I am usually optimistic to make the playoff. Even if on paper, the Cowboys might be better....I feel we can beat any of them.....I do realize we have not the past years. The OL is an issue.....key injuries will cripple them.
But if we make the playoff, we know what the coaches and Eli are capable of doing.
Starting around the 2013 draft, the Giants completely changed their approach and started drafting players that produced at a high level in college and the players with high "potential" weren't taken. Since that 2013 draft, the roster is being turned over and the dead wood of high potential players is being removed. It is a process but it is happening.
This year will be another year of maybe making the playoffs... maybe. 2016 is when the dead wood will be gone and the high productions players will be the core of the team and then they have a real shot at making it deep into the playoffs.
With that in mind, questions abound. Beason, Kennard, Taylor, Prince, Moore, Cruz, Beckham, Jennings, Schwartz...can they all give us 16 games? The odds are against it, but as Han Solo said, "Never tell me the odds!"
This time of year, I find it hard to not be optimistic. Some years the optimism was warranted, other years it isn't.
Especially in the NFL, where the rules and policies are set up to try to make the weak teams stronger and the strong teams weaker, there is at least some reason for optimism for almost every team.
Miserable fans aren't bigger fans. Can't stand that outlook.
Also, the game coming down to the final possession too often has cheapened the game for the thrill. Sure, the game usually is won in the 4th qtr but the rules and play have too often slanted the game toward the final possession. It's exciting but makes you wonder why they play the first 59 minutes when the newest rules increase the likelihood of a fantastic finish regardless. They've taken solid defense and offensive struggle away.
The O should be as good or even better (barring stupid injuries of course) than last year. And I think we run the ball a little better. But we have to STOP the run and we have to get teams off the field. Defense baby defense.
Right now, there is no way of knowing what that defense is actually going to do, so no way of knowing what this season looks like.
This has been a very bad football team for at least 2 full seasons.
All the camp reports and all the yada yada yada don't mean shit.
The game is on the field.
We'll just have to wait to see whether or not this team has fixed its POA problem or not.
POA problems on both sides of the ball. That's what makes really bad teams.
I think growing up with those awful teams and then seeing two separate eras with two Lombardi trophies each has made me kind of a zen fan. I try to enjoy the games, enjoy football, and not to get too high with the highs or too low with the lows. For this too shall pass.
I was absolutely livid when the Giants lost the 1986 opener, convinced their front office and ownership was inept and they'd never win a Super Bowl until the Maras sold the team. Whereupon the Giants answered: STFU. So, generally, I try to restrain my anger.
I'm cautiously optimistic right now, and usually am this time of year. I am a wait-and-see guy with the draft. I don't assume anybody is an obviously terrible pick (like, say, because he isn't named Duke Johnson) or headed straight for the Hall of Fame.
I try not to say a guy has "never played" when he's been in 22 games the last two years (like Brandon Mosely). I try not to call a guy "Becky" when he's got a hamstring injury. I never call a pro football player a "china doll" when every one of those guys goes through physical punishment I could never have tolerated. On every. Single. Play.
And having interviewed Lawrence Taylor, Phil Simms and other players over the years, I am sure of one thing: We fans have NO IDEA what is really going on with these guys. So I feel like it's best for me to sort of go with the flow.
We are still too thin on the DL, especially at DT for my taste and we have a lot of big ? at DE. Health at LB is an issue and J.T. Thomas and Jonathan Casillas are NOT going to solve anything but ST and possibly depth issues at LB. Beason will go down at some point, that's a given and McClain is very average if he's the next in line. Kennard has a long injury history and honestly everyone is else JAG.
Our depth at CB and S is woeful and we're counting on a rookie, an oft injured 3rd year player and a too short, too slow and now injured S in Berhe. If Prince or DRC goes down it's a big drop off from there unless Chykie Brown and/or Chandler Fenner develop quickly.
Our OL is still a bit in flux but with Flowers, Pugh and Richburg we should have 60% of our line for 5-8 years. Schwartz I don't trust injury wise, Jerry is so so at best and Newhouse is another reclamation project and those have not panned out for Flaherty lately. We still lack depth there too and have some non NFL caliber players on the roster on the OL.
I think the arrow is pointing back up with OBJ, Flowers, Richburg, Collins, Hankins but we still have some very below average starters, injury prone vets and some flat out bad players who shouldn't be in the league or challenging for starting jobs. We have some pieces to build on but this roster is still a long long way from being a contender unless everyone stays healthy and we get some miraculous development from guys like DaMontre Moore, Jay Bromley, Kennard, Berhe, Taylor, Fenner and Andre Williams. Those middle ground players who should be solid contributors all have to step up and stay healthy to stabilize this team.
I trust the Giants to develop young talent. Over the last 35 years or so not many have done a better job of finding developing and nurturing young talent. I'm not sure how good this team will be in 2015 but the arrow is pointing up. This is gonna be a fun team to watch these next few years.
Year 2 of Eli/McAdoo/Odell. The rise of Odell lit a fire under Randle's ass too because they were LSU teammates; add a contract year into the mix and Randle is going to try and light it up. Cruz seems to be recovering faster than expected but would be surprised to see him before Week 6 as they will consider putting him on PUP to be cautious.
Most importantly, the OL looks to have most of the pieces in the right place even with the Beatty injury. Flowers looks like he could step into LT right away; he'll have some growing pains but he looks like a franchise tackle. Richburg and Pugh are in their proper positions. The major worry for the OL is injury because it's not a deep group
Donnell is still a bit of a ? but his work ethic is incredible and I wish most of the other players worked as hard as he does. He just has to toughen a bit when taking hits after he catches the ball as defenders know he fumbles it. Donnell is going to get a lot of looks as defenses have to commit to Odell, Vereen and possibly Cruz so he'll have to take advantage of the opportunity
This is a very fickle fan base. Moreso than others.
But, the way I see it, their division rivals are all in turmoil and they addressed their needs. I honestly believe with Eli and their WRs they can be a very good team. I absolutely believe they are good enough to win a wide open division.
That side, the realistic side does recognize there are still flaws. This will probably not be a 12+ win team that dominates. But, I think they should win 9-11 games, which is very likely enough to win this division. If they do that, I think they are a very tough out in the playoffs because of Eli and OBJ and a decent supporting cast. I think, even with flaws, this is a team that other teams will have to worry about each week. That wasn't the case the last couple of seasons.
Game to game is a different story. There are points where I have recognized a self destructive pattern in specific games where I'll say something like, "This game is over". This is where I love watching with my oldest son, who is now 10 1/2. He has far more football understanding than most kids his age and more than a decent amount of adults. But, this where the fact that he is still watching through the rose colored glasses of a 10 year old. He will always ask how I can say that when there are XX minutes left to play. Hell, he holds steadfast until the final gun, regardless of the score and I love that about him. It has helped restore the child like optimism in me as a fan.
This is a very fickle fan base. Moreso than others.
How many other fan bases did you study?
Oh, how complicated could it be?
Just give us a glimpse, okay? Break down a couple of team's fan bases, say, Oakland's and Kansas City's. And throw in the Tulsa Shock's for good measure.
The defensive front seven is finally accumulating better than average players. Beason and Kennard, JPP, Hankins and Ayers as the foundation and enough talent shown by Moore, Selvie and Owa to believe that at least one will be a good pass rusher.
The big fear, of course, is injuries since about half the guys I named have the ability to trip over the white lines painted on the field and go on IR.
Otherwise I can see them winning nine or ten games. Good sign that everyone's jumping on the Cowboys' bandwagon this season.
From 2008 to 2012 I was very optimistic. The last few years, more pessimistic.
I do not have that confidence now and therefore I do not watch games in the same manner. I would say I am a realist but ever hopeful fan. Even in '07 and 11, I did not have the confidence in this team but was hopeful once we made the playoffs.
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complicated. Maths and stuff.
Oh, how complicated could it be?
Just give us a glimpse, okay? Break down a couple of team's fan bases, say, Oakland's and Kansas City's. And throw in the Tulsa Shock's for good measure.
Im afraid I did not include the Tulsa Shock, but I threw in my local Orlando predators to help balance out the math. Well not the actual players or fanbase but a local Orlando bartender. Actually he was in Kissimmee which is a part of the orlando metro area. He's good tho.