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BBI Back to the Archives: 1997 Giants @ Redskins tie

Matt in SGS : 6/15/2017 11:47 am
If you wanted to define "modern" Giants history as beginning in 1981, when LT joined the franchise, in the past 36 years the Giants have played in 2 tie games. One was an abomination against humanity, a Monday Night 10-10 tie vs. the St. Louis Cardinals at Giants Stadium. The other was another prime time game, this time in Washington on a Sunday Night in 1997. Considering the NFL rule changes to limit OT to 10 minutes, we might well see another tie sooner than later.

This game pitted the Fassel Giants, who were starting to establish themselves as a contender in the NFC East, against the Redskins, who as was their way, spent a ton of money on big name free agents.

This game was known for the maddening mistakes, tough defense, turnovers, Michael Westbrook taking off his helmet to ruin a chance at a win.....and yes, the most infamous self inflicted injury in NFL History. Gus Frerotte knocking himself out of the game by head butting the wall on a TD run to celebrate.

Enjoy!


http://bigbluevcr.blogspot.com/2012/06/1997-giants-redskins.html - ( New Window )
man, that game was brutal to watch  
Greg from LI : 6/15/2017 11:49 am : link
We needed Michael Westbrook to save the day with his mind-numbingly stupid personal foul that pulled the Skins out of FG range in OT.
I was at that  
pjcas18 : 6/15/2017 11:58 am : link
game. I lived in NoVa at the time and went with some colleagues that were redskins season ticket holders.

what a terrible game.

only NFL game my wife (then girlfriend) has ever attended.

and we had great seats.
That was painful  
Ron Johnson 30 : 6/15/2017 12:08 pm : link
ugly
Matt  
MadPlaid : 6/15/2017 12:25 pm : link
Thank you for taking the time to put this together. I bet it is another example of your great work. However, with that being said, I doubt I will check this one out. The last thing I want to do is relive that game. Talk about awful. The only thing that is remotely satisfactory to come from that game was the dumb look on Frerotte's face after he knocked himself out celebrating a TD. Dumbass. Everything else is pure ugh!
...  
Eric from BBI : Admin : 6/15/2017 12:33 pm : link
The game that wouldn't end.
RE: I was at that  
Rover : 6/15/2017 12:59 pm : link
In comment 13500909 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
game. I lived in NoVa at the time and went with some colleagues that were redskins season ticket holders.

what a terrible game.

only NFL game my wife (then girlfriend) has ever attended.

and we had great seats.

Where there many Giants fans there?
What %?
It was hard to tell on TV because back then not every fan wore gear like they do now.
I remember watching this game in an apartment  
T-Bone : 6/15/2017 1:06 pm : link
full of Skins fans. Must've been about 10-12 of em. That was a great game to watch and although it ended in a tie I remember both me and my friends appreciating the others' team after that game.
That game wasn't about matching wits  
David in LA : 6/15/2017 2:03 pm : link
it was more like cancelling wits.
RE: I was at that  
I Love Clams Casino : 6/15/2017 2:19 pm : link
In comment 13500909 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
game. I lived in NoVa at the time and went with some colleagues that were redskins season ticket holders.

what a terrible game.

only NFL game my wife (then girlfriend) has ever attended.

and we had great seats.


I was there too, drove home that night
Years ago, I managed a movie theatre  
Someguy1978 : 6/15/2017 2:19 pm : link
in Sterling, VA. One night Frerotte came into our theatre and one of my ushers asked him if he had head-butted any walls recently. Frerotte wasn't too happy about the comment, he rolled his eyes and walked into his theatre. I bought the usher dinner that night.
Geez was at this game with my friend  
micky : 6/15/2017 3:55 pm : link
Remember sitting up in nowhere land (upper deck...and in that stadium sitting half way up in upper deck you might as well be sitting in downtown dc)

And soon after Gus ferrote ran in the TD I got up to go to the bathroom...when I got back to my seat..and saw Washington had another qb in in the next series, I was like happened to gus? The skin fan shook his head and pointed to a replay on screen that showed him head butting the back end zone wall..i look at my friend ..looked at field and burst out laughing.

Remember leaving the game feeling cheated of a game and driving all the way to FedEx for What? This?
even just watching the highlights  
bluepepper : 6/15/2017 9:50 pm : link
is brutal. What awful football.

A couple of thoughts:
--FG kicking sure has improved. These 54-yard efforts were pathetic. And Daluiso was considered a big-legged kicker.

-- Norv Turner's Redskins teams were horribly coached. Mistakes all over the place. Totally undisciplined. Nobody who saw those teams would have given him a second chance. He ended up getting a couple more.

-- Could not believe the stat shown on the Calloway TD - Giants were (to that point) best in the league at scoring TD's in goal-to-go situations. 84 percent!
RE: I was at that  
Boy Cord : 6/15/2017 10:00 pm : link
In comment 13500909 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
game. I lived in NoVa at the time and went with some colleagues that were redskins season ticket holders.

what a terrible game.

only NFL game my wife (then girlfriend) has ever attended.

and we had great seats.


I was at the game, too. Didn't realize the head butt until I heard it on the radio feed at half time while taking a leak. Everyone in the bathroom said, WTF? at the same time.
RE: RE: I was at that  
Enugu : 6/15/2017 10:01 pm : link
In comment 13500987 Rover said:
Quote:



Where there many Giants fans there?
What %?
It was hard to tell on TV because back then not every fan wore gear like they do now.


It was 23% gmen though I would raise the margin of error due to lack of gear
the Cards v Giants game was 20-20  
mort christenson : 6/16/2017 12:02 am : link
but it was amongst the worst played games ever.
I remember that game.  
SFGFNCGiantsFan : 6/16/2017 7:55 am : link
U-G-L-Y.
RE: the Cards v Giants game was 20-20  
Matt in SGS : 6/16/2017 8:17 am : link
In comment 13501543 mort christenson said:
Quote:
but it was amongst the worst played games ever.


Mort, d'oh...good catch. Either way, one of the worst games ever played.
That '97 game was among the worst games I have ever seen.  
Big Blue '56 : 6/16/2017 8:26 am : link
Let me qualify that: One of the worst among games that had actual meaning in the playoff race..
This will be a very interesting game to revisit.  
truebluelarry : 6/17/2017 7:22 am : link
Thanks for putting this together Matt.

It'll be worth it just to see Jessie Armstead in his prime.
I was there  
Jints in Carolina : 6/17/2017 8:32 am : link
it was terrible
RE: This will be a very interesting game to revisit.  
Big Blue '56 : 6/17/2017 8:44 am : link
In comment 13502592 truebluelarry said:
Quote:
Thanks for putting this together Matt.

It'll be worth it just to see Jessie Armstead in his prime.


True, but I think I'll start my viewing at the head butt...:)
RE: RE: I was at that  
pjcas18 : 6/17/2017 8:01 pm : link
In comment 13500987 Rover said:
Quote:
In comment 13500909 pjcas18 said:


Quote:


game. I lived in NoVa at the time and went with some colleagues that were redskins season ticket holders.

what a terrible game.

only NFL game my wife (then girlfriend) has ever attended.

and we had great seats.


Where there many Giants fans there?
What %?
It was hard to tell on TV because back then not every fan wore gear like they do now.


tons of Giants fans where I was sitting - there just wasn't a lot to cheer about all game so hard to tell in the whole stadium what the percent was, but if I had to guess I'd say 30% Giants fans, maybe 35% - which I imagine is good. this could just be my perception and foggy memory too, but they didn't seem like NoVA resident Giants fans, they seemed like a lot of NY/NJ Giants fans who made the trip down.

one of maybe 2-3  
Dankbeerman : 6/17/2017 9:54 pm : link
games i missed entirely in the last 30 years.

I got in a car accident on my way home to watch the game. it was about a month after I got my licsense. was strapped to a backboard most of the time having my dad give me updates from running into the waiting room. afte my xrays came back clear i got released in time to listen to the end of the game on my ride home.

I'd like to see the 2000 Giants-Redskins  
dpinzow : 6/18/2017 5:33 pm : link
tilt in DC on the Big Blue VCR if it isn't there. My recollection of that game was that it was a couple of weeks after fassel pushed the chips into the middle...We were 8-4 going into the game and Washington was 7-5 so it was for 1st in the East

The defense totally shut down Washington for 3 quarters and we entered the 4th with a 9-0 lead. Then Washington brought Jeff George in, scored a TD and got within long FG range at the end, but Eddie Murray missed the 50ish yard FG short
RE: RE: RE: I was at that  
Rover : 6/20/2017 9:47 am : link
In comment 13502978 pjcas18 said:
Quote:
In comment 13500987 Rover said:


Quote:


In comment 13500909 pjcas18 said:


Quote:


game. I lived in NoVa at the time and went with some colleagues that were redskins season ticket holders.

what a terrible game.

only NFL game my wife (then girlfriend) has ever attended.

and we had great seats.


Where there many Giants fans there?
What %?
It was hard to tell on TV because back then not every fan wore gear like they do now.



tons of Giants fans where I was sitting - there just wasn't a lot to cheer about all game so hard to tell in the whole stadium what the percent was, but if I had to guess I'd say 30% Giants fans, maybe 35% - which I imagine is good. this could just be my perception and foggy memory too, but they didn't seem like NoVA resident Giants fans, they seemed like a lot of NY/NJ Giants fans who made the trip down.

Thanks PJ, I appreciate it.
Watching highlights it looked more like 5-10%; but again not much to cheer about & surprisingly, even in 1997, fans still were not decked out in gear.
on a positive note  
Les in TO : 6/20/2017 4:31 pm : link
the giants D was ridiculously good - strahan, the DTs Hamilton and harris, bratzke, armstead, sehorn sparks garnes and wooten.
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