This has been on my mind for some time, but with the announcement of Strahan's 92 getting retired and the 100th anniversary team I got to thinking on this further.
The Giants had four players on the 100th anniversary team, Mel Hein, Lawrence Taylor, Rosey Brown and Emlin Tunnell. I think most here know LT's career and it speaks for itself. Mel Hein was an excellent player himself as an 8 time All Pro and the 1938 MVP with 2 rings. But Brown's and Tunnell's careers stack up as well as any Giant to put on the uniform:
Roosevelt Brown's career accolades:
NFL champion (1956)
*9× Pro Bowl (1955–1960, 1962, 1964, 1965)
*6× First-team All-Pro (1956–1959, 1961, 1962)
*3× Second-team All-Pro (1960, 1963, 1965)
*NFL 75th Anniversary All-Time Team
*NFL 1950s All-Decade Team
He also worked in the Giants organization as a coach and scout from his retirement in 1966 until his death in 2004. That's over 50 years and a literal lifetime of service with one organization.
Emlin Tunnel's career accolades:
*First African American to sign and play for the Giants
*NFL champion w/NYG in 1956 (won another ring with GB in 1961)
*9× Pro Bowl (1950–1957, 1959), 8 with Big Blue
*6× First-team All-Pro (1949, 1951, 1952, 1954–1956)
*NFL 1950s All-Decade Team
When he retired in 1962,
*His 79 career interceptions were an NFL record and remain second most in NFL history.
*His 1,282 interception return yards were an NFL record for four decades and currently ranks fifth in NFL history.
*His 258 punt returns were an NFL record.
*His 2,209 punt return yards were an NFL record.
*He played in 158 consecutive games which was also an NFL record when he retired as a player.
Despite playing his last game as a Giant in 1958, he is still the franchise leader in punt returns, punt return yards and total return yards and tied for first in return TDs. He is the first African American elected in to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Tunnel also worked with the Giants organization as a scout and coach from his retirement in 1962 until his death from a heart attack at Giants training camp in 1975.
Starting with the anniversary team I took some free time to look over how many had their numbers retired. Minus special teams (because let's be real, no one will retire their number) 50 out of the 94 position players on the 100th anniversary team by my count has had their number retired. I thought it would be higher but there are several factors:
* The Raiders, Cowboys and Ravens don't retire numbers which would have added several more players to the list. However, they do hold out numbers for greats
* Brady, though a free agent, is still playing and will most definitely be retired.
* Some teams infrequently do it. For instance, the Redskins and Steelers, two storied franchises have retired a total of three numbers--Sammy Baugh for the Skins; Joe Greene and Ernie Stautner for the Steelers. Both do hold out numbers as well as do sevral other teams.
While the Giants do hold numbers as they did with Strahan's number, Brown's 71 is currently being worn by Will Hernandez and Tunnell's 45 was worn this past year by Nate Stupar. And it's not as if they are against retiring numbers. With the addition of Strahan and Eli, the Giants will tie the Bears for most retired numbers at 14, 4 of which aren't even Hall of Famers (Phil Simms, Ward Cuff, Al Blozis and Charlie Conerly). In the past, they have done it posthumously as they did with Blozis who died in World War II. They have also retired numbers years after retirement; Hein 18 years after his career ended and Gifford 36 years after his.
Teams of course have discretion on whose numbers are retired/not worn and there should absolutely be some sort of a system in place. But for a team that has shown a willingness to recognize its greats of one of the most storied and premier franchises in the sport, I frankly think this is overdue, especially with the recent announcements of two more to be retired in the upcoming year. You could argue that behind LT, Brown and Tunnell are the two best players to ever wear the uniform and the induction to the 100th anniversary team should cement that. Ring of Honor just doesn't cut it, in my opinion. Plus, considering the past several years we could use some good PR. Just thought I'd share my drawn out thoughts and if anyone could make some noise on the subject from a fan's perspective, no better place than here.
That's the issue right there...
Total no brainer!
It's truly a disgrace that TWO of the FOUR greatest players in GIANTS history don't have their numbers retired!
Before Eli and Strahan's are retired 45, 79 AND Harry Carson's 53 MUST be retired!!!
didn’t retire them
Surprised even more so that he retired numbers of multiple mediocre players and not the TRUE greats!
But if you have a number like 10 that was worn by Tarkenton, Van Pelt and Manning, you don't give that out lightly. You make guys earn it. Same with 56, 53 and some of the others. The weird thing is that now, in pre-season, they're short on numbers so you see some of those numbers on fringe players. That's queasy, in my opinion.
If you are absolutely bound and determined to retire numbers in some way, retire them for as long as the player is alive. So we would expect #10 to be back in circulation in maybe 40-50 years.
NJ native, (Garfield and JC), he was literally too big for WWII service, so “ after repeated attempts, Blozis finally persuaded the Army to waive its size limit and accept him. It took further persuading to get from a desk job to the front lines."
Blozis “set the Army's hand grenade throwing record with a toss of 94 yards, 2 feet 6.5 inches.[1] He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 28th Infantry Division. On January 31, 1945, his platoon was in the Vosges Mountains of France scouting enemy lines. When two of his men, a Sergeant and a private, failed to return from a patrol, he went in search of them alone.[4] He never returned.”
Al Blozis was a hero, #32 should always remain retired.
didn’t retire them
Surprised even more so that he retired numbers of multiple mediocre players and not the TRUE greats!
Couldn’t agree more
As a kid, Bathgate was my favorite
This whole discussion really is a waste of time.
I'd expect nothing less from the franchise that let Lombardi, Landry and Belichick go.
brown and carson each played 13 seasons, only with the giants. case could be made.
eli and strahan played 16 and 15 respective seasons only with the giants.
going forward only retiring numbers of players who won SBs and who have 15 or more years of time with the team, and/or who played their whole careers w the giants, seems reasonable.
a lot of the NYG numbers that are retired seem nonsensical. al blozis? war hero? is that the rationale? even tittle was a giant for just four years, a 49er for 10.
I'd expect nothing less from the franchise that let Lombardi, Landry and Belichick go.
The Giants didn't exactly let Belichick go. He was the heir apparent after Parcells, but Parcells quit in May of 1991 and Belichick was already gone (I may have the month wrong, but it was something like that). Young was angry with Parcells for years after, apparently, for preventing the Giants from promoting Belichick.
What?
First of all... What??
Second of all, even given your premise, shouldn't the question be "what are the odds you have another player named Manning wearing #10"? Why add the bit about the 2nd guy being HOF?
Third of all... What?????
OK, yes, let's say no other player named Manning who plays for the Giants will be allowed to wear #10. Wow. What an honor for Eli.