Giant fans who had no access to prospect information had every reason to boo a guy they never heard of from yet another small college that no one had ever heard of. Go look at some of the 1st round picks in the 70's that were long gone by the time Phil showed up.
Phil Simms was an all world passer. HOF level. Not even a question. Only injuries, conservative play calling and stupid coaching decisions kept him out.
If Phil had been drafted by Bill Walsh no one would have ever heard of Joe Montana in the NFL.
I started getting into football/sports just when the Giants drafted him. I remember hearing that they booed him and thinking good. His first few years he was always hurt and just wasn't great(certainly not worthy of the 7th overall!). Even after the first SB I thought, well, it was really our running game and defense that got him the MVP. But during the 2nd SB season, I was REALLY disappointed for him going down so late in the season of what FELT like a SB year. He was doing great and he actually had a receiver, albeit a tight end. I mean I look back and the list of receivers he had was horrendous. When you consider Phil McConkey was his most notable one (but someone whom I equate to a Cole Beasley now), the guy was lucky to make it to the playoffs. Ernest Grey! Johnny Mistler and Stacey Robinson! Johnny Perkins. Looking back, he's a typical Giants player. Tough, persistant, talented but not 'Elite' and just worked had to get a victory. Looking back, he was better than I thought and really defines that era of NYG football.
Best damn seam passer I've ever seen. Worked out with the O line after the first few years injuries and toughened up considerably. In 1984 threw for over 4000 yards with one receiver. The 1990 season IMHO belonged to him, that Saturday game against the Bills in a cold, icy and shitty day led to the injury that would eventually cost him the chance at a second SB. The picture of him in the tunnel with his cast on in the SB, looking terribly sad still makes me feel for him.
He was a warrior!!!
He was a very good passer. Imagine if he was in Walsh’s system with Rice, Taylor, et al.?! He’d have been amazing. Instead he got picked by us - a run first system, downfield passing, cold swirling winds, and WRs like Bobby Johnson and Phil McConkey (fine but not Rice/Taylor).
That said, I like him for his class, his toughness, his humor. He was a good guy. He was a soldier as he says. He even spoke well of Ray Handley who benched him, saying he felt for him for how hard he worked. A class act. And talk about coming up big in the big game. His SB performance was near flawless.
Giant fans who had no access to prospect information had every reason to boo a guy they never heard of from yet another small college that no one had ever heard of. Go look at some of the 1st round picks in the 70's that were long gone by the time Phil showed up.
Phil Simms was an all world passer. HOF level. Not even a question. Only injuries, conservative play calling and stupid coaching decisions kept him out.
If Phil had been drafted by Bill Walsh no one would have ever heard of Joe Montana in the NFL.
He was a warrior!!!
That said, I like him for his class, his toughness, his humor. He was a good guy. He was a soldier as he says. He even spoke well of Ray Handley who benched him, saying he felt for him for how hard he worked. A class act. And talk about coming up big in the big game. His SB performance was near flawless.
This is a legitimate, but questionable opinion.
Worth discussing.
You could also argue that if Eli had the offensive line and defense that Phil had, he would have more rings.