Marty's thread about Engram got me thinking about my preference for a tight end. The Giants have had some good ones over the years. Shockey and Bavaro both played 6 seasons for the Giants. No disrespect to Shockey but I'm taking Bavaro every day of the week and twice on Sunday! One of the toughest players I have seen play the game. Who are you taking?
One of the funny things as I have gone back to post the old highlights on the BigBlueVCR account, Bavaro was considered a blocker when he first got to the Giants, he wasn't much of a receiver until he went crazy in the Cincinnati game when he caught 12 for 176 yards as a rookie.
As Eric and others said, he was thrust into a larger role because Mowatt tore his ACL in the final pre-season game in Pittsburgh. Mowatt was going to be a breakout star at TE.
Bavaro is the only TE in NYG history to go over 1000 yards. And he would have gone well over it in 1987, he had over 800 yards in 12 games due to the strike.
And I've got plenty of highlights of him burying guys on run blocks, including DEs, and holding his own in pass protection.
Shockey was probably faster than Bavaro, but before his knee injury, Bavaro actually had surprisingly good speed. But Bavaro is best TE the NYG have had.
He failed his physical in camp in 1991. The Giants wanted him to retire because of the damage in his knee. What happened at the time was Wellington Mara was in surgery or recovering in the hospital. When Bavaro failed his physical, George Young went by the CBA and paid him the $60k amount when you waive a guy after failing a physical. That caused a mini uproar of the Giants being cheap, so when Mara recovered a few days later, they paid Bavaro the remainder of his salary as a thank you for all he had done.
Bavaro didn't want to retire and sat out the 1991 season to rehab. Belichick made him an offer to join him in Cleveland in 1992 and Bavaro took him up on it, but he was only there 1 year. Bavaro then rounded out his career in Philly, which was awful to see. He actually caught a TD pass vs the Giants in 1993, in Giants Stadium..from Kenny O'Brien, the former Jet QB of all people.
Belichick said Gronk was on the same level as Bavaro, but he can't put anyone above Bavaro, because Bavaro was able to block Reggie White. So they were essentially tied in his mind.
It was LT that Belichick said he doesn't care who is playing in the NFL now, no one is on LT's level. And he's right.
Thanks, I'm having fun with it. A few of the Giants coaches actually started following it and I'm trying to dig up stuff from 35-40 year ago that they might be able to sneak into a gameplan somewhere. Being Judge is from the Belichick tree, basically it's stuff from his early years as Little Bill and they can spring it on a team.
Good times.
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Matt, as an aside, I love that Twitter account of yours. It's awesome content. Thanks for it.
Thanks, I'm having fun with it. A few of the Giants coaches actually started following it and I'm trying to dig up stuff from 35-40 year ago that they might be able to sneak into a gameplan somewhere. Being Judge is from the Belichick tree, basically it's stuff from his early years as Little Bill and they can spring it on a team.
That's awesome Matt, keep up the great work.
Eric, not yet. I think he's going to run it later this spring when things are super dead.
Bavaro Bavaro Bavaro!
Bavaro Bavaro Bavaro Bavaro Bavaro Bavaro.
Bavaro!
Bavaro Bavaro Bavaro.
Bavaro!
Bavaro! Bavaro! Bavaro!
Bavaro!
Bavaro Bavaro Bavaro Bavaro Bavaro Bavaro.
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I hated that decision and that he went to the Eagles. Shockey was a drama queen and cost us the 49er game. Bavaro all the way then Tucker.
He failed his physical in camp in 1991. The Giants wanted him to retire because of the damage in his knee. What happened at the time was Wellington Mara was in surgery or recovering in the hospital. When Bavaro failed his physical, George Young went by the CBA and paid him the $60k amount when you waive a guy after failing a physical. That caused a mini uproar of the Giants being cheap, so when Mara recovered a few days later, they paid Bavaro the remainder of his salary as a thank you for all he had done.
Bavaro didn't want to retire and sat out the 1991 season to rehab. Belichick made him an offer to join him in Cleveland in 1992 and Bavaro took him up on it, but he was only there 1 year. Bavaro then rounded out his career in Philly, which was awful to see. He actually caught a TD pass vs the Giants in 1993, in Giants Stadium..from Kenny O'Brien, the former Jet QB of all people.
Thanks for the info Matt in SGS
Mark Bavaro was a good talent and a great player.
Mark Bavaro
Bob Tucker
Aaron Thomas
Joe Walton
Richie Kotite
Before Dropsie Shockey in the San Francisco playoff game
Mark Bavaro
Bob Tucker
Aaron Thomas
Joe Walton
Richie Kotite
And Howard Cross
Before Dropsie Shockey in the San Francisco playoff game
at minute 2:49 -
" I tell you he is a stone face that Bavaro - you never know what he's thinking. I'd hate to have to fight that son-of-a-gun"
That is a quote from Parcells - who was firmly in charge of that team.
Link - ( New Window )
+100
He was a hell of a talent for such a big guy. Quick turns up field with the ball in his hand, always looking for the big play and reaching for a TD. Impactful.
He fit right in with that environment at Miami.
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Matt, as an aside, I love that Twitter account of yours. It's awesome content. Thanks for it.
Thanks, I'm having fun with it. A few of the Giants coaches actually started following it and I'm trying to dig up stuff from 35-40 year ago that they might be able to sneak into a gameplan somewhere. Being Judge is from the Belichick tree, basically it's stuff from his early years as Little Bill and they can spring it on a team.
He was a hell of a talent for such a big guy. Quick turns up field with the ball in his hand, always looking for the big play and reaching for a TD. Impactful.
He fit right in with that environment at Miami.
Caught some of that, too. No doubt Shock was a very good player. BTW, those Miami teams in the early '00s were, IMV, they most talented teams in the history of the college football. It is stunning how much talent Butch Davis and Larry Coker recruited.
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last evening. I hadn't seen it before so it was a good watch. Shockey was displayed in the part 2 episode plenty, including retrospective commentary.
He was a hell of a talent for such a big guy. Quick turns up field with the ball in his hand, always looking for the big play and reaching for a TD. Impactful.
He fit right in with that environment at Miami.
Caught some of that, too. No doubt Shock was a very good player. BTW, those Miami teams in the early '00s were, IMV, they most talented teams in the history of the college football. It is stunning how much talent Butch Davis and Larry Coker recruited.
Wish HOF voters understood this.
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Bavaro said that going up against Carl Banks every day in practice made him the blocker he was.
Wish HOF voters understood this.
+1
/above is sarcasm and I did not read responses.
100% agree with both your comments. Bavaro without question, but even if you wanted to argue the Shockey side of the equation, the “risk he might do something stupid” factor is a big mark against him anyway
It wasn't. It fired up the Giants and brought out great second and third efforts. But more importantly, it just crumbled the air of superiority and deflated the extra from SF.
Their top mouth tough guys ( not just Lott) looked like Lilliputians against Bavaro in that and subsequent runs.
That game was not won on talent or scheme. It was one of the few playoff games won by
a lopsided attitude shift.
As for the question, there isn't one. And I agree that Bob Tucker and Zeke were better than Shockey.
Mort got it exactly right. One was a great talent and one was a great football player
It wasn't. It fired up the Giants and brought out great second and third efforts. But more importantly, it just crumbled the air of superiority and deflated the extra from SF.
Their top mouth tough guys ( not just Lott) looked like Lilliputians against Bavaro in that and subsequent runs.
That game was not won on talent or scheme. It was one of the few playoff games won by
a lopsided attitude shift.
As for the question, there isn't one. And I agree that Bob Tucker and Zeke were better than Shockey.
Mort got it exactly right. One was a great talent and one was a great football player