In 1974 the Giants were a very bad team, as bad as the Giants are now.
The Giants had Norm Snead as their QB and were floundering.
The Giants felt that it was imperative that they obtain a top QB to be competitive. So, the Giants traded a first round and second draft pick to the Dallas Cowboys for 31 year old Craig Morton.
Morton was a top QB, but he was made expendable by the ascendency of Rodger Staubach.
Among Morton's accomplishments in 1970 lead the Cowboys to the Super bowl, where they lost to Baltimore. But Morton had established himself as a media darling with star appeal.
Giant fans universally applauded Giants management for acquiring Morton and felt that he would turn the Giants around.
However, the acquisition of Morton turned out to be an unmitigated disaster.
The first-round pick that was traded to Dallas was the second overall pick and was used to select Hall of Fame DT Randy White.
Morton played 34 games with the Giants. During that time the Giants record was 8-25.
By trading for Morton, the Giants used draft capital that should have been used to improve bad a OL and an equally bad DL.
So, the Giants remained bad, and eventually the fans turned on Morton and in 1976 he was summarily traded to Denver.
To add insult to injury Morton went to a good Bronco team and he had a renaissance.
At age 34, Morton revived his career with the Broncos, finishing the season as the second-rated passer in the AFC.
Morton was named the NFL Comeback Player of the Year for 1977 and selected All-AFC by the Sporting News.
Morton in interviews credited his new found success with Denver due to a great supporting cast on offense and defense.
The Giants on the other hand continued to flounder, brought back Snead who gave way to Joe Pisarcik as their QB.
The Giants remained the laughingstock of the NFL until the arrival of Phil Simms, Lawrence Taylor, Bill Parcells, and George Young.
Presently the Giants are in a similar position as they were in 1974.
I caution Giant fans to heed history and acknowledge that there is no quick fix to building a competitive team.
The Giants must build the team, they must spend their resources on the lines, the linebackers, etc. and not on short term fixes.
It will start with a new GM and a plan to build the team via the draft.
People are piling on Judge, but the reality is the Giants don’t have the horses, period.
Build this team smartly.
I’m encouraged with the draft capital available and hope they spend it intelligently with whoever is making those decisions.
Agree with everything in this post. Our roster sucks, top to bottom. Adding Russell Wilson to this roster, at the cost of massive cap space and multiple high draft picks, will work out just as well as adding Morton to the 74 team.
verb
struggle or stagger helplessly or clumsily in water or mud.
"he was floundering about in the shallow offshore waters"
be in serious difficulty.
"many firms are floundering"
.
Morrall was long gone by 1974. Traded to Baltimore not Miami before the 1968 season.
Morrall would replace an injured Johmny Unitas in 1969 and leas the Colts to their first super bowl (where they lost to the Jets).
Morrall joined the Miami Dolphins in 1972 at the age of 38 in time for their undefeated season. He played four more years and retired at 42.
McVay was a terrible coach. Another example of why you shouldn’t hire interim coaches.
My final comment was
" Maybe Craig Morton is still available"!
I was at that game also..
They arent winning in Seattle with him.
The other lesson from the 70s s they when the Mara's run things totally the team will suck. They need a true VP of football operations. Until then these losers picking a GM and coach will just prolong this disaster
I don't watch the games anymore. I might again but not until major changes happen
verb
struggle or stagger helplessly or clumsily in water or mud.
"he was floundering about in the shallow offshore waters"
be in serious difficulty.
"many firms are floundering"
From the online dictionary:
What's the difference between flounder and founder?
'Founder' means "to sink" or "to collapse" or "to fail." 'Flounder' means "to struggle to move" or "to proceed clumsily."
Sounds like you're both right...
Morton got the living shit beat out of him by the Dallas Doomsday front that day. He probably spent a week in the ice tub following that game.
Dallas wins the division in 73 at 10 - 4 and Dallas has the first overall pick: Too Tall Jones.
They fall to 8-6 the next year, but Dallas has the second overall pick: Randy White.
In-between with Dallas' own 73 season pick he chose Hollywood Henderson, who wasn't great, but had probably his best season the year the 'Boys won the 'Bowl.
In what is now an obvious parallel, the best part of the Giants seasons in the mid-70's was draft day and that trade totally hosed it up, especially when Randy White was a no-brainer. He was projected as top pick at least a year before he was draft eligible.
In fact from 1973-1976 they were 12-43-1, so 3 wins per season. Just awful
I still remember how dispirited my father was when that trade was announced, his exact words were "it's like thinking you're getting Angie Dickinson, but you end up with Phyllis Diller."
I'm not sure what lessons are to be learned here - don't throw away draft picks for an aging, washed up QB?
The only sustained success the Giants have had in the past almost 60 years is tied to that decision. Now that the fruits of the George Young era have expired, we are back to the Wellington/John Mara bumbling, idiotic "Giants Way" of doing business, where the team is a "first class" organization and is super-duper nice to everyone consistent with the "Giants Way" but gets their teeth kicked in on the field on a weekly basis. But at least the Mara family has full employment, which is the ultimate goal, so there's a bright side.
Del Gaizo, Randy Johnson, Jerry Goldsteyn, Randy Dean, Joe Pisarcik. The 1970's Giants QB list, murderers row.
Quote:
Trading Morton cleared the way for Staubach as well as enabling them the get Randy White. Talk about a Double Whammy on the Giants. During those years, we were totally clueless. Rubes waiting to be taken to the cleaners in each trade. Remember Jim Del Gaizo? Another QB Gem from Miami.
Del Gaizo, Randy Johnson, Jerry Goldsteyn, Randy Dean, Joe Pisarcik. The 1970's Giants QB list, murderers row.
And we traded a #3 for Del Gaizo, a left-handed QB whom Bill Arnsparger fell in love with when he was Dolphins DC and Del Gaizo was a backup.
Topped (by a long shot) by the Herschel Walker trade...Vikes made us look smart
Quote:
a combined 31-83-1, so on average 3.8-10.3
In fact from 1973-1976 they were 12-43-1, so 3 wins per season. Just awful
The glory days of the Yale Bowl and Shea.
I swear I don’t remember Del Gazio.