When Giants won, anyone feel like it didn't match the hype?

I get the whole 'What do we do now?' 'The Candidate' movie vibe, but man...our Super Bowl runs were so special-& so out of left field-that I'll treasure them forever. Outside of '86, we weren't favored to win in '90, '07, or '11. That even makes it sweeter to me.

that wasn't like normal championship win, even by the standards of championship wins.

Also, I remember all too vividly the Super Bowl against Baltimore. Going in there thinking we were locked in, and then watching them get totally steamrolled.

Even the '11 title felt great, because it felt like vindication for people who thought the '07 team was just lucky.

"Losing hurts worse than winning feels good.'

It's not specific to being a sports fan, more of a commentary on human psychology generally.

But yes, 2007 was pretty good.

determine my mood in my early 30's, fortunately

Especially 2007. I think that was one of the most memorable title wins in any sport, any era. A true all time great championship. I popped a champagne bottle in my living room and drank a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue that a non-Giants fan friend brought "Just in case...". Called my boss drunk at 1am and took a week off work. Watched highlights literally all night. Came to the parade and met some BBIers.

Didn't match the hype? Are you insane? The only downside is knowing it can't be topped.

and 80's. Then as Edmonton took over the cups, The Giants take over and lead me into the 90's....The Rangers cup win was pretty cool even though I wasn't a fan.....then we had the Mets and Yanks lead us through to the Giants and Eli.

Colleagues, customers, friends, everyone calls asking how it feels to win those two SB's......like I had something to do with it besides root my heart out.

It elevates you. It gives you added weight when discussing sports having those pelts on the wall. I can't explain it....but the recent Giants woes have weighed on me like a black cloud because you don't feel part of the conversation anymore.

I desperately want them to start winning again so I can be
in that position again.

I know....Get a Life.......but life is better when the Giants are winning! LOL

At the time you may have been dissatisfied with other aspects of your life, such as your personal relationships or your career, and you were using sports as a diversion to try and feel better. When the Giants won the Super Bowl and you still felt the same, you realized that your team winning a championship wasn’t the thing that was missing from your life. It was something else.

But that’s just a guess and what the hell do I know.

...you won't enjoy the wins any less.

I was a young kid in 86 and 90, so those didn’t really have a big impact on me.

After getting beat so badly by the Ravens, and then the 49ers collapse, the improbable run in 2007 was magical.

That championship stays with me. I remember so many vivid moments from the regular season finale to the Super Bowl.

The Giants winning that game was a great moment in my life.

I know exactly what you mean.

I'll admit, seeing the Giants win the Super Bowl in 2007 wasn't as "crazy" as I thought it would be. I was here in South Jersey though. I will say that all of the Giants fans I knew around here basically partied every night from that Super Bowl 42 night until like early 2009 lol coupled with being in my 20s it was a time to be alive. I must've gained 40 pounds from eating junk food and charging up my credit card. I didn't want that fun to end. I also just moved out of my house at 20 and lived with the "party animals".

I remember my one friend (who is a Jet fan of course) was yapping his mouth about pitchers and catchers the day or two after the Super Bowl. I'm like fuck baseball and you should be giving me $100 a day because someone had to beat the Patriots and it wasn't your loser Jets.

and few sports events compare with Super Bowl XLII. We're moving from the Albany area to SE Mass. this summer, and I'm looking forward to wearing my Giants hat from time to time knowing how sweet it was to make the Pats go 18-1, especially after TB's press conference smirk about "17 points."

I don't know, I don't really agree... the 2007 and 2011 runs both felt pretty magical and special. I was in my 20's for both, so maybe I was just at prime points in life as far as championship excitement. Both of those felt pretty special.

The sheer improbability.. the number of games won that the Giants had no business winning. Those were incredible rides. Both of them. 07 a little moreso because of the Patriots team we beat that year, but that element of "they're doing it again..." in 2011 was amazing, too.

Those runs were two that I will never forget and will cherish for as long as I care about sports.

That feeling absolutely did not apply to me in 2007. That was one of the greatest sporting events I’ve ever witnessed. Factoring in it being the team I rooted for overcoming incredible odds to even be in the conversation let alone pull it off against one of the greatest regular season teams the sport has ever witnessed. It took awhile for that one to fade, felt like I was in on cloud 9 for quite awhile back then.

maybe it's where you lived. That game exceeded any hype! You need to factor in that the Pats were steamrolling the entire league that year. The Giants had a shaky 2nd half of the season record wise. Then they play them in a close game that last regular season game.

I missed the Tampa game. The Cowboys and Packers, were really close exciting games. Then beating the undefeated Pats isn't good enough for you? Yes, there were some highly improbable plays made by the Giants and a couple of damn lucky drops by the Pats, but that's football. The defense was phenomenal and the offense played well too.

It was hands down the most exciting playoff run and Superbowl winning season the team has ever had. Every few years I'll re-watch the Cowboys, Packers and the SB.

Sounds like an undefeated season would only satisfy the OP or the people he was around were certain the Giants were going to win. Most of the rest of the country thought it was going to be a horrible game and the Giants were going to get blown out.

to mention that that Cowboys playoff game was the one where prior to the game, Jerry Jones gave each of his players two tickets to the NFC Championship game.

I mainly recall the Packer playoff game, where the Giants kicked their butts but the Refs kept giving the Packers big breaks. Specifically spotting the ball to give them a first down on where Rodgers did a QB slide and was touched short of the down marker.

The Giants were playing well enough to beat the Pack, but having to overcome so many bad calls by the refs made it really close. And this wasn't one of those homer things where there were bad calls on both sides. It was really lopsided to the Packs favor.

can definitely be fleeting.

However, the value of those seasons and those titles is that they appreciate in value over time. There is a reason the jackets and banners display 86, 90, 07 and 11 proudly out of all the seasons the Giants have played. It’s why any shows, interviews, highlights or replays from those seasons still generate threads here alerting others to tune in.

Injuries and Plax's gunshot ruined that year but they were primed for a SB title. I still think the gunshot cost them the most, especially the psyche of the team. Plax demanded double coverage and that helped the run game. With him gone they couldn't adjust and a 2nd SB title was undone.

32 teams, year in and year out, with the same goal. The odds are best for the top 8 QB's but even for them things must break right.

Having a game to look forward to, enjoying it with family, feeling the excitement of the game, reveling in a victory for a while, just fun

If you re looking for more from following a sport you have the wrong perspective

for sports in a long time a vindication for the loyalty I invested into my team... 90 was nice due to the situation we were in and my cuz out in Gulf War. '07 special as the underdog that we were throughout.... Then the let down of '08 when Plax decided to shoot himself....
all in all since '64 I hung with this team and while I am not as heavily invested emotionally in them as I was, it still brings a smile to my face when they win. But I don't have those lousy weeks when they lose, and boy have they lost their share lately

And this last decade has been annoying, especially when you kind of already know what you have going into the season.

Hopefully Schoen and his guys can fix this mess...

At the moment I was thinking this is kind of disappointing but then looking back, those were some great great great great days.

I understand the premise of the OP, but there is a clear fan benefit I've realized looking back on championship years. Those runs actually did impact my life - not in the sense that I got to hoist a trophy or take pride in an accomplishment - rather the memories they helped create with my friends and family. The phone calls/texts, food-and-football-centered viewing gatherings, etc.

I remember my brother and I had a lucky 'NY Jets' Bud Light can we kept with us during the 2011 run (my mom bought the wrong team pack so we kept it going as our lucky charm). We didn't take it seriously, but it was still fun. I remember calling my grandfather after SB42 and him chatting me up about the difference between that championship and the runs in 86 and 90. So, yeah, I'm not elated as a player, but I'm still creating memories by following this damn team and sharing in the satisfaction of success when we're lucky enough to do so. At least that's how I justify wasting 4 hours each fall Sunday.

That was a euphoria that has never been matched again. There was an adrenaline running through my body that I wish I could feel again. Talk about a great feeling.

I think that one meant so much more to me then others due to the fact I was in the prime of my life at 28 years old. I was at the apex of my fandom. Adding on to all of that, it was Tom Brady, Bill Belcihik and an undefeated NE Patriots team that on paper was the best ever at that time.

It truly was the script of some cheesy movie that nobody would ever believe and if you saw it in the theater you would say “that would never happen, this is beyond corny.” But it actually DID happen which tells you how amazing it truly was.

In comment 15738713 GP said:

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I understand the premise of the OP, but there is a clear fan benefit I've realized looking back on championship years. Those runs actually did impact my life - not in the sense that I got to hoist a trophy or take pride in an accomplishment - rather the memories they helped create with my friends and family. The phone calls/texts, food-and-football-centered viewing gatherings, etc. I remember my brother and I had a lucky 'NY Jets' Bud Light can we kept with us during the 2011 run (my mom bought the wrong team pack so we kept it going as our lucky charm). We didn't take it seriously, but it was still fun. I remember calling my grandfather after SB42 and him chatting me up about the difference between that championship and the runs in 86 and 90. So, yeah, I'm not elated as a player, but I'm still creating memories by following this damn team and sharing in the satisfaction of success when we're lucky enough to do so. At least that's how I justify wasting 4 hours each fall Sunday.

Good take. Part of what makes those runs so special for me were all the celebratory moments I had with friends. We had a local spot that we kept going back to.. we'd sit at the same table, order the same food/drinks during the same points of the games, etc.

All of the silly superstitions.

But, those are core sports memories for me. Nothing was better. The magical, improbable elements... the hallmark plays (Tyree), Eli outdueling a legend @ Lambeau in sub zero temps, preventing a perfect season.. it was just incredible.

OP is something I'd totally understand if it was a Patriots fan talking about trophy 4 or 5 or whatever during the Brady era where it was more "ho hum, NE won again.."

But for us.. for the Giants, those runs were special.

for me. XXV, one grandmother had just died and the other was dying of cancer, passing away a few months later, and freshman year of high school was rough. XLII, I had just been laid off from my job while my wife was 7 months pregnant. In both cases the wins brought some much needed joy into my life, and I've always been grateful for that.

I remember the 07 run as a whole and the mounting feeling of destiny that team had, starting with the snow game at Buffalo that I remember watching at a B&B with my dad on this small TV in the lobby. Week 17 vs. the Pats, Corey Webster against the Bucs, RW McQuarters picking off that Romo pass, Lawrence Tynes... the journey in 07 was what it was all about. By the time we got to the Super Bowl, I wasn't scared of New England at all - and at the end, I was just glad to have made the memories.

11 was more of a 'screw you assholes for not believing in this team and Eli,' 'about damn time,' furious fist-pump kind of vibe for me. 08, 09 and 10 were all such disappointing years*** I will never forget getting to see that one with my Dad, who I wasn't with in 07 because I was at college.

*** I feel like a lot of people focus on what happened with Plax in 08 and gloss over the fact that 09 and 10 teams were quite capable of getting to and winning in the playoffs. In 09 we started 5-0 and finished 8 and freakin 8, and in 10 we won 10 games!

QB kneels on 2nd down are meh. However Clawfin sat in a dark room by himself for hours after the Matt Dodge loss. I felt that man.

then again, I never expected it to have much impact on my life. I enjoyed the crap out of the wins and I'm glad we have the 4 Lombardi's. That's all.

I am absolutely giddy for an entire football off-season and even that next football season I have a higher tolerance for pain and suffering than at any other point in time.

When they won the last 2 in 07-08 (and 11) I would randomly outburst giggles of pure joy.

It most definitely matches the hype. Unfortunately we're still paying for it. Hopefully the debts have been paid in full and we can escape NFL relegation.

In comment 15738330 shyster said:

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"Losing hurts worse than winning feels good.' It's not specific to being a sports fan, more of a commentary on human psychology generally.

This is true.

However, as limited as that pure joy is at winning a championship, it's definitely great while it lasts.

Oh god, I was elated. For weeks. The Giants (Mets too, to a lesser degree) are all wrapped up in a lifetime of family memories. They mean more to me than they probably should. Remembering that game, that whole run, can still give me chills.

… that SB XXI felt like personal vindication, at least until Wellington Mara decided to politicize the championship.

XXV and XLII were great fun, but I wasn’t as personally invested and could enjoy the games as games.

XLVI was weird. The host of the party picked me up at the train station near his house and told me that a co-worker who was supposed to attend had died suddenly that morning, leaving a young wife and son. We kept it between us because the other guests did not know our co-worker and we didn’t want to cast a pall. Quite the dark shadow, though. Hard to get overly excited about Blackburn’s INT, Welker’s drop, or even Manning-to-Manningham.

You might want to check your pulse!

The 2007 Superbowl is a memory of a lifetime to me.... totally life changing.

In comment 15738409 Jim in Tampa said:

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At the time you may have been dissatisfied with other aspects of your life, such as your personal relationships or your career, and you were using sports as a diversion to try and feel better. When the Giants won the Super Bowl and you still felt the same, you realized that your team winning a championship wasn’t the thing that was missing from your life. It was something else. But that’s just a guess and what the hell do I know.

This is actually a pretty astute observation. I didn't feel this way in 07 or 11 but I know that when the Giants lose nowadays I feel that way. I think to myself if my life this sad that I watch this garbage team and put so much into them even though they suck? So not the same thing but yeah I do wonder if I'm just trying to fill a gap sometimes.

In comment 15738554 Torn Tendon said:

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maybe it's where you lived. That game exceeded any hype! You need to factor in that the Pats were steamrolling the entire league that year. The Giants had a shaky 2nd half of the season record wise. Then they play them in a close game that last regular season game. I missed the Tampa game. The Cowboys and Packers, were really close exciting games. Then beating the undefeated Pats isn't good enough for you? Yes, there were some highly improbable plays made by the Giants and a couple of damn lucky drops by the Pats, but that's football. The defense was phenomenal and the offense played well too. It was hands down the most exciting playoff run and Superbowl winning season the team has ever had. Every few years I'll re-watch the Cowboys, Packers and the SB. Sounds like an undefeated season would only satisfy the OP or the people he was around were certain the Giants were going to win. Most of the rest of the country thought it was going to be a horrible game and the Giants were going to get blown out.

I think you missed the point. It wasn't how we won. The point was no matter how we won my life didn't change so I just felt like any title's not all it's cracked up to be.

In comment 15740446 BestFeature said:

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In comment 15738554 Torn Tendon said: Quote: maybe it's where you lived. That game exceeded any hype! You need to factor in that the Pats were steamrolling the entire league that year. The Giants had a shaky 2nd half of the season record wise. Then they play them in a close game that last regular season game. I missed the Tampa game. The Cowboys and Packers, were really close exciting games. Then beating the undefeated Pats isn't good enough for you? Yes, there were some highly improbable plays made by the Giants and a couple of damn lucky drops by the Pats, but that's football. The defense was phenomenal and the offense played well too. It was hands down the most exciting playoff run and Superbowl winning season the team has ever had. Every few years I'll re-watch the Cowboys, Packers and the SB. Sounds like an undefeated season would only satisfy the OP or the people he was around were certain the Giants were going to win. Most of the rest of the country thought it was going to be a horrible game and the Giants were going to get blown out. I think you missed the point. It wasn't how we won. The point was no matter how we won my life didn't change so I just felt like any title's not all it's cracked up to be.

Well, isn't that special...

In comment 15738781 AJ23 said:

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I remember the 07 run as a whole and the mounting feeling of destiny that team had, starting with the snow game at Buffalo that I remember watching at a B&B with my dad on this small TV in the lobby. Week 17 vs. the Pats, Corey Webster against the Bucs, RW McQuarters picking off that Romo pass, Lawrence Tynes... the journey in 07 was what it was all about. By the time we got to the Super Bowl, I wasn't scared of New England at all - and at the end, I was just glad to have made the memories. 11 was more of a 'screw you assholes for not believing in this team and Eli,' 'about damn time,' furious fist-pump kind of vibe for me. 08, 09 and 10 were all such disappointing years*** I will never forget getting to see that one with my Dad, who I wasn't with in 07 because I was at college. *** I feel like a lot of people focus on what happened with Plax in 08 and gloss over the fact that 09 and 10 teams were quite capable of getting to and winning in the playoffs. In 09 we started 5-0 and finished 8 and freakin 8, and in 10 we won 10 games!

Yeah man. Hakeem Nicks was a great Plaxico replacement.

In comment 15738571 joeinpa said:

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Having a game to look forward to, enjoying it with family, feeling the excitement of the game, reveling in a victory for a while, just fun If you re looking for more from following a sport you have the wrong perspective

Well sport isn't a movie that you commit two hours to and that's it. Maybe more if you rewatch it. It's a way of life if you're a die hard enough. We follow the organiation all year round and some of us (not me) follow players' college teams to decide who you want the Giants to draft.

In comment 15738375 j_rud said:

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Called my boss drunk at 1am and took a week off work.

I remember my ex-girlfriend got so pissed at me because I called out and missed some useless college classes to go the stadium celebration.

ONE day. That job I worked at at the time isn't even open for business anymore and I got a C in that class. Glad I missed all that b.s. for a day of fun!

I'm like you don't have any say in this (in more ways than one) and you'll see in 14 years!

I sat there after the game and replayed the celebration multiple times, then did the same with the parade and meet-up at the stadium. Had a smile for a couple of weeks off of that.

The 2011 one was great also but I just had a feeling we were going to win and that seemed to take something from it. But both were fabulous as a fan. Being a huge Eli fan helped to make both of those feel special