NY Giants Grab Championships, Not Headlines

By Marc “The Rass” Rasbury

They’ve gone about their business with little national media coverage for a long time, even after two Super Bowls in four seasons. They play in a division where three other teams routinely grab headlines for everything other than gridiron success. They even play in a metro area where there’s a greater spotlight on their star-crossed stadium roommates.

And, as you’ve come to expect over the years, this is how the New York Giants like it.

There’s only one logical reason for the overshadowing of the defending Super Bowl champions; they’re not exactly what you’d call ‘sexy’. Their NFC East rivals tend to get more ink for big signings, or in the unfortunate case of Dallas and WR Dez Bryant, legal troubles. The Philadelphia Eagles have been picked by some pundits to win the division based on sheer talent and a difficult schedule for the Giants; which makes no sense because save for two games apiece, all four teams, including Washington, have the same opponents this year. And with the arrival of America’s most famous Christian, Tim Tebow, to a team that missed the playoffs because of a shaky offense, the Jets once again own the mainstream press, but not much else (yet).

Save for the made-public hazing of second-year cornerback Prince Amukamara, New York hasn’t been seeking out the spotlight. It’s the way head coach Tom Coughlin, general manager Jerry Reese and team ownership (mostly) do business, and unquestionably, it’s worked. You’d even think that there would be louder quips about their offseason changes – ten regulars from 2011 did not return, including Mario Manningham and Brandon Jacobs (both with San Francisco) – but that’s been confined to those first days of free agency back in March.

Maybe this team is being taken for granted, or perhaps something else is at play. Pundits and fans could be giving their props by letting the Giants fly under the radar. When the season begins on September 5^th, however, there won’t be anything quiet about raising their fourth Super Bowl champion banner.