New York Giants Send the Ryans Home to Texas

Poopface

The happiest New York Giant has to be Kevin Gilbride, the Giants offensive coordinator. Sending blustering Buddy Ryan’s two big mouth fat sons home for the winter. Ryan! No playoffs for you!  

See Poopface Ryan punch Gilbride here

As a die heart Giant fan, I’ve had many nemeses over the years, the Anti-Christ Cowboys, Bill Walsh’s 49ers, and Poopface Ryan's Eagles, to name a few.

Last night, the Giants beating the Cowboys made my old year and New Year. I swear when I was a kid, if the Giants went 2-12 but beat the Cowboys twice; as far as I was concerned they had a good year.

Realistically, winning the NFC East title while giving up more points then we scored, makes this seem a little bit like the NBA playoff scenario “let’s get everybody in there! Bring me your poor, sad, five hundred teams.”  But, this smells a lot like the 2007 Giant team that went on a roll and won four games on the road to Arizona. Cruz is this year’s Bradshaw surprise "where'd he come from break out player." Three cheers for Patterson, New Jersey!  Victor’s home town.  And last but not least, did you see Eli snake his way out of several sacks?  Manning runs the ball? Yes, he did!

Cowboys, go home.

All my love for the Cowboys is summed up in this story published in Mr. Beller’s Neighborhood in 2008.

Schadenfreude – How Bout Those Boys?

Beat Atlanta!

Dee-fense! Dee-fense! Dee-fense! ~ Go Jints! Beat Dallas!

In 1981, my Dad and I watched Joe “The Nose” Danelo kick the Giants over the Cowboys into the playoffs for the first time since 1963.  Never having a sports interested child, I've lost most of my enthusiasm for pro sports, except for the Jints. I remain deliriously under the impression the Giants need me to root for them. I get delightful pleasure when they play well; it’s the one thing other than exercise that still makes me feel like I'm a kid.  My Dad is gone 10 years, but he's with me every Giant game.  Dad never missed one of my football games even with his world class hangovers. We loved the Giants together, it was our unbreakable link.

Dee-fense! Dee-fense!  Dee-fense!

Beat Dallas!

Our next City Stories: Stoops to Nuts storytelling show at Cornelia Street Café is January 10^th @ 6pm. Please come down, I promise a good time.

Our New Year artists are: Lisa Burns, Nicole Ferraro, Julia Joseph, Thomas Pryor, Francesca Rizzo & Adam Wade.

Is Fifty Years A Long Time?

Is fifty years a long time? Depends, on your memory and how enjoyable or painful that memory is.

The top picture is 50 years ago in Putnam County in July, me, Uncle Mickey & Aunt Barbara. The second picture is me, Vito D'Amico & Uncle Mickey this past July after our first radio show together at Giovanna's Restaurant in East Harlem. Mickey passed away three month later in October 2010.

This week, the Super Bowl in Dallas involving the Green Bay Packers brings back a strong Mickey memory.

Around noon, December 31, 1967, Mickey and Barbara came into our 83rd Street apartment, Barbara stayed in the kitchen with her sister, Mom, and Mickey walked into my bedroom where I was alone writing down the lineups for the game.

"Go get your father's black polish and shoe brush." Mickey said.

"Huh?" I said.

"Do it!" He ordered.

He's nuts and usually a lot of fun so I go get Dad's shoe box. On the way back to my room Mom gave me a look.

"Shine my shoes." Mickey ordered.

I looked at him like he is nuts.

"And here's a little something for your trouble."

He handed me a crisp ten dollar bill.

I tried to figure out something to say or ask but he beat me to it.

"I won two bets last week and picked up this morning, don't tell Barbara."

I was 13, thrilled for the bill and happy Mickey was over the house, he was an on and off actor and had 100 voices. For Christmas, Dad bought me my first reel-to-reel Tanberg tape recorder and I was taping all the songs off the radio but I needed a partner in crime to use the new gray microphone. Rory didn't like sports and Mickey was a perfect choice to do pre-game with me. Even though Ray Scott, Jack Buck and Frank Gifford were CBS announcers that day, Mickey decided to take it another way.

"This is Chris Schenkel live from Lambeau Field in frozen Green Bay where today, Tom Landry's Cowboys face off against the NFL World Champion Green Bay Packers. The Dallas team is looking for revenge for last year's defeat. I'm here with New York Giant Golden Boy, Number 16, Frank Gifford, say hi, Frank."

"Hi." I did as told.

"This is the coldest assignment I've had since I covered the bobsled championship in Saint Moritz, Switzerland in 1952. It is thirteen degrees below zero, I had to take off my glove to itch my nose, and my finger turned into a twig. What do you think Frank?"

"It's going to be tough on the players, but these are two great teams."

"Well said, Gif!"

"Thank you, Chris."

And the idiocy went on for seven or eight minutes, I never had that much fun on a microphone again until Mickey and I did the two radio shows together this past July. I still have the tape from 1967. I hope I find it, if I do I will put it up on the blog. Picture below is the microphone from that first tape player.

That day Bart Starr followed Jerry Kramer into the end zone on a sneak with sixteen seconds left to seal the Packers victory in the Ice Bowl.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVEAx0PtGrU&feature=related

ps Chuck Mercein, a former New York Giant Baby Bull, caught a pass and ran 19 yards on the final Packer drive, then Mercein carried the ball eight yards to the three to set up Starr's sneak. That was my personal highlight for the game, outside the Cowboys losing.

pss 20 years ago this week, "No good! Wide right!" Giants 20 Bills 19

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV5s1w4Q6FE

"I'm Not That Strong A Swimmer"

One thing makes me happy about this Super Bowl. Jerry Jones is hosting it, and his Cowboys ain't in it.

Add Eagles are home, it gets better.

At 15, I was a fanatical New York Giants/NFL fan and had no interest in the merger with the AFL. Green Bay had a leader on his way to sainthood, Lombardi the former Giant offensive coach, was feared, respected, but not hated, except by his own players who would not put him out if he was on fire but they won every important game for him. Steelers had Art Rooney and he with Wellington Mara went back to the beginning of the league, and the Steelers stunk when the Giants stunk so Pittsburgh was tolerable and not on my Anti-Christ list.

Tomorrow, I'm rooting for the Packers, because Aaron Rodgers is in a zone that makes it a pleasure to watch him manage a game. Ben Roethlisberger is playing at a top level, too. Folks say no one can run on Pittsburgh. So what? Rodgers will get outside the box, pick up first downs running and keep them honest. It's rare in football that one player can carry a team but Rodgers like Brees last year with the Saints has stepped up.

In the picture below doesn't Jerry look like Martin Short playing Lawrence in the Men's Synchronized Swimming sketch from Saturday Night Live?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4122944961711350389#

Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues

Watching Monday Night Football years ago, the camera panned a mostly empty upper deck of a stadium where the home team was getting creamed in the fourth quarter. The network was going bananas, the game was a stinker. The camera focused on a drunk asleep and moved in for a close up. The guy woke up and must have seen himself on a screen inside the place, because he gave the camera the finger. Without missing a beat, Don Meredith said, "Look, he's saying our team is number one!"

There are certain Cowboys who broke my heart but I grudgingly admired: Walt Garrison, Roger Staubach & Don Meredith.

In 1966 & 1967, The Dallas Cowboys and the Green Bay Packers played each other in the NFL Championship games. Don Meredith led the upstarts against the vintage Lombardi wine. As a 12 year old Giants fan, I was devastated. My team stunk, the parishioners in the Church of Mara were suffering. The coach of the Cowboys was Tom Landry, former defensive coach of the Giants. The coach of the Packers, Vince Lombardi, the former offensive coach of the Giants. How could Mara let these guys go?

And the Cowboys were led by a cool QB, that I couldn't hate. Peter Gent wrote knowingly of Meredith in his book, "North Dallas Forty." Everything I imagined about Meredith was true. And the guy was loved, and did a tremendous amount of charity work throughout his life.

Three cheers for Dandy Don.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4rrFgYYJ0s

.

.

Giants 6-2, Cowboys 1-6

Tomorrow, at the end of the day, the Giants may have a five game lead on the Cowboys at the half way point of the season.

I was brought up not to gloat, all bets are off when it comes to Dallas. The best part of the end of the World Series, was once the Texas Rangers lost all the Dallas newspapers could refocus on the 1-6 Cowboys. Cowboys play the Packers tomorrow and though the Packers have played wishy washy, I'm expecting a strong game, because the Packers hate the Cowboys almost as much as the Giants do.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-aKfTK2LiM

Paris at Night ~ Tom Landry in the Louvre

Took pictures of Paris after dark outside Elodie & Thetje's window. At last light, caught their neighbor, Shep, across the courtyard. Viewed the Eiffel Tower straight up through the tangle of steel.

On the Oise River strolled a medieval fair where Alison conjured up a memory of slaying dragons.

Then a most disturbing thing. Found evidence of the Anti-Christ in France. In a painting at the Louvre there was the familiar fedora and profile of Tom Landry prowling the Cowboys sideline. Next day at Versailles the Texas Lone Star peppered a rug's pattern. This could not be a coincidence. I hung onto the fact the Giants defeated Dallas twice last year and I prayed to Allie Sherman.

Baloney Romo

Time for another fancy five dollar raised Jesus on the front Wake Card with the name of the dearly departed:

Dallas Cowboys

Rest in Peace

.

Goodnight, Jerry Jones, Joe Buck & Baloney Romo.

.

.

A Yorkville memory re-visited... read below...

http://mrbellersneighborhood.com/2008/12/schadenfreude-how-bout-those-boys

December 19, 1981 ~ How Bout Those Boys?

.
Dad died seven years ago, but he and I get together every Sunday in the fall, and with luck our reunions continue until early winter.
.
Since people would think I'm nuts watching New York Giant games with my dead father, I usually watch them alone, with Dad.
.
We have many victories together, none as sweet as December 19, 1981 against the Anti-Christ Cowboys.
.
I was too young to enjoy the successes of the late 50s' and early 60s' Giants football club, but I was just the right age to suffer through the horrible Giant teams in the 60s' & 70s'.
.
The Giants needed to beat the Cowboys on the last day of the 1981 season to make the playoffs for the first time since 1963.
.
Dad drove to my apartment the Saturday before Christmas, we wore our blue best, and the Giants prevailed 13-10 on Joe "The Nose" Danelo's foot. No matter, they lost that year in the playoffs to the 49ers, they were back in the mix.
.
Over the years, Dad and I won two Super Bowls together, and his spirit haunted me all night, gleefully, after the Giants beat the Patriots two years ago.
.
Sweeping the Cowboys makes life brighter ~ Beating Dallas twice in a year ~ my personal World Series.
.
My love to Joe Buck and all the bad haircut Cowboy fans out there.
.
.

Chairman of the Board Beats Cowboys 17-7

Whitey Ford pitched 8 2/3 shutout innings against the Dallas Cowboys today in a 17-7 Green Bay Packer blowout.

.

Luis Arroyo gave up a meaningless seven run homer to the hapless Cowboys with no time left on the clock. The failing Dallas hombres are flirting with flipping last place with the St. Louis Browns.
.

The Chairman of the Board walked one Cowboy, and struck out seven.
.

Tony Romo, Cowboy's shortstop made two fielding errors and several errant throws to first.

.