Let's Do it for Henry!!

Among the 600 or so articles I have read since Tynes was good from 47, there is one name that keeps coming up when you read the quotes from the old time fans of the Giants & the NFL...the late, great Wellington Mara.

As he was often referred to, Wellington was the NFL's Last Patriarch. One of the great men that literally built the NFL to the power house it has become today.

As I have mentioned before, Wellington died a few hours after Nate was born & there was a brief discussion in the hospital about his middle name actually being Wellington. Naturally, this idea was shot down so quickly by my beautiful wife, Jayme, that she tells me she doesn't remember this conversation at all. That's OK though, because little does Nate (& Jayme) know now, but his birth and Wellington's passing will always be linked in my mind. Hopefully greatness was passed along (at least that is what I like to believe).

While Wellington was the Last Patriarch of the NFL, this got me thinking about the Last Patriarch of my Giants world. One Mr. Henry Cohen.

Let me explain.

Henry is my good friend Danny's grandfather & my good friend Jerry's father. Henry is 88 years old and has been a Giants season ticket holder since 1936.

Henry has been to more Giants games than any person I have ever met and truly has been a fan as long as the Mara's have been a part of the Giants.

When I first started attending Giants games with Hersh and Danny, Henry was there bright and early every game tailgating there with us.

Several seasons back, Henry's health began to slowly deteriorate and getting up and down from his seats in the upper deck became more and more difficult. Henry and Jerry wrote a letter to the Giants expressing their desire to be moved somewhere more convenient for Henry.

A few weeks later they received a letter from Wellington Mara himself with their new tickets in a location that is much more easily accessible to the exits. Henry would continue to come to the games for many more seasons.

Then two seasons ago Henry's legs began to fail him a bit more and getting around became quite difficult for him. He still would love to come to games but you could see how painful it was for him. He was still the coolest guy at the tailgate by far so he would never say how much he was hurting but you could see it.

Eventually it just became too hard for him to come to the games and Danny and Jerry (and Sarah) emotionally told all of us that our Patriarch would no longer joining us on Sundays. He would be there in spirit but home in Queens watching the games.

Well my friends, I know the Giants don't know Henry, but many of you do. Henry, like many of us, is also a Mets fan and like us all, hasn't seen a championship since 1990 for either of these teams. Hopefully Henry will be around for many more Super Bowls but as they say, you don't know when your team will get back to the Super Bowl again so you better win it the first time.

If there is ever a person to rally around for this Giants team, it is our Patriarch of parking lot 6F. It is Henry Cohen.

LET'S DO THIS FOR HENRY!!

LETS GO GIANTS!!

January 2008 - The perfect sports month

Let's look at the top of this blog.

Read the headline with me:

My good friend Jeff Cooper and I, Jason Fink, are huge Mets fans and decided to create a blog regarding the state of the Mets, MLB, the NY Giants, as well as other sports related events that go on. With the NFL season around the corner you may start to see some other posts on the pathetic state of our beloved NY “Football” Giants. What can I say, we are gluttons for punishment.

That was written on August 13th of last year.

Today is January 29th 2008.

Wow how much has changed since then. I think somewhere between then and now was the worst collapse in baseball history but today that seems like a distant memory.

Today was media day at the Super Bowl(!!!!) and for those who didn't get a chance to log onto the nfl.com, it was freakin great. At 2 pm the Giants took the field. At NFL.com they had 6 live cameras you could click on to view a different interview. First it was TC looking his normal serious self saying his normal serious lines. Click over to Easy sporting his new QB scruff looking calm, as usual, and giving the media everything they could ask for and more. Then I click over to the coolest man in NY, Plax, who looks just about as bad ass and confident as any human being can look getting ready for the big game. Click to Strahan essentially doing stand-up comedy. Click to Pierce looking ready as ever with his shades on at all times. It went on and on. Media Day! The Giants are in the Super Bowl! Is this real? It's all still mind boggling.

Such a fun hour watching them.

I go back to work and eventually to a 4 pm sales meeting. I come back to my desk about 40 minutes later to 6 text messages on my phone, countless IMs, 4 emails and 3 voicemails. This all could only mean one thing. I click on Fink's IM first. CAPITAL LETTERS ARE THE WORDS "COOPER" AND "JEFFREY" over and over. Links are sent to 3 different sites by 4 different people. Yes folks, it has happened. The Mets and the Twins have struck a deal and the best pitcher on the planet is now a New York Met.

WELCOME TO NEW YORK JOHAN SANTANA!

Honestly, I don't fully understand how Omar pulled this one off. I really don't. How did he get Johan without giving up a single premium prospect in return?

Lets say the Twins were to have kept him and lost him in free agency to the Mets. Thy would've received 2 first round draft picks as compensation in return for the signing. Is this deal really better than 2 1st rounders?

I mean for my entire life I have heard about Nolan Ryan for Jim Fregosi. In recent years it has been Scott Kazmir for Victor Zambrano.

Today, I think Omar has single handedly tried to make up for both of those trades by stealing the best pitcher of the 21st century.

What a month!

3 playoff wins!

A Super Bowl appearance!

And now Johan!

Now let's kick February off with the biggest win of them all!!

I will be back with some Super Bowl XLII thoughts later in the week

I.O.W.T.

Now I Really Have the Shakes..

Super Bowl AND JOHAN SANTANA!! Are you frickin kidding me. I can't type much more b/c my hands are shaking too much. Coop - pick it up when you get home.

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW

I am very happy to be here! - Prince Akeem, 1988

OK, so my favorite 80s comedy came through for me and I look like a prediction genius.

That oblong pigskin ball really went through the big H.

We are in the midst of the greatest playoff run in New York Football history. In fact, this could be the greatest playoff run in New York Sports history.

When has a NY team had to go on the road 3 games in a row in increasingly hostile conditions each week, capped off by the 3rd coldest game in NFL history at the great Lambeau Field against the once great Brett Farve, and won all 3 to advance to the biggest game in sports? THE SUPER BOWL!!! Say it with me. SUP-ER BOWL

I mean NOBODY picked this team to go to the Super Bowl. NOBODY. Not even the most loyal fans I know. Not me. Not you. Not even our good friend Larry who picked them to finish 11-5 this year predicted this one.

Let's put some of this in perspective when I mean nobody predicted this. I know a few friends, some of whom actually tailgate regularly with, who were seriously debating on whether or not they should go to the Giants-Patriots game on December 29th. I know a couple of first year tailgaters this year who sold their tickets to the game (lesson learned I hoped). I know yet others who are regular tailgaters who decided to vacation during this game (again, fellas, you wait for the schedule to come out, then book the trips). Lastly, I have a very-good-season-ticket-holding friend who had the opportunity to go to the Super Bowl weeks ago and turned it down. My point being, loyal fans, even the most die hard and crazy of us never dreamt this could happen in our wildest imaginations. This team won 6 homes games for us in the past TWO seasons. 3 this year and none since OCTOBER 21ST. Nate was still 1 then!!! We had seen Eli and Co. fail so many times at home it became almost expected. But they kept winning on the road and a swagger was formed. And then came Buffalo and a defensive effort that has carried us on through to the Super Bowl showed its face. Then the above mentioned Pats game, the loudest regular season home Giants game I ever remember attending. We let it slip through our hands after being up 28-16 in the 3rd. Eli threw that 1 INT and the game was over. Brady and Co. were still too confident but the Giants swagger reached new heights during that game that we have used to go on this great run.

TC and Spags and Reese and most importantly, the players believed in themselves and have seemed to gain confidence with each play, each series, each quarter and most certainly each win, in the playoffs. While Tynes took a few weeks off all of our lifespans at the end of regulation, he brought us the ultimate joy in OT.

Really can't say enough about this team. From top to bottom, they have over-delivered in every way imaginable.

Of course, the big win got me thinking of another late 80s comedy classic. Although a different sport, the great Major League (1989) contains one of the great underdog stories in sports movie history. As we face off once again against the hated and undefeated New England Patriots, I find this one to be quite appropriate:

Lou Brown: Can I have your attention, please?
Lou Brown: I have something I think you all ought to know about. It seems that Mrs. Phelps doesn't think too highly of our worth. She put this team together because she thought we'd be bad enough to finish dead last, knocking attendance down to the point where she could move the team to Miami... and get rid of all of us for better personnel.
Roger Dorn: Even me?
Lou Brown: Even you, Dorn.
Eddie Harris: What if we DON'T finish last?
Lou Brown: She'll REPLACE you with somebody who WILL. After this season, you'll be sent back to the minors or given your outright release.
Jake Taylor: [Jake stands up] Well then I guess there's only one thing left to do.
Roger Dorn: What's that?
Jake Taylor: Win the whole fucking thing.

That's right my friends...we're here, against all odds...NOW LETS WIN THE WHOLE FUCKIN THING!!

LETS GO GIANTS!!!!

Prince Akeem predicted this one 20 years ago

Prince Akeem: Sir, did you happen to catch the professional football contest on television last night?
Cleo McDowell: No, I didn't.
Prince Akeem: Oh, it was most exhilarating. The Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay. And in the end the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pigskin through a big "H". A most gripping victory!
Cleo McDowell: Son.
Prince Akeem: Yes?
Cleo McDowell: If you want to keep working here, stay off the drugs.
Prince Akeem: Yes.

When I spoke with Fink this morning, he brought up something Larry and I talked about throughout the season. That something is the kicking game of one Lawrence Tynes and how he has not really had to make a big kick all year. Then Fink and I discussed how this game would likely be a low scoring one where we may need said leg.

Instantly my mind flashed to my favorite comedy of the late 80s.

I've been quoting lines from this movie for as long as I can remember and this exchange has always been one of the best.

Now it takes on a whole new meaning.

3 days until the game and it's all I can think about.

The NFC Championship game....who would've ever guessed it?!?!

I can honestly say that this has been the most enjoyable run I can remember in recent times for any of the teams I root for. Being the underdog is just so much fun.

All hail Prince Akeem!

3rd Time's a Charm?

Let's hope so!

Big Blue heads into Dallas this week to face the hated Cowboys and their new mascot (Jessica Simpson). While the Giants may have been a a few plays (big plays.lol) away in each of the previous 2 meetings we should not kid ourselves. The 'Boys were clearly the better team and probably, well certainly still are. However, the better team doesn't always win. It all comes down to which team plays better on gameday.

With the loss of Shockey and Kiwanuka, and key injuries late in the season to Ohara, Madison, and Kawika, many have stepped up (boss, webster, ross, etc) and the Gmen have survived not only the regular season (in which they exceeded most expectations) but a top rated Bucs defense to secure Eli's first playoff win.

Kevin Boss has stepped up and provides Eli a big target and the potential to make some big plays in big spots. Oh, and some little big man named Ahmad Bradshaw has been lightning in a bottle and may be the explosive home run threat that helps take us over the top this time around.

With Madison's status still up in the air and yet another injury to Dockery that will keep him out of the game, this will likely be a shootout at the you know what. Big blue will need to eat up the clock and make some big plays to keep Jessica Romo on the sidelines.

After a solid showing against the undefeated Pats (thanks for the update goldberg) and a strong performance in Tampa, it's all about momentum and the Giants have it. Take it to 'em and make this Eli's 2nd playoff win.

Go BIG BLUE!!