Our domination over Boston had ended in the ACLS. Our world had collapsed into utter darkness, as the protective Curse of the Bambino had shifted polarity, transforming the Redsocks into the new Yankees. It was a terrible time, a horrible period, an era of Javier Vasquez and Tanyon Sturtze, of Jose Contreras and Miguel Cairo. It came with The Big Barf - games four through seven - which launched the 1st Nine-Year Oblivion, which was briefly interrupted in 2009, and then which led to the 2nd Nine-Year Oblivion, which hopefully shall end in 2018. For nearly 18 years, we have been stumbling in the darkness. And throughout that torturous era, Yankee-Giant fans could rely on one hopeful commonality: Eli Manning was the starting QB.
Over that period, the Giants outdid the Yankees, two championships to one. And it was Big Blue that delivered our only true revenge shots against Boston - twice beating the mighty Patriots and Tom Brady. The Yankees have never enacted a true and worthy response to 2004. We have never known vengeance. In fact, we've been kicked around by the Redsocks more often than not. Even last season, they delivered some historic, pineapple-up-the-wazoo defeats. They still have our number.
Yesterday, in a torrent of angry tweets and viral video, Eli's streak crashed to a halt. Frankly, it could have ended last month. It had become one of those crutches that fans lean on when the current reality is too horrible to accept. They say that hell is truth seen too late. Well, here's some truth: The 2017 Giants - who entered the season as Super Bowl candidates - may be the worst fucking Giants team in my lifetime - and that goes back to the days of Tucker Fredrickson and Joe Don Looney (the most aptly named man in football, they said.) Not long ago, Y.A. Tittle died, cutting the cord with an era that now exists in yellowed newsprint and faded flashes of memory. Soon, Eli will be another generation's Y.A. Tittle, as they someday look back and remember the great moments, while trying to forget 2017.
Eli had legitimate flings with greatness, and his two Super Bowl rings may carry him into Canton. But he also led the NFL in interceptions three times, fumbled away countless games, and it amazed me lately how writers screaming about the Giants offense laid everything on the coach - our worst since Ray Handley - and gave Eli a free pass. I think it had to do more with his Beaver Cleaver haircut and Eddie Haskell politeness, and these days in the woefully uninteresting NFL - a sport being strangled by commercials, referee penalties and instant replay reviews - any smiling face in a locker room would be hailed by the league as a marketing bonanza.
Today, though, brings a weird feeling. I'm glad Eli is being benched, because he was on the verge of getting killed back there, and the Giants are going nowhere. If you hope for the Giants to ever rise again, they must find the next Manning, and that means trying out a younger QB. Yesterday, the Giants trotted out Geno Smith, but that's a fraud. The real next QB is either Webb Davis - a rookie - or the Giants' first pick in the 2018 draft. The team has no choice but to try out replacements. People can scream about showing Eli respect, but 2-9 doesn't buy much of an argument. The streak was going to end soon. This week? Next week? What difference does it make?
Listen: I'll miss Eli. No way around it. Those two Super Bowl victories were the greatest moments in NY sports since Johnny Damon's grand slam off Javier Vasquez, the moment of the Big Barf. It is time for the universal polarity to be reset, and for the Yankees to rise again. The original Curse began with a guy named Babe. Now, his Japanese counterpart is coming to America. Damn it, I don't care whether Otani is any good: We better fucking sign him and bring light back to the Yankiverse. If somehow, for some reason, George Herman Otani signs with Boston... dear God, folks, our 2nd Oblivion might outlive Eli's streak.
Definitely time to let Wade,errr, Webb Davis start at QB and see what he has. Although he is a Jerry Reese pick so he probably sucks. Talk about Yankee futility, check out this stat: between 2008 and 2017 (10 seasons) only 3 of his picks ever became full-time starters. Two are ODB, Jr and Landon Collins. The rest are part- time starters like Eli (Rotten) Apple.
ReplyDeleteSorry about your QB. But I have to stick up for Miguel Cairo. In games he played for the Yankees, the team winning percentage was .615.
ReplyDeleteI'll never forget Peter Lorre's portrayal of Cairo in "The Maltese Falcon." Funny and creepy and weird, all at the same time. Good throwing arm, too.
ReplyDeleteEli, Eli, Eli. The poor guy needs a valley somewhere, where he can go with Tommy Lee Jones. How can you be an effective quarterback when every guy you throw to drops the ball? They make Rocky Thompson look like Mr. Gluefingers.
Regardless, Eli is going to get killed one of these days if they leave him in there with this offensive...highly offensive...line. So good to see his concussed brainpan get a breather.
PS: I think it's spelled Ohtani. I keep seeing it with the h. Don't personally care, just saying.
Eli(sha) Cook played one of the great unhinged gunsels of all time in The Maltese Falcon.
ReplyDeleteEli was no Peyton, but he was pretty damn tough and he came through more than a few times. I hope he does hook on with somebody and enjoys a season or two of success. Looks like the Giants are going to be quite busy rebuilding so they don't really need a QB with his particular set of skills. No, they need somebody capable of running for his life.
He gets hit with one of Bogie's all-time greatest lines: "The cheaper the crook, the gaudier the patter."
ReplyDeleteWhat frosts my onions is they have Webb ready to start when it was clear the season was toast. Now we get to watch Geno Smith for one, two, three games? Webb should get as much time as possible so it’s at least a bit easier to decide if they should draft a QB or someone to fill one of the other dozen positions that need upgrading. Inexcusable.
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