The home-field advantage should be a punch to the chin of the Cowboys, not a punch line, but when it comes to taking care of business the joke’s on the Giants.
The thought of a towel-waving frenzy, a cauldron of noise and intensity on a chilled New Year’s Day evening, the idea that Tony Romo’s teammates will have to strain to hear his snap count and Jason Pierre-Paul’s exhortations will force the Cowboys to burn a timeout because they simply cannot function are all ingredients in a home-cooked meal that isn’t served any more.
In the two-year lifespan of the $1.6 billion stadium they share with the curtain-draping, Super Bowl logo-hiding Jets, the Giants have played 15 regular-season games, and the paying customers, their loyal fans, have seen them win eight times and lose seven times.
The Giants are 3-4 at home this season, finding a way to lose to the cross-country traveling Seahawks, the Michael-Vick-less Eagles and, most recently and most tellingly, to the just-plain-crummy Redskins in a performance that should have prompted refunds.
Justin Tuck yesterday said he hadn’t even thought about the home-field advantage this winner-take-all game should provide the Giants, who Antrel Rolle insists are already in “playoff mode.’’
Tuck then added, “It should be [an advantage], definitely. We love the atmosphere in our stadium. We know it’s going to be a playoff-type atmosphere, playoff game for both teams, win or go home, and you got to love that.’’
Rolle sort of dismissed the impact staying home might provide.
“I’m happy this game is home, the majority for the fans, we don’t have to travel,” Rolle said. but at the same time it doesn’t have any effect on the game whatsoever.”
If that is indeed the case it is a sad state of affairs in an age where Personal Seat Licenses and luxury suites and all-you-can-eat halftime buffets turn football stadiums into catered entertainment emporiums.
If MetLife Stadium could talk, it would probably apologize for its sterile grey interior, Venetian blind exterior and for ridiculous PSL price-tag of $10,000 to put one tuchas in one seat. The stadium would then lambaste the Giants.
“I have provided a luxurious locker room for you and this is how you repay me, by making Charlie Whitehurst and Rex Grossman look legitimate?’’
Old Giants Stadium, demolished before our very eyes, surely housed some stinkers in huge moments, more recently a shutout playoff loss to the Panthers after the 2005 season and the 2009 41-9 loss, again to the Panthers, in the Giants final came there.
The new place hasn’t had a moment yet to call its own and this is the time, the moment, for it to happen.
But does anyone even remotely think the Cowboys will be dropped into an impossible spot?Does anyone think “No way they beat the Giants in THAT place.”
The Giants aren’t even thinking in those terms.
“It’s always an advantage playing here, with our fans and their natural hate for the Cowboys is always good,’’ Victor Cruz said, before admitting the baffling home struggles are “kind of weird because that kind of feeling just takes over the team for that specific game.’’
Tuck did not discount that the Giants lose their edge when they stay put.
“When you’re at home you do have a tendency to relax, play a little looser in some ways but that’s no excuse,’’ he said. “We got to play better at home and we all know that.’’
The Giants and Cowboys are both 8-7, displaying strengths and weaknesses on a weekly basis.Where this game is played should be a huge factor.The Giants owe it to their fans to give them something to cheer about.
“More than that we owe it to ourselves,’’ Tuck said. “Absolutely, we got very loyal fans and they come out and they spend the money on the tickets and the PSLs and they’re there every Sunday. I would love to give a great effort and show them the true Giants team we have in this locker room.’’
That would finally turn a game on a home field into a game with a home-field advantage.
Source http://www.nypost.com
In the two-year lifespan of the $1.6 billion stadium they share with the curtain-draping, Super Bowl logo-hiding Jets, the Giants have played 15 regular-season games, and the paying customers, their loyal fans, have seen them win eight times and lose seven times.
The Giants are 3-4 at home this season, finding a way to lose to the cross-country traveling Seahawks, the Michael-Vick-less Eagles and, most recently and most tellingly, to the just-plain-crummy Redskins in a performance that should have prompted refunds.
Justin Tuck yesterday said he hadn’t even thought about the home-field advantage this winner-take-all game should provide the Giants, who Antrel Rolle insists are already in “playoff mode.’’
Tuck then added, “It should be [an advantage], definitely. We love the atmosphere in our stadium. We know it’s going to be a playoff-type atmosphere, playoff game for both teams, win or go home, and you got to love that.’’
Rolle sort of dismissed the impact staying home might provide.
“I’m happy this game is home, the majority for the fans, we don’t have to travel,” Rolle said. but at the same time it doesn’t have any effect on the game whatsoever.”
If that is indeed the case it is a sad state of affairs in an age where Personal Seat Licenses and luxury suites and all-you-can-eat halftime buffets turn football stadiums into catered entertainment emporiums.
If MetLife Stadium could talk, it would probably apologize for its sterile grey interior, Venetian blind exterior and for ridiculous PSL price-tag of $10,000 to put one tuchas in one seat. The stadium would then lambaste the Giants.
“I have provided a luxurious locker room for you and this is how you repay me, by making Charlie Whitehurst and Rex Grossman look legitimate?’’
Old Giants Stadium, demolished before our very eyes, surely housed some stinkers in huge moments, more recently a shutout playoff loss to the Panthers after the 2005 season and the 2009 41-9 loss, again to the Panthers, in the Giants final came there.
The new place hasn’t had a moment yet to call its own and this is the time, the moment, for it to happen.
But does anyone even remotely think the Cowboys will be dropped into an impossible spot?Does anyone think “No way they beat the Giants in THAT place.”
The Giants aren’t even thinking in those terms.
“It’s always an advantage playing here, with our fans and their natural hate for the Cowboys is always good,’’ Victor Cruz said, before admitting the baffling home struggles are “kind of weird because that kind of feeling just takes over the team for that specific game.’’
Tuck did not discount that the Giants lose their edge when they stay put.
“When you’re at home you do have a tendency to relax, play a little looser in some ways but that’s no excuse,’’ he said. “We got to play better at home and we all know that.’’
The Giants and Cowboys are both 8-7, displaying strengths and weaknesses on a weekly basis.Where this game is played should be a huge factor.The Giants owe it to their fans to give them something to cheer about.
“More than that we owe it to ourselves,’’ Tuck said. “Absolutely, we got very loyal fans and they come out and they spend the money on the tickets and the PSLs and they’re there every Sunday. I would love to give a great effort and show them the true Giants team we have in this locker room.’’
That would finally turn a game on a home field into a game with a home-field advantage.
Source http://www.nypost.com
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