Giants And The Coming Of Eli Manning

Anyone familiar with the history of the NFL knows of the success the Giants have had over the last eight and a half decades. The New York NFC team is quite literally one of the top teams in the history of the League, having garnered a total of 7 NFL titles, of which 3 are Super Bowl victories. Only Green Bay and Chicago have earned more titles since the NFL’s inception, with the Packers having 12 and the Bears 9. Among those seven titles is one that was achieved within the last three years in the Super Bowl after the 2007 season, under the leadership of their quarterback Eli Manning.

How do you get to New York?

Eli, the younger brother of the Colts’ Peyton Manning, was at the time of the 2004 Draft the most highly-sought young talent. Given that the San Diego Chargers owned the top pick in that draft, most assumed that they would select the young star from the University of Mississippi, especially since they were in need of a star at the quarterback position. Still, after Manning had pointedly indicated that he would not play for San Diego even if they were to draft him, there remained some doubt about where Eli would eventually go. The Chargers, however, created a draft and trade deal with the Giants in which San Diego picked up Eli and the Giants selected Philip Rivers – and then the two franchises would swap the quarterbacks for one another. It was a strange way for Eli to get to New York, but it worked out for him in the end.

Fresh blood and a fresh start

At the time of Manning’s arrival, New York had been without an NFL title win for 14 years. In addition, the team’s loss to the Ravens in the 2001 Super Bowl had left them reeling. Everyone agreed that it was time for a new start, and with new coaching and a brand new quarterback, the franchise hoped that they could replicate the same levels of play that Peyton Manning had been providing for Indianapolis since his arrival in the League years before. They did. Under Eli’s stewardship, the team reversed its previous poor performance and managed playoff appearances for three straight years. The last of those three was enough to send them into the title game once again, this time in the forty-second Super Bowl.

Eli overcomes the odds

There was little doubt as to who the experts expected to win Super Bowl XLII. The Patriots, after all, had just achieved the game’s first 16-0 season and had cruised through the playoffs. The Vegas bookies had the Giants as an eighteen point underdog. Of course, Eli soon reminded them why the game still needs to be played, as his team managed a come-from behind 17-14 win. In the final moments of the game, Eli had engineered a last minute final touchdown scoring drive that earned him a place in the history books. He also effectively silenced the critics who had spent years comparing him to his older brother.

Freddie Brister is a huge fan of all sports and recommends checking out his New York Giants Bedding and New York Mets blanket at his shop.

Written by Freddie Brister on June 6th, 2010 with comments disabled.
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