Category Archives: History
Kentucky RB Gave Big Blue Everything He Had
Doug Kotar was acquired from Pittsburgh by the Giants during the players’ strike in the summer of 1974 for little-known QB Leo Gasienica. Kotar was talented, but not highly regarded coming out of the University of Kentucky. The Steelers needed a QB should the strike occur and Kotar was buried at the bottom of their depth chart at RB.
He did have some value, though, regardless of what Chuck Noll thought. Kotar’s 40-yard-dash time was said to have registered somewhere around 4.5, which was above average for running backs at the time. 
What wasn’t above-average at the time, though were the Giants. They had just played their final season at a crumbling, decaying Yankee Stadium and were beginning their three-year odyssey of sub-standard Mid-Atlantic Region sports venues.
1974 would take the Giants and their fans north for a full season to New Haven (they had finished the ’73 season there), then back down to Flushing to play at Shea Stadium in 1975 before finally settling in the swamps of Jersey in ’76.
Along for the ride was Kotar, who despite his grit and guile, became the face of a famously inept offense. Still, the fans rallied behind him as he thrust himself into fray snap after snap.
He appeared in 90 games for the Giants between 1974-1981, amassing 3390 yards rushing and another 1022 receiving during his eight-year career. At the time of his retirement, he was the Giants’ fourth all-time leading rusher behind Alex Webster, Ron Johnson and Frank Gifford.
Although Kotar was a fan favorite during a time when Giant fans had little to cheer about, he is seen as a tragic figure in Giants history, a victim of unfortunate circumstances. Again, the face of Giant frustration.
Personally, I remember him as being an underdog, always up against the odds. It seemed whenever he was the handed the ball, opponents were all over him. He never had a chance. Had he stayed with Pittsburgh who knows? He could have fit in nicely with Franco Harris and Rocky Bleier…..
It is rumored that legendary Redskins’ coach George Allen once offered the Giants two draft choices in return for Kotar. The Giants turned Allen down. Kotar was the only offense they had at the time.
Kotar’s best year was 1976, the inaugural season in the Meadowlands. He rushed for 739 yards and caught for 319 more giving him over 1,000 all-purpose yards.
The next three seasons were almost identical. The Giants lost most of their games and Kotar was the featured back in the offense. (The Giants were 40-80 over the course of Kotar’s career).
He missed the entire 1980 season due to a knee injury and the final nine games of the 1981 season with a shoulder separation, prompting his retirement. Ironically, the Giants would make the playoffs that year but Kotar was relegated to the sidelines.
He died of an inoperable brain tumor two years later at age 32. Kotar’s death put his life and career in perspective. He was the player remembered as the one who carried the Giants on his back in their darkest hours, and he suddenly became the inspiration to a new generation of Giants.
He was the Bluest of the Blue.
Larry Csonka, who was Kotar’s roommate for his three seasons as a Giant and a tough player in his own right described Kotar as someone who ”would dive, claw, scratch – do anything to get the extra yard. He was a tough cookie.”
In this off-season where players and owners line up to do battle over billions, the pros of the past should be remembered. There was a time when players gave their all for much, much less.
Doug Kotar was one of those players.
Tagged Doug Kotar, New York Giants, New York Giants Blogs, New York Giants News |
Giants’ Safety Carl “Spider” Lockhart was one of the lone heroes of the woeful “Lil’ Blue” teams of the late 1960′s- early 1970′s. 
He was drafted by the Giants out of North Texas in the 13th round of the 1965 NFL Draft and went on to play his entire 11-year professional career in New York.
Despite the Giants being doormats, Lockhart was recognized as a top player at his position, getting elected to the Pro Bowl twice while racking up 41 INTs over a 145-game career.
We honor Spider because this week will mark the 24th anniversary of his death. He passed away after a long battle with lymphoma on July 9th, 1986 at age 43 – which was also his uniform number and the year of his birth.
He is one of my generation’s favorite Giants – stylish, slick, tough and true blue to the end. After last year’s debacle of a secondary, we could use a man like Spider these days…..
Tagged New York Giants, New York Giants Blogs, Spider Lockhart |
Giants Wear Red, White and Blue But Weren’t Always Fan Favorites
Over the years, the Dallas Cowboys came to be known as America’s Team. The aura of Tom Landry, his fedora and the star on the side of their helmets captured the imagination of the American public. 
Winning didn’t hurt, either….and you know Americans have to feel like winners, so many fans all over the world became Cowboy fans.
That, and the fact that many teams’ home games were blacked out, leaving the networks to air out-of-market games. The Giants’ home games were predominantly blacked out until 1976, when they were able to sell enough tickets to surpass the threshold of that draconian restriction.
Giants fans could not watch their beloved Big Blue play on a regular basis. Instead, they turned their allegiance to the teams they could see on television: Dallas, Oakland, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Miami etc.
That is why there are so many fans of other teams in this city. The Giants’ recent winning ways (the last 25 years or so) have put a dent in that. Admittedly, the Cowboys still have a presence but it has waned as the Super Bowls got further away in the rear-view mirror.
Back then the networks weren’t complaining because the Giants were horrible. The viewing audience was actually spared from watching the poor Giants take weekly beatings.
A winning tradition started by George Young brought back many fans and cultivated the strong fan base we have today – in the stands, at sports bars and in living rooms across NYC and the USA.
Now, the Giants are the NFL’s top draw. New York is Football City. Both teams (Giants and Jets) are thriving and generating oodles of interest.
But it is he Giants, not the Jets or the Cowboys who are America’s Team. TV ratings confirm the Giants are the league’s marquee franchise.
Tagged New York Giants, New York Giants Blogs |
NFL Films ran a player-profile series a while back called “In Their Own Words”. One Giant player who was a perfect fit for the series was DE Michael Strahan.
This is the second part of a two-part segment. Part one is too long to feature. Needless to say, this piece is entertaining as Strahan is never at a loss for words…..
Tagged Michael Strahan, New York Giants, New York Giants Video |
Auto Accidents Have Haunted Giants In Past
The sad saga of Chad Jones is not something new to longtime New York Giants fans. Tragedy has struck Big Blue in the past.
Many of you may be too young to remember a rough and tumble defensive tackle by the name of Troy Archer. He was the Giants’ first round selection in the 1976 NFL Draft. 
Archer was on verge of becoming one of the game’s best nose tackles when he was killed in a truck accident in June 1979.
In 1985, The Giants had a promising offensive lineman by the name of Kevin Belcher, whose career was ended by a car wreck.
Brad Stratton of the BS Sports Blog recently wrote a piece about Belcher….here is an excerpt…
You know who Kevin Belcher is, right?
Belcher was the 153rd player chosen in the 1983 NFL Draft, the draft that is well-known for having possibly the best crop of quarterbacks ever in one draft. Belcher was an offensive lineman coming out of Texas-El Paso when he was selected in the sixth round by the New York Giants.
Belcher saw action in all 16 of the Giants’ games in 1983, a season where the team went 3-12-1 and nearly cost new coach Bill Parcells his job. Belcher was the starting center in 1984, and even had a four-yard pass reception in a 31-21 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals on Dec. 9.
But before the 1985 season, Belcher’s career ended when he got in a car accident that exposed nerves. The Giants struggled to replace him until they acquired Bart Oates from the Philadelphia Stars of the USFL.
Belcher’s brief career is relevant today because history may be repeating itself. The Giants recently acquired safety Chad Jones in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft. READ ON
Tagged Chad Jones, New York Giants Blogs, New York Giants News |
We figured during the summer months (aka the NFL dry season) we’d import some video for our readers each Friday to fill some dead air.
Today’s video is anything but. Giants fans of all ages will eat this first selection up with a fork and spoon.
Here is a ten minute clip from NFL Films’ America’s Game series.
It is about the 2007 Super Bowl Champion New York Giants. There is some rare footage here and interesting anecdotes from Eli Manning, Michael Strahan and Tom Coughlin.
The piece is narrated by Emmy Award and Golden Globe-winning actor (and lifelong Giants fan) James Gandolfini
Tagged Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, New York Giants, New York Giants Blogs, New York Giants News, New York Giants Video, Super Bowl XLII, Tom Coughlin |
Mara, Tisch Legacies Live On Through Sons
On this Father’s Day, as we turn to honor our fathers, I decided to pay homage to two Giant patriarchs: Wellington Mara and Bob Tisch.
These were two men from modest, middle-class families that worked diligently to carve themselves and their families a piece of the American Dream.
More importantly, they were men who knew how to give back. Mara always concerned himself with the fans’ perspective of the team and how it was run. Tisch’s philanthropy was prolific and legendary.
Sadly and ironically, they died just three weeks of one another in the fall of 2005. Not so ironic, however, is the fact that their sons have taken their beloved Giants to new heights.
They have learned the lessons of their fathers well and the results have to have both men smiling down from the heavens.
If you look at the Giants’ corporate masthead, you’ll see the first four names are either Mara or Tisch. John Mara, Wellington’s eldest son, is the team’s President and Chief Executive Officer. His younger brother, Chris, is Vice President of Player Evaluation.
Steve Tisch is the Giants’ Chairman and Executive Vice President, while brother Jon is the team’s Treasurer.
All four men are extensions of their fathers. John Mara is the quiet leader, projecting an image of class, dignity and professionalism. Chris is the more hands-on Mara, dressed like a coach and almost always on the sidelines at practice.
Steve Tisch is the public face of the Tisch dynasty. A successful Hollywood producer who also furthers the family’s philanthropic endeavors. Jon is more on the business end, possessing the business acumen of his father and uncle, who grew Loews’ Corporation into one of America’s biggest companies.
Recently Steve sat with the Post’s Steve Serby. It was evident his father had a great influence on his life.
Q: You were thrilled for your father (Bob) when he bought into the Giants after Super Bowl XXV.
A: I think for him, this dream of the sort of definitive New Yorker owning a piece of New York sports history, a legendary franchise, was absolutely thrilling. And I think my father’s gratitude to be part of the Giants organization and partners with Wellington Mara was absolutely a dream come true.
Q: Best piece of advice your father gave you?
A: Treat people the way you would like them to treat you.
Q: Describe your father.
A: Generous . . . kind . . . passionate . . . emotional . . . both extroverted and at the same time very shy . . . huge heart . . . great role model . . .caring.
Q: You hope your children will carry on the legacy of Tisch philanthropy?
A: It’s not always about having your name on a building or a floor of a museum, but you can change lives very personally one at a time.
Q: What makes your relationship with John Mara work so well?
A: Trust . . . respect . . . openness . . . admiration. John is extremely professional. I admire his style as a businessman, as a partner, as a parent, as a role model to his children and his siblings, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for who John is as a man and I admire him very, very much. . . . I think we acknowledge how we’ve both been able to create a functional 50-50 partnership, which is very tough . . . and in a very important way, my partnership with John has been very helpful in allowing John and me to understand the Giants’ partnership with the Jets.
John Mara’s feelings for his father were publicly aired during his stirring eulogy at his father’s funeral in October of 2005:
“One of the visions I will always have of him is sitting on the equipment trunk prior to Super Bowl XXXV, alone in his thoughts, a scene I had witnessed so many times over the years. No pregame parties or festivities for him. He was where he wanted to be, with his players and coaches, but off to the background so as not to interfere. During our road games, he always sat in the press box. Never one for a fancy suite or entertaining people during a game, his focus was on the game. He always maintained his composure and often tried with mixed results to calm his family down, more so his daughters than his sons. I remember one game years ago when a particular player was having a tough day and some of us became a little exasperated with him. At one point I yelled out, ‘What is he doing out there?’ My father put his hand on my shoulder rather firmly and said, ‘What he’s doing is the best that he can.’
“My father had a special relationship with Giants fans. It amazed me that he answered nearly every letter a fan wrote to him no matter how derogatory they got. ‘They are our customers,’ he would say. ‘They’re just demonstrating how much they care about the team and they deserve a response.’
“He attended nearly every practice from mini-camp right through the end of the season,” Mara said of his father. “It didn’t matter if we were 10-2 or 2-10, he was there wearing that old floppy hat, carrying that ridiculous stool, and usually wearing a shirt or a jacket that was almost as old as he was. Each year our equipment manager would give him the new apparel for the season and it would always wind up in the same place, stuck in the back of his closet, and out would come the same old and battered outfits. When we changed our logo several years ago back to the traditional lower case, ‘ny’ he actually started wearing some of the shirts that he had worn the last time we had used that logo more than 25 years before. ‘I knew they would come back,’ he said.”
I would like to take this opportunity to wish all fathers a Happy Father’s Day. Yesterday, was also my father’s 80th birthday and thanks to friends and family it turned out to be one of his best.
Tagged Bob Tisch, New York Giants, New York Giants News, Wellington Mara |
The Giants Return to Prominence After 18 Years
When Giants fans are asked ‘What is your favorite Giants’ team of all-time?’, you’ll get different answers from different age groups. The elders will point to the glory days of the 1950’s of Sam Huff and Frank Gifford. The Baby Boomers will 
tell you about Phil Simms and Lawrence Taylor, while the youth will rattle off more current names such as Tiki Barber, Michael Strahan, and Eli Manning.
When I was a kid, the Giants were doormats. From 1964 through 1980, “Big Blue” did not qualify for the postseason. “So what?” you say. Many teams were doormats during that period…Yes, but the Giants had traditionally been contenders.
During the 1978 season, fan frustration had reached its pinnacle. “The Fumble” was the final stake through the hearts of Giant fans. They began to demand changes.
They boycotted games, burned tickets in the parking lot and even had a plane fly over the stadium towing a banner behind it that read “15 Years of Lousy Football—We’ve Had Enough”. It was time for co-owners Wellington Mara and his nephew, Tim, to put their personal differences behind them and work together to salvage the family business.
That happened in 1979 with the assistance of NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle. He suggested the Giants hire an overlord to rebuild their club, both on—and off—the field. The man they brought in was George Young, who had achieved success at every level of the football business. READ ON
Tagged 1981 Giants, Giants History, New York Giants, New York Giants News |
Recently, we caught up with former Giants WR Stephen Baker for short interview at a charity event.
Baker, who played for the Giants from 1987-92, was known to many as “The Touchdown Maker” with his biggest TD coming in the Giants’ 2019 victory over the Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl XXV.
What are your impressions of the Giants new receiving corps?
Awesome, as usual. That’s always a position I have looked at intently. I have to say that Hixon is one of my favorites. He’s a great returner and he makes big plays; and the new guys that came in last year, they can only get better.
What are your thoughts on Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham?
Last year was a phenomenal year as far as I’m concerned, for rookies. I didn’t have a rookie season that great…they are only going to get better. Their confidence is flourishing now and the timing with Eli should be there so I’m looking for big things this year.
Tell us a little bit about the chemistry you and the other receivers had with Phil Simms
Phil McConkey was one of the best teachers I ever had. When I came to the team I gotta admit I didn’t like him at first. Who is this little guy running around with flags and all that ..but once I got to know him and saw how passionate he was 
about playing the position, he helped me and Odessa Turner out so much.
As far as the timing with Simms, we got that just from practicing all the time. I remember the first time I came here I was in the stadium catching passes I was dropping everyhting ..Parcells went and called him out of weights to come watch me run routes. He saw how fast I was, he knew he had to relese the ball a lot sooner than had in the past. Once we got that worked out, it was a beautiful marriage.
The nickname “Touchdown Maker” – how did that come about?
Actually, I didn’t give myself that nickname, cause that’s cocky. I was playing a game in junior college, I scored four touchdowns off of four passes. A reporter came up to me and asked me if I minded if he printed ‘Stephen Baker the touchdown maker goes wild’, and I just said, sure, go ahead. From then on I was scoring 3-4 touchdowns in junior college and when I got to Fresno it just kind of stuck. I didn’t score a lot in the pros, but whenever they called my number, I averaged over 28 yards and every five catches – a touchdown.
Your most famous TD was in Super Bowl XXV. Was that a called play, or did (Jeff) Hostetler check off and throw you the ball?
No, that was a called play. We used it earlier in the playoffs against the Bears and earlier in the season against the Cardinals. As soon as they called the play. I knew it was coming to me if I could beat my man off the line of scrimmage. Our line blocked well and it was a great pass.
How do you feel about Leonard (Marshall) getting the job at Hudson Catholic?
I saw him prior to him getting that job. I didn’t know that that was going to happen but I’m happy for him. They couldn’t have picked a better guy for the job.
Stephen Baker is currently working as a teacher at the James J. Flynn Elementary School in Perth Amboy, NJ.
Tagged 1990 Giants, New York Giants, New York Giants News, Phil Simms, Stephen Baker, Super Bowl XXV |
Shaun O’ Hara Back From Iraq
The Giants’ center is as tireless off the field as he is on. O’Hara has just returned from a goodwill trip to Iraq with the USO to support the troops. He is also gearing up for several charity events to benefit his foundation. I’ve been attending quite a few charity events myself these days, and O’Hara always seems to be there when I walk in….
Paul Schwartz of the Post has MORE…
Blackout Frenzy Hits New York
Don’t know why Jets fans are fretting the possibility of Jets games being blacked out. Currently, the general public does not know how many non-premium seats the Jets have open so this may simply be a ploy to sell some tickets.
At last count we heard it may be in excess of 10,000 seats. We know the upper bowl (which carry no PSL for Jet games) is sold out. The most expensive seats are gone. The premium seats are ineligible to be counted. So that leaves the end zones in the lower two tiers. The Jets will either lower the prices on these seats or attach club access to them in order to make them ineligible. Either that, or they can just buy up enough seats each game to dodge being blacked out.
The Giants have no worries. According to sources the team has approximately 1500 open PSLs and they are going fast. The Giants may end up getting legitimate sellouts. Getting 2014 the Super Bowl might give both teams a boost in sales as well.
Beatty Will Challenge At OT
According to OC Kevin Gilbride, second-year OT Will Beatty will be pushing hard for a starting spot. The coach likes Beatty’s athleticism and footwork.
That will put some pressure on current starters David Diehl and Kareem McKenzie.
“They are going to do everything they can to keep him seated just where he has been which is on the bench. If they don’t (play well), then we will work him into the lineup,” Gilbride said.
Notable Quotes of the Week
“Sports fans, and especially football fans, are not intimidated by weather” – Mark Lamping, the CEO of the New Meadowlands Stadium
“We were a team. That’s what teams do. I don’t think we relied on any one person more than we should have. We had superstars for sure. Lawrence Taylor, Phil Simms, Harry Carson, George Martin, Joe Morris, but I don’t think anyone thought of themselves any higher than anyone else. It really was a team of equals. We went out and we played – we really played for each other more so than anything else. It was a great team. You usually don’t see that type of teamwork anymore. That’s what I miss the most about playing in football. Playing with guys like that.” - Former Giants TE Mark Bavaro on the ’86 Giants.
“I think its exceptional. It may be the nicest ballpark in the NFL. The seats are terrific, the interior’s great. You go inside after the first quarter to get a coke and a pretzel you may not come back out because its so comfortable in there with the couches and the big screens you may just stay in there. Its really a magnificent ballpark.” – Sean Landeta, former Giants punter on the New Meadowlands Stadium
Tagged Mark Bavaro, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York Giants, New York Giants News, Sean Landeta, Shaun O'Hara, Will Beatty | ← Older postsNewer posts →
