2008 New York Giants

Even as we say “Congratulations” to the Arizona Cardinals, 2009 NFC Champions, we want to say a big “Thank you” to the New York Giants, winners of the NFC East, for the excellent season they had!

Last season’s Cinderella story, the defending Super Bowl Champions have returned pumped and ready for another bruising season in the NFC East. Eli Manning is now NYC’s favorite son, and will be exciting to watch this year. Ageless wonder Michael Strahan appears ready to taunt the clock for one more year and squeeze another Pro Bowl season from his 37-year-old body. Many questions surround the Giants this year – will the team that was so resurgent during last year’s NFL Playoffs show up and contend? Will the stalwart defensive line continue its dominance? One thing is for sure – we expect capacity crowds at the Meadowlands all season to watch the drama unfold.

Some New York Giants history: In 1925 New York City sports enthusiast Tim Mara paid $500 for an NFL franchise, which he named the Giants. The team played its home games at the Polo Grounds, which was also the home of the baseball Giants. Legendary halfback Jim Thorpe was recruited to join the team, which earned its first league title in 1927 under head coach Earl Potteiger. The Giants shut out 9 of 12 opponents and surrendered only 20 points during the entire season.

Steve Owen was an innovative offensive coach who also designed the platoon system, in which separate players fill offensive and defensive positions. He guided the Giants to the NFL Championship Game eight times from 1933 to 1946. The team came away with victories in 1934 over the Chicago Bears and in 1938 over the Green Bay Packers. New York fielded the league's toughest defense five times during that period.

In 1952 the Giants chose Frank Gifford in the first round of the NFL draft. Gifford, who played as a halfback and a defensive back, was one of the NFL's last stars to play both offense and defense. With Gifford and a new home in New York's Yankee Stadium, another Giants dynasty was born. The team appeared in six NFL Championship Games from 1956 to 1963, collecting the league crown in 1956 before losing five title contests over the next seven years.

New York failed to reach the playoffs from 1964 to 1980. During this time the Giants played in the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut, and Shea Stadium in New York City before moving to Giants Stadium in 1976. The Giants rebounded to reach the second round of the playoffs in 1981, 1984, and 1985. In 1987 the Giants defeated the Denver Broncos 39-20 in Super Bowl XXI to capture their first league title in 31 years. Lawrence Taylor was named player of the year, Bill Parcells earned top coaching honors, running back Joe Morris set a team rushing record, and quarterback Phil Simms compiled his third consecutive 3000-yard passing season.

New York and Parcells won their second Super Bowl four years later, defeating the Buffalo Bills 20-19. Simms won the NFC passing title, and the Giants defense held 15 of 16 regular-season opponents to 21 or fewer points. The Giants played inconsistently during the 1990s after Simms and Taylor retired and Parcells left the team but returned to prominence in 2000, posting a 12-4 regular-season record and reaching the 2001 Super Bowl XXXV, where they were upset by the Baltimore Ravens 34-7.