Tribute Post to my Beloved NY Giants

Something you may not know about me (unless you follow me on Twitter @rewindrevise and read my tweets every Sunday) is that I love the New York Giants. Growing up in Los Angeles, my family members were Rams fans and a few of my cousins and my brother were Raiders fans (sporting Starter jackets and baseball caps made popular by NWA) during the whole Bo Jackson era. But since the Rams and Raiders departure, LA has been left without representation in the NFL for far too long. Many Los Angelinos root for the San Diego Chargers, but it's not the same. San Diego is not LA. So, I grew up a Lakers fan and a hard core Dodgers fan. When I was ten years old I wrote a letter to Dodgers player and recent recipient of the National League's Rookie of the Year Award, Eric Karros, who in return sent me an autographed picture. Even though I am now certain this is a print and not an actual signature, I still keep it among my cherished belongings from my childhood, right next to a stack of baseball cards that recently my brother discovered and said I could get a pretty penny for.

My love for the NY Giants began in college when I transferred to NYU and met a boy who loved the boys in blue and told me wild stories of former Giants linebacker, Lawrence Taylor.  Before this boy I had dated a Philadelphia Eagles fan, which gave me a good understanding of the game, but I felt no allegiance towards Philadelphia. I started watching the Giants in 2002 on Sunday afternoons at Down the Hatch in the Village where we (that boy and many other boys) would put back 25 cent wings and pitchers of beer. I felt at home on these rowdy Sundays. The feeling of cheering and the emotional ups and downs of a game were fond reminders of my years spent on the soccer field with all of my cousins watching and cheering and heckling each other. I soon began to look forward to these Sundays and before long I was watching other football games and learning players and rules and fouls. In 2006, my boyfriend at the time gave me a signed jersey by my favorite player, Michael Strahan. It reads "To Tony, Go Giants!" (Tony is a nickname that everyone on the east coast who knows me calls me). Strahan retired the next season after the Giants beat the Patriots in the Super Bowl.

But not to fear, Brandon Jacobs came on the scene and was a tank on the field. The next Christmas, I got a Jacobs jersey and two years later, my new boyfriend (now my fiance!) and his family got me a Justin Tuck jersey. These are some of my favorite gifts that I have ever received.

I have weathered many storms with the Giants- from the trade of Jeremy Shockey who I used to love, the disappointing fall out of Tiki Barber and his continual fall from grace, the break up of that first boyfriend who once asked me If we ever broke up would you stay a Giants fan? to which I had said, My love for the Giants will never waver, to the exciting Super Bowl win over the Pats, to feeling the frustrations of a quarterback we all knew could be one of the greatest if he could just work on that confidence, streamline his consistency...well, Eli, you have arrived.

Last night's overtime victory against the San Francisco 49ers was a well fought, well deserved win over a team that was very good...but not as good as the Giants! I leaped out of my couch with Tynes's winning field goal, blasted my jeers and cheers to haters (my cousin Gret in LA) and lovers, all my NY/NJ friends on Facebook and Twitter and almost wore my Tuck jersey to bed...but I didn't want to get it all wrinkled. We have an important game to root for in 2 weeks. Go GIANTS!!!