Big Blue Huddle

 When Dallas was in its prime, many 'new' fans flocked to buy their jerseys and loved that Star, they were America's team or their people let everyone know that they were that. But a lot has changed since then. This so-called America's team hasn't done squat for many years and it now seems, maybe by choice or through the efforts of a young lady, Ms Swift, legions of new fans will be flocking to buy anything and everything KC Chiefs-related. After all, the Chiefs are the new dynasty in football, aren't they? With Mahones and Reid in about as many commercials as anyone on earth, their constant appearing on national TV and again with that young lady and her legion of fans now rooting for the Chiefs, I proclaim them and KC America's team and America's new big city team.

Hope this works

https://www.armstrongeconomics.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Christmas-History.mp4?_=1

On Feb 9, 1964m as one person said, the world went from Black and White to Color, as the world saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan show for the first time.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/music/news/the-beatles-on-the-ed-sullivan-show-60-years-later-life-went-from-black-and-white-to-color/ar-BB1i2e3U?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=7fba2b178ccc4c9b84f47edaecd0da44&ei=19.

QuoteE Street band member Steven Van Zandt said, "On February 8th, there were no bands in America. On February 10th, everybody had a band in their garage."

What would the world have been without the Beatles? Still, to this day, 60 years later, their legacy will always be here.

Remember 60 years ago


And fast forward to maybe their last appearance ever together



And everything that was in between, thank you, lads.

I get these types of links all the time, but this one I thought I would present to the group here.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/wellness/22-things-you-begin-to-dislike-as-you-get-older/ss-BB1i4SRx?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=7fba2b178ccc4c9b84f47edaecd0da44&ei=10#image=1

 I can't say I agree with this list, but it got me to thinking, as we age, what are some of the things we used to enjoy (not so much in our youth) but as we age, we really don't enjoy or look forward to as much or at all?

Myself, I used to love gardening, but now watering the plants is a pain. Same for lawn work. I used to enjoy it, but now it's time to pay someone else to do it.
Around the house, I was always busy, always looking for things to fix, tinker with, etc. Now I like to sit and think when I MIGHT get to it, and if that never happens, so be it.
Another thing is that, as I age, and get up in years, I feel that if something needs to be said, I have no problem saying it. For example, if service isn't as good as expected, years ago I might have just ignored it, now, never, I speak up and I don't care if anyone thinks it is rude, it just needs to be said.
Give me a chance to really think on this and I will have several more.

It always happens about this time of year, when the new HOF class comes out. Next year Eli Manning becomes eligible for entry into the HOF. Does he make it? We have had this debate ever since he was still QBing the Giants but now it really means something.

Tom Rock of Newsday had a great article on this

https://www.newsday.com/sports/columnists/tom-rock/eli-manning-hall-of-fame-qcuwehen.

As he also alludes to, in the next few years, guys like Brees, Brady, and Big Ben will also become eligible and that might make Eli's quest a bit tougher if he doesn't get in sooner.

One point Rock makes that I thought was an excellent point, say Eli wasn't a Manning and he didn't play in NY, would he still be as big option?  Do 2 SB MVPs and middling regular season stats get you into the HOF?

I know we have had recommendations in the other TV thread, but this caught my eye today so I figured I would run this up the flagpole and see what people think.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/11-action-packed-shows-for-reacher-fans-to-watch-right-now/ss-BB1hSych?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=698cdce82f55411e9b60d13242567731&ei=134#image=1

Anyone who has seen 24 would know it belongs on that list. I have also seen all of Justified and the first few seasons of Homeland. ( The first season of Homeland was one of the best first seasons of any series I have ever seen. It is hard to better than and by season 4 the show sort of lost its punch).

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/pro-football-hall-of-fame-announces-2024-class-including-2-former-packers/ar-BB1i0C8H?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=ad71d3403c3443598455733e5572ce8d&ei=44

2024 Hall of Fame Class
Dwight Freeney
Devin Hester
Andre Johnson
Julius Peppers
Patrick Willis
Randy Gradishar (senior)
Steve McMichael (senior)


I guess they have. to induct some one. To me, at least, not a sparkling class

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys-hire-veteran-nfl-head-coach-as-defensive-coordinator/ar-BB1i0q6R?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=52060d3338454f159431556d5fc4473a&ei=36

Good move for the Cowpukes.

I was reading, I believe it was Bleacher Report about a trade that might benefit both teams.
How about swapping Daniel Jones for Kyler Murray. From what I read they are both making about the same money with Murray making a bit more. Both have had disappointing careers with their present teams and maybe a fresh start with new teams might work.
Hey it's that time of the year where we can dream.

Connor Hughes of SNY reports that the Denver Broncos called the Giants on draft night in 2018 and had a major offer prepared for the No. 2 spot.

After learning that Baker Mayfield would go No. 1 overall, John Elway was desperate to trade up for quarterback Sam Darnold. He was ready to offer the Giants a King's random.

Then-general manager Dave Gettleman ignored the call.

We drafted Barkley instead whom Gettleman already had wearing a gold Jacket before he took one snap.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/giants-dave-gettleman-ignored-broncos-call-during-2018-nfl-draft/ar-BB1hlciZ?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=3ae8e2c7382445d89d259ea715caab26&ei=19

So we've gone thru the 50's but I would assume more would get involved in the 60s

Check this out for starters

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/60-vintage-photos-that-will-send-any-60s-kid-back-in-time/ss-AA1b8nzs?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=6b8260f3e46f4ebbb5dfbfc16795b805&ei=14#image=1

  Mark this date, Apr 8, 2024 where there will be a total eclipse of the sun thru a good part of the country especially NY.

https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/map/2024-april-8

If you lived thru the 50's, know anything about the 50s, or have seen countless clips from the 50's you may have seen the beginning of this one, but hang in there as once it gets going, it really takes off with some really wonderful memories.

Next week, is Championship Sunday probably the best day for football throughout the entire year. Yes, the SB gets all the attention, but these games are where champions are made. The SB is for average fans, Championship Sunday is for all the real football fans.

I was thinking about all the Giants Championship Sundays and the days leading up to it and just the feelings as we woke up, ready for that 'big' game.  In the modern Super Bowl era, the Giants have never lost a Championship game, and IMVHO, quite a few of these games rate as the best games EVER played by the Giants, even better than the Super Bowls that followed.

Let's look back

Jan 11, 1987--NY Giants vs Washington Redskins.  The Giants won 17-0 and at that time, was the greatest feeling ever after so many years of mediocrity, we are going to the SB.

Jan 20, 1991, NY Giants/ SF Niners--to me, this was the best football game I have ever watched by the Giants. Giants win 15-13.

Jan 14, 2001--NY Giants/Minn Vikings--This game was never in doubt and it might have been the easiest Championship win ever  41-0

Jan 20, 2008--NY Giants/ GB Packers--In the frigid tundra of GB we beat the much favored Packers 23-20- in OT, again, one of the best Giants victories ever. I can still see TC's frozen face and, finally, smile at the end.

Jan 22, 2012--NY Giants/SF Niners, again, in another game that was far more entertaining than the Super Bowl, in a tremendously hard-fought game, we prevail 20-17 again in OT.

Thanks, Giants for all these wonderful memories to keep us coming back for hopefully more.

I was rooting heavily for the Bills, but on hearing 'Wide Right' even in pain, brought a smile to my face.

Poor Buffalo, they will never hear those 2 words and smile.

I sure don't want to open up a can of worms here, but isn't there a way to use Instant Replay to look at certain penalties that do not include judgment, but timing?
For example, in the Chiefs/Bills game yesterday, the Bills were called for PI on a late flag saying the WR had been interfered with after the ball had been thrown. ON replay it clearly showed that the contact, and it was legitimate contact, occurred before the ball was thrown so there should not have been a penalty.
Isn't the goal of replay to get it right? People in NY who monitor this should have signaled the ref that the contact did, in fact, occur before the ball was released, thus NO PI. I'm sure there are several more, but this one just stands out. They use replay to get calls right even when the refs got it wrong, so why not something like this? It is NOT a judgment play, like holding, or if it is PI or not, but this is timing, to me, the same as if a guy gets off the field in time, replay can be used for that. When it is so clear that the ball wasn't thrown when the contact occured, NY should have signaled the ref to that fact.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/report-giants-have-no-intention-of-moving-on-from-mike-kafka/ar-BB1h1ynA?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=c45b2653fc9b409881a6c9fab06c14ca&ei=14

Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, who often speaks on behalf of the team, reports that the Giants do not intend to move on from Kafka this offseason.

The Giants have no intention of moving on from Kafka. If he gets a head coaching gig, of course he will depart. It will be interesting to see what happens if there is outside interest in hiring Kafka as an offensive coordinator and if Kafka is piqued by that interest. There were times this past season when Daboll got more involved in the offense and the play-calling, and Daboll did not state unequivocally that Kafka will continue to call the plays in 2024.

Seems he has been inactive for the past few games, since Dec 17 with another injury. With the Chiefs really limited at WR, you might think Topney might make a better effort to get on the field. Maybe the Chiefs have had enough of him.

Will he be out there for this week's game?

Seems Ron Rivera wants to stay in the game and said he's willing to take a step down, even work as a Defensive Coordinator.

https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10105578-ron-rivera-wants-to-keep-coaching-in-nfl-after-commanders-firing-open-to-dc-role.

How would he look in Blie and would that be too much of a big-time guy under Daboll?

We did a poll for coaches, so now if we could have any of these QBs as the new QB of the Giants, whom would you pick?

Come on, I know it's just wishful dreaming and no harm, no foul, but I was just curious whom people would go for.

Myself I go with Josh Allen. Why, there is just something about him that makes guys want to win.

 Just think in a couple of weeks we could have the longest tenures HC in the NFC East.

With Washington getting a new one and Dallas and Philly on the rocks, Daboll has seniority.       

Since we rank everything else, why not announce duos (and trios)? I can believe most of us here find something wrong with most of the announcers on TV. Sure some are better than others, some just talk to hear themselves talk and still some are quite effective in making a game watch a lot more informative and pleasurable.

Take a look at this list and see if you agree.


https://awfulannouncing.com/orig/2023-nfl-announcer-rankings.html

I'm glad Romo and company are slipping. He really wears on one's ear drums after a while. His gimmick was cute for a while, but now, he talks non stop and says less and less.

What a difference a year makes. Last year to me anyway, this was 'can't miss TV' now it is just horrible TV. I fully enjoy watching and listening to these two guys talking football, when they talk football, but now it is all about their guests and the game, well that doesn't even take second place. I put them on for yesterday's game and until they brought up their first guest, Bruce Arians, the game was forgotten. This is a playoff game, not some MNF game where no one really cares. The same happened when they brought out Ray Lewis. Things are happening on the field and the 2 Mannings aren't really interested. I had to switch to Aikman and Buck (God help me), at least they were covering the game.
What was once a great way to watch a game, with 2 guys talking about it, like in a bar with friends, now has just become a showcase for who wants to be on TV and the game be damned.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mlb/giants-might-be-better-off-cutting-51-million-starter-says-writer/ar-AA1n0YxK?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=10b7350324cc4862a4f03aa60eab1977&ei=16


The New York Giants might have to consider parting ways with playmaking tight end Darren Waller after just one season with the organization.

Facing a crucial offseason in 2024, every dollar of cap space must be spent wisely, and USA Today Giants Wire's John Fennelly pointed out tight end as an area where Big Blue could free up some money.

"It would take a lot of courage to let Darren Waller go after just one season," Fennelly admitted, "but the Giants look like they got left holding the bag here as Waller was banged up all season — a scenario they were hoping to avoid. The going-on-32-year-old Waller made just 11 starts and played on 51 percent of the offensive snaps."

Waller's cap hit jumps up to nearly $14.5 million in 2024 according to Over the Cap, and increases another one million in 2025 and another three million in 2026. Designating him as a post-June 1 cut would only cost the Giants approximately $2.5 million in dead cap each year, however, saving the front office a total of $40 million spread out over three seasons.
In 2024, specifically, Waller's release would free up $12 million — money that could be spent on a younger, healthier wide receiver.

Today is the day we recognize a truly great American.

Let's not forget his message, today, tomorrow and everyday.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/steelers-bills-postponed-to-monday-afternoon-due-to-winter-storm/ar-AA1mV9al?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=b3c006d4a0d143d896a44cc626e78955&ei=13

Here you go guys

 Is it too early to talk about Free Agency

We signed a new OL coach and could he bring players with him?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/giants-could-snag-a-starting-right-tackle-on-a-bargain-deal-in-free-agency/ar-AA1mUROR?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=b3c006d4a0d143d896a44cc626e78955&ei=32

Any thoughts on this guy?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/health/other/read-em-and-weep-the-2023-giants-as-seen-by-pff/ar-AA1mRNLo?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=38ef4019e2d24fafb858deb9b15f72d7&ei=25

The word "postmortem," according to Merriam-Webster, can mean "an analysis or discussion of an event after it is over," or it can refer to an autopsy. A look back at the 2023 New York Giants probably falls somewhere in between those two definitions. 2023 was the Giants' most disappointing season since...2017. Or maybe since 2021. You know things are bad when you only have to go back two years and six years to find other seasons as brutal. To look at the bright side, though, at least this time the Giants' coaching situation isn't in shambles...oh, wait.

Anyway, you have to diagnose the disease before you can cure it, so let's go. We'll use Pro Football Focus grades for the team and for individual players, and supplement them with some statistics.

We are the worst overall team even though we finished with a better record that 4 other teams.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/entertainment/news/the-sopranos-turns-25-actor-steve-schirripa-who-played-bobby-bacala-tells-wins-the-show-will-endure-forever/ar-AA1mLERV?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=ad2c2c28038549ec9ce360b928d2cd48&ei=27

I never watched The Sopranos when it came out as I never had HBO. I was able to get the CDs/DVDs from our library and was able to watch them maybe 4-5 months after it was aired so I was always a huge fan.

What a gigantic show and always in the top 3-5 greatest TV shows ever.

When I watched the finale, I didn't know about the so-called 'controversy' about the ending, so I thought WTF happened, my screen went blank at the pivotal moment, only to realize that was it and the rest was left to one's imagination.

Just a terrific cast and it's hard to believe it has been 25 years since we watched. Funny, I tried to watch it again when it was shown on regular TV but it had so many edits, that it was impossible to really get the feel for the show and its amazing cast of characters.

I know a reference was made about The Sopranos on a thread on the main board, so it prompted me to relook at some of its greatest episodes.

For fans, what was your best episode?


Mine was when Christopher and Pauley were out in the woods, trying to kill the Russian and they get lost.
(Pine Barrens)
And, to me the most gut-wrenching was the killing of Adriana.

So how did the Giants do with their rookie draft class?

What do you think of these ratings

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/giants-rookie-report-card-grading-joe-schoen-s-2023-draft-class/ar-AA1mLhI6?ocid=hpmsn&cvid=be7ca37d023c4ee5883c1df4f8e57886&ei=26