Big Blue Huddle

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/the-nfl-has-a-new-schedule-for-saturday-dec-16/ar-AA1kO1vl?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=0bbe9264c6274e2b989b19f5d1cf4e27&ei=10


Minnesota Vikings at Cincinnati Bengals at 1 pm ET
Pittsburgh Steelers at Indianapolis Colts at 4:30 pm ET
Denver Broncos at Detroit Lions at 8:15 pm ET

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/cardinals-release-zach-ertz-per-request/ar-AA1kNBP2?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=eaf19cd0fa884e00bee8b07a097da6f7&ei=22

Seems no one wants to play for Arizona anymore.

The Cardinals have apparently granted a request made by Zach Ertz to be released so he can try and play for a contender to try and earn another SB ring.

Until I read the contender part, he would still look good in Blue. Always was a pain against us.

 I am looking at the Giant's schedule and I started thinking what if it were reversed, like we played a lot of these 'beatable teams' early on instead of starting with Dallas, SF, and then Miami, Bills, and Seahawks? I think we might have a different opinion of our team. Sure we are bad, but when we play teams equally bad, we play better and if we had played our later schedule earlier in the season, we may have gained lots of confidence, and who really knows how the rest of the season would go?
Sure, we aren't in the Dallas, Buffalo, or SF league, but with some confidence, we might have made the Raiders game a lot more competitive, along with the Jets.
We started out getting destroyed by most of the top teams in the league and that left us for dead. but again, what if our schedule were in reverse and we played these teams later in the season? We still would get destroyed by most, but as fans, we wouldn't be looking for other things to do on a Sunday afternoon.
When we play certain teams determine how a season can go upwards or spiral out of control downwards.

We beat the Commanders twice, we beat Arizona, we beat the Pats and we have a decent enough chance at beating the Packers or the Saints. I don't think we can beat the Rams. and never beat the Eagles. But if we started with the easier part of our schedule first, and built up a winning record, I think we beat the Jets and the Raiders. At least we wouldn't be looking at the #1 draft pick for most of the season, we would be looking at a wild card.

Come on, admit it, watching today's game was as exciting as watching paint dry. I know it was a Giants win, but really, could 2 offenses be that bad in the same game? DeVito may well be a serviceable QB, but he needs to learn to get rid of the ball a lot quicker. Maybe it's me, but I would think with a rookie QB in there, our OC would delve into his playbook to try and help him succeed with an array of quick slants and screens. Oh wait, we don't do screens. This is not a plug-and-play offense, just keep running the same thing no matter who is the QB, you need to nurture the rookie with easier plays. He seems to be able to make the throws, he just needs some serious tutoring.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/draft-watch-giants-fall-to-no-6-in-2024-nfl-draft-after-beating-patriots/ar-AA1kz3h3?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=e928090a47ff4559b4246ac5cfeb395e&ei=29

We all knew it was too good to be true. Watch us win a couple of more games and be out of the top ten altogether.

What would a 6-11 season really do for us?

If some of you have not watched this amazing TV series, run, do not walk, to your TV and tune in. Season 5 premiered last night (I haven't watched the first 2 episodes as of yet). Don't worry about not catching up because each season is independent of all the others and each season is a stand alone event.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2802850/


https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/tv/story/2023-11-20/fargo-season-5-review-juno-temple

I cannot really describe the show to anyone. It is very violent at times, funny at other times and just grabs you by whatever and keeps you watching. Great scripts, great acting, and enough of everything to hold your interest throughout.  From what I have read about this new season, it is returning to what is called its roots, in that it is going back to the Minnesota area. Last season it strayed to Kansas City.

Anyway, this series is a treat for one and all. Go back and start with Season 1 with Billy Bob Thornton to really get the feel of what truly great TV is.

 Maybe only to Dec 7, 1941 (Pearl Harbor was bombed), Nov 22 1963 is the date that most people who were alive then, will remember forever. John Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas and the entire world stopped.

I can't say who here was alive then, but those like myself, remember every detail of what and where we were when we heard the news. TV was also, in its sort of infancy, but we were all glued to the TV to watch the events and then the funeral for this man.
And then to watch live, Oswald being shot and killed on live TV. And then there are the questions, the conspiracies, will it ever end?


https://time.com/6338396/jfk-assassination-conspiracy-culture/

Please don't tell me that all of a sudden, players decide not to hold, not to grab, not to do many things that they have done all year, in this game. But credit to the refs in this game who basically let them play. I, along with most here, really tire of yellow hankies all over the field on basically every play. We all agree holding CAN be called on every play. Again, the refs in this game, either wanted to go home early or decided not to call every little dink and dunk which IMVHO made for a great game flow.

 If anyone is interested, for Black Friday, you can get Hulu (with ads) for .99 cents per month for 1 year. I do this every year and I manage through the quick commercials.
It is a great deal to get a full year of Hulu for $12.

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/black-friday-2023-hulu-99-cents-month-year-104880222

Nov 19th (tomorrow) will be the 160 anniversary of maybe the greatest speech ever written and made, the Gettysburg
Address.

https://www.djournal.com/lifestyle/arts-entertainment/this-day-in-history-lincoln-delivers-the-gettysburg-address-sunday-nov-19th/video_a0ba58ca-41fd-52d3-b1cd-d137bf42276e.html


This Day in History: , Lincoln Delivers the Gettysburg Address. November 19, 1863. In just 272 words, President Abraham Lincoln delivered one of the most memorable speeches in American history. The occasion was the dedication of a cemetery for 7,500 soldiers who fell during the Battle of Gettysburg. Lincoln was invited as an afterthought to say "a few appropriate remarks" to consecrate the grounds. His address lasted just two or three minutes. The speech is considered to be the most eloquent articulation of the democratic vision ever written. "... that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth."

I think, as school kids, we all learned this speech and most basically knew it by heart.

Myself, while watching a documentary on Lincoln and when, in character, he delivered this speech, well it sort of hit the right pot and it does really get to you.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth, on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Abraham Lincoln

All I've been ready lately is that there is no way the Giants re-sign him again. WHY?
Because he is mouthing off because he wants to win that badly? I fully understand that you need to keep things in-house, but McKinney was a bright light until he got hurt. Can a player. all of a sudden, go from 'star' to dud?
Why are some so anxious to move on from him?

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/nfl-coverage-map-week-11-tv-schedule-for-fox-cbs-broadcasts/ar-AA1jYvlU

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/other/fox-sports-anchor-admits-to-making-up-reports-as-a-sideline-reporter/ar-AA1k3kzt?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=e684c838dd63455d89b95ea06e9e81a3&ei=28

Seems even people outside of Washington can't tell us the truth either.

"current Fox Sports and Amazon Prime host, Charissa Thompson that she would, at times, make up content for her in-game reports."

Since the tradition of playing football on Thanksgiving, only ONE team has never made an appearance on Turkey Day.

Without googling it, who is this team?

So I mentioned my health problems the other day. As of now, and after going to our doctor, I seem to be well on the road to recovery. My pneumonia is gone, though I still have a cough, and the terrible purple color of my entire right side has almost faded.

So the light that I spoke of, is that we became new grandparents once again last night. Our son Wade (whom some have met) and his wife Meridith have blessed us with grandchild #4, Rowan Isaac. Mother and baby are doing fine but I can't speak for Dad.

Pics to follow.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/should-the-giants-make-mike-kafka-coach-on-the-sidelines/ar-AA1jUWAk?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=74639171f9cb4b31bed7a3f1186af85a&ei=26

Interesting thought. Can't be any worse than what it is now.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/cowboys-leighton-vander-esch-out-for-season-career-in-question/ar-AA1jUM51?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=efcd02887fe948f3b20d2be8f5836362&ei=11

Hate to see anyone go down like this.

Jones might want to take a lessen.

 Just curious as to what others think about the way Dallas played this game, even when it was out of reach. Like having their second-string QB come in and basically continue the onslaught?

Even the announcers, who, I felt were so biased for Dallas, as they were basically swooning with anything that Dallas did, commented that as a rule of competition, you don't continue to score points when the game is so completely out of hand.

We all know McCarthy is a jerk, was he showing off for Jerrah?

I would say what goes around comes around, but in reality, we never  do this to anyone, even in our good eyars.

 At the end of last season, most of us were so worried that our higher coaching staff would be raided and we would lose the guys who seemed to have had the biggest impact on our success last year. Well, as the leaves turn so do prospects of losing our coordinators. Last year we thought of losing them to a new team as a possible HC, now we really just want to lose them period.

I really wonder what has happened to Wink. Gosh, he really was the hot item last year. Even though our defense was middle of the road, he was daring and these guys played their asses off for him. Where has the magic gone?
What really has gone so asscue with the defense? On paper, we should be better, so why are we continually stinking up the joint? Is this on Wink? Have teams caught on to him and his strategies?

And Kafka, WTF has happened to him? We have been complaining and moaning about his play calls from day one. (Remember having Jones have a QB run, down 40 to 0)?
He is so unimaginative, so predictable, it is sickening. I fully understand we have a very weak OL, so there have to be plays in that large playbook to give them some help. Someone, please tell me why we continually run Barkley into 300+ pond behemoths, right up the middle, when our OL can't create openings. Where is the imagination, the daring, anything is better than this crap. We draft a guy like Hyatt who has amazing speed, yet he never touches the ball. Why not, at least, try and use his speed as the Cowgirls used their speed guy? Is Hyatt that bad, another bad draft by our scouts, or just not even being given a chance? Gosh, there has to be ways to incorporate his speed into the game plan. Give him some touches and see what he can do. Even Michael Strahan commented during halftime that what do the Giants have to lose at this point, 2-7 with a rookie QB, why not go for broke? The offense is pathetic and our once proud Giant tradition of stout defense is just a memory.

Those teams who might have considered hiring these two guys last year are probably laughing all the way down the road now. What a difference a year makes.

To me, that validates the theory of not hiring the hot coordinator, what may be hot one year can be as cold as ice the next.

As many here know I have been away for almost a month on 2 separate cruise. It had been an adventure not always as good as we would have liked. I have several people here I call friend so I just want to take a few minutes to relate my adventure.
The first cruise took us to Italy, Greece and Turkey. Being of the Jewish faith to say we were s bit apprehensive especially in Turkey but it all worked out well and we thoroughly enjoyed Istanbul and the other ports.
On the second leg it was a transatlantic cruise. Cut to the chase I developed a severe cough which turned into pneumonia. At one point I coughed so hard I burst some blood vessel internally. Lucky we encountered a wonderful doctor on board and he helped me tremendously. I was advised if we weren't in the middle of the Atlantic I would have been medicated off the ship or dropped off at the nearest port to get medical help.
As of now I am much better but if one would look at myright side torso it looks like I was hit by a truck. I will see our doctor tomorrow to assess the situation.
I feel fine and look forward to getting home and being able to watch a Giants game again, even if it might make me sicker.

Dallas Cowboys: Jerry Jones Slams Mike McCarthy After Loss to 49ers


https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/dallas-cowboys-jerry-jones-slams-mike-mccarthy-after-loss-to-49ers/ar-AA1hZvjS?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=ef4c49c7c026492f945411e5db10ca15&ei=9

Our guy is a meddlesome fool, but he doesn't go public in criticising his team and head coach.
Leave it to Jerrah to need to be in the spotlight again.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/giants-open-as-biggest-underdogs-of-season-vs-bills-in-week-6-for-sunday-night-football/ar-AA1hWgAL?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=c2570ba9de8d4df5bed796763c96a9bd&ei=17

 As Rodney Dangerfield used to say

What do the schedule makers have against us? Another night game and we all know how we do on those nights.  Must we embarrass ourselves once again in front of a National audience?

Where is my paper bag?          

Did anyone else notice what appeared to be a moderately filled stadium for today's game? I know in the lower levels and in the end zone there were a multitude of empty seats. Miami having a banner year and the NY influence, still seemed not to be able to fill the stadium.

Sad

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/giants-roster-moves-offensive-linemen-jalen-mayfield-jaylon-thomas-elevated-from-practice-squad/ar-AA1hQRzB?ocid=msedgntp&cvid=6c4f92786e364446b00e0bb8aad38ce6&ei=8

At least we have reserves now

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/dick-butkus-chicago-bears-icon-dies-at-80/ar-AA1hL7eW?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=99f59c9593aa4279af9143f142168a0f&ei=11

 Truly a legendary player, who really set the tone for how MLB should be played.

May he RIP

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/nfl/giants-reportedly-worked-out-former-ohio-state-standout/ar-AA1hLhK1?ocid=mailsignout&pc=U591&cvid=f8807b1f50484408aa8bcb5e55ddccc4&ei=11

 Maybe they are trying to do something?

 I know he is the #1 guy, making big bucks to play, but his mindset is just not what you want in your 'franchise' QB. He is playing scared and not doing the job. I remember when Eli was having problems, there were many who said he needed to sit for a game or two, would that be so bad right now for Jones? Against two teams we really don't have a prayer of beating, might it not be in his best interest long term, to sit and let Taylor have at it for a game or two? What harm would it really do and might light some spark under certain players?

Gosh, I almost deleted this from my computer, but with the Giants, you just can't.

https://youtu.be/vvJuO0hCFD4?si=KTTLD8zrvB2tPqGE