Big Blue Huddle

Though he was only acting the part at the time, little did we know in 1978 that Dave Jennings would go on to be a broadcaster for Giants and Jets games.  This article appeared in the September 29, 1978 issue of The Bergen Record.  This one is for Kartanoman!

Giants' punter-broadcaster
'HI, THIS IS DAVE JENNINGS'

By Vinny DiTrani

     EAST RUTHERFORD---Dave Jennings, the Giants' punter, aspires to be a broadcaster when his kicking days end.  He's already done some radio work in New York and Connecticut, with a modicom of success (about 35 yards per boot, translated into the punter's terms).
     At the urging of a few reporters, Jennings decided to try his interviewing techniques on one of the players he most admires in the National Football League.  "He's the best," Jennings has often said about John James, his counterpart in Atlanta, where the Giants will meet the Falcons Sunday.
     After getting James on the phone and dispensing with the pleasantries, Jennings' session turned into two punters talking shop.  Here are a few of the highlights:
     Jennings: John, I always tell the writers up here that you are the best punter in the league, better than Ray Guy because of your ability to get the ball inside the 20.  Who do you think are the best punters in the league?
     James: I think there is a highly talented group of punters right now.  Guy certainly kicks them high and long, but Ray's not as accurate as he can be. 
     Jennings: That's right.  In the playoffs he kicked five into the end zone and when he did try to kick out of bounds, it went out on the 22.  The name of the game is field position, the ability to put the ball out of bounds inside the 10. 
     James: You and I have very similar views.  We consider ourselves as members of the team.  We could be selfish and kick through the end zone to help our averages, but that won't help the team make the playoffs.
     Jennings: That's right.  It's easy to kick the long ones; it's the short ones that are tough.  Who are some of the other good punters around the league?
     James: I think Tom Blanchard is a good punter.
     Jennings: Cough!
     James: You know Tom, don't you, from the time you were up there together?
     Jennings: Er, yes, he was the guy I beat out here the year of the strike (1974).  The writers still refer to that as the "Great Mistake."
     James: I think [Chicago's Bob] Parsons is another good punter, very effective.  And he's got a good man on the outside, Schuler [Steve Shubert] who gets down under those punts for him.  [Washington's Mike] Bragg is another fairly effective punter. 
     Jennings: That's right, Bragg is one of my favorites, too.  I see him twice each season. 
     James: There are a lot of young punters I really don't know too much about yet.  There's been a big turnover.
     Jennings: I think it's up to 11 now, with [Mitch] Hoppes back in Philadelphia.  What do you think about [Cincinnati's] Pat McInally?
     James: I've never kicked against him, but I admire his statistics.
     Jennings: Talking about statistics, let's see who's on top in the NFC this week [scans the punting averages].
     James: You are, aren't you?
     Jennings: In distance, yes, but not in net.  Says here a guy named James leads in net -- oops, no, it's [Tom] Sklandany in Detroit.  He's the guy making $400,00 a year.
     James: I can't pull for that guy.  But any time you average 35-36-37 yards in net, you're doing a good job, no matter what your total average is.
     Jennings: Up here they call me an actor because I've been roughed up 14 times in my career.  Do you think I'm an actor?
     James: You really want me to answer that?  Okay, I think every one of those calls was legitimate.
     Jennings: Did you see the one last Sunday against the 49ers?
     James: No, we'll see that film Friday.
     Jennings: Well, I got out of the hospital Monday, and the X-rays were negative.  Have you seen our place [Giants Stadium]?
     James: I punted there in an exhibition against the Jets this summer.  I liked it a lot.  I normally like to kick on grass, but the turf up there is nice and soft. 
     Jennings: It can get very windy up here, and that's one reason my average is so high.  The day before the opening game here we had a storm that knocked over one of the goalposts. 
     James: It's not that easy punting with the wind at your back.  You can't always get the ball to turn over.
     Jennings: That's right.  And sometimes it's hard just getting the snap.  Have you ever played golf?
     James: Since I was four years old [Note: he's a three-handicapper].  It's not easy getting a golf ball up on your approach to the green with the wind at your back.  Punting is a lot like playing golf. 
     Jennings: Well, John, thanks for your time.  Maybe we can get together Saturday night and have dinner.
   
     After the closing remarks, Jennings asked the assmebled group of reporters about his performance.  The consensus: Keep that right leg in shape, Dave.
   

The 1979 NFL season began on September 2, 1979, and the Giants' were matched against the Eagles.  It was nine-and-a-half months earlier that they had met for the Fumble game.  Now, with a new head coach (Ray Perkins), would the Giants be in better shape the close out the '70s?  One thing still remained the same: the offense was still a trouble spot.

GIANTS STILL STUCK WITH WEAK OFFENSE
by Vinny DiTrani

this article appeared in The (Bergen) Record, September 2, 1979.  Excerpted by yours truly.

     PHILADELPHIA---Perhaps it's fitting that Ray Perkins debuts as Giants head coach today against the Philadelphia Eagles.  It was the Eagles, you may recall, who prompted ticket burnings and fly-overs last year by beating the Giants in the infamous Fumble Game at Giants Stadium.
     The furor raised by the incredible ending resulted in the appointment of George Young as general manager, and then Perkins as head coach, replacing John McVay.  Now, after a training period that produced more news than either Young or Perkins would have preferred, the "new" Giants wil be unveiled at Veterans Stadium.
     "I don't know how far this team will go, I really don't," admits Perkins.  "It's no secret we've had a few problems, but every team does.  That's not an excuse.
     "This team will go only as far as the attitude of the players will carry it.  Our success will depend upon how many people we have who really want to win.  That's how far we'll go."
     Linebacker Brian Kelley added: "We've had a lot of bad things happen in camp, but sometimes that works to draw a team together.  It just makes each guy work harder to make up for the problems.  I'm a firm believer in hard work paying off eventually, and we certainly have worked hard in training camp.
     "It might not pay off right away, but eventually it will."
     Perkins' theories, no matter how they sound, must be executed if they are to be worth anything.  Offensively, the soundest of theories can be negated by a porous offensive line.  And the Giants' line, entering today's Eagle game, must be considered questionable at best.
     Starting left tackle Gordon King is out for at least four games with a dislocated elbow, and starting right tackle Ron Mikolajczyk has been limping with tendinitis in his surgical knee.  Behind them are utility man Jim Pietrzak, rookie Dan Fowler, and waiver pickup Gus Coppens.  The outlook, at least until King and Mikolajczyk return to full health, is not promising.
     Jim Clack is steady at center.  The entire line picture should brighten in about four weeks when Brad Benson, who suffered a knee injury in late July, is scheduled to return from the injured list.
     If the line can give him protection, Joe Pisarcik could prosper under Perkins' theories.  Pisarcik was unhappy with the former Giant plan of attack, which used the forward pass almost exclusively in passing situations. 
     Perkins is entering the season with just three wide receivers, Jimmy Robinson, Johnny Perkins, and rookie Earnest Gray.  The three will rotate, as will tight ends Gary Shirk and Al Dixon, who are rated even going into the season.
     As far as the Giants' defense goes, Perkins apparently has found a capable replacement for the late Troy Archer in rookie Phil Tabor. 
     Pro Bowl players [Harry] Carson and Brad Van Pelt, plus the steady [Brian] Kelley, are the starting linebackers once again with veterans Dan Lloyd, Frank Marion, and John Skorupan in reserve.
     Perkins shouldn't have any problems with his kicking game, what with Pro Bowl punter Dave Jennings and dependable place-kicker Joe Danelo. 
     "We've still got a long way to go," Perkins admitted, "but I think we've come a long way together so far."

Does anybody remember watching the Monday Night Football game with the Giants and the Redskins on September 17, 1979?  Apparently, former Giant offensive lineman Gordon Gravelle wasn't too happy with how he was treated on television by a certain member of the play-by-play team.  Don't remember?  Read on...

COSELL, ABC HIT FOR GIANT MISTAKE
by Vinny DiTrani

this article appeared in The (Bergen) Record, September 20, 1979.

     EAST RUTHERFORD---The Giants offense didn't fool too many people Monday night, as the 27-0 final score indicated.  But at least three in attendance at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C., were befuddled by one segment of the offensive unit: the left tackle position.
     And Gordon Gravelle is considering a suit against Howard Cosell, one of the three who jam the ABC booths for the Monday night games, for blaming him for sins committed by Gus Coppens.
     The mix-up occurred in the second half when Redskins end Coy Bacon rolled past Coppens, who was identified as Gravelle by play-by-play man Frank Gifford.
     "Frank knew Gravelle wasn't on the roster and asked the Redskins' PR department to find out the number he'd be wearing," said an ABC spokesman.  "They told him he was wearing No. 78."
     The broadcasting team took it for gospel even though No. 78 already was assigned to Coppens.  "And besides, what do they put the names on the back of the uniforms for?" asked Gravelle.
     So as the nation watched a player with "Coppens 78" on his back have trouble with Bacon, Cosell said, "I tell you the Giant linemen look like statues."
     "There they go around Gravelle again," said Gifford.
     "He may take another fine and go home now," added Cosell, referring to the $15,300 Gravelle was docked for missing training camp and the first week of the season.
     "I called my wife after the game and she was in hysterics," said Gravelle.  "It was slanderous.  I'm talking to my attorney about it and we're considering filing a suit against Cosell.
     "He is a disgrace to the broadcasting profession, the epitome of an arrogant egotist.  He is degrading to football."
     The ABC spokesman declined any comment on the proposed suit, but said, "As far as any blasting of Gravelle by Cosell, it wasn't there."
     "I understand he was referring to my staying out of camp," said Gravelle, who ended his retirement two weeks ago.  "A man of his caliber shouldn't be allowed to broadcast.  He takes away from the integrity of the football and allowed himself to be swayed into a false sense of importance with the American public.  The man doesn't know what he's talking about."
     This isn't the first case of mistaken identity that has shown up on Monday night telecasts.  The ABC broadcasting crew is notorius for mixing up names and numbers. 
     But neither Gravelle nor Coppens nor any of the other Giants' offensive linemen have grounds for any action against the announcers' critique of their performance.  Joe Pisarcik's battered body and the club's No. 14 rank in NFC rushing and total offense attest to that.

from THE BERGEN RECORD, August 8, 1979

ANOTHER TERRY BRADSHAW?

by Vinny DiTrani

  PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y.--Ten years ago, the Steelers and Giants met in the preseason game that opened Three Rivers Stadium.  One of the stars of the 21-6 Steeler victory was a heralded, blond, rookie quarterback who threw a long touchdown pass.
  The Giants, Steelers, and Terry Bradshaw all will be back at Three Rivers Saturday night for the 10th anniversary of the stadium.  The game, however, will spotlight another heralded, blond, rookie quarterback who will be making his debut for the Giants.
  Ironically, when Phil Simms became the famous "Phil Who?" of the 1979 draft, the Giants' immediate reaction was to compare him to Bradshaw, who in his first 10 years out of Louisiana Tech has led the Steelers to three Super Bowl championships. 
  "When I think of the Steelers, I don't think about Bradshaw," Simms said yesterday as he prepared for his debut against the man he idolized most amongst NFL quarterbacks.  "He hasn't even crossed my mind.  I have to think about the Steelers' defense.  They do a lot of things, a lot of stunts, and I'm really going to have to be on my toes against them."
  Simms was held out of last Saturday's opening exhibition with the Browns.  Head coach Ray Perkins says the No. 1 draft pick from Morehead State and free agent Fred Besana will play the bulk of the game against the Steelers.  "I haven't decided how I'm going to split it yet," he said.  "I should know by Thursday."
  Simms says he doesn't know how much he'll play and whether he'll start the game.  All he's sure about is that he will play some and that he's anxious to give it a try.
  "The last 10 days I've really felt like I've improved a great deal," said Simms, who conceded he got off to a slow start in training camp.  "It took me a while to adjust to the new environment, new people, new routines.  Now I'm getting settled and concentrating bettereach practice."
  Simms talked near the riding stables at the Giants' Pace University training camp during yesterday's lunch break.  As he spoke, Gary Jeter, once a No. 1 draft pick himself, sauntered by and offered to serve as the quarterback's publicity man.  "I'll get you on the cover of Time magazine," Jeter promised.
  Then Brad Van Pelt strolled by and offered some juicy tidbits.  "Joe Pisarcik's too much of a playboy; Randy Dean's too straight.  What else can we say?" the veteran linebacker said with a laugh as Simms just shook his head.
  "I think the players here have accepted me," Simms said seriously.  "For a while they were feeling me out, and I was feeling them out.  But now I feel like one of the guys.  At least I like to think they've accepted me."
  And Simms also is learning to cope with the media attention that comes with his No. 1 selection.  "Some days I just don't have the time to talk with people, but they insist," he said.  "And it gets on my nerves.  I don't mind talking when I have the time, but there have been a few occasions when it has become a hassle."
  There has been improvement on all levels for Simms, but the one he most cherishes is the improvement on the field.  "The first few days I'd throw the ball well in the warmups and then couldn't throw at all in the drills," he said.  "But lately I've been throwing well throughout practice.  And, just as important, I've been picking up the reads.  The mental part is just as tough as the physical part."
  With Perkins, the mental part may be even tougher.  The new coach said he places the mind over the arm in his quarterback priorities.  Until Simms is mentally ready, he won't be the Giants' No. 1 quarterback.
  "I haven't set any timetable for myself, because really the whole thing isn't up to me," Simms said.  "I want to play, but I know the others have the experience edge over me.  How soon I get to play will depend upon them.  If they have a hard time, then I'll get my chance."
  Perkins hasn't offered any hints as to how his quarterbacks are shaping up.  "He doesn't say much to us either," said Simms.  "But I can feel that I've improved the last few days.  And I think the other players can see that improvement in me, too."
  Bradshaw wound up throwing 218 passes his rookie season of 1970 after beating out veterans Kent Nix and Terry Hanratty for the Steelers' starting job.  Whether Simms will throw nearly that many times for the Giants this years remains to be seen.

He played for the Giants from 1978-81, but Jim Clack will probably be remembered more for his days as a Pittsburgh Steeler, when he was part of two Super Bowl-winning teams (1975 and 1976). 

from THE BERGEN RECORD, Tuesday, July 25, 1978

GIANTS' NEW CENTER SEEKS TO RECAPTURE OLD FEELING (excerpted)
by Vinny DiTrani

  PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y.--There was a point during the offseason, Jim Clack admits, when he wondered if he should report to the Giants' training camp at all.
  And all those close friendships he had built in eight years with the Steelers were about to be terminated.  "There couldn't be a better bunch of guys, a closer-knit group than we had in Pittsburgh," he said.
  But the hope of recapturing what he considered the greatest of his football experiences, the feeling of being part of a team on the upward trend, won out over Clack's doubts.  The Giants' new center, obtained from the Steelers with Ernie Pough for John Hicks, is sweating it out with the rest at the Giants' Pace training base.
  People questioned Clack's sanity for even wanting to play with a team like the Giants, after all those super (including two Super) seasons in Pittsburgh.
  Now, Clack finds himself with a relatively young team whose fans would go bonkers just for a late-season shot at the playoffs.  "There are parallels with this team and the Steelers," he said.  "I think we've got real talent on this team.  Now, it's just a matter of developing unity, getting some experience, and getting the breaks."
  Clack was a starting guard on the two Steelers championship teams, but now rejoins former teammate and roommate, Giant tackle Gordon Gravelle, as a center.  "I liked played guard, especially in Pittsburgh where we had a lot of action," he said.  "But hey, I'm 30 now, and moving back to center [he played there his first five years out of Wake Forest] might help add a few years to my career.
  "And, one of the main reasons I'm here is to see if in a couple of years what happened in Pittsburgh can happen here."  The upward climb, that is.

SIDENOTE: In this article, Clack had mentioned that the Steelers had gone from 1-13 (his rookie year) to 4-10 to 6-8 and then to the playoffs (in 1972).    A somewhat similar pattern had happened during Clack's four-season stay with the Giants: 6-10 (1978), 6-10 (1979), 4-12 (1980) and then 9-7 (1981), their first playoff season in roughly 18 years.  Four seasons to make it to the playoffs in Clack's tenures with the Steelers and the Giants.

From the Bergen Record, dated July 30, 1978 (excerpted)

GIANTS' OLD-TIMERS REUNITED
by Vinny DiTrani

   PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y.-Wide receiver Brian DeRoo cuddled the pass from quarterback Randy Dean, then surrendered the ball upon receiving a terrifying jolt from cornerback Odis McKinney.  On the sidelines ex-corner Dick Lynch broke into a grin; and ex-receiver Joe Biscaha grimaced.
   Lynch and Biscaha were two of the 34 ex-Giant players who were reunited yesterday at the training camp at Pace University.  The gathering was the first event sponsored by the Giants' branch of the National Football League Alumni Association. 
   "There are about 18 chapters throughout the league," said former linebacker Tom Scott, who has organized the Giants' branch.  "We've been putting this together for about a year-and-a-half now, but we were waiting for the new stadium to get things rolling."
   Once the association is set, the players will be charged yearly dues to help keep it going.  "What we'll eventually have," Scott said, "is a mostly more social gathering."
   The first offcial in-season function of the chapter is Oct. 22 when the survivors of the 1938 NFL championship team gather at Giants Stadium for ceremonies prior to the game with the Redskins.  "We'll have a special day like that each year," said Scott.
   "The response has been excellent, especially from the older players.  Guys love to be recognized again.  When they quit playing, they split up, say good-by to each other, and maybe never get together again.  This is a way of bringing them all back together."
   Scott has received membership applications from the likes of Cong. Jack Kemp, who spent time on the Giants' taxi squad in 1958; and Pat Hughes and Don Herrmann, who are still active with the Saints. 
   The ex-players present yesterday watched the current Giants go through a pair of scrimmages.  After the short morning workout, Erich Barnes yelled to former teammate Dick Modzelewski, "Only 30 minutes?  If I knew you practiced only 30 minutes, I'd still be playing."
   Pete Gogolak, the popular placekicker, visited the locker room after the morning session. 
   Gogolak, who now runs a soccer camp in Connecticut, was in for a treat.  "I just love the smell," he said as he wandered through the lockers.  Then, the former placekicker was let in on an old secret. 
   "We're going to tell you who used to order all that beer on the road and charge it to you," Brian Kelley told Gogolak.  The culprits were Jack Gregory and former tackle Willie Young.

     

While I highly doubt that there had been a full moon on the night of November 13, 1976, the Giants did something that was considered unthinkable the next day.  The youthful Giants, at the time one of the youngest teams in the league, had defeated their greatest foe: the over-the-hill Redskins at Giants Stadium, 12-9 in front of 72,975 fans who were still wondering if the Giants would ever win a game that season (prior to the game they were 0-9).

GIANTS REFUSE TO BECOME UNGLUED
by Vinny DiTrani

BERGEN RECORD, November 15, 1976

EAST RUTHERFORD--"Just another interception," was Jim Stienke's immediate thought as he tumbled toward the Giant Stadium turf, grasping the ball which seconds before had left Joe Theismann's right hand.
     Stienke didn't realize until after the game that he had come up with the winner, the play that preserved the 12-9 win over the Redskins and halted the Giants' season-long losing streak.  "I was just playing the down-and-distance," he claimed.  "There wasn't enough time to analyze the situation."
     Washington had taken a time out to analyze this situation: third-and-two, ball on the Giant seven, 41 seconds to play.  The Skins were down by three to a team whose offense boasted a long-gain run of nine yards and a long-gain pass of 13.  But the Giants were winning the battle of the field goals, four to three.
     After a consultation, the Skins set up for what proved to be their final offensive play from scrimmage.  "It was a questionable call, but I'm glad they called it," said Stienke, the right cornerback, who like most Giants was looking for a running play into the line which could have set up a tying field goal. 
     Theismann, however, rolled to his left with a run-pass option.  The blitzing Harry Carson took away the run part.  So the quarterback looked for his intended receivers, running back Mike Thomas and tight end Jean Fugett.  Neither was on his pattern, so Theismann tried to toss the ball out of the end zone.  But Stienke interceded.
     "I didn't have time to think.  I just reacted to the ball," said Stienke.
     The interception was the culmination of a fine defensive play by the Giant unit which hasn't allowed a touchdown in 10 quarters.  Tackle John Mendenhall wiped out a blocker, allowing middle linebacker Carson free access on his blitz.
     Linebacker Brad Van Pelt jammed tight end Fugett, who blocked on Van Pelt before trying to slip out for the pass.  Stienke bumped Thomnas off his pattern and jarred him enough to send him into Fugett, effectively disrupting both Skins' patterns. 
     So instead of another final-minute loss, like the opening game in Washington, or an overtime situation, the Giants and John McVay had their first win.  "Gosh, that was exciting," said McVay, who counted down the final seconds with the hometown fans, and later shook hands with every player in the locker room.
     "That's a gutty, gutty bunch of guys, to get slapped around in ball games they played well enough to win, and to stick together like they did today," lauded McVay.
     While the offense did enough to get 12 points on four Joe Danelo field goals, the defense was exceptional in holding the Skins to three Mark Moseley three-pointers.  Even when the Redskins were marching toward a possible win or a tie, the defensive huddle was void of deja vu.
     "You can't think back to what happened in the past," said linebacker Brian Kelley, "because you're sure to lose then."
     "I was thinking about the field-goal try and how I had to do something about blocking it," said Van Pelt about the kick that never was made.
     GIANT NOTES--Had Moseley gotten that final field-goal attempt, it would have set an NFL record for most attempts in a game by both teams.  The six Moseley and five Danelo tries tied the NFL mark...Last time Giants won without a touchdown was by 9-3 score over the Chicago Cardinals at Yankee Stadium in 1959...Craig Morton (sore right elbow) could have played, but McVay decided to stay with Norm Snead for the whole game despite three-of-14 for 26 yards passing stats.  In Snead's defense, Walker Gillette dropped a sure touchdown and Ray Rhodes muffed a bomb...George Martin had two sacks, one against Thomas on a halfback option on which he stripped the ball and recovered the fumble.  Dan Lloyd clobbered kick returner Eddie Brown and covered his bobble in the second period...72,975 attended and 3,634 stayed home.

During the midway point of the 1976 season, coach Bill Arnsparger was ousted in favor of John McVay.  Also during that period, a switcheroo took place in the linebacking corps which, unforeseen at the time, would turn out to be one of the greatest gambles the Giants would ever make. 

BENCHING ANGERS HUGHES
by Vinny DiTrani

(from The Bergen Record, October 20, 1976)

PLEASANTVILLE, NY--Bill Arnsparger is playing the melodramatics again, holding off the announcement of any Giant lineup changes for Sunday's home game with the Steelers.

He dropped some hints yesterday, however.  It looks like Craig Morton will be back at quarterback, and Larry Mallory or Rick Volk will be at free safety, with Jim Stienke at the corner.

One of last week's moves, however, has passed the melodramatics and become a permanent one.  Rookie Harry Carson will again start at middle linebacker, with Brian Kelley on the weak side.  Pat Hughes remains on the bench, and wondering.

"I had a discussion with Bill about it," said Hughes, referring to his benching.  "But the explanation was not satisfactory, at least not in my mind.

"He said it was a 'lack of intensity.' But how do you measure intensity?  On a Richter Scale?  I'm just looking for a concrete reason, that's all."

Linebacker coach Marty Schottenheimer explained the move behind getting Carson, of whom big things are expected, into the lineup.  "He's just too good to stay on the bench," said Schottenheimer. 

Carson did well against the Vikings, although he made the expected rookie mistakes.  With an 0-6 record, the Giants have nothing to lose by giving Carson the experience he needs to become a top middle linebacker. 

"I'm sure they're set and that's the way they'll be playing," said Hughes, referring to the linebacking trio of Kelley, Carson and Brad Van Pelt.

"But I still have confidence in my ability and I'll show anyone in my game films.  All I want to do is play, and four plays doesn't make it."

Hughes was in on four goal-line plays against the Vikings in his first sit-down performance since he gained starting status six years ago.  "All the time I've been here it's been nothing but losing," said Hughes.  "But in all that time I've tried to do something about it.  I've tried to win my part of the battle.

"Now to sit down, or to be made to sit down, it hurts, with a capital H.  It's my instinct to fight back now and show them what I can do.  But it's tough to do that in four plays."

Arnsparger said he'd expect Hughes to be upset by the move, just like he'd expect any player to be irritated by a benching.  "All leopards have spots," said Hughes, "but not all human beings have the same emotions and feelings.  And I just don't like to be jerked around on a string like that."

Excerpted from The New York Times, October 9, 1976.

GIANTS SING PRAISES OF NEW STADIUM
by Michael Katz (Special to The New York Times)

     EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., Oct. 8-At 1:56 P.M., Tom Mullen took a small step for Giant-kind and moved on to green AstroTurf at Giants Stadium.
     As the loudspeakers played "Over The Rainbow", Mullen became the first Giant player to take the field for the team's first practice at its $68 million new home.
     "I got dressed faster than anybody else," said the starting left tackle of his history-making moment. 
     A few minutes later, Joe Danelo, the little place-kicker, made the first fumble, dropping a punt from Dave Jennings, and the Giants were home at last after three years of wandering since New York City kicked them out of Yankee Stadium. 
     "We just had a normal practice," said Coach Bill Arnsparger.  "It's nice to have a home, a home for your football team, a home for your fans.
     "Tradition is based on the home.  The family institution is based on the home.  Our country was built on it, people coming here looking for a home."
     The Giants didn't get here by the Mayflower, however.  Most had no trouble finding their luxurious new home from their regular practice facilities at Pace University in Pleasantville, N.Y.  It took Marsh White almost three hours, though.
     Even White thought the trip was worth it when he saw the players' facilities, which include a sauna and two handball courts.  "This locker room has better carpeting than I do in my house," said Doug Van Horn.
     "It's like a country club in here," said Jack Gregory.
     "I think the shower's even bigger than the locker room," said Jim Stienke.
     "I grew two inches when I walked in," said Brian Kelley.
     "Beautiful," said Brad Van Pelt.
     "Magnificent," said Pat Hughes.
     "Fantastic," said Dave Jennings.
     "Stop putting words in their mouths," said Arnsparger.

Although the Giants finished 3-11 in their inaugural season at the Meadowlands, hopes were quite high for Big Blue prior to the start of the 1976 season.  Vinny DiTrani of The Bergen Record speculated on the team's potential in this September 10, 1976 article (excerpted).

GIANTS: IMPROVED, BUT...
Schedule a factor

by Vinny DiTrani

     A 16-8 record is nothing to laugh at, but when you tie that kind of mark to the New York Giants, you'll be sure to get plenty of gaffaws.  Yet 16-8 has been the Giants' record, in preseason that is, over the past four years.
     The 4-2 mark this summer kept the team at a two-out-of-three winning clip for exhibitions.  The three previous preseasons, however, have led into regular campaigns where the Giants were just 9-32-1.  Just what this exhibition season foretells remains to be seen.
     While the Giants' main acquisition, Larry Csonka, has brought the spotlight to the offense, it has been the defense, (Bill) Arnsparger's forte, that has been particularly impressive.  It allowed just 65 points in six games, and shut out the champion Steelers, during the preseason.
     When the defensive line applies the pressure, the defense has been extremely effective.  John Mendenhall is healthy again, Jack Gregory appears ready to pick up where he left off last year and Dave Gallagher has improved at left tackle. 
     But the most improved man up front has been left end George Martin, the second-year end who appears to have the ability to make the big play.  He did in Green Bay, an interception TD which turned the game around.  He's batted down several other passes and accumulated some sacks, too.
     Brad Van Pelt, getting better with each snap, Brian Kelley and Pat Hughes are the linebackers with hungry youngsters Bob Schmit, Harry Carson and Dan Lloyd in reserve.  Carson has shown signs of greatness mixed in with his rookie mistakes while working in the middle.  Schmit has pushed Hughes on the weakside.
     Craig Morton was the first to celebrate the acquisition of Csonka, who takes much of the heat off the quarterback.  Morton had a good preseason, completing better than 60 per cent of his tosses with no interceptions.  Norm Snead was brought in as the backup only after rookie Jerry Golsteyn, who showed much promise, went down with a knee injury.
     Bob Tucker appears happy and contented once again at tight end with Gary Shirk, a hard-working WFLer, as the backup.
     Arnsparger made what could be a significant change in the placekicking department when he brought in strong-footed Joe Danelo from Green Bay to replace erratic George Hunt.  Dave Jennings remains as one of the top NFL punters.
     Improved?  Undoubtedly the Giants are just that.  How much?  It could depend upon good health, an opening win against the Redskins, and a break or two along the way.  Right now, however, the club looks destined for fourth place in the tough NFC Eastern Division.   

...in the person of Dan Lloyd.  A rookie in 1976, he was already making waves in that year's training camp with an unusual helmet.  This is an excerpted article by Vinny DiTrani of The Bergen Record dated July 28, 1976.
'SPACEMAN LOVES TO HIT'
by Vinny DiTrani

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y.-Dan Lloyd flipped Charlie Bray to the ground, then fell on top of the chunky guard for a near pin.  Thus ended one of the better training camp fights in recent years.  "Way to go, Spaceman!" yelled Pat Hughes.  On the next play Lloyd, the Giants' rookie linebacker, took a shot at Doug Kotar.  That drew a vicious stare from the running back, and more cheers from the defensive players.  "Man, you're hitting everybody today, Spaceman!" yelled Hughes as Lloyd came off for a breather.  Lloyd had trouble in high school with the common suspension helmet.  "It caused a lot of scars on my forehead," he explained.  "But the trainer at Washington (where Lloyd played in college) built me a helmet padded to fit my head."  Lloyd has brought helmet to the Giant camp.  Its unusual shape, plus large bird-cage mask have earned him the Spaceman.  Actually, the linebacker has both feet on the ground.  "That's the whole key to being a tough player.  You have to be in the right place at the right time to make the good hits.  You can be as big and ferocious as you want, but if you're not where you're supposed to be, you'll never get a good hit."

This is an excerpt from the first game of the Giants' 1975 season that appeared in The Bergen Record, written by Vinny Di Trani, on Monday, September 22, 1975.  The Giants defeated the Eagles, 23-14.

     "....Yet from the total despair of that late first-period play, the Giants yesterday managed to concoct a 23-14 triumph over the Philadelphia Eagles.  Coach Bill Arnsparger's the first to admit 'It wasn't very pretty,' but he's not about to throw it back.  A Giant win has been so rare in recent years that no one is going to question the methods used to achieve it."

     '"We weren't spectacular, but we got the job done," appraised Ron Johnson, who scored two touchdowns.  "We made mistakes, but we never totally broke down."'

     "(John) Mendenhall's injury, which may keep him out of next week's game with Washington, brought about an immediate switch of Dave Gallagher from end to tackle, and the insertion of rookie George Martin at end.  In the second half, however, Gallagher returned to end and Rick Dvorak played tackle.  The different combinations managed to shut off the Eagles' running game and recorded three sacks of the quarterbacks."

     "That's where the total collapse, 1974 style, would have struck.  But the ensuing onside kickoff was covered by wide receiver (Ray) Rhodes.  And, on a third-and-10 play in an apparent kill-the-clock possession, (Craig) Morton play-faked and lofted a 50-yard scoring bomb to Rhodes."

     "The touchdown with 39 seconds left ended any chance of the total breakdown.  'It's a win and they can't take it away from us,' said Morton, who had a good day throwing (14-of-28 for 240 yards) despite missing practice Friday and Saturday because of a twisted right wrist."

     "It not only was a win, but the most lopsided Arnsparger has achieved in his season-plus-one-game as Giants' head coach."