Big Blue Huddle

And then the Giants won, and the wailing and gnashing of teeth did cease.

Good win against an excellent team on the road. The Giants got jobbed more than a few times on bad calls and non-calls by the zebras (the call on Phillips was preposterous, and don't be surprised if the unpenalized Steeler DB who laid that helmet-to-facemask hit on Smith picks up a fine this week), but that WAS the top-rated defense in the league they were up against.

They dropped some passes, they hurried some throws, they took some stupid penalties, they choked in the red zone...but they hung in there and kept scrapping. No sacks on Manning -- great job by the OL and backs, including the much-criticized Dave Diehl.

The could probably have won this game by 17, had they taken advantage of all the opportunities, but it would have gone in the "W" column exactly the same way.  It was clearly a flawed effort, but I can't gripe when they beat arguably the best team in the AFC on the road. Imagine what they can do to other good teams when they play well.


Edit to add:  Sorry, I posted this before I realized that a second thread was begun offer an alternative to the wailing, and that the wailing simply migrated.

I have no idea why, but I've 'posted' on this thread twice only to find my post never made it to the board. 

One more try!

I think we DID have too much food -- besides what was left over on the main serving table, I know there was quite a bit of meat left uncooked in some of the coolers, and some desserts and other items that never made it out of the bags.  We should probably consider reducing the item quantity requests next year from 'enough for everyone' to 'enough for half the attendees'.  Even with half the food, we'd have had plenty for everyone.

We also DID intend to stagger the cooking, but despite having more charcoal than in previous years, we used it all up AND the fires burned out faster. By the time we were ready to cook the 'second shift', none of the fires was still hot enough.

George's idea is a good one (re: keeping one grill going all day).  Another option would be to only light 2-3 grills at a time instead of 4-5, which would slow down the output AND preserve some charcoal for later.  If we planned well, splitting up grills between slow-cooking and fast-cooking items, that should work out fine.

Drake, re: the chicken -- unfortunately, while we know it's a PITA for the out of town folks to deal with perishable stuff, George and I are the only two locals, so it's imperative that some of the travelers pick up meat, etc.  We put up the info about local stores (including maps) and suggested that rather than trying to travel with perishables (or store stuff in hotel rooms) that everyone just go to one of those stores after the AM practice and bring their stuff to the park.  George and I got there early and had spare coolers and ice ready.  We probably didn't make this plan as clear as we should have, and we'll make an extra effort next year to let the BBH travelers know that there's a hassle-free way to contribute meat or other items needing to be kept cold.

An absolute blast. No matter how many hours we have, it's never enough -- it always ends up with me wishing I could have spent a lot more time talking with everyone. 

What an outstanding group of people, it's a pleasure knowing you folks.

We've been very lucky re: invited guests at the BBQ, all have been very gracious, personable, interesting and entertaining.

Ralph V. was all of that. IMO, hearing him talk about the Giants is just like reading his stuff: no sensationalizing, no ax to grind with players or management, just a guy who really enjoys football and cares about fairness and accuracy.

Very nice of him to spend so much time with us and offer so many excellent insights as he patiently answered question after question.

If weeze could kidnap EdS's poodles we could put them in some kind of generator mill...in the mean time, I can give them directions to all the Dunkin Donuts, Starbucks, Stewarts Shops and independent coffee joints in the campus area.

Or they could rent one of those big thermal coffee servers and just keep brewing coffee in their room all night on that hotel coffee maker -- imagine five gallons of pipin' hot java goodness, brewed two cups at a time.

Now, for acquiring other critical BBQ items, folks, here's your map -- if at all possible, please zoom over to one of these markets on Sat. night or sometime Sunday morning to pick up whatever you're signed up to bring.  AND PLEASE NOTE: Ya can't buy beer in NY before noon on a Sunday, so if you're planning to pick some up, do it on Saturday! You can always wait 'til Sunday morning to buy ice.



LEGEND:

#1 Approximate area of campus where the Giants hold training camp

#2 BBQ location:  Rensselaer Lake/Six Mile Waterworks -- from campus, take Fuller Road heading north, the park is past the Fuller/Washington intersection on left. We'll be on the right adjacent to the first parking area.

#3 The Barnsider Restaurant,  480 Sand Creek Road  --  from campus area, right on Fuller Rd. heading north until it ends at Central Ave.; left on Central, followed soon by a right onto Wolf; continues past Colonie Center Mall, moving to left lane, and take a left onto Sand Creek Road. The Barnsider is just ahead on your left.

#4 Hannaford Supermarket, 96 Wolf Road -- At intersection of Wolf & Sand Creek, see directions for Barnsider (above).  Place to get virtually any items you might need for your BBQ contribution, open 24/7.

#5 Price Chopper Supermarket, 1706 Western Ave.  -- Similar to Hannaford, perhaps slightly better selection -- large, well-stocked market open 24/7, also close to BBQ location.  From campus, go left onto Fuller Rd. and right onto Western (or exit campus on Western Ave. and take a left), go past Crossgates Mall -- supermarket will be on left.

Shopping Centers and Malls close to camp:

A: Crossgates Mall, region's largest
B: Stuyvesant Plaza (Bruegger's Bagels, Starbucks) Upscale shops
C: Northway Plaza
D: Colonie Center, also very large

If you need any other info about the area, PM me (this week only) or giantsguy (any time) and we'll try to get the info you need.

Here's a closer look at the campus and BBQ sites:



The red Xs represent the major entrances to campus -- there are actually several others, and they all put you on the road that encircles the campus -- just keep driving, you'll see signs for Giants Training Camp Parking eventually. Parking is $5 for the day (your pass is good for BOTH practice sessions on the same date) or $15 for an unlimited parking pass good for the duration of training camp.

The parking area is roughly where you see the black rectangle.  The yellow "x" represents the area of the lot, adjacent to the tennis courts, where members typically meet up before practice. It's a brief (5 minute) walk from the parking area to the practice locations.  If you arrive late and miss the gang, or prefer not to walk, there are also free shuttle buses running every few minutes between the lot and the athletic complex.

The green rectangles are the approx. location of the Giants' two practices areas: either the game field, or the 'lower fields'.  There's sometimes a sign telling you which fields the team is using. The game field is to the left from that small turnaround circle on your map; the lower fields require climbing the steps to a passage between two buildings (the merchandise tent, overpriced but well-stocked, is in this area) then down the stairs at the other end -- 'autograph alley' is on your right, straight ahead to the viewing areas for the various fields.

The purple X is our BBQ location, Lake Rensselaer (AKA Six Mile Waterworks).  As you can see, it's very close to campus and easy to get to -- head west from any Western Ave. campus exit (turn right) or any Washington Ave. exit (turn left) and then take a right onto Fuller Road...or take any of the campus exits (like Tricentennial Drive) that bring you to Fuller Road, and go right.  Left into the park just beyond the I-90 underpass. The hardest part of getting to the BBQ? Making the left turn across traffic on Fuller, but before noon on a Sunday, even that should be pretty easy.

Quote from: jimmyz on June 01, 2008, 09:23:32 PM
This is one of the best football analysis I have ever read.   You should print it, frame it, and hand it out on x-mas.

+1, that was just outstanding. As someone who experiences the games on a visceral level and often can't even recall many details a week later, I'm just amazed when someone can sit down to review it all and pull it apart like that. Whatever real understanding of that game that I didn't learn first-hand as a young'n, I got from reading efforts like this one. Thanks, Brian.

Pizbo, why not let Andy Griffith explain it from a first-time viewer's perspective? 

http://www.carolinafan.com/What_It_Was_Was_Football.mp3

Man, my dad had this on an LP when I was a kid...classic bit, brought back a lot of memories for me.

1. I live just south of Albany on the opposite side of the Hudson, and like GiantsGuy I'm just about 15-20 minutes from training camp.

2. My passion for the Giants is genetically imprinted, going back to my Irish immigrant grandfather on my dad's side. My earliest memories of the Giants are from the late 60's.

3. After 20 years of running my own small advertising and PR firm, I'm currently making my living doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that -- designing graphic presentation pieces for use in trials, copywriting subbed out to me from other agencies, etc.  Also gearing up to start playing solo gigs again after a long absence from making music -- and gearing up includes growing my hair long again and getting my first tat. You're never too old to enjoy a second childhood.

4. I've got a great wife (Nora) and two great kids (Martin, 6 and Elizabeth, 13). I've just built my first electric guitar (a Telecaster copy) from a kit and am about to embark on a 'scratch build', making the body and neck myself from raw lumber. Avid reader, decent cook.

Well done, bighitter!

I always thought Sam looked kinda like Brando in that picture.