NYG history vs. Atlanta Falcons

[bamagiantfan]

"It's early", I said. 

[spiderblue43]

GO,

I do remember some of the 1968 season.. The Giants had trampled the Steelers, Eagles and Redskins (Ronnie Blye did run a kickoff back for a td somewhere) and someone else...but flopped against the Falcs, a bad loss that would portend their mediocrity.  I remember being at fan appreciation day at Shea Stadium in 1968 with the Mets (got a knit cap) looking at the scoreboard crushing the Skins. It seemed like the team had turned it around. Do you remember the TV Guide listings with the actual players and roster numbers?

And that loss dispelled any hopes of being elite. They weren't solid, although Tark really did add juice from the moribund mid-sixties. He was special, although not as good as they'd hoped. To trade Tark off was a huge mistake in hindsight, but that was a dysfunctional era in Giant management. Keep Tark. Pay him and you don't have to slog through Craig Morton and Joe CFL. When teams get to transition Qb's (like GB and Indy)..it makes all the difference from contender to pretender.

[NapoleonBlownapart]

GO,

I do remember some of the 1968 season.. The Giants had trampled the Steelers, Eagles and Redskins (Ronnie Blye did run a kickoff back for a td somewhere) and someone else...but flopped against the Falcs, a bad loss that would portend their mediocrity.  I remember being at fan appreciation day at Shea Stadium in 1968 with the Mets (got a knit cap) looking at the scoreboard crushing the Skins. It seemed like the team had turned it around. Do you remember the TV Guide listings with the actual players and roster numbers?

And that loss dispelled any hopes of being elite. They weren't solid, although Tark really did add juice from the moribund mid-sixties. He was special, although not as good as they'd hoped. To trade Tark off was a huge mistake in hindsight, but that was a dysfunctional era in Giant management. Keep Tark. Pay him and you don't have to slog through Craig Morton and Joe CFL. When teams get to transition Qb's (like GB and Indy)..it makes all the difference from contender to pretender.

Hey Spiderblue43 - Tark no longer wanted to be a NYG.  It was a messy and long divorce that started in the summer with Tark boycotting preseason game 1, a 35-6 loss vs the Houston Oilers. Tark was making approx. 120K a year and wanted 150-160K a year AND a loan to start a business in Georgia.  He returned to the team the next week.   Tark had a starting/playing streak of 103 games that ended with a week 14, a 42-28 loss to the Eagles @ Yankee. Qb Randy Johnson had a hell of a game, something like 30-45 340 yards, 4 td's.  Tark didn't even hold for the place kicks therefore his streak was stopped.  When HC Alex Webster was asked after the game "what happened to Tark and his playing streak? why did you start Randy Johnson?" Webster answered: "I don't give a xxxx about fucking Franny Tarkentons streak. we were trying to win the god damn game and Randy Johnson gave us the best chance."....nearly 1 month later (Jan 1972) the trade to the Vikes.


postscript:  Webster's words were not printed for us to read however this response was confirmed by a NY Giant beat writer whom covered them at the time.  He told me at camp in 2002: "Tark and Webster got along fine until that year (1971).  something happened to that relationship and they were the same again" 

leading up to a week 14 1973 Vikings @ Giants, Webster held his normal conference call with the opposing teams beat writers at the Captians Table taking questions when Tarkenton came on the call..Webster said "Hi Tiger how ya doing? you sure are playing well this year"...Tark: "who is that speaking?"...webster "Its Al, hey you guys are looking great"....Tarkenton "Al who?".....OUCH!