The long, grueling Giants descent has finally claimed my fandom

To quote nan intrepid mariner, Popeye nan Sailor: “That’s each I tin stands, ’cause I can’t stands nary more!” 

I grew up an unshakable Giants shot fan. Good times, bad times. Allie Sherman to Ray Handley to Brian Daboll. I was No. 16, Frank Gifford, successful nan autumn and winter, No. 16 Whitey Ford successful nan outpouring and summer. (I could guidelines successful beforehand of a reflector and go a lefty for illustration Ford.) 

But it’s over. This past Sunday, aft nan Giants’ drag-arse loss astatine location to Washington, I revenge for an open-ended separation. 

I’m not nan astir honorable boy connected nan block, but nan Giants are now beneath my dignity. It wasn’t that nan Giants mislaid aliases that I tin nary longer indulge Daniel Jones — when’s nan past clip he was capable to group up successful an uninvaded pocket? — but alternatively it’s nan measurement they suffer aliases occasionally win. 

It’s nan measurement they behave. They’re arsenic stomach-turning arsenic nan remainder of preening, muscle-flexing, chest-beating players who comprise NFL teams — players pinch nary consciousness of modesty, crippled circumstances and professionalism. 

Their devotion is to post-play TV cameras, slo-mo TV portion machines, TV advertisers and promo splicers who person wished for each of america that moving images of skilled shot beryllium replaced pinch tired sights of players successful self-smitten, often rehearsed acts of all-about-me selfishness. 

During nan week, they provender antisocial media pinch vulgarities, boasts, taunts, threats, semi-literacy and different reminders that their years spent successful colleges were based connected institutionalized fraud. 

The Giants’ plaything toward nan insufferable began successful 2014 pinch nan presence of since-transient Odell Beckham Jr. — a talented but self-entitled brat who mimed a canine urinating successful nan extremity area and was even banned from his assemblage team’s activities after, arsenic an NFL player, he tried to bargain nan segment by playing nan center-stage fool successful LSU’s nationalist title locker room. 

His afloat devotion to his occupation was witnessed successful nan days earlier nan Giants’ 2017 playoff nonaccomplishment to nan Packers successful sub-arctic Green Bay. Beckham joined chap Giants wide receivers connected a yacht disconnected Miami for sun and nosy and immoderate followed. 

Against nan Packers nan pursuing Sunday, Beckham was a game-changer. He dropped 4 passes. 

This past Sunday, receiver Darius Slayton, a six-year pro often identified arsenic a Giants’ seasoned leader, caught a fourth-quarter walk for a first down. The Giants were down, 21-7. So Slayton, to prevention timepiece time, quickly tossed nan shot to nan nearest charismatic past sprinted backmost to huddle up. 

Right? 

Wrong. He slow roseate to execute a flamboyant but weary first-down-gesture bit, arsenic if he’d conscionable won nan game. 

Also Sunday, during a clip retired and nan Giants down, 24-18, Fox cameras recovered boastful rookie and No. 6-overall draught prime WR Malik Nabers sidesplitting clip by opinionated connected nan Washington sideline having a merry chat pinch his LSU buddy and now Commanders QB Jayden Daniels. 

Fox’s Mark Sanchez: “Timing-wise, prevention this worldly for pregame and postgame, but during nan game? I request [Nabers] locked in, preparing for a imaginable fourth-and-1, not jawing pinch his buddies connected nan field.” 

Unfortunately, Sanchez seemed uneasy speaking a conspicuous truth arsenic he began and ended his remark pinch giggles, alternatively than agitated disbelief. 

But specified devotion to team, athletics and occupation from Nabers should person arrived arsenic a mini surprise. This season, he recovered from a concussion by attending a rap concert, ever a smart thought to champion dainty a caput wounded pinch large pounding. But he past declared that it’s nobody’s business. 

He’s right. It is his business. Thus he’d amended return amended attraction of his business aliases he’ll beryllium retired of nan business. 

Where is John Mara connected what nan Giants person become? A gracious gentleman, he must beryllium sickened from what he sees. Why not publication nan riot act? Start pinch Daboll. 

Where are nan media among know-better Giants of nan caller past? Carl Banks, Phil Simms and Howard Cross must beryllium embarrassed by their erstwhile team’s worsening absence of characteristic and class. How could they not be? But don’t conscionable do something, guidelines there! 

Or possibly Nabers represents different Robinson Cano canard. Cano didn’t tally to first to debar grounding into double plays, “but he was bully successful nan clubhouse” — moreover if it’s nan different team’s clubhouse. 

Scream machines make it difficult to bask nan game 

Show maine a play-by-play man who screams for a living, and I’ll show you a feline who doesn’t cognize what he’s screaming about. 

Sunday, Bills QB Josh Allen threw a cleanable walk adjacent nan Dolphins’ extremity statement that was dropped by receiver Keon Coleman. The shot was caught by a defender earlier it deed nan ground. This was different of those “interceptions” that create wildly misleading QB passer standing stats, which nevertheless are posted and recited arsenic controlled situation laboratory results. 

This one, arsenic are truthful many, was not connected nan QB. 

But CBS’ scream-at-everything Kevin Harlan adjacent hollered, “That was nan 2nd interception thrown successful 2 weeks by Josh Allen!” He’d holler akin later successful nan game. 

The time before, Fox’s Gus Johnson prefaced nan Ohio State-Penn State telecast pinch a lengthy, conspicuously overdone bid of grunts, growls and hysterics that challenged viewers to past until kickoff. 

Then Johnson, demonstrating zero consciousness of crippled circumstances, continued to enactment arsenic if he’d tally retired of motor sealant. 

But screaming complete everything has go nan people of web excellence, nan accelerated way to success. 

More bad than bully retired of Sanchez 

Sanchez is different crippled expert stuck pinch really he arrived. After all, if immoderate TV web had a wise man — a coach — who could propulsion nan best, aliases moreover a spot better, from its hires, we’d each cognize by now. 

Sunday, passim Commanders-Giants, Sanchez shared good, applicable observations connected Fox. Early connected he alerted america to really Daniel Jones fakes handoffs by “pulling it back” earlier moving astir nan ends. Jones later scored connected specified a play. 

But Sanchez was truthful wedded to worthless clichés and superfluous reside that nan bully worldly quickly evaporated. 

Sunday, he chose, “The Giants are moving nan stone well,” complete “running well.” “Cut” became, ugh, “stuck a ft successful nan ground.” “Time to throw” became “time to propulsion nan football.” And precocious successful nan crippled we heard nan uselessly vague, “Someone has to measurement up and make a catch.” 

If only he could tighten it up. Lose nan genuine pigskin gibberish and speak arsenic he much usually would erstwhile detached from a microphone. 

But that has go nan nationalist approach. Strive for mediocre and pedestrian. I cognize we cognize why, we conscionable don’t cognize why. 

Do Division I colleges moreover fuss to name world advisors to teams? Issue room cards to recruits? 

Say, shot fans, immoderate happened to nan “bubble screen”? Five years ago, it was each nan rage among TV and power analysts. Now? Vanished arsenic if it ne'er existed. 

Stood to logic that nan University of North Florida women’s squad hit Trinity Baptist, 146-53, connected Wednesday (it was 85-18 astatine nan half). With its crippled against Clinton College coming up, it was a look-ahead crippled for Trinity.