A LONG STRANGE TRIP

As most of you know I have been watching the GIANTS a long time, and have attended many, many games.  The series between the GIANTS and Eagles has always been one of strange endings, and unreal plays.  Let's recap:

Randall Cunningham levitating after a hit by Carl Banks and throwing a TD pass.

Blocked Field Goals picked up by offensive linemen and run in for TD's to win games.  

Tiki running for 220 yds, fumbling 5 times, and the Giants win the game when David Akers, one of the best kickers in the league misses a 27 yard field goal.

Mark Bavaro, one of the gentlest men of all, being ejected for hitting a referee. (He was pushed into him.  I was there) 

The Eagles offense being held to 120 yards and winning the game on 2 Westbrook kick returns for TD's.

Tipped passes, fumbled kickoffs, missed field goals, great individual efforts (think Jason Sehorn) and of course the defining moment for GIANTS football in the modern era.  The play that got a coach fired, two franchises turned around, and the invention of the "victory" formation.

Otherwise known as "the Fumble" Joe Piscarcik and John Cirigliano look alike Larry Csonka colliding on what should have been the final play of a winning effort.  I can still see Doug Kotar in those awful uniforms chasing Herm Edwards to the end zone.

The next day John McVay is fired, who goes to San francisco as a GM and builds one of the great dynasties of football.  Ray Perkins is hired and brings in a linebacker coach named Bill Parcells.  Wellington Mara relents and hires a GM named George Young at the suggestion of the commissioner, and every team from Pop Warner to the NFL now kneel down when they have the game won and need to run time off the clock.

This series is unpredictable.  The Eagles have some secondary injuries that they have kept quiet.  They are missing their starting right guard.  Look for the pressure from the GIANTS to come up the middle this week.

This game will be won or lost in the tackling department this week.  Can we get McNabb to the ground.  Can we bring down Westbrook after small gains.  The GIANTS have the better offensive and defensive lines, but the key will be tackling and yards after catch.

Enjoy this one, this is as good as it gets in this years NFL.