Eli sucks because he played brilliantly in the 07 playoff run and won a SB and Chad who is a much better QB didn't.
I've always rooted for the Giants to win the NFCE every year. My list of most hated teams looks like this: Patriots Raiders Dolphins Bills Cowboys Redskins Eagles I started to dislike them after the 2004 draft because I thought Eli was a whiney little bitch. Not to mention the fact that his brother basically did the same thing to us. When we had the first pick in the draft and Peyton knew he was going to be our pick, he undeclared and went back for his senior season of college. We ended up with Keyshawn Johnson instead, ugh. All that was washed away when they beat the Patriots though. We're cool again now.
Eli is an above-average QB, but he's not even close to the NFL's elite, the Peyton, Brees, Rivers, Brady of the league. The last 6 games of the year, playing without Burress, he was straight up BAD. He didn't deserve 97 million dollars, he didn't deserve half of that. He's a fine player, and in the top half of NFL QBs. And if you cherry pick stats through 3 games, of course he'll look good. Hell, one of those stats says he's tied with Kyle Orton. That's never a good thing. Is he a top 10 QB? Maybe. Top 5? No chance.
I think Eli is underrated. I love how Brees is now in the company of guys like Brady. Brees is a pure stat guy so far, he's not a QB you can count on to win. The same is true for Rivers, they beat Indy 2 years ago w/ Billy Volek at QB in the 2nd half. As fluky as it may have been Eli did lead the Giants to the SB and on one of the greatets drives in NFL history. Is he overpaid? Sure but I'm ok overpaying for a quality QB and person that Eli is b/c you know what you'll get from him and you know he's durable.
For what it's worth, here are some of the common responses from Giants' fans when we discussed this on one of our own message boards. These are NOT my thoughts, but those of the others. 1. I view them as our "little brother" team and I want them to do well. 2. Jets' fans are obnoxious and because of this I dislike their team. 3. I love the Jets and catch at least 1 game a year 4. They seem to hate us, so I return the favor 5. Some Giants' fans are too touchy and feel they deserve 100% of the attention from the NYC media and don't handle Jet love well 6. I was a Giants' fan back in 1969, have hated the Jets ever since 7. Their fans talk trash and then vanish after week 12 8. I think they're a pretty knowledgeable and experience fanbase, they rarely get too high 9. Don't care either way 10. The fan thing is overrated, they are more or less just like us 11. It's an age thing, their fanbase is younger than ours so we're destined not to get along anyway The most common reasons for disliking were either "their fans are obnoxious assholes" or "they take the attention I want the Giants to receive." Please note that the second quote there was inferred and not oft directly stated. The most common reason for liking was "they get good coverage around here, so why not?" and "I really like {insert player here}" Revis and Harris were the two most often plugged in there.
Those stats refer to thus far this year, with a retooled offense that isn't centered around Burress. CHALLENGE: Where would you rank him as a QB and who would you say is better?
I don't mind the Giants at all. Got a buncha friends that are huge Giants fans and they wish the Jets well. They're quite impressed how well our D has looked this year and want to see us succeed. I think for the most part it's about the crowd you hang around with. I always root for the Giants to beat an AFC team, but there are some teams in the NFC that I like and root for regardless of who they play unless it's against the Jets (ie. Cardinals, Falcons, Packers). If they play a team I don't care about, I don't root for or against them. They're just there.
I love when this topic comes up. I'm a Jets fan. I wouldn't call myself a "fan" of any other team. However, I like the Giants. A lot. My father was a dedicated fan of both the Giants and Jets. (I think he leaned toward the Giants though.) I grew up not knowing any hatred toward either team. My youngest brother is a Giants fan who likes the Jets. My other brother is like me, Jets fan, likes the Giants. Overall, I know far more Jets fans who are complete assholes than I do Giants fans. I don't know any Giants fans who can't just rationally discuss the Jets or Giants with me, whereas all the Jets fans I know that aren't related to me cannot talk about the Giants. Interestingly enough, all the Giants fans I know are Yankees fans, and all the Jets fans are Mets fans, and it happens exactly the same with those teams. My father was a Yankees fan. I'm a Yankees fan. I never "hated" the Mets, but was fairly indifferent toward them while wanting them "not to lose." I love that they beat those Sux back in '86. However, over the past few years, as Mets fans have become more obnoxious, I've grown to dislike them more and more, and I've even caught myself smiling a few times this year at their AAA team in a pretty park's lack of success. It's petty, and I don't like that I've become so, but some of the fans just make me give the stinkeye. I absolutely abhor Philadelphia, which helps me like the Giants and not hate the Mets. I wrote something a couple weeks ago in your Boston thread about the nuclear douchesplosion that would result if Boston and Philly ever had physical contact. Philly is my 2nd most hated city in the country, following Boston of course.
I know, I said if you cherrypick stats, then he's sure to look good. Let's see, in no particular order, QBs I'd definitely take over Manning: Brady, PManning, Brees, Rivers, Roethlisberger, Aaron Rodgers (criminally underrated), Cutler (as a QB, not as a person) QBs I consider to be just as good as Eli: Romo, Schaub, Warner So yeah, he's right on the cusp of the top 10.
I was born unaffiliated, grew up following friends who were Giants fans, and had a lull for several years in which I didn't follow football at all. The first time I actually responded Jets when asked "Giants or Jets?" was during Pete Carroll's coaching tenure. My sister married a die-hard Jets fan and I ended up absorbing all of his teams for good. I'm indifferent towards the Giants now, but I thoroughly enjoyed the favor in XLII, and also, :deadskins: :eaglessuck:. I also like watching Tony Romo fail for some reason, so better the Giants than anyone else in the NFC East.
I totally agree about Brees. Until he does something, anything outdoors in a big spot I'm not putting him in the HOF. He also took a great SD team to a none playoff performance before the Chargers unloaded him. May have been the best team to not make the playoffs in the wild card era? Rivers I think is showing a bit of toughness that I think is going to translate into a couple of playoff runs before he is done. Brilliant passer for a guy who doesn't have a big arm and he has shown some ability to play through pain in a big spot. Hasn't proved it yet but I think he will. The Chargers aren't as good as they were when Brees had them and when Rivers was still pretty young. I think the Giants rate Eli very highly. He's not Payton or Brady but he has great skills and has always been very calm in big spots.
Well, I can tolerate the Giants a lot more now that they knocked the Patsies off their pedestal. It also doesn't hurt that asshats like Shockey, Barber, and Strahan are off the team now as well.
I like the Giants. Was thrilled when they beat the Pats. But it doesn't break my heart when they lose.
"when you're a Jet, you're a Jet". I hate the Giants. Always have, snobby, rub your face in it, elitist aholes. Then again, I'm a "One Team" kind of person when it comes to sports. If you're not the team I root for, then i have nothing but ill will toward your season. Thankfully I'm a Yankee fan as well, so it almost evens out my pessimist sporting attitude. I'm surprised at a lot of 2 team / NYC area fans. Although i still believe that most (not all) Jets fans dislike the vaGiants (regardless of what they did in 07). Just my opinion from the Jets fans around me.
Weird to have two football teams in the same city. In New Orleans, you are born a Saints fan! (alright two more posts before I can read links)
I want the NYJs to be TOP DOGs in NYC like they were in 69 so I hope the NYGs lose every game they play. That does not mean I hate the NYGs it just means I rather see the NYJs be the darlings of the NY metro area sports team then the NYGs. In fact one of the most memorable games that I ever went to was in Aug of 69 in New Haven when the 1st NYJ/NYG game was ever played & the NYJs whipped the NYGs asses so soundly that it lead to the firing of your HC at the time a guy named Allie Sherman
we have two of everything - Baseball, Football, Hockey, Basketball. if the NJ teams are adopted into the area, which they basically are, Hockey has 3 teams. there are 9 teams to root for total in the metropolitan area. the 9th being the Red Bulls Soccer team.
I see your point(s) but don't necessarily agree with them. I think to judge Eli you need to look at the entire body of his work while keeping in mind the external factors limiting it. Using last year as an example, Eli was playing great football until Burress got hurt. The passing game was based around Burress because he was their best WR by far. The offense didn't work well without him in it and Eli looked bad. Now he's got an offense no longer catered to Burress' fairly unique talents and he's playing great. And while I agree the Manning, Brady, Brees, and Ben are better than Eli, I am not ready to put Cutler and especially Rodgers in that category. I also think he's easily better than Schaub and has an edge over Romo, but it is fair to put him on par with Warner. But whatevs, different strokes for different folks.
I wasn't around at the time, but from all I've been told by those that were, Sherman should have had MUCH more success than he did. Thanks for helping get him canned!
