The Super Bowl stage is huge and the place where every football player hopes to have the game of their life, or the play of their life.  There have been many great plays in Super Bowl’s and unlikely heroes, as was the case in the Super Bowl XLII when the Giants were facing down the undefeated New England Patriots and David Tyree made what can be argued as the best catch ever in a Super Bowl. 

It was deemed “The Catch II” (The original “The Catch” belongs to Dwight Clark of the 49ers from the 1981 NFC Championship Game) The Catch II was remarkable, as David Tyree made a leaping attempt at a ball over his head, all the while being grabbed and pulled by Rodney Harrison, and managed to pin the ball to his helmet with his right hand and then secure the catch before hitting the ground.  It was a great catch, but the reason it can be argued as the greatest ever is based on the circumstances. 

The Giants were a big underdog to the New England Patriots (who were trying to be the first team to go undefeated since the 72’ Dolphins) and after a masterful Tom Brady 12 play 80 yard drive, the Giants found themselves trailing 14-10 with 2:42 left in the game.  The Giants were facing a 3^rd and 5 at their 44 yard line when the magic struck.  David Tyree did make a great catch, but first there was the Houdini like escape made by Eli Manning.  Manning was under immediate pressure and was nearly sacked by Adailus Thomas and then by Jarvis Green.  Green had Manning by the jersey and the Referee almost called it in the grasp, but Eli shook loose and threw the pass towards Tyree.  Tyree made the amazing leap and dramatics of the catch for 32 yards and a first down inside the New England 30, which led to the game winning TD catch by Plaxico Burress. 

The catch by Tyree is what took the wind out of the sails of the Patriots.  Manning should have been sacked, not once but twice.  Then Rodney Harrison knocks the ball out of Tyree’s hands only to have Tyree pin the ball on his helmet.  More improbable is that Tyree lands on top of Rodney Harrison, so that while the ball is pinned on his helmet and being secured the ball does not hit the ground knocking it loose, which could have happened without Harrison cushioning the impact.  All in all it was improbable, amazing and the play that will make sure David Tyree is remembered in football history. 

Mark Bavaro was the Badass who played tight end for the NY Giants from 1985-1991.  Mark Bavaro was better known at the time as “Rambo”.  He got the name from the intense way he played the game and quiet demeanor off the field, not to mention he looked a lot like Sylvester Stallone.

Bavaro was drafted in 1985 and got the starting job that year when the original starter Zeke Mowatt went down with a season ending injury.  Bavaro had already made an impression on Bill Parcells who had called Bavaro the most impressive rookie during training camp.  Bavaro finished his rookie year with 37 receptions for 511 yards and 4 TD’s.  The standout performance during his rookie year was a game against the Cincinnati Bengals where he caught 12 passes from Phil Simms, and quickly became a favorite target of Simms after that.  Bavaro was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team in 1985. 

Bavaro hit the national stage in 1986.  Bavaro had a breakout year where he had 66 receptions for 1001 yards and 4 TD’s.  He was elected to the Pro Bowl and broke the Giants record for receptions by a tight end.  There was one play during this season that showed the league and fans everywhere that Rambo had arrived.  On December 1^st 1986 the Giants were playing on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers and Bavaro made a huge impression.  Bavaro caught a pass from Phil Simms and upon making the catch immediately breaks two tackles before Ronnie Lott, future Hall of Famer and resident Badass, gets his hands on him only to be dragged 13 yards downfield all the while breaking two more tackles until the 6^th and 7^th man help Lott bring him down.  You have to remember that in 1986 there was no NFL Network and ESPN was not what it is today.  This was a nationally televised game and Rambo had arrived on the scene.    

Bavaro was just a tough dude.  During the 1986 season, Bavaro broke his jaw, but continued to play the 6 weeks while it was healing, all the while eating his food through a straw.  Bavaro’s toughness was unquestioned with the style he played and the fact that he did not miss a game during his first four years in the league.  He had become a fan favorite and the Giants symbol for toughness.  His toughness would be put to the test as he dealt with a degenerative knee condition throughout the 1990 season and was unable to practice most of the year.  He was cut and then resigned in 1991 by the Giants, but spent the season on the entire season on the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list.  That ended his tenure with the Giants and he was encouraged to retire by his Doctor, but Bavaro and his toughness were not done. 

Bavaro came back in 1992 with the Cleveland Browns and played in all 16 games.  Bavaro then signed with the Eagles where he played for 2 more years before retiring.  Bavaro was a tight end out of the Mike Ditka mold and even though he did not have a long career his star shone bright for 5 years in NY.  He finished his career with 351 receptions for 4733 yards and 39 TD’s.  Mark “Rambo” Bavaro was just a Bad Ass!!!

In 1986 the Giants and their defense took the main stage and stole the spotlight from the Chicago Bears.  They were known as the Big Blue Wrecking Crew.  In the era of the 4-3 defense the Giants perfected the 3-4 defense. 

The defensive line featured George Martin and Leonard Marshall at defensive end and Jim Burt at nose tackle.  Those guys were backed by one of the most fearsome group of linebackers: Gary Reasons, Harry Carson, Carl Banks and the greatest rush linebacker to ever play the game Lawrence Taylor.  That front 7 gave up only 80.2 yards per game on the ground in 1986 while collecting 59 sacks, 24 interceptions and gave up only 14.8 points per game en route to a 14-2 regular season.

The Big Blue Wrecking Crew really made their statement in the playoffs that year.  In their first game they were pitted against future Hall of Famer Joe Montana and the San Francisco 49ers.  The Giants routed the 49ers holding them to 184 total yards of offense.  The Giants caused 4 turnovers including an interception return for a TD by Lawrence Taylor and destroyed the 49ers 49-3. 

Next up was the Washington Redskins who the Giants had already beaten twice that year.  The Redskins were 12-4 on the season and were it not for both losses to the Giants could have won the division.  They were an offense that averaged 23 points per game and had revenge on their minds.  When the game started it became clear that the Redskins did not stand a chance.  The Giants held their offense to 190 total yards forced 2 turnovers and shut the Redskins out, putting a stamp on their dominance over the Redskins in 1986.      

On the biggest stage at Super Bowl XXI the Giants were facing John Elway, another future Hall of Famer.  The Giants got off to a slow start and were trailing at halftime 9-10.  In the second half the defense shut down Elway and the Giants scored 24 unanswered points.  The defense gave up 10 points late in the game during garbage time and the Giants won 39-20.  They were a dominate defense and had some great years after 1986.  The best way to sum up the Big Blue Wrecking Crew is in the words of Joe Gibbs, Redskins coach;

“The Giants drove me crazy.  They gave me the most fits.  They were the opposite of Buddy Ryan’s Bears defense.  They played that soft two-deep zone that didn’t allow any big plays.  You had to earn everything you got against the Giants.”

Y.A. Tittle was going to be a Hall of Famer already when the Giants traded for the 35 year old quarterback.  The trade for Tittle ended up being one of the best trades the franchise ever made.  They traded guard Lou Cordileone to the San Francisco 49ers for Tittle. 

Before coming to the Giants Tittle had played 13 seasons, mostly in the All-American Conference with the 49ers.  Tittle had seen his numbers decrease over his last three years with the 49ers and it seemed clear he was on his way out of San Francisco.   When he was traded to the Giants it seemed like a great opportunity for Tittle to get his first championship, although he did not get a hero’s reception upon his arrival to New York. 

The Giants were composed of veterans and they were a very tight group and they were squarely in the corner of their guy, 40 year old Charley Conerly.  In his first days with the Giants Tittle did not seem to have a friend.  At the start of the season both Tittle and Conerly shared quarterbacking duties.  As the season went on, though, it was evident that Tittle was the straw stirring the drink.  He had also become more popular amongst him teammates, and he ended up being named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1961. 

In his second year with the Giants Tittle threw 33 TD’s and had 3,244 yards passing, which was a career high for him.  Tittle once again led the Giants to a divisional title in 1962, but 1963 was his most impressive season overall.  Tittle had 36 TD’s with 3,145 yards passing with a 60.2% completion rate and a QB rating of 104.8.  Tittle was once again named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player, although the Giants were not able to win the title.   

The title was the one that always eluded Tittle and though he came back for one more year in 1964 it was clear that age had finally caught up with him and he finished the season with 10 TD’s and 22 INT’s.  Tittle was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971 and though he only spent 4 years in New York, in the words of Bruce Springsteen those were his “Glory Days”. 

In 1958 the New York Giants were facing the Baltimore Colts in the 26^th annual NFL Championship Game.  The game was broadcast by NBC and it was the first NFL game to be shown across the entire country.  It also marked the very first time that an NFL playoff game went into sudden death overtime. 

With a national audience watching the game got off to a rocky start for both offenses.  The Giants Sam Huff forced a fumble while sacking Johnny Unitas on the opening drive and the Giants took over in Colts territory.  On the very next play Gino Marchetti of the Colts forced a fumble by Giants QB Don Heinrich.  Then the Unitas threw a pass on the next drive that was intercepted by Lindon Crow.  The Giants then were forced to punt and Unitas hit Lenny Moore for a 60 yard pass play to the Giants 26 yard line.  They were held down and forced to go for a field goal that was blocked by Sam Huff.  At this point in the game I am sure executives at NBC were looking at the guy who said it would be a great game, but it was. 

There were so many big plays and turnovers in this game.  Frank Gifford had a big 38 yard run on the next drive that brought the first points of the game, a FG from Pat Summerall (the first man to decode John Madden for the public).  Gifford made his presence known again when he fumbled which set up a TD for the Colts.  The very next time they had the ball New York was forced to punt, but the punt was fumbled and the Giants recovered the ball at the Colts 10 yard line.   As the Giants went to work Gifford fumbled again and the Colts took over at the 14 yard line.  The Colts then drove down the field 86 yards on 15 plays finished by a Unitas TD pass to Raymond Berry.  The Colts were ahead 14-3 at halftime. 

In the third quarter it looked like the Colts were going to break the game open when they drove down to the Giants 1 yard line.  The Giants made a goal line stand as the Colts went for it on 4^th down and turned the ball over to the Giants on a great play made by Cliff Livingston shutting down an option run.  That play turned the momentum of the game. 

The Giants then drove 95 yards in 4 plays, with an 86 yard pass play from Charlie Conerly to Kyle Rote.  That pass play to Rote was yet another instance of an amazing play.  Rote made the grab and at mid field he broke an arm tackle and was rumbling down field when he was hit from behind and fumbled the ball.  Lucky for Rote, Giants running back Alex Webster was trailing the play and picked up the ball and ran it to the 1 yard line where he was knocked out of bounds.  The Giants then ran in for the TD to make the score 14-10. 

Early in the 4^th quarter the Giants took the lead 17-14 on a 15 yard TD pass to Gifford.    The Colts next two drives moved the ball down field but failed to put any points on the board.  The Giants then had the ball with a little over 2 minutes left in the game and were faced with a 4^th and inches from their own 40 yard line.  The Giants punted and the Colts took over at their own 14 yard line.  Johnny Unitas then engineered one of the most famous drives in football history.  Unitas made a critical 3^rd down conversion early in the drive and then hit Raymond Berry on three consecutive passes to get to the Giants 13 yard line.  The Colts then kicked a field goal to tie the game with 7 seconds left on the clock and send the game to overtime.  The drive that Unitas led is what we now know as the 2 minute drill, and Unitas did it in front of a national audience, which is part of why he became so popular amongst fans everywhere.    

With game tied the players were not sure what was going to happen as they were not told about the overtime if the game was tied.  Unitas recalled the event saying, “When the game ended in a tie, we were standing on the sidelines waiting to see what came next.  All of a sudden, the officials came over and said, ‘Send the captain out.  We’re going to flip a coin to see who will receive.’  That was the first we heard of the overtime period.”  NFL Commissioner Bert Bell had just implemented the sudden-death overtime rule for this game, pretty good timing. 

The Colts made the call on the coin toss and lost and kicked off to the Giants.  The Giants went 3 and out and were forced to punt.  Unitas then made an even better drive than the one that led to the tie at the end of regulation.  Unitas, calling his own plays, took the Colts 80 yards on 13 plays with big plays to Berry and running back Alan Ameche and ending with a 1 yard TD for Ameche. 

It was estimated that 45 million people watched this game on television in the United States.  The success of this game led to a rise in popularity for the sport, which allowed Lamar Hunt to form the American Football League in 1960.  The 1958 Championship Game was a game of many firsts and the game led the NFL to be able to challenge baseball as the American Pastime.  This game has since been referred to as “The Greatest Game Ever Played” and remains the only Championship Game to be decided in overtime. 

The New York Football Giants were one of the first teams to join the NFL.  It was 1925 and Tim Mara founded the team which was legally named as the “New York Football Giants” for $500.  You had to love the originality of the name since the king of all sports at the time, baseball, had the New York Giants well established in town.   The Giants played their first ever game in New Britain Connecticut on October 5^th, 1925 against All New Britain.  The team names were all well thought up. 

In their first year the Giants went 8-4 and had a good season on the field, unfortunately they were losing money hand over fist and were almost bankrupt in their first year until the 11^th week of the season and the arrival of Red Grange and the Chicago Bears.  For that game the Giants drew over 73,000 fans which helped restock the cash pile.  If it were not for that game the New York Football Giants would not have made it past that season.  You have to remember that in 1925 the NFL was just starting and there was not as much interest in professional football.  This was the era of baseball and boxing and college football games would draw more fans than NFL games.  Red Grange was the one who helped bring widespread attention to the league.

The Giants started to gain momentum as an organization and in 1927 went 11-1-1 with their defense posting 10 shutouts.  The Giants finished the year with the best record which meant that they won their first Championship in team history.  In the early days they did not have playoffs; instead the team with the best record would be awarded the title.    

The following year the Giants slumped to 4-7-2 and the Giants fired their coach and hired LeRoy Andrews.  The Tim Mara made a move that would not be allowed today as he purchased the Detroit Wolverines and thus acquired their star quarterback Benny Friedman.  The next season the Giants went 13-1-1 and won another NFL Championship. 

Football, still being in its early existence, was still in trouble in terms of popularity and many claimed that the college game was better than the professional game.  So, in December of 1930 the New York Football Giants faced All Stars from Notre Dame at the Polo Grounds.  The money they raised was to help the unemployed of New York City, a novel idea.  This was the make or break point for the league as a whole.  Notre Dame’s coach Knute Rockne brought back his Four Horsemen along with other Notre Dame legends to take on the Giants.  Many figured the Golden Domers would take it to the Giants and the game was one sided…in favor of the Giants.  Benny Freidman ran for 2 TD’s and threw for another.  Notre Dame was shut out.  Knute Rockne told his team after the game, “that was the greatest football machine I ever saw.  I am glad none of you got hurt.”  The game ended up raising $115,183 for the homeless and is credited with legitimizing the NFL. 

Wide Right!!!  Those are words that are held in reverence by fans of the New York Football Giants.  The Super Bowl XXV victory by the Giants over the Buffalo Bills was in itself a great Super Bowl game and everyone remembers that game.  The Giants set a record for time of possession in the game with 40 minutes and 33 seconds. 

Since 1983 the Super Bowl had turned into a rout fest.  Over the next 8 years there was only one other close game, Super Bowl XXIII between the 49ers and Bengals, otherwise the closest margin of victory had been 19 points back in Super Bowl XXI, the last time the Giants were in the Super Bowl.  The rout fest had also mainly been on the NFC side as the Raiders in Super Bowl XVIII were the last AFC team to win the big game.  This year seemed like it was time to get ready for the next great AFC team as Jim Kelly and the K-Gun offense were ready to make their mark on the big game, led by the legendary Marv Levy. 

The Giants had the league’s best defense and the Bills had the best offense.  The Giants had also lost to the Bills earlier in the season, the game where Phil Simms was knocked out of the game.  The Giants were being led by journeyman back-up Jeff Hostetler.  The Giants defense, coached by Bill Belichick, had a plan for the Bills.  They wanted to take away the long passing game and force the Bills to run the ball.  The Giants, on the other hand, were ready to keep the game close and wear down the Bills with a ball control offense.  They were able to tip the time of possession in the first half with a 18-12 minute advantage in the first half, but the Bills had the lead 12-10. 

The second half the Giants used the ball control game as if they had invented it.  The first drive of the second half the Giants used 14 plays to go 75 yards and score a TD, all the while taking 9:29 off the clock.  Buffalo then got 1 first down before being forced to punt the ball away.  The Giants were not able to do get a first down on a 4^th down run attempt and turned the ball over.  The Bills then scored a TD on 4 plays, highlighted by a Thurman Thomas 31 yard TD and taking only 1:27 off the clock. 

The Giants then answered back with a 13 play drive for 74 yards that resulted in a FG and took another 7:32 off the clock giving the Giants the lead 20-19.  Then both teams exchanged ineffective drives.  The Bills got the ball back with 2:16 left in the game at their own 10 yard line.  Then Jim Kelly started leading the Bills down the field and 9 plays later had the Bills set for a 47 yard field goal attempt by Scott Norwood to win the Super Bowl. 

Norwood was a reliable kicker, but he did not kick on grass normally and did not have the strongest leg.  None the less he lined up and as I remember watching the game figuring that it was going to go in and still thought that as I saw the kick in the air.  Then as the ball gets to the goal post it goes famously wide right and would be the closest the Bills would come to winning a Super Bowl in their 4 year run, while the Giants took home the Lombardy trophy and Bill Parcells became a legend.  The Giants will always look back with a smile and say, “Wide Right!”

Eli Manning changed the fortunes of more than one franchise with his drafting in the 2004 NFL Draft.  Eli and his brain trust of father Archie and brother Peyton decided it would be best for him to play for anyone else but the San Diego Chargers. Anyone else think they just didn’t want him in the AFC trying to get over Peyton and the Colts? During Eli’s years of dominating the SEC he built up a reputation as one of the most NFL ready passers of the class along with another player Philip Rivers, two players who will always be linked in the history of the NFL.

The Chargers held the rights to the first overall pick after a disappointing season, Eli and Archie then began speaking out publicly refusing to play for the Chargers. This prompted the trade of the rights to the pick to the New York Giants for a package that could only be rivaled by the Ricky Williams draft day trade. The Giants sent two first rounder picks, a third round pick, and a fifth round pick. This would lead to the drafting of multiple pro bowl players in Philip Rivers, Shawne Merriman, and Nate Keading.

As good as this may look on paper for the Chargers the Giants may have gotten the better end of the deal. So far in his career Eli Manning has accumulated 24,132 passing yards, a 58.2 completion, and 164 touchdown passes not to mention some serious hardware in two Superbowl victories as well as 2 Superbowl MVP’s to accommodate them. Eli might never be a statistical monster on fantasy standpoint or the first overall choice in a popularity contest but as he said earlier this season he is one thing……. ELI….. Wait for it…. TE, that’s right Elite.

Tiki Barber, Tiki Barber, Tiki Barber… The name says it all and rings disdain in the ears of many.  Since the day he was drafted out of Virginia he was an immense talent known for his third down prowess.  After a few injury plagued years Tiki eventually became the stalwart of the Giants backfield and put up some electric numbers. The only real knock on Tiki was a huge fumbling issue which he eventually fixed during the last few years of his career using a textbook method of high and tight.

Tiki Barber is one of the most polarizing and perplexing players in the NFL. He must have a complex of being a twin, and not the best looking one. He always rode on a high horse like he was the most talented man on the planet, he was talented but that thinking led him to one of the most inexplicable retirements in the NFL. Thinking he would be a shoe in for an emmy as an NFL analyst, Tiki went ahead and retired after a string of great seasons.

He had some of the best season for a running back in his thirties which is something truly uncommon as this is the time running backs usually begin to break down and become expendable. Tiki has always been a workout warrior even having had his own workout published after his retirement. He thinks he is still one of the best backs in the game today, and after announcing his intentions to come back last season, no one agreed and took that chance on him. Tiki has always been sort of a polarizing and a me first type of player and that has teams keeping him at an arms length away. Upon his retirement he was the Giants all-time leader in rushing yards and receptions and yet as we saw with the retirement of Barry Sanders we know there were many more things he could have accomplished. Unlike Barry Tiki’s big head got in the way and not many were sad to see him go.

Whenever there’s a discussion on the NFL’s best defenses of all-time, a few select squads usually come to the forefront:  The 1985 Chicago Bears, the 1975 (or ‘76) Pittsburgh Steelers, the 2000 Baltimore Ravens, and then maybe a few others like the Vikings and Dolphins of the early-70s when they boasted the Purple People Eaters and the “No-Name” Defense.

I’m telling you, the 1927 New York Giants have them all beat…at least from a statistical standpoint.

The Giants had just joined the National Football League in 1925 and played their games at New York’s famous Polo Grounds. Their initial season was a good one, as the team ended up fourth in the league at 8-4 (there were no NFL playoffs until 1932) while allowing just 67 points on defense (5.6 points/game). Though they finished their 1926 second season in sixth place with an 8-4-1 record, it was plain to see that the Giants were getting better as they allowed just 51 points this time in one extra game (3.9 points/game).

It needs to be understood that scoring wasn’t nearly as prevalent in those days as it is in the modern era of the sport, but what the 1927 New York Giants did that season was quite an extraordinary feat nonetheless.

In 1927, the New York Giants would end up with the best record in the entire league going 11-1-1, winning their first title in just their third season as part of the NFL. On offense, New York scored 197 points (second in the league) while accumulating more yards from scrimmage than any other team. On defense, however, is where the biggest difference was made…

In 13 games, the Giants shut out their opponents on TEN separate occasions and allowed a mere 20 points during the other three games (one TD in each game). Their one loss came against the Cleveland Bulldogs in Week 4, 6-0, who also tied them two weeks earlier in a scoreless 0-0 game. The other two touchdowns came in Weeks 10 and 11 against the Chicago Cardinals and Chicago Bears as the Giants went on to win both games 28-7 and 13-7 respectively. Needless to say, New York’s defense held opposing teams to the fewest points and yards against them during that magical 1927 season.

So now that you have a little history under your belt, the next time someone brings up the best NFL defenses of all-time, shock the hell out of the crowd and tell them about the 1927 New York Giants.

The Giants have certainly had their fair share of good fortune over the years,  being one of only five teams since the inception of the Super Bowl to win the big game four different times (1986-87, 1990-91, 2007-08, 2011-12; lost in 2000-01). However, when you’ve been around as long as the Giants have (1925), you’re bound to experience a bit of unpleasantness as well.

Such was the case during an NFL game that people commonly refer to as the “Miracle at the Meadowlands”, a contest played on November 19, 1978 between the Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants. The game was initially referred to as “The Fumble”, but is now called the “Miracle at the Meadowlands” due to an AFC Championship Game between the Cleveland Browns and Denver Broncos that took over the nickname of “The Fumble” in 1987.

The infamous play-call in question during this horrific scene from Giants lore forever changed the game as it is played today.

It was the end of the fourth quarter and the Giants had just made a crucial interception to get the ball back with less than two minutes to play. Because they were winning the game 17-12 and had the ball safely out at their own 26-yard line, all they needed to do was kneel down the last few plays to ensure victory. Instead, what came next would eventually alter the direction of the Giants franchise and mutate the sport of football at every level:

Because of his decision to hand the ball off to fullback Larry Csonka instead of kneeling on it, the Giants offensive coordinator at the time, Bob Gibson, was fired the following morning and never worked in football at any level ever again.

At the end of the Giants 6-10 season, head coach John McVay was let go of as his contract had expired and the Giants decided not to offer him another one. Soon after, McVay found himself with a front-office job in San Francisco where he helped put together one of the more dominating dynasties of all-time regardless of the sport; the 1980’s San Francisco 49ers.

Ray Perkins was brought on to coach the Giants in 1979 and would do so until 1982. His career 23-34 record with New York says little to nothing good about his tenure, but the man he brought along as his defensive coordinator sure does; Mr. Bill Parcells. Parcells took over for Perkins in 1983 and would go on to amass a 77-49-1 record with the team including a franchise-best 14-2 mark in 1986-87 and of course, TWO Super Bowl titles (1986-87, 1990-91).

Kneeling on the ball had been ill-thought of until that fateful play in 1978, but thanks to the “Miracle at the Meadowlands”, at the end of most every single football game at every single level of the sport, offenses move into the “Victory Formation” while quarterbacks kneel on the ball until the game is 100% over.

There has been a lot of controversy over the years as to WHO the originator of the Gatorade Shower was and WHEN this person/team threw down the NFL’s first Kool-Aid Bath.

Was it Harry Carson, Jim Burt and the 1985-86 New York Giants dousing Coach Bill Parcells? Or was it Dan Hampton, Steve McMichael and the 1984-85 Chicago Bears drenching Coach Mike Ditka?

Many articles have been written on the subject, with most of the earlier ones attributing the honor to the guys in New York. Amongst those who agreed with this particular sentiment was the president and founder of NFL Films, Steve Sabol, who was asked his opinion in a telephone interview as to whether or not it could have been Hampton and the Bears. “I never saw any evidence of that in any of our footage. I believe it started with the Giants and it has just grown from there.”

However, for as much influence as the Sabol family (Steve and his father, Ed) has had on Pro Football, you simply can’t change history—especially when that history was recorded on one of their very own NFL Films.

At approximately the 18:20 mark of this film on the Chicago Bears 1984 season, NFL Films clearly shows Dan Hampton dumping the contents of a Gatorade cooler over Mike Ditka’s head after the Bears defeated the Minnesota Vikings 34-3 to clinch the NFC Central Division title:

Harry Carson, Jim Burt and the 1985-86 New York Giants may have fueled the popularity of the Gatorade Shower—especially with Carson bombarding Parcells after each of their 17 victories during their Super Bowl winning season—but the ’84-’85 Chicago Bears beat them to the punch…so to speak.

I can’t remember the first time I heard the story about Jamie Lee Curtis being a hermaphrodite, but it must have been a few years after she did her first topless scene in Trading Places (1983) because I recall being completely devastated by the news. Guys everywhere must have been thinking the same thing as me at the time—there’s NO WAY a woman with a rack like that ever owned a groin ferret and a couple of fuzzy yarbles.

The tale turned out to be just another urban legend—thank goodness—as was the “Richard Gere and the Gerbil” story that was circulating right around the same time. On the other hand, sometimes it’s a little tougher to tell if a rumor is just a rumor, or if there might actually be a little truth to the gossip.

“Coffin Corner”

Construction on Giants Stadium commenced in late November of 1972 and took nearly four years to complete. On October 10, 1976, over 76,000 fans finally witnessed the first game in the new stadium as the winless New York Giants dropped to 0-5 in a 24-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys.

In the midst of the construction, on July 30, 1975, America’s most infamous Teamster, Jimmy Hoffa, went missing during a meeting in a restaurant just outside of Detroit in Bloomfield, Michigan. It wasn’t until the seventh anniversary of his disappearance in 1982 that Hoffa was officially declared dead, though due to a well-circulated rumor, many believed to know where his body was laid to rest.

The myth that many still buy into today was that Jimmy Hoffa was indeed killed back on that late-July day in 1975, but that his body was then transported to New Jersey where he was buried within the concrete under one of the end zones in the new Giants Stadium. One theory says—as first proposed by "Tony the Greek" Frankos in an interview with Playboy in 1989—that Hoffa was murdered on the orders of Genovese crime family boss "Fat Tony" Salerno. Supposedly Salerno sent a New York Irish gang called the “Westies” to the Bloomfield restaurant where Hoffa was dining to take care of the job. At that point, the gang then sliced the body up into easily transportable pieces and returned him to New York where he could be disposed of as Salerno wished.

Whether the story was true or not really didn’t matter. Once a rumor as fantastical and unique as that hit the streets, you could bet your sweet ass it would grow beyond rational control.

And it did… until February of 2004 when a new television show on the Discovery Channel entitled Mythbusters decided to do exactly what their name says they do—bust the myth.

In the show’s 13th episode, which originally aired on February 25th, the two hosts of Mythbusters (Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman) and their staff take all sorts of scientific equipment into Giants Stadium and begin their search for Hoffa’s remains. After testing many different areas of the stadium, including the four separate spaces on the field known as the “Coffin Corners” (the corner of the playing field just in front of the end zone from about the 5-yard line to the goal line), it was determined that Jimmy Hoffa was not, in fact, buried beneath Giants Stadium. The Mythbusters team found no readings whatsoever that would show to be either Hoffa’s body itself or a space where his body might have once been before its inevitable decay.