Why didn't anyone pick us in 2001?

ligermark said:

Wrong!

Here is the greatest prediction piece ever....

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs01/columns/theismann_joe/1321825.html

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That is downright spooky. Theismann was seriously dialed-in to the Pats-Rams zeitgeist. Part of him is indeed a football genius, like Norman Einstein.

ligermark said:

I don't believe it. Because Borges predicted the Pats would lose 73-0.

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Wow. That's strange; I thought that I had read in USA Today after the SB that, of all the writers polled by the paper, Borges was the only one to predict a Pats win. Maybe I'm confusing the SB with the AFCC played the week before?

When I read Theisman, it kind of makes me think you could say some of the same things about the Giants this year.

People seem to get really annoyed by people picking the Giants. It doesn't annoy me in the slightest. I do get concerned when I hear good analysis of things the Giants might be able to do to make it a close game -- as some of the NFL Radio guys have been doing this week.

Rationally, nobody should give a crap whether anyone picks the Giants or not. I think the reason it bothers people is that causes some unconscious concern. Otherwise, why would anyone care what anyone else thinks?

Watson's IQ said:

It has nothing to do with the 2007 Giants and everything to do with the 2007 Patriots.

The Rams did not have Spygate, Running up the score gate, BB is a jerk gate, and whatever other gate you want. People in America HATE this Patriots team, and that includes mediots and the blogger type. People are looking for reasons the Giants will win because they WANT them to win.

All your "facts" and "statistics" are meaningless to them. It's about nothing more than jealousy and dislike, and that's it.

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The bolded comment is exactly why this season is so special to Patriots fans. Yes, we do enjoy the pain & agony of those fans "suffering" due to the Patriots' success. Suffer, cry & complain til you're worn out...we love it!

Yes folks, hate us all you want, but we LOVE the fact that it's not your team...it's our team...our glorious Patriots!

"Why didn't anyone pick us in 2001?"

b/c the Rams win that game 8/10, or more.

upsets happen. the better team doesn't always win.

see Dolphins over Pats 2004, Giants over Broncos 1998, etc etc

I remeber Bradshaw picking the pats in 2001 cause i still rmember what he said "i can't pick aganst a team wearing red, white and blue and calling themselves patriots"

theflinger said:

I think people are forgetting just how big of an upset 2001 was. 2001 is the very reason some of the mediots are mulling over if the Giants could win.

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As someone else put it ever so succinctly--the biggest problem with trying to say 2007 Giants = 2001 Patriots? Bill Belichick's standing on the wrong sideline.

PatsDeb said:

Didn't Boomer Esiason pick us to win in 2001?

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Yes he did, and so did Hank Stram and Len Dawson.......all AFL/AFC guys.

I was stationed in Germany in Feb 2002. AFN (our pathetic radio/television network) aired a program called Sports Overnight America. Anyone know if it's still on the air?

The Friday before Super Bowl XXXVI they were discussing the game and one of the hosts guaranteed that one headline they would not be reading in St. Louis would be "Silence of the Rams".

One of the callers actually suggested that the NFL should fine the Patriots for showing up and wasting everyone's time.

The Giants are getting an adequate measure of respect from the media and the public. They'll get much more respect than they deserve from Belichick, Brady and the entire Patriots organization.

After all no one knows better that the game must be played and he who thinks they've got it in the bag is often left holding an empty bag.

ligermark said:

Wrong!

Here is the greatest prediction piece ever....

http://espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs01/columns/theismann_joe/1321825.html

Click to expand...

I forgot about that. Wow, that was amazing.

I think the reason for so many picking the Giants is two fold:

1.Because the Giants (seemingly) almost beat the Pats, and have been playing much better during the playoffs. The Pats While winning don't look as good as they did because there not blowing teams out like earlier in the season,by three TD's It looks like we peaked already.

2.THEY want the Giants to win for what ever reason,jealousy,hate,envy its all the same.

To answer the original question in the title of the thread.....

"no one picked us in 2001 because no one SHOULD HAVE picked us in 2001."

Let's be real, you would have to be crazy to truely think the Pats were going to win.

Look at the Pats roster, not very much to look at especially on offense. The Pats were beaten by this team at home and now had to face the Greatest Show on Turf in a Dome (combo for doom).

OH no, I just thought of something, that sounds eerily similar to the Giants situation this year. The Giants lost to us at home but earned a moral victory just by the fact that they could 'play with us'. THey now have to face our aerial attack in a dome in the Super Bowl.

So let me get this straight....

The Giants played the Pats close....(IMHO it wasn't that close).

So since they played it close, they will correct the mistakes that kept them from winning and win the game.

The logic is......the Pats....comfortable with the fact that they won.....will make no changes.

That folks is what I call lazy analysis generated by bias.

As has been said before, but never acknowledged by the media intelligencia, was how much external and psychological pressure the Pats had on them that game. An unbeaten season and TD reecords on the line.

The Giants had NOTHING to play for, other than the opportunity to play spoiler. Their playoff position was set. ZERO PRESSURE.

Now the dynamic has changed.

They have pressure now.

In Tampa, people thought they could win but weren't holding their breath. In Dallas and Green Bay, the pressure was all on the home teams.

All three of those teams had to live up to playoff expectations as well as the fact they were all very flawed overrated teams.

Now they are expected to perform similarly to their last 4 games.

Some are expecting them to upset the Pats. They will have that thrown in their face everyday.

Guys like Burress and Pierce will soak it up and let it blind them. That's just how those type of players are.

Gents.....we will win this game handily.

Our team is as loose as I've ever seen them.

They are giddy about where they are.

They are excited at the prospect of solidifying the greatest legacy in pro football.

They have much more to play for than the Giants. WAY MORE.

I think Borges picked the Pats to lose 77-7 or somethins aholish like that. That Theisman pick was amazing. Talk abotu a broken clock being right twice a day

nepatz11 said:

I think Borges picked the Pats to lose 77-7 or somethins aholish like that. That Theisman pick was amazing. Talk abotu a broken clock being right twice a day

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my favorite part about that article was when he didn't count the Rams win over the Packers b/c Brett Favre threw 6 picks. yes Joe, you can't count wins when a team forces mistakes ??

The Giants have some established talent on their team. They were expected to compete head to head with the Cowboys and Redskins pre season. They were a playoff team last season. Then they and Eli really struggled out of the gate, and didn't look terribly convincing even when they began to win. Until after the last game of the season when they at least hung in against the best team in football.

Still, nobody but Giants fans and perhaps a handful of contrarians who can't stand this team or it's HC will actually pick against the Pats this week.

As for why nobody picked us, although some actually did, is probably tied to a comment BB made to Ernie Adams as they walked off the field in NO - "Can you believe we won with THIS team?"

That said, I wish this fan base could learn to enjoy the moment graciously, rather than rehashing the past, obcessing about perceived insults, behaving like overwrought wannabes who haven't been here and done this multiple times already...but I'm obviously dreamin'.

Thankfully the team is behaving like consumate pros, as they always do.

makewayhomer said:

my favorite part about that article was when he didn't count the Rams win over the Packers b/c Brett Favre threw 6 picks. yes Joe, you can't count wins when a team forces mistakes ??

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I think he meant he didn't count the lopsided margin in assessing the vulnerability of the Rams in the playoffs. I remember a lot of forced passes in that game by Favre- bad picks.

when you are looking at who the experts pick, also remember there is a lot more upside to picking the underdog and being right than picking the favorite and being right.

just look how everyone is writing about theismans pick 6 years later.

Slagathor said:

The Giants after beating Tampa Bay, which is not that big a deal.

Beating a hugely overrated Dallas team.....and beating an equally overatted and immature Green Bay team.....

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I agree with your overall take about who wins the game and why. What I don't agree with is the logic of knocking down three road wins in the NFL playoffs, especially one when it's below zero.

You can be generous with them. Give them their praise. They earned it. They're a good team with gumption. You don't have to try to take *everything* away from them. Isn't taking the Lombardi Trophy enough?

Slagathor said:

I hear alot folks comparing the Giants to us against the Rams in 01'.

I have one problem with that.

Not ONE EFFING person anywhere picked us to win or even keep it close.

We had not a chance in hell.

However......

The Giants after beating Tampa Bay, which is not that big a deal.

Beating a hugely overrated Dallas team.....and beating an equally overatted and immature Green Bay team.....

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Beating the Cowboys and Packers on the road is impressive. The only reason those teams are seen as overrated is because they lost. Are the Colts overrated because they lost to the Chargers? They only won the Superbowl last year. I wouldn't say Green Bay is an immature team with Favre at the helm. Yes, the NFC is a weaker conference but give credit where it is due to the Giants.