Any reason why Pats always play Giants in last preseason game?

[Warren1985]

its just because they are close yes. Less travel time etc and not in the same division.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Re: Any reason why....

IIRC, it has something to do with the fact that neither team wants to travel very far that late in the preseason, so they've agreed to play each other every friggin' year for the last seven years. . . .

Same reason Eagles-Jets has been last preseason game since 2001....Got a chance to see Woodhead in 2009 when he tore up the Eagles.....

 

[spacecrime]

Lot of Giants history with NE as well. Don't know about the rest of you but I have a lot of friends who are Giants fans. They used to be NE's team for the most part.

Before the Boston Patriots, I was a Giants fan. Most people I knew were.

 

[YearbookCurfew]

Dude, f*** the Giants. I'm still mad at them for beating us in the SB...

 

[NovaScotiaPatsFan]

Dude, f*** the Giants. I'm still mad at them for beating us in the SB...

This.

Also.

 

[TrueBeliever]

I'm trying to remember, when did this little tradition actually start? I always thought it was more of a Belichick thing, since he had a lot of success with NYG before going to Cleveland (ugh!)

Coaches and the clubs used to have a lot more say in scheduling the preseason games. When Parcells took over in NE and Mike Holmgren was hired by Green Bay, they played each other in preseason twice, and then in Carroll's first year. But then the league stepped in and took a more active role after two "no-nos" happened, and both in the same preseason: Two teams played each other twice in the same preseason (Dallas and Oakland) and there was a game between divisional rivals (San Diego and again, Oakland).

But yeah I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the end of the preseason. By that point everyone just wants to get it over with.

 

[TrueBeliever]

If I'm not mistaken I believe that is actually a big factor in how the tradition began, going back to the AFL-NFL merger.

You may note that the first ever regular season AFL game was between the Boston Patriots and the Denver Broncos on Sept. 9, 1960, a Friday night. Why a Friday? Because Billy Sullivan was afraid all the Boston/New England fans would ignore the Pats to watch the Giants game that week. That's how big the Giants were in NE before the Pats came along.

 

[RayClay]

You may note that the first ever regular season AFL game was between the Boston Patriots and the Denver Broncos on Sept. 9, 1960, a Friday night. Why a Friday? Because Billy Sullivan was afraid all the Boston/New England fans would ignore the Pats to watch the Giants game that week. That's how big the Giants were in NE before the Pats came along.

Anyone have a rundown of how long before the patriots were on TV regularly? I was a kid and that used to chap me to have the Giants on when we had our own team!