Inaugural

Lost among the headlines in today's sports sections across the New York Metropolitan area today, amid the celebratory headlines of the Giants win over the Chiefs yesterday, is another, non-publicized part of their recent upsurge. What this year's team has done for the region is undoubtable. The cast of characters the Giants have this year is the rare combination of good character and formidable talent, which stands out amid a league of chest-thumping self-promoters.

What strikes me personally about the Giants is their rise in the face of the failure of every other New York team this winter. No faith can be vested in the Knicks, the Nets, the god-awful Jets, or even that other sport that has just resurrected itself from its frozen exile. Casual fans like myself find ourselves roused from our weekend routines of family, work and play to watch, to feel the heartache of poor play, the triumph of Big Blue's success; all this while suffering through the inexorably sluggish pace of an NFL game. Whether it's Manning, the emergence of Tiki Barber as a complete back that the nation recognizes, a defense that breaks your heart one or two plays short of ruining the game, or the emotional component added to the season by the loss of both owners, this season has played itself out much differently than any other in recent memory, including the Super Bowl season of 2000. This team is eminently likable, warts and all, and that is enough to pull the casual fans into the fracas that is professional football fandom.