The New York Football Giants fielded the greatest team in the world four times in the Super Bowl era.
And they would tell you the same thing that the 10 captains of the 2022 New York Football Giants have with the email they sent season-ticket holders on the eve of Win-and-In Sunday against the Colts at MetLife Stadium:
“There is no better feeling than taking the field at MetLife Stadium in front of the greatest fans in the world.”
The 2022 Giants crave that same torrid love affair, 60 minutes of unbridled passion and energy from their diehards, something that has been missing across too much of the last lost decade.
So they implore:
“We need you there!”
And:
“Get into the stadium early, be loud, and let’s kick off the New Year together!”
The Post asked five of the Giants captains why they consider Giants fans the greatest fans in the world.
“I would say what makes the Giants fans the greatest fans in the world, just it’s New York, New Jersey,” captain Saquon Barkley told The Post. “You might get booed, you might get cheers, you might get applause, and that’s what it is, they’re passionate fans, and they want to see a good team out there, and I think this year we were able to put a good product out there.”
Best product since 2016.
“I think the tradition of excellence that this franchise has, I think the fans have been a big part of that,” captain Daniel Jones told The Post, “and I think the passion, the enthusiasm they have for the team, and how they support it, how loyal they are. They’ve been awesome this year, we’ve felt a huge lift from them playing at home. We’re looking forward to getting out in front of them on Sunday.”
How loud do you want it?
“Really loud,” Jones said, and smiled. “Especially when we’re on defense, and those big third downs, big plays, we expect the fans to be out and make a lot of noise.”
Once the quarterback who followed Eli Manning heard boos. No more.
“Not probably — he’s the toughest quarterback in the NFL,” Barkley said, “I really do believe that. He’ll try to run somebody over, he don’t care. He’s a competitor, he’ll do whatever it takes to win a football game, and that’s the thing I love most about him. He’s a tough MF.”
Why do the Giants hail Giants fans as the greatest fans in the world?
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“I would say it starts with the city,” captain Andrew Thomas told The Post. “Everyone in the city, you have to work hard, you have to fight, scratch and claw to get whatever you want, and I think that affects us on the field the way we play, the way we want to represent the city. They’re very passionate, and they’re gonna tell you if you’re playing well or if you’re not doing so well. We know they bring the energy, they bring the juice, and that helps us.”
The Giants last clinched a playoff berth at home 11 years ago with a 31-14 win over the Cowboys to win the NFC East title and ignite their last Super Bowl run.
“I would have been a freshman in high school I think, something like that,” Barkley said.
It was the last true example that there is no greater place to win than in New York.
“I definitely heard that,” Thomas said. “You could see it with some of the personalities and guys that’s played here, how they go into their other careers, and you could tell like if you win here, they take care of you, so we’re trying to do that now.”
Why do the Giants believe Giants fans are the greatest fans in the world?
“I think the New York Giants football fans are the best in the world because they resemble that blue-collar region, hard, tough guys, they stick with us through the thick and thin,” captain Leonard Willams told The Post, “and always bring the noise.”
“I think the New York Football Giant fans are the best simply ’cause of all the energy they bring every game,” captain Dexter Lawrence told The Post. “They’ve been showing out a lot this year, we appreciate it. They help us bring that grit, that blue-collar, work-hard mentality to the field and eat it up. Go Big Blue.”
Giants fans endured 3-13, 5-11, 4-12, 6-10 and 4-13 seasons before Brian Daboll led this stunning 8-6-1 revelation. Barkley has mostly kept a low profile in public this season.
“But when I do go out, I do see the public, they’re really proud, they’re really happy. … When you lose, they’re gonna let you know, but also they’re gonna let you know when you win,” Barkley said.
When the Giants lost, Barkley would hear: “I’m praying for you, keep going, things will be all right.”
Now? “We’re back, baby, we’re back.”
They’re not all the way back, by any means, even if they punch their playoff ticket for the first time in six years. But it would mean plenty to every Giant who has yet to win here.
“It’s stuff you dream about as a kid, playing playoff football in the National Football League,” Barkley said. “That’s something that you dream about when you get drafted to the New York Giants. Obviously, the first four years that didn’t happen, and now there’s a chance, a possibility. It’s a beautiful thing when you look at it. All the ups and downs, whether it’s in my personal career or whether it’s the organization — what we’ve been through the last couple of years. It will be special, and we have a chance to do it. At the end of the day, we just got to take care of what we can take care of, and that’s on Sunday.”
For Giants fans who have waited for what seems like an eternity for a day like this, this is damn good enough for now.
