They were the only players to speak yesterday, the only real Giants that addressed fans in New York and New Jersey and thanked them for being along for this wonderful ride.
If there was any question about who led these 2011 Giants to an unexpected Super Bowl win and who will lead them in the future, they were answered during yesterday’s day of celebration.
Justin Tuck and Eli Manning are the faces of the franchise now, the faces of this era that includes two Super Bowl victories and counting. They are to these Giants what Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms were when the Giants won their first Super Bowl 25 years ago: one black, one white, one offense, one defense, working together to mold a championship team.
Think about it. No one has been as big in New York football since LT and Simms played for the Giants. They were the stars of the team in the late 1980s and early 1990s and winning Super Bowls made them stars of the NFL. If you went to those games, the majority of fan jerseys were No. 56 or No. 11. Their careers are forever linked as much as Ali-Frazier. They personified Bill Parcells’ Giants.
Sure, Tiki Barber had a nice career, but he has no trophy. Michael Strahan got his ring in 2007 then retired. Strahan is the new lead legend these days with Barber falling out of favor with the franchise. Together, they never led the way LT and Simms did and the way Tuck and Eli do now.
Tuck carried the NFC Championship trophy at City Hall, while Manning had the latest Lombardi. Both spoke of the confidence the 2011 Giants had in each other and the commitment to make it happen.
“We never lost faith in ourselves,” Eli said.
The best thing going forward for the Giants is the changing of the guard has happened. Fans, if they haven’t already, can officially move on from an undying reverence to the Parcells Giants. Their legacy is etched in the foundation of a franchise committed to maintaining professionalism while seeking excellence. But an equally memorable era has arrived with the potential for even greater success. An era younger fans will connect with wearing No. 10 and No. 91 to MetLife Stadium and winning Super Bowls.
“It’s an absolute honor to put on that blue jersey and come out every Sunday and lay it on the line,” Tuck told the folks in New Jersey. He meant it.
Tuck and Manning following the legacies of LT and Simms gives the Giants the best chance to avoid a Super Bowl hangover. Yesterday was the start of every player on the team being saluted and serenaded here and in their hometowns throughout the country for the next six months. When training camp starts, their focus and drive might not be where it should. But with leaders like Tuck and Manning in place, it shouldn’t get out of hand.
If they need motivation consider this: LT and Simms played on two Super Bowl winners even though Simms didn’t play in Super Bowl XXV because of a foot injury. Tuck and Eli have a chance to win three, putting them in the conversation for greatest Giants ever. If everyone returns healthy next year and can stay relatively healthy during the season, the Giants should make a strong run at a repeat. Manning, 31, and Tuck, 28, are in their primes. They have an excellent front office, a good coaching staff and obviously solid leadership within the team.
They also don’t have to listen to Rex Ryan yapping about taking over the city and the stadium. As Tuck said yesterday, “I know we’re in MetLife Stadium, but one thing you can be sure of is whose house it is.”
I get the feeling two Super Bowls might not be enough for Eli and Tuck.
BUY NY POST GIANTS MEMORABILIA