Goodbye, Giants Stadium
by Ed Valentine on Dec 29, 2009 11:00 AM EST
in New York Giants News
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PrintLet's reminisce a bit about happier times. Now that the New York Giants have played their final regular-season game at Giants Stadium, let's look back at the three decades the Giants spent there.
What are your favorite memories of the place? Use this thread to share them.
Also, if you haven't read Jim's fabulous series on Great Moments in Stadium History be sure to do it now. Even if you have, it's worth refreshing your memory. Links to each of Jim's posts, which first ran last summer, are below.
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My favorite memory...
Will always be aquiring Seasons tickets for the ‘85 and ’86 seasons..My late Dad was a diehard Giants fan all his life (which is why I am)..He never saw a game live however..Until I got those tickets..We went to every home game together..We’d have our own little tailgate parties..He (and I) were like kids in a candy store. It is a little uncanny that his passing has occurred in the same year that the Giants Stadium has..unreal, but that memory will always be with me.
that's a great memory to have bobbi
"If you don't know what you're doing... just rush the quarterback" - LT
Similar memories
My father also passed away this year and we attended many games in the mid to late 80s in Giants Stadium as well (though only a couple a year). It was the only time period that we did that together. I’ve definitely been thinking of that time too. Add the Yanks winning this year (we attended a lot of Yanks games together too) and “uncanny” is a great term.
Hey Pot..Sorry to hear about your loss..Believe me I know..
We definitely share a similar set of memories..There is nothing more cherished than knowing how much fun we had with our Fathers..To be able to enjoy those special times together..they are irreplaceable and last with us always.
Goodbye old Friend.. Here is what Ill always remember..
My father passed away in 1977, one memory I will always cherish is going to opening day vs Cowboys. We were on the goalline and have super 8 movies of Morton to Robinson, the very 1st td pass. Mom thank you for stepping up and bringing me to all those games. Ill never forget Jim Stenkie’s interception of a Redskins pass to secure the 1st win. I happened to catch a fieldgoal wide right in practice by Joe Danelo, I still have that ball, I was 13! My favorite moments of course include Simms, Hoss, and LT leading us to the Super Bowls, somehow I will remember and cherish the less notable moments that I personally witnessed like:
Snow game vs Bears holding Walter Payton under 25 yds rushing – Bears won in OT
All the preseason games (fights) vs Jets
Packers Monday night when the lights went out
Rob Carpenter leads the Giants to my 1st ever playoffs
Gary Jeter waiving has hands in circles to inspire the crowd
John Mendenhall legendary battles with Dobler
Dave Jennings are offensive star (LOL)
Doug Kotar, Troy Archer and Dan Loyd – RIP
“15 years of lousy football, we had enough” Ticket burning!!!!
Randy Dean the running QB – how painful was that
The rise and fall of Seahorn
Mark Bavaro the real rambo
Simms sandwiched in between two jets – say it isnt so
The mighty Strahan, Armstead, Hamilton on D
Lionel Manuel and Ernest Gray!
George Martin’s Td’s
John Mcvay, Ray Handley ouch! Dan Reeves – thanks!
Butch Woolfolk ouch!
Jim Clack, Gordon Gravelle, Doug Van Horn
And on a personal note:
Fair Lawn High School beats Passaic High School and Craig "Ironhead’ Heyward! Playing in GS was a thrill!!!
Thanks again Mr Harry M. Stevens and those wonderful meat pies and small cups of Hot Chololate.. You will be missed forever, and never ever ever forgotten. You are and always will be considered an old fiend who was always there when I needed you :<
by SANDIEGOGIANTSFAN on Dec 30, 2009 12:14 AM EST up reply actions
There's a lot...
but for some reason…the stench of that final one is still with me so I can’t recall anything else.
"It ain't over till its over"---
3rd down + Steve Smith = 1st Down.
"I just saw Avatar, and Sean Avery was hands down the best character!"
Oh there have been alot of stinkers over the years..Never with this much talent though..
Can’t blame the Stadium for that…lol
I´ve never been in the Giants Stadium
Still I´m proud to have a piece of the stadium here in Brazil with me. My father is a sportswriter here in Brazil that covers soccer. He was at the final Pelé game in the Giants Stadium in 1977 and when the game ended he had the chance to talk with the late Wellington Mara and Mara himself gave to my dad a piece of the turf of the stadium.
Now this piece of turf is here in my house. =)
Yeah, we like NFL here in Brazil.
Only been to two Giants games
And the second one was the debacle against the Packers in 2007. Even though it was a loss (and we left early), I look back on it kind of fondly now. My friend and I were leaving the stadium dejected – and for me, doubly so because the Mets were in the process of getting swept by the Phillies – and saying how the team would be lucky to win 3 games that year. I called that guy right after they beat the Pats in the Super Bowl and reminisced about our mutual pessimism.
Other than that, my favorite Giants Stadium memory is the 2000 NFC Championship game. Now that was a lot of fun to watch.
I have stepped on that hallowed field.
When the Meadowlands first opened, my dad’s commercial laundry had the contract for all the concessionaires’ unis and towels and crap. So one day I went with him to drop some stuff off and got to kick the ball around with a couple of the Cosmos! (No, I don’t know who, and no, it wasn’t Beckenbauer or Pele.) If you stand in the end zone, it’s amazing. Running from the center of the end zone to the exact middle of the field would be a serious uphill trek – I know what they mean by “running downhill” now – and just standing there, it seems like the stadium is going to swallow you up. I can’t imagine what it must be like to call the signals with tens of thousands of Giants fans cheering for you.
I left my swagger in my other pants.
Great memory
My family has had season tix since day 1, so through three generations from Grandfather to Father to son, we he have had the privelage to see a lot of special moments at the stadium. Was there to see George Martin intercept JE and take it back to the house, watched JB knockout JM and the stadium errupt as Giants went on to take out SF to win the NFC, watched KC light up the Vikes and win out the NFC, watched our old TE MB carry many redskins and cowboys players on his back for xtra yards, breaking tackles again and again. Watched Tiki have a monster night when Wellington passed away and watched LT have his way with RJ of the eagles so many times. But by far , one of the best memories of the stadium is one my father tells me- in the early 70’s, My Grandfather would take my dad and his brother to all the games and during a game, the kicker missed and end of the game winning field goal. My uncle was a phenom athlete and was so pissed off from what had happened in the last minute lost, that he decided to quit his job -at the time i think he was 22yrs old and my Grandfather and whole family are big Iona Prep people and my Grandfather was friends with Wellington so he asked Big W if his son, my uncle, could try out and he agreed to it. So for several months thru the winter and spring, leading up to trainning camp, my uncle trained and the funny thing was that he was 6 3" 230+lbs , nothing like a kicker and nickname was Bear ..but he could kick the hell out of the ball, and by time training camp started, he was ready to go. My father tells that he and my grandfather took Bear to opening of training camp and Wellington was along with the coaches and they started him at the 20yrdline and he was drilling them as they walked him back to where he was hitting 50yrders consistently. So at the end of it they wanted him to go to a Canadian team they had affiliations with back in the day , because his projectory off of the tee was low, to get better ..So my father tells me Mr. Mara and coaches want him in the organazation and offer him a spot up north to get better and my Uncle, now passed away, turned it down! saying too cold and if not the big time thatn no time! Very funny memory to my family!
I remember a cold day with Dave Brown at the helm
The Giants were particularly awful this season. But being a young kid it didn’t matter this day. I was at Giants Stadium with my dad and my little brother. Seeing the G-men on one of those rare occasions we actually landed Giants tickets. We didn’t have season tickets, neither did anyone in the family, and most of our family friends were awful jets fans. But a guy from my dads office couldnt make it to this late November game against the Vikings. So my dad took the guys tickets off his hand and a great day was to be had.
Hit the parking lot around 9 a.m to tailgate. Freshly made subs from a local deli in hand with plenty of soda and hot chocalte for me and my bro. Plenty of Capt.Morgans and coke for my dad. Oh…we snuck a few swigs of the Captain..but mom would never know.
Game time was freezing cold. I belive it was a game time temp of somewhere hovering around 20 degrees with the swirling winds it felt like 10. But we braved it. Cheered loudly and saw the Giants pull out a victory with a solid rushing attack from Rodney Hampton. Great day.
I moved to charlotte,NC in 1998 and hadnt been to Giants stadium since 1997. I returned to the old girl this season for a final goodbye and my buddy a huge giants fan who grew up in Northern Virginia had never been. We settled on the Chargers game(we all know how that would wind up ending). Cause it seemed like a good game to go to and it wouldn’t be freezing cold.
We had a great time. Many photos and drinks. A proper way to send the old girl off in my eyes. I’ll miss the place. Its got a special place in my heart. Giants Stadium only out shined by the mess that was Shea for the stadium i love the most.
December 28, 2002: Giants 10, Eagles 7
A game that I remember being a lot wilder than the score indicates — 3 drive-killing fumbles by Tiki, and a missed 35-yarder by Akers after he had made FIFTY in a row from inside that distance, which sent the game to OT.
And, of course, the jump ball to Shockey where he ripped it away from B-Dawk as they were both coming down (I think that’s the one play I’ll remember most from Giants Stadium — I was sitting in that endzone corner, and the whole stadium seemed to know what was coming before the ball was even snapped. One of the longest 2 seconds of my life watching that pass float in the air — It was just surreal.)
I still have the “WIN AND IN” towel that was handed out in the stadium that day — anyone else hold on to that gem?
it's posts like this....
that make me regret my college days as a fall down drunk and pot head….
obviously i watched the game…remember the scenario’s that your throwing out…but i can’t remember the catch by shockey!!!
"If you don't know what you're doing... just rush the quarterback" - LT
That was a great game.
Everything broke just right for the Giants the previous week to set up that game. I watched that in my father-in-laws basement and he’s an Eagle fan. It was great rubbing that one. I remeber being so nervous when Matt Bryant attempted that game winner in OT he was so dam erratic kinda like Tynes but he split the posts and the Giants got in, fun fun game.
I mentioned this game as my favorite
On another forum. Don’t forget Luke Pettigout’s penalties that killed at least one touchdown. I was home alone that day (big deal for an 11 year old) and sat 5 inches from the TV sweating out every minute for my Gmen. Seeing Bryant nail that FG with all the towels waiving made that year for me. Great game, and a godsend.
I have actually played football on the field
in 2006, my HS football team won the state tornament on that feild. I played WR and OLB. I had 2 sacks a bunch of tackels and 6 receptions. No TDs tho :( that would have been amazing. Pompton Lakes NJ 2006 Group 1 State Champs! I’ll never forget it. A dream come true.
and yes.. that means im pretty young haha
by Gmen Fan in Gmen Land on Dec 29, 2009 4:26 PM EST reply actions
Hey I played for Verona BUT
I’m about 11 years older than you . . . we did not play state games at Giants stadium back in the 90’s. Hell my teams never made it to the finals, we always got beat up by Butler or New Providence in the section semifinals.
Your alma matter killed mine
for a chance to play Pompton Lakes that Gmen Fan in Gmen Land described. You beat us 15-14 after we dominated the first 3 quarters and choked. That was as close as we got to Giants stadium in my four years (on the sideline) at New Providence High School.
Yea Verona got over the hump in the 2000's
we were good in the 90’s but New Providence, Butler and Rosell Park were all really good and always kicked or tails in the playoffs.
I finally got season tickets in 2005
they made the playoffs everyear I was a season ticket holder until now. I thought I was their good luck charm.. . . lol!
I just hope they put my PSL money to good use and hire a top quality D-Coordinator instead of settling like they did a year ago becasue they did not want to shell the money for Capers.
My top 3 games I attended at Giants stadium are as follows.
I was not a season ticket holder then but my buddy got tickets in 1997 and when I came home from college for winter break he took me to the Giants game that they clinched the division by beating up on Washington in Fassels first year. Sehorn returned a pick, Strahan and Armstead were all over the field. Danny Kannel was well Danny Kannel but the Giants won and clinched the division and they came out of nowhere to win it that year.
The first regualr season Giant game I went to was in 1990 when the won the SB. I was 13 years old and they just barley beat the lowley Cardinals. They were playing a real stinker of a game and Simms got hurt but Hostetler came off the bench and led them to 10 4th quarter points including a TD pass to S. Baker and game winning FG by Matt Bhar. I always remember that game because it kinda fortold what would happen later that season. I actually think the final score of that Cardinal game was 20-19 like the the SB win kinda wierd.
Also the 2008 Season opener when they unvailed their SB banner and Strahan came out yelling. That was an electric night I still remeber the crowds reaction when Strahan poped out of the big Vince Lombardi Trophy. Then the Giants steamrolled the skins. Great day at the stadium too becasue I reconveened with my tailgait crew for the first time since the SB 42 win and we all gave each other big man hugs when we meet up.
Obviously there have been bigger games 81, 85, 86, 90,93, and 2000 but those three games were the best ones I attended live.
My best moment
would be the first game I ever went to.
I don’t even remember when I went, or what the final score was (I’m pretty sure we won)
My Uncle has season tickets, and decided to bring my family and others. I think it was in 2003, but I’m not sure. Anyways, all I remember was yelling my throat out, rooting for Barber and Shockey to score. When Barber broke away for a TD, the whole section high-fived me.
Ever since then, the few times I’ve been to giants games, we’ve lost. San Diego this year, Eagles last year, probably another team the year before.
Still, I’d rather freeze my ass off at the stadium than be at home watching the game on TV.
Never assume skill at bouncing a ball makes you smarter than the guy who built the court.
When there's a WILL there's a WAY
No contest...this is the best moment in Giants Stadium
I have posted this before. Hands down the best day at Giants Stadium! Just listen to the crowd! It just doesn’t get any better than this. I don’t think there is a more defining moment in Giants history. I was so happy I almost cried!
by giant fan since 57 on Dec 29, 2009 5:39 PM EST reply actions
I remember tha so well and I was just a little kid
It was amazing my whole family was going nuts, I remeber the excitement during the day it just built and built becasue it was the late game that day. When Burt went into the crowd we all went nuts. You knew that game was over when Simms hit Manuel with that TD pass.
My favorite memories
I played on the turf years ago, so thats way up there. I was at the game Strahan set the record for most sacks in a season, so thats another. That Minnesota game might be my favorite memory though, even though I was not in attendance.
Having been able to get there!!!!
After 20-25 years of watching on TV, I went to GIANTS stadium for a game!!!!
In the days that followed, people asked me if it was everything that I had dreamed?
Being from a divorced, single mom family I had to say " It didn’t meet my dreams, because I NEVER even dreamed I’d ever get there!!!!"
I have been a Giants fan for bout 27 yrs. I live in Utah and never had the money to go to a giants game but watch them every yr. More than everything i wanted to go to a game when lawrence taylor and phil simms played. but never got to. and now I will never be able to go to a home game at Giants stadium. My mom passed away this yr and i got some money and can maybe finally afford to go wont be the same but at least I finally will get to watch my fav team in life.
Sorry to hear about your Mom, but...
Make the trip!!!
$20 says you’ll “see” her on the trip and it will be one that you take to your grave!!!
You don’t even have to set foot inside GIANTS stadium and the trip is SO well worth it. I look forward to hearing your report when you get back >>> GO GIANTS!!!!
Not a bad seat in the place.
I have been to many Giants games at the stadium and for the life of me I cannot remember my first (sad I know). All but one of them I attended with my father. Right now, 2 games are standing out in my memory:
1) January 6, 2002 Packers 34, Giants 25. The Strahan sack record game. Although the sack record was the main focus point of this game from a similarly crappy season, I remember it because of where we were sitting. My father and I usually had nose bleed seats in the corner or endzone (his Uncle’s season tickets). But this game we got into the stadium early and snuck down to the lower level to watch warm ups. With the attendent not paying attention you could easily enter through the middle entrance for the back row. Anyways, come kick off we decided to sit down with the expectation of getting kicked out shortly after kick off. The ticket holders never showed up so we got to see the game 8 rows back on the 50 yard line behind the Giants bench. My Father was like a kid again. He said it was the first time in the stadium where he needed to look up when watching a pass thrown.
2)November 2, 2003 Giants 31, Jets 28 (OT). My girlfriend at the time (now wife) got tickets from her uncle a Jets season ticket holder. She being a huge Jets fan and I the Giants fan had an awsome time traveling in from college in western NY the night before and tailgating the next day. Brett Conway kicked the game winner in OT so I was able to rub it in her face. We got engaged right before Christmas that year and I have since converted her to G-men fan. Now every Sunday in the fall she, my two sons (3 years old, 6 weeks old), and I are in our Giants jerseys screaming at the TV.
New York Giants Tickets
It will be great to watch New York Giants, i have bought tickets from
http://ticketfront.com/event/New_York_Giants-tickets looking forward to it.
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