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This is the final 'Game-Changing Off-Season Move' post sponsored by SB Nation's generous friends at Sprint. I think I would be remiss if I did not utilize to discuss what should be considered the biggest 'game-changing off-season move" of them all.
The New York Giants' move out of Giants Stadium and across the parking lot into the shiny new $1.7 billion New Meadowlands Stadium.
It is barely a move at all in terms of distance. The new building is right next door to where the old one was, just a short toss of a stray piece of rubble from the old stadium.
In terms of what the move actually means to the franchise and to fans of the New York Giants, however, this is a huge change.
Let's look at some of the ways New Meadowlands Stadium changes the landscape for the Giants.
- First, it is not the New Giants Stadium. Being completely candid I hate the fact that the Giants are now sharing ownership of a stadium with the New York Jets. Hate it. But, that's how it is. And that changes lots of things about the place -- it's name, it's look, the finances and a host of other things I can't even think of right now.
- The new stadium -- and, yes, the partnership with the Jets -- is responsible for the NFL bringing the Super Bowl to New York/New Jersey in 2014. The league would have laughed at the Giants if they had submitted a big asking to host the 2014 event at Giants Stadium. So, even though I hate sharing with the Jets (did I mention that before?), this is a great thing to come out of the arrangement.
- It changes the financial situation for fans. This, of course, is not necessarily a good thing. The whole Personal Seat License thing means fans who have held seats for generations have been forced to give them up because the cost is just too high.
- Competitively, it remains to be seen how wind conditions in the new building affect the passing and kicking games.
There are, I'm sure, other ways it changes the landscape. Feel free to add your own thoughts to the discussion.