Live from Falcons-Giants: We’re a lousy sports city, are we?
"If I give you two dimes and a nickel, will you give me a quarter back?" (AP photo)
East Rutherford, N.J. – Here’s a fun little nugget that was posted on the New York Post’s web site yesterday: As of Friday night, the Giants-Falcons playoff game was not sold out.
If said game were being staged at the Georgia Dome, we Atlantans would be hearing yet again how lousy a sports town we are. But this is New York, where millions live and where sports are, we’re constantly reminded, a point of strutting metropolitan pride.
Let the record reflect that an attempt to find available tickets this morning via Ticketmaster was unavailing, so we can assume that the game finally has sold out. Still, the thought of a Giants’ home postseason game with available seats not 30 hours before kickoff would surely come as a revelation to those New Yorkers who love to poke fun at us dumb ol’ Southerners for our indifference/inattention.
But I digress. The Falcons arrive with a point to prove, and the belief here is that they’ll prove it. The belief here is that they’ll win because they are, top to bottom, the better team. The tabloids have been full of Matt Ryan stuff this week, the thrust being that he still hasn’t proven anything in the postseason. (He hasn’t, but I’d suggest two games in his first three NFL seasons isn’t quite a true sample.)
I remember another day in Ryan’s pro career, a Sunday here in November 2009 when he overrode a second-half deficit to force overtime. The Giants won the toss and scored in the bonus canto, but that remains, at least to this dumb Southern observer, one of the shining performances of a very good career.
If you can do it here once, you should be able to do it again. And if you can make it here, the song has it, you can make it anywhere. I think Matty Ice will author his playoff breakthrough today, but maybe you disagree.
Which is why we have these little live chats — for you to interact with a dumb Southern writer like yours truly. I invite your comments. And I thank you, as ever, in advance.
By Mark Bradley
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4,613 comments Add your comment
SD
January 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
Wanna talk about stupid. You’re teams are called New York but you play in New Jersey. Idiot northerners.
whodat70816
January 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
Run…Run…Pass
Run…Run…Pass
Turner will not win this game! Matty and JJ better make a connection if they want to win!
steve-o
January 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
run-run-pass-punt.
Typical imaginative play calling by Mularkey. Please Jax, hire this guy as a head coach so we can get rid of him!
steve-o
January 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
run-run-pass-punt.
Typical imaginative play calling by Mularkey. Please Jax, hire this guy as a head coach so we can get rid of him!
Chop It Up All-Star
January 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
Hmm, two runs up the middle and a forced third and long throw.
Mark Bradley
January 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
That was a throwaway. If he hadn’t gotten rid of the ball, he’d have fumbled. That incompletion was due to pressure.
J.J.M.
January 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
I think ryan should relax…
AIGHT MATTY ICE
January 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
MIKE MULARKEY=MIKE BOBO
Sam
January 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
About what I expected from MM. Typical run turner who is flat out terrible.
"Chef" Tim Dix
January 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
JAX might cancel his interview.
bigdave
January 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
2nd down killed that drive. tipping run in that bunch set w/ Reggie Kelly..
ohhhYEAH
January 8th, 2012
1:14 pm
Someone tell Mike “I’m full of” Mularkey that establishing the run DOES NOT mean run off the tackle twice, where we never gain yards, and give Ryan a third and long to try and convert against a good pass rush! If that’s how he intends to call plays today then we are done
tmc
January 8th, 2012
1:15 pm
tip-toe Turner is NOT running hard in his first two runs…
That has got to change for us to have a chance in this game.
Spencer
January 8th, 2012
1:15 pm
Giants can forget running the ball today.
Mark Bradley
January 8th, 2012
1:15 pm
Great playcalling by the Giants, huh?
ugab
January 8th, 2012
1:15 pm
LMAO Falcons look like UGA. What a Joke!!!
phil
January 8th, 2012
1:15 pm
Shut it, katherine. Blog cop.
mountain_jim
January 8th, 2012
1:15 pm
Great start Mukarkey
Tomahawkin
January 8th, 2012
1:15 pm
katherine
“It was the first drive people….relax”
lol, Its Hard To Relax…Its A Playoff Game AKA “A Mans Time of the Month W/O the Cramps!”
I’m On Edge!
Uncle Rico
January 8th, 2012
1:15 pm
Everybody in the stadium is expecting run first, why don’t they dial up something unexpected to keep the Giants off balance and then go back to Turner?
Mark Bradley
January 8th, 2012
1:15 pm
Abraham sack. Giants have done nothing, either.
katherine
January 8th, 2012
1:15 pm
eli is getting hit pretty hard too…
phil
January 8th, 2012
1:16 pm
Pressure! I’m wrong on that so far!
bigdave
January 8th, 2012
1:16 pm
blew it dead? sheesh?
whodat70816
January 8th, 2012
1:16 pm
Falcons defense definitly showed up today….
Tomahawkin
January 8th, 2012
1:16 pm
@Uncle Rico
Co-Sign
Everyone In The Living Room Was Expecting a Run! Switch it up!!! Dammit!
Sam
January 8th, 2012
1:16 pm
What bs to blow the whistle. That was a fumble
steve-o
January 8th, 2012
1:16 pm
Everybody in the stadium is expecting run first, why don’t they dial up something unexpected to keep the Giants off balance and then go back to Turner?
——
Because we’re dealing with Mike Mularkey!
Mark Bradley
January 8th, 2012
1:16 pm
Screen stopped. Giants held to boot.
J.J.M.
January 8th, 2012
1:16 pm
they blew the whistle too fast
bigdave
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
way to come up and hit Decoud..
ugab
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
I can tell CMR got advice from the falcons coach.. lol
Steve
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
Gotta love the negative Falcons “fans.” It’s 5 min into the game and they act like it’s over.
Uncle Rico
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
Better pressure from the defensive line than I expected so far!!
Sam
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
Watch when pressure is on ryan and they will let the play roll out. Why decline it? It would be 3rd and 27
katherine
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
phil
January 8th, 2012
1:15 pm
Shut it, katherine. Blog cop.
Seriously? what is your obsession with me….. get over yourself please and stop talking to me you fake fan
Michael G.
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
The D looks good early.
Mtn Falcon
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
Good D so far!! Rise up offense!
falconsrus
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
DDDDDDDDDDDD##########
phil
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
Time to run Turner 3 straight up the middle for total of 4 yds….
That’ll show em!
AIGHT MATTY ICE
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
THAT WAS SUPPOSE TO BE A FUMBLE
Mark Bradley
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
Two three-and-outs for New York.
makemyday
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
Phil treat the Lady with respect..please!
bev
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
Atlanta’s a mix of northerners, hardly any southerners live here.
JSS
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
Weeeeeeeeeeeeeee-emmmms stay away
Sam
January 8th, 2012
1:17 pm
Another start at the 21
Mtn Falcon
January 8th, 2012
1:18 pm
Anyone drinking?
mountain_jim
January 8th, 2012
1:18 pm
That was an obvious fumble – recovered for TD. Jobbed already!
phil
January 8th, 2012
1:18 pm
Shut it, katherine….
You’re an annoying bonehead. Stop telling people what to say.
J.J.M.
January 8th, 2012
1:18 pm
peach ciroc!