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Kent Graham

Kent Graham

Kent Graham (Born November 1, 1968, Wheaton, Illinois) is a former American professional football player. Kent played quarterback at Ohio State, followed by a lengthy career in the NFL during which he played for the New York Giants in two separate stints, as well as starting for the Arizona Cardinals and Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished his career in 2001 with the Washington Redskins. Graham, Kent Graham, Kent

November 1

November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining.

Events


- 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk, Bishop of Freising, which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi (Austria in Old High German).
- 1512 - The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, is exhibited to the public for the first time.
- 1520 - The Strait of Magellan, the passage immediately south of mainland South America, connecting the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, is first navigated by Ferdinand Magellan during his global circumnavigation voyage.
- 1530 - An approximated 400,000 die after the Netherlands' dikes fail.
- 1592 - At the Battle of Busan, the outnumbered Korean navy defeats a larger Japanese army.
- 1604 - William Shakespeare's tragedy Othello is presented for the first time, at Whitehall Palace in London.
- 1611 - William Shakespeare's romantic comedy The Tempest is presented for the first time, at Whitehall Palace in London.
- 1612 - (22 October O.S.) Time of Troubles in Russia: Moscow Kitai-gorod taken by Russian troops under command of Dmitry Pozharsky
- 1683 - The British crown colony of New York is subdivided into 12 counties.
- 1755 - Lisbon earthquake: In Portugal, Lisbon is destroyed by a massive earthquake and tsunami, killing between sixty and ninety thousand people.
- 1765 - The British Parliament enacts the Stamp Act on the 13 colonies in order to help pay for British military operations in North America.
- 1790 - Edmund Burke publishes Reflections on the Revolution in France, in which he predicts that the French Revolution will end in disaster.
- 1800 - US President John Adams becomes the first President of the United States to live in the Executive Mansion (later renamed the White House).
- 1848 - In Boston, Massachusetts, the first medical school for women, The Boston Female Medical School (which will later merge with Boston University School of Medicine), opens.
- 1859 - The current Cape Lookout, North Carolina, lighthouse is lighted for the first time. Its first-order Fresnel lens can be seen for 19 miles (30 kilometers).
- 1861 - American Civil War: US President Abraham Lincoln appoints George McClellan as commander of the Union Army, replacing the aged General Winfield Scott.
- 1870 - In the United States, the Weather Bureau (later renamed the National Weather Service) makes its first official meteorological forecast.
- 1871 - The Stamford to Bourne, Lincolnshire turnpike road was freed from tolls.
- 1876 - New Zealand's provincial government system is dissolved.
- 1894 - Nicholas II becomes the new Tsar of Russia after his father, Alexander III, dies.
- 1896 - A picture showing the naked breasts of a woman appears in National Geographic magazine for the first time.
- 1901 - Sigma Phi Epsilon, a national men's collegiate fraternity is established at Richmond College, in Richmond, VA.
- 1914 - World War I: the first British naval defeat of the war, the Battle of Coronel is fought off of the coast of Chile.
- 1918 - Malbone Street Wreck: the worst rapid transit accident in US history occurs under the intersection of Malbone Street and Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, New York City, with at least 93 dead. Western Ukraine gains independence from Austria-Hungary
- 1922 - The last sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mehmed VI, abdicates.
- 1939 - The first rabbit born after artificial insemination is shown to the world.
- 1943 - World War II: Operation Goodtime launched - United States Marines invade Bougainville in the Solomon Islands.
- 1944 - World War II: Operation Infatuate launched - The British Army land at Walcheren in the Netherlands.
- 1945 - The official North Korean newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, is first published under the name Chongro.
- 1948 - Off southern Manchuria, 6,000 are killed as a Chinese merchant ship explodes and sinks.
- 1950 - Puerto Rican nationalists Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo attempt to assassinate US President Harry S. Truman at Blair House.
- 1950 - Pope Pius XII claims Papal Infallibility when he formally defines the dogma of the Assumption of Mary.
- 1951 - US soldiers are exposed to an atomic explosion for training purposes in Desert Rock, Nevada; participation was not voluntary.
- 1952 - Operation Ivy - The United States successfully detonates the first hydrogen bomb, codenamed "Mike" ["m" for megaton], at Eniwetok island in the Bikini atoll located in the Pacific Ocean.
- 1954 - The Front de Libération Nationale fires the first shots of the Algerian War of Independence.
- 1955 - A United Airlines DC-6B explodes in mid-air and crashes near Longmont, Colorado, killing 44 people
- 1956- Formation of the Indian state of Karnataka (1973), formerly known as Mysore State.
- 1956 - Formation of Kerala state in India.
- 1957 - The Mackinac Bridge, the world's longest suspension bridge between anchorages at the time, opens to traffic connecting Michigan's two peninsulas.
- 1960 - While campaigning for President of the United States, John F. Kennedy announces his idea of the Peace Corps.
- 1963 - The Arecibo Observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico, with the largest radio telescope ever constructed, officially opens.
- 1969 - After seven years off the top of the charts, Elvis Presley hits number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart with his song "Suspicious Minds."
- 1970 - A fire at a dance hall in Saint-Laurent-du-Pont, France kills 144 young people.
- 1973 - Watergate Scandal: Leon Jaworski is appointed as the new Watergate Special Prosecutor.
- 1973 - Formation of Karnataka state in India.
- 1980 - Wayanad district formed in the state of Kerala, India.
- 1981 - Antigua and Barbuda gain independence from the United Kingdom.
- 1990 - A New York City civil jury awards Sandra Miller $100 for battery after an incident in which Mike Tyson grabbed her breasts and insulted her; the jury found Tyson's behavior "not outrageous".
- 1993 - The Maastricht Treaty takes effect, formally establishing the European Union.
- 1994 - George Lucas leaves the day-to-day operations of his filmmaking business and starts a sabbatical. While on sabbatical, he writes the prequel section of the Star Wars movies.
- 1994 - The Chijon Family is sentenced to death in South Korea for murdering and eating five people.
- 1998 - The European Court of Human Rights is instituted.
- 2004 - The Bank of Japan issues a new series of 1000, 5000, and 10,000 yen notes. Both old and the new series will circulate together.
- 2005 - ITV PLC's new digital channel, ITV4, lanches on Freeview, NTL digital, and Sky Digital.
- 2005 - Makybe Diva wins her third consecutive Melbourne Cup race.
- 2005 - First part of the Gomery Report, which discusses allegations of political money manipulation, is released in Canada.
- 2005 - The U.S. Senate enters a rare closed session to discuss the Plame affair and intelligence in the Iraq disarmament crisis.

Births


- 846 - Louis the Stammerer, King of West Francia (d. 879)
- 1339 - Duke Rudolf IV of Austria (d. 1365)
- 1351 - Duke Leopold III of Austria (d. 1386)
- 1500 - Benvenuto Cellini, Italian goldsmith, sculptor, and writer (d. 1571)
- 1530 - Étienne de La Boétie, French judge and writer (d. 1563)
- 1539 - Pierre Pithou, French lawyer and scholar (d. 1596)
- 1567 - Diego Sarmiento de Acuña, conde de Gondomar, Spanish diplomat (d. 1626)
- 1578 - Dmitry Pozharsky, Russian prince (d. 1642)
- 1585 - Jan Brożek, Polish mathematician, physician, and astronomer (d. 1652)
- 1607 - Georg Philipp Harsdorffer, German poet (d. 1658)
- 1611 - François-Marie, comte de Broglie, Italian-born French commander (d. 1656)
- 1636 - Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux, French poet and critic (d. 1711)
- 1643 - John Strype, English historian and biographer (d. 1737)
- 1661 - Florent Carton Dancourt, French dramatist and actor (d. 1725)
- 1704 - Paul Daniel Longolius, German encylopedist (d. 1779)
- 1720 - Toussaint-Guillaume Picquet de la Motte, French admiral (d. 1791)
- 1762 - Spencer Perceval, Prime Minister of Great Britain (d. 1812)
- 1778 - Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden (d. 1837)
- 1808 - John Taylor, American religious leader (d. 1887)
- 1860 - Boies Penrose, United States Senator from Pennsylvania (d. 1921)
- 1871 - Stephen Crane, American writer (d. 1900)
- 1877 - Roger Quilter, British composer (d. 1953)
- 1878 - Konrad Mägi, Estonian painter (d. 1925)
- 1878 - Carlos Saavedra Lamas, Argentine politician, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1959)
- 1880 - Sholom Asch, Polish-born American writer (d. 1957)
- 1880 - Grantland Rice, American sports writer (d. 1954)
- 1880 - Alfred Wegener, German meteorologist and geophysicist (d. 1930)
- 1886 - Hermann Broch, Austrian author (d. 1951)
- 1887 - L. S. Lowry, British painter of industrial scenes (d. 1976)
- 1889 - Philip Noel-Baker, Baron Noel-Baker, Canadian-born peace activist, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (d. 1982)
- 1892 - Alexander Alekhine, Russian-born many times World Champion chess player (d. 1946)
- 1902 - Eugen Jochum, German conductor (d. 1987)
- 1923 - Gordon R. Dickson, Canadian author (d. 2001)
- 1923 - Victoria de los Angeles, Catalan soprano (d. 2005)
- 1929 - Betsy Palmer, American actress
- 1929 - Nicholas Mavroules, United States Congressman from Massachusetts (d. 2003)
- 1934 - Umberto Agnelli, Swiss-born automobile executive (d. 2004)
- 1934 - William Mathias, British composer (d. 1992)
- 1935 - Gary Player, South African golfer
- 1935 - Edward Said, Palestinian-born literary critic (d. 2003)
- 1939 - Barbara Bosson, American actress
- 1940 - Ramesh Chandra Lahoti, Chief Justice of India
- 1942 - Larry Flynt, American magazine publisher
- 1942 - Ralph Klein, Premier of Alberta
- 1949 -Michael Griffin, NASA chief administrator
- 1950 - Robert B. Laughlin, American physicist, Nobel Prize laureate
- 1957 - Lyle Lovett, American singer
- 1957 - Carlos Paião, Portuguese singer (d. 1988)
- 1962 - Anthony Kiedis, American singer (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
- 1963 - Rick Allen, British drummer (Def Leppard)
- 1967 - Sophie B. Hawkins, American musician
- 1972 - Toni Collette, Australian actress
- 1972 - Paul Dickov, Scottish footballer
- 1973 - Aishwarya Rai, Indian actress
- 1974 - VVS Laxman, Indian cricketer
- 1976 - Matt Chapman, American cartoonist and voice actor
- 1978 - Manju Warrier, Indian actress

Deaths


- 1296 - Guillaume Durand, French writer
- 1391 - Amadeus VII of Savoy (b. 1360)
- 1399 - John V, Duke of Brittany (b. 1339)
- 1546 - Giulio Romano, Italian painter
- 1588 - Jean Daurat, French poet (b. 1508)
- 1596 - Pierre Pithou, French lawyer and scholar (b. 1539)
- 1642 - Jean Nicolet, French explorer (b. 1598)
- 1676 - Gisbertus Voetius, Dutch theologian (b. 1589)
- 1678 - William Coddington, first Governor of Rhode Island (b. 1601)
- 1700 - Charles II of Spain (b. 1661)
- 1888 - Nikolai Przhevalsky, Russian explorer (b. 1838)
- 1894 - Tsar Alexander III of Russia (b. 1845)
- 1903 - Theodor Mommsen, German writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1817)
- 1942 - Hugo Distler, German composer (b. 1908)
- 1972 - Ezra Pound, American poet (b. 1885)
- 1979 - Mamie Eisenhower, First Lady of the United States (b. 1896)
- 1982 - King Vidor, American film director (b. 1894)
- 1983 - Anthony van Hoboken, Dutch musicologist (b. 1887)
- 1985 - Phil Silvers, American actor and comedian (b. 1911)
- 1987 - René Lévesque, Premier of Quebec (b. 1922)
- 1993 - Severo Ochoa, Spanish–born biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (b. 1905)
- 1999 - Walter Payton, American football player (b. 1954)
- 2004 - Mac Dre, American rap artist (b. 1970)
- 2005 - Skitch Henderson, English-born bandleader (b. 1918)
- 2005 - Michael Piller, American screenwriter (b. 1948)

Holidays and observances


- Roman festivals - last day of the Ludi Victoriae Sullanae.
- Catholicism - Holy Day of Obligation, All Saints Day. Holiday in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Mexico, The Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Seychelles, Slovenia, Spain.
- Also see November 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)
- Algeria - National day, commemorating the begin of the struggle for independence from France.
- Antigua and Barbuda - Independence Day] (from Britain, 1981)
- Ireland - Samhain the traditional first day of Winter
- Mexico - The Day of the Dead
- World Vegan Day
- Kickoff day for National Novel Writing Month

External links


- [http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/1 BBC: On This Day] ---- October 31 - November 2 - October 1 - December 1 - more historical anniversaries ko:11월 1일 ms:1 November ja:11月1日 simple:November 1 th:1 พฤศจิกายน

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton is the county seat of DuPage County, Illinois, located about 25 miles west of Near North Side, Chicago and Lake Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 55,416. The city dates its founding to land claims made in 1837 and 1838 (following the Indian Removal Act) by Erastus Gary and two Wheaton brothers, Jesse and Warren. A plat for the city was filed with the county in 1853. The brothers led a successful campaign in 1867 to make Wheaton the county seat[http://patsabin.com/dupage/courtrecords.htm]. Wheaton has 45 churches within its limits (not to mention thirty in the bordering unincorporated areas) and is rumored to have more churches per square mile than any other U.S. city, a density exceeded in the world only by one or more cities in Italy. The rumor is based on the many churches which line downtown streets.

People and attractions

Actors Jim and John Belushi both grew up in Wheaton and graduated from Wheaton Central High School. John attended College of DuPage, while his brother attended both College of DuPage and then Southern Illinois University. Red Grange also grew up in Wheaton and attended Wheaton Community High School. He would later graduate from University of Illinois to play for the Chicago Bears and the AFL's New York Yankees. He is considered the biggest drawing card in the history of the NFL. Other notables who grew up in Wheaton include journalist Bob Woodward of the Washington Post, Kent Graham, NFL football quarterback, Grote Reber, who built the first radio telescope in his Wheaton lawn, and Edwin Hubble. Wheaton is home to Wheaton College. Its campus features the Billy Graham Center (named for an alumnus), which is full of pictures of Graham and conceptual exhibits intended to convey Christian ideas. Other well-known graduates of Wheaton include Wes Craven, Dennis Hastert, John Wesley Powell and Todd Beamer. Wheaton's science building exhibits the remains of a mastodon which were discovered in nearby Glen Ellyn. The far South end of Wheaton is home to the Rice Campus of the nationally known research institution the Illinois Institute of Technology. Though the University has its main main campus in the city of Chicago a sizable student body exists at the Rice facility. Wheaton is also home to the headquarters of the Theosophical Society in America. The estate includes large grounds with a labyrinth and tennis court, a mansion with dumbwaiters, antique furniture, a beautiful two-story library, and a religious bookstore called Quest Books. The Theosophical Society holds classes and lectures, and Ram Dass and Rupert Sheldrake, among others, have spoken there. Cantigny Park and Golf Course, former estate of Chicago Tribune owner Robert R. McCormick, is in southwestern Wheaton. Chicago Golf Club a prestigious private golf club also resides in Wheaton. It was one of the five original clubs which founded the United States Golf Association in 1894. It was also the first golf course in the US to have 18 holes. The City of Wheaton in DuPage County's District 200, led by Super-intendent Dr. Catalani consists of two high schools, four middle schools, and thirteen elementary schools. There has been a recent referendum passed to add onto the two high schools, Wheaton Warrenville South and Wheaton North, and construction ceases in 2006.

Geography

Wheaton is located at 41°51'34" North, 88°6'26" West (41.859562, -88.107181). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 29.2 km² (11.3 mi²). 29.1 km² (11.2 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi² or 0.35%) of it is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there are 55,416 people, 19,377 households, and 13,718 families residing in the city. The population density is 1,907/km² (4,938.5/mi²). There are 19,881 housing units at an average density of 684.1/km² (1,771.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 89.85% White, 4.85% Asian, 2.82% African American, 0.11% Native American, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.03% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 3.65% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 19,377 households out of which 36.7% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.4% are married couples living together, 7.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 29.2% are non-families. 24.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.64 and the average family size is 3.20. In the city the population is spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 94.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.0 males. The median income for a household in the city is $88,385, and the median income for a family is $104,475. Males have a median income of $74,871 versus $48,485 for females. The per capita income for the city is $36,147. Below the poverty line are 2.3% of the population and 2.1% of the families. Of the total population, 3.3% of those under the age of 18 and 4.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

External links


- [http://www.downtownwheaton.com Wheaton Chamber of Commerce]
- [http://www.wheaton.lib.il.us/library/ Wheaton Public Library]
- [http://www.wheatonparkdistrict.com Wheaton Park District]
- [http://www.wheaton.edu/ Wheaton College] Category:Cities in Illinois Category:DuPage County, Illinois

NFL

The National Football League (NFL) is the largest professional American football league, consisting of thirty-two teams from American cities and regions. The league was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, which adopted the name "National Football League" in 1922. The NFL is one of the major professional sports leagues of North America. Prior to the 1960s, the most popular version of American football was played collegiately. After the 1958 NFL Championship Game (which went into overtime), the NFL's greatest spurt in popularity came in the 1960s and 1970s with the merger of the rival American Football League, or AFL (1960-1969). The AFL introduced major on- and off-the-field innovations that were eventually adopted by the NFL. Currently, the league's 32 teams are divided into two conferences: the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). Each conference is then further divided into four divisions consisting of four teams each. During the league's regular season, each team plays 16 games over a 17-week period generally from September to December. At the end of each regular season, six teams from each conference play in the NFL playoffs, a 12-team single-elimination tournament that culminates with the NFL championship, the Super Bowl. This game is held at a pre-selected site which is usually a city that hosts an NFL team. One week later, selected all-star players from both the AFC and NFC meet in the Pro Bowl, currently held in Hawaii. In recent decades, the regular season had traditionally started on Labor Day Weekend and lasted through Christmas week. However, declining television ratings on Labor Day have pushed the start of the regular season ahead one week. This is where scheduling currently stands, with the first game of the season being played on the Thursday after Labor Day (the remaining Week 1 games are played three to four days later).

Current franchises

Regular season

The NFL season begins with most teams playing four "pre-season" exhibition games from early August through early September. Two "featured" exhibition games, the Pro Football Hall of Fame Game and American Bowl, don't count toward the normal allottment of four games, so the four teams playing in those games each end up playing five exhibition games. The regular season starts the weekend after Labor Day. Each team plays 16 games during a 17-week period. Traditionally, every game is played on Sunday afternoon with the exception of one game per week being played in Sunday night, and another game being played on Monday night. In recent years, the league has started scheduling a nationally telecast regular season game on the Thursday night prior to the first Sunday of NFL games to "kickoff" the season. In addition, the Dallas Cowboys and the Detroit Lions each host a game on Thanksgiving Day. For the last three weeks or so of the regular season, after the end of the college football season, the league typically schedules two or three nationally televised games on Saturday afternoons or evenings. In 2005, with Christmas falling on a Sunday, the NFL has flipped their normal schedule for that weekend, having the normal slate (less the Sunday night contest) of Sunday games on Saturday (Christmas Eve day), with two nationally televised games on Sunday (Christmas Day), similar to what the NFL did in 1994 with the afternoon games on Saturday, and the primetime games the following two days (Detroit at Miami on Sunday, San Francisco at Minnesota on Monday). Currently, each team's regular season schedule is set using a pre-determined formula:
- Each team plays every other team in their division twice: once at home, and once on the road (six games).
- Each team plays the four teams from another division within its conference on a rotating three-year cycle: two at home, and two on the road (four games).
- Each team plays the four teams from a division in the other conference on a rotating four-year cycle: two at home, and two on the road (four games).
- Each team plays two games versus two teams within its conference based on the prior year's standings. These games match a first-place team against the first-place teams in the two same-conference divisions the team is not scheduled to play that season. The second-place, third-place, and fourth-place teams in a conference are matched in the same way each year: one at home, and one on the road. This formula has been regarded as very successful, rekindling old rivalries while starting new ones, as teams will play in each other's stadiums eventually, which makes for a more consistent and attractive schedule each year. For the 2005 season, the assignments are the following:
Intraconference

- AFC East v. AFC West
- AFC North v. AFC South
- NFC East v. NFC West
- NFC North v. NFC South
Interconference

- AFC East v. NFC South
- AFC North v. NFC North
- AFC South v. NFC West
- AFC West v. NFC East

For the 2006 season, the assignments will be:
Intraconference

- AFC East v. AFC South
- AFC North v. AFC West
- NFC East v. NFC South
- NFC North v. NFC West
Interconference

- AFC East v. NFC North
- AFC North v. NFC South
- AFC South v. NFC East
- AFC West v. NFC West

Sixteen Game Schedule

Through 1977, the NFL schedule consisted of fourteen regular season games played over fourteen weeks. Opening weekend typically was the weekend after Labor Day, or even two weekends after Labor Day. Teams played six, or even seven preseason games. In 1978, the league changed the schedule to include sixteen regular season games and four preseason games. From 1978-1989, the sixteen games were played over sixteen weeks. In 1990, the NFL introduced a bye-week to the schedule. Each team would play sixteen regular season games over seventeen weeks. One week during the season, on a rotating basis, each team would have the weekend off. As a result, opening weekend was moved up to Labor Day weekend. In 1993, the league adjusted the schedule to include two bye weeks per team, and the sixteen games were played over eighteen weeks. In 1994, the schedule was changed back to seventeen weeks. In 2001, the NFL decided to move opening week to the weekend after Labor Day. Television ratings seemed to be sagging due to the holiday, and the stadium crowds were apparently lacking due to vacationing fans. In addition, it would leave the three-day holiday weekend alone to the opening weekend of college football, preventing conflicts, and maximizing exposure. In 2002, the NFL began scheduling a Thursday night special opening game, which would be nationally televised. Festivities and a pre-game concert would kick off the season.
- In 1999, the NFL moved the first week of the season one week later due to the conflict with January 1, 2000. The Y2K problem sparked travel concerns for the final week of the season, and playoffs. By moving the season a week later, the NFL hoped to prevent teams traveling complications.
- For most years, there has been an open weekend between the Conference Championship games and the Super Bowl. In the 1990 season, there was no bye, as the league was still adjusting the schedule from adding the bye week during the season. In the 1993 season, there was no bye week since the regular season consisted of eighteen weekends. The bye week was simply removed. In the 1999 season, the bye week was removed to accommodate the schedule being moved ahead one week. In the 2001 season, the bye week disappeared when the league moved opening weekend a week later. As a result, Super Bowl XXXVI had to be delayed after the league postponed the second week's games following the September 11 attacks. By the 2003 season, the bye week was restored. In the 1982 strike-shortened season, a postseason tournament replaced the traditional playoff format. The Super Bowl bye week was removed to accommodate the longer, expanded playoffs.

Playoffs

At the conclusion of each 16-game regular season, six teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs, a single-elimination tournament, which culminates in the Super Bowl:
- The four division champions from each conference (the team in each division with the best regular season won-lost-tied record), which are seeded one through four based on their regular season won-lost-tied record.
- Two wild card qualifiers (those non-division champions with the conference's best won-lost-tied percentages), which are seeded five and six. The third and the sixth seeded teams, and the fourth and the fifth seeds, face each other during the first round of the playoffs, dubbed the Wild Card Round. The first and the second seeds from each conference receive a bye in the first round, which entitles these teams to automatically advance to the second round, the Divisional Playoff games to face the Wild Card survivors. In any given playoff round, the highest surviving seed always plays the lowest surviving seed. And in any given playoff game, whoever has the higher seed gets the home field advantage (i.e. the game is held at the higher seed's home field). The two surviving teams from the Divisional Playoff games meet in Conference Championship games, with the winners of those contests going on to face one another in the Super Bowl. The terms "Wild Card Round" and "Divisional Playoffs" originated from the playoff format that was used before 1990. During that time, three division winners and two wild card teams from each conference qualified for the playoffs. Only the wild card teams played during the first round, while all of the division winners received a bye, automatically advancing to the second round. A major disadvantage that critics cite in the current system is that a divisional winner could host a playoff game against a wild card team that earned a better regular season record. For example, the Tennessee Titans finished the 2003 regular season with a 12-4 record, but only qualified as a wild card team and thus had to face the Baltimore Ravens, the AFC North division champions with a 10-6 record, in Baltimore, Maryland.

League championships

The NFL's method for determining its champions has changed over the years. For the history of the process see National Football League championships.

Tiebreaking rules

The league uses a set of rules to break ties in the final season standings, i.e. teams that have the same regular season won-lost-tied record. As mentioned above, each team's order of finish in their respective divisions (first-place, second-place, etc.) determine the opponents in two of their games during the following season. The tiebreaking rules are also used to help determine playoff seedings and the order in which teams pick in the NFL draft (see below). The process basically involves comparing a set of each team's season statistics, one record at a time, until one club has a higher value than the others. The first criterion that is always compared first is head-to-head, how the tied teams fared when they played each other during the regular season. Other data that is then compared include their record against teams in their division, their record against teams in their conference, their record against common opponents, net points scored, and net touchdowns scored. If the teams remain tied after comparing all of these statistics, then the tie is broken using a coin toss. To date, a coin toss has never been used by the league to break a tie.

The draft

Many of the USA's college football players want to play in the NFL. There is a highly organized and formal process called the draft (currently consisting of seven rounds) that takes place over two days in April, in which all NFL teams participate. The NFL team with the worst record in the previous year gets first pick of the draft. That is, the team is the first to select a player from a pool of all eligible college players in the country. The idea is that weak teams can thereby become strengthened over time, in the specialties where they need strengthening. Draft picks continue, in the order from the weakest team to the strongest team, and once all teams have picked one player, they all pick again starting with the weakest team. Draft picks are frequently traded in advance for players and other draft picks. For example, before the draft occurs, Team A might trade its first-round draft pick plus a certain player (who already plays for Team A) to Team B in exchange for another particular player who already plays for Team B. Occasionally a player drafted out of college will go right into a "first-string" position as the team's primary player in that position. However, these players usually begin as second- or third-string backups, only playing games if the first-stringer is injured, or if there has been a runaway score and the coach decides to put a backup in the game for a little experience, and to ensure his first-stringer does not get injured at the end in a play that is not meaningful to the team. See List of NFL first overall draft choices

Salaries and the salary cap

The minimum salary for an NFL player is $230,000 in his first year, and rises after that based on the number of years in service. Exhibition game minimum is $10,000. These numbers are set by contract between the NFL and the players' union, the National Football League Players' Association. These numbers are of course exceeded dramatically by the best players in each position. Escalating player salaries throughout the 1980s and the advent of free agency in 1992 led to the NFL's adoption of a salary cap in 1994, a maximum amount of money each team can pay its players in aggregate. The cap is determined via a complicated formula based on the revenue that all NFL teams receive during the previous year. For the 2004 season, the NFL's salary cap was $80.582 million, an increase of $5.5 million from 2003. The cap for the 2005 season is expected to be approximately $85.5 million. Proponents of the salary cap note that it prevents a well-financed team in a major city from simply spending giant amounts of money to secure the very best players in every position and thus dominating the entire sport. This has been seen as a problem in American baseball, long dominated since the advent of free agency by large market teams. They point to the relative parity of competition that exists in the NFL as of 2005 compared to Major League Baseball as evidence that the NFL salary cap preserves competitive balance. They claim fans end up paying higher ticket prices to help pay for escalating player salaries. These concerns, among others, led in part to modified salary cap adoption in the National Basketball Association in 1984 and the National Hockey League in 2005. Critics of the salary cap note that the driving reason for the cap was to maximize the profitability of the NFL teams, and limit the power of NFL players to command the high salaries they are said to deserve in exchange for bringing in large numbers of paying fans to the stadiums. They also note that the salary cap could hypothetically drive prospective athletes to other sports that do not cap the salaries of players; furthermore, they attribute NFL competitive parity instead to the league's extensive revenue sharing policies. The NFL's current CBA (collective bargaining agreement) expires in 2008.

Racial policies

Although the current NFL is well-represented at virtually every position by African-American athletes, that was not always the case. The league had a few black players until 1933, one year after entry to the league of George Preston Marshall. Marshall's policies not only excluded blacks from his Washington Redskins team but may have influenced the entire league to drop blacks until 1946, when pressure from the competing All-America Football Conference induced the NFL to be more liberal in its signing of blacks. Another theory holds that the NFL, like most of the United States during the Great Depression, simply fired black workers before white workers, but this could hardly account for the league's apparent "all-white" policy during this period. Still, Marshall refused to sign black players until threatened with civil rights legal action by the Kennedy administration in 1962, in which it was explained to him that his lease on the then-new D.C. Stadium, which was at the time controlled by the United States Department of the Interior, would be voided if he continued to refuse to sign any black players. This action, and pressure by another competing league, the more racially-liberal American Football League, slowly managed to reverse the NFL's racial quotas. The AFL's Denver Broncos were the first modern-era team to have a black starting quarterback, Marlin Briscoe, who started the fourth game of the 1968 season, and broke pro football rookie records for passing yardage and touchdowns. The next year 1969, another American Football League team, the Buffalo Bills were the first professional football team of the modern era to begin the season with a black, James Harris as their starting quarterback. The Chicago Bears had a black quarterback in 1953, Willie Thrower, who played in only one game and did not start in any games. After that, no old-line NFL team had a black starting quarterback until the Steelers' Joe Gilliam in 1972. Even after that, for many NFL teams the door would remain closed to black quarterbacks through the 1970s. 1978 Rose Bowl MVP Warren Moon played for six seasons in the CFL before his abilities finally landed him the starting role with the Houston Oilers. It took until 1988 before a black quarterback started for a Super Bowl team, when Doug Williams won it for the Redskins. To this day, the NFL's head-coach hiring policies are questioned, and it has had to institute measures to attempt to have black head coach candidates be treated more equitably. White skill players have become increasingly rare in the modern NFL, as most positions are filled by blacks. White running backs, defensive backs, and receivers have become less and less common over the last 25 years. In 2005, a slim majority of offensive linemen are white, while no whites are listed as Tailbacks or Cornerbacks on NFL rosters. Most quarterbacks, punters, and kickers are white, while almost all running backs, wide receivers, defensive backs, defensive linemen, safeties, punt returners, and kickoff returners are black. Increasingly, positions such as tight end, fullback, and linebacker are being filled by blacks. In the early 1980s, blacks and whites each made up roughly half of the players. Since then, the percentage of black players has increased steadily to its present 2005 level of 69%. Whites make up the majority of the remaining players, followed by Pacific Islanders, Hispanics, and Asians.

Television

The television rights to pro football are the most lucrative (and most expensive) rights of any sport available. In fact, it was television that brought pro football into prominence in the modern era of technology. Since then, NFL broadcasts have become among the most-watched programs on American television, and the fortunes of entire networks have rested on owning NFL broadcasting rights.

History

For information on the development of football prior to formation of the NFL, see: History of American football. Professional football dates at least to 1892, when an athletic club in Pittsburgh paid William "Pudge" Heffelfinger $500 to take part in a game. Over the next few decades, while most attention was paid to football at elite colleges on the East Coast, the professional game spread widely in the Midwest. The American Professional Football Association was founded in 1920 at a Hupmobile dealership in Canton, Ohio. Legendary athlete Jim Thorpe was elected president. The group of 11 teams, all but one in the Midwest, was originally less a league than an agreement not to rob other teams' players. In the early years, APFA members continued to play non-APFA teams. In 1921, the APFA began releasing official standings, and the following year, the group changed its name to the National Football League. However, the NFL was hardly a major league in the '20s. Teams entered and left the league frequently. Franchises included such colorful representatives as the Oorang Indians, an all-Native American outfit that also put on a performing dog show. Yet as former college stars like Red Grange and Benny Friedman began to test the professional waters, the pro game slowly began to increase in popularity. By 1934 all of the small-town teams, with the exception of the Green Bay Packers, had moved to or been replaced by big cities. One factor in the league's rising popularity was the institution of an annual championship game in 1933. By the end of World War II, pro football began to rival the college game for fans' attention. The spread of the T formation led to a faster-paced, higher-scoring game that attracted record numbers of fans. In 1945, the Cleveland Rams moved to Los Angeles, becoming the first big-league sports franchise on the West Coast. In 1950, the NFL accepted three teams from the defunct All-America Football Conference, expanding to 13 clubs. In the 1950s, pro football finally earned its place as a major sport. The NFL embraced television, giving Americans nationwide a chance to follow stars like Bobby Layne, Paul Hornung and Johnny Unitas. The 1958 NFL championship in New York -- considered by many to be the most-important game in the rise of the NFL -- drew record TV viewership and made national celebrities out of Unitas and his Baltimore Colts teammates. The rise of pro football was so fast that by the mid-'60s, it had surpassed baseball as Americans' favorite spectator sport in some surveys. As more people wanted to cash in on this surge of popularity than the NFL could accommodate, a rival league, the American Football League, was founded in 1960. The ensuing costly war for players between the NFL and AFL almost derailed the sport's ascent. In 1966, the leagues agreed to merge as of the 1970 season. The ten AFL teams joined three existing NFL teams to form the NFL's American Football Conference. The remaining 13 NFL teams became the National Football Conference. Another result of the merger was the creation of the Super Bowl to determine the "world champion" of pro football. In the 1970s and '80s, the NFL solidified its dominance as America's top spectator sport and its important role in American culture. The Super Bowl became an unofficial national holiday and the top-rated TV program most years. Monday Night Football, which first aired in 1970 brought in high ratings by mixing sports and entertainment. Rules changes in the late '70s ensured a fast-paced game with lots of passing to attract the casual fan. The founding of the United States Football League in the early '80s was the biggest challenge to the NFL in the post-merger era. The USFL was a well-financed competitor with big-name players and a national television contract. However, the USFL failed to make money and folded after three years. In recent years, the NFL has expanded into new markets and ventures. In 1993, the league formed the World League of American Football, (now NFL Europe), a developmental league now with teams in Germany and the Netherlands. The league played a regular-season NFL game in Mexico City in 2005 and intends to play more such games in other countries. In 2003, The NFL lauched its own cable-television channel, the NFL Network.

Video games

NFL Network]] Electronic Arts publishes an NFL video game for current video game consoles and for PCs each year, called Madden NFL, being named after former coach and current football commentator John Madden. Prior to the 2005-2006 football season, other NFL games were produced by competing video game publishers, such as Sega and Midway Games. However, in December 2004, Electronic Arts signed a five-year exclusive agreement with the NFL, meaning only Electronic Arts will publish games featuring NFL team and player names.

Commissioners and presidents

#President Jim Thorpe (1920) #President Joseph Carr (1921-1939) #President Carl Storck (1939-1941) #Commissioner Elmer Layden (1941-1946) #Commissioner Bert Bell (1946-1959) #Interim President Austin Gunsel (1959-1960, following death of Bell) #Commissioner Alvin "Pete" Rozelle (1960-1989) #Commissioner Paul Tagliabue (1989-present)

League offices


- Canton, Ohio (1920-1921)
- Columbus, Ohio (1921-1941)
- Chicago, Illinois (1941-1946)
- Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (1946-1960)
- New York, New York (1960-present)

Players


- List of American football players
- Current NFL players

Rules named after players

The following is a partial list of rules that were enacted largely based on a single player's exploits on the field.
- the Bronko Nagurski Rule -- forward passing made legal from anywhere behind the line of scrimmage. Enacted in 1933. Prior to this rule change a player had to be five yards behind the line of scrimmage to throw a forward pass.
- the Deacon Jones Rule -- no head-slapping. Enacted in 1977.
- the Deion Sanders rule -- Player salary rule which correlates a contract's signing bonus with its yearly salary. Enacted after Deion Sanders signed with the Dallas Cowboys in 1995 for a minimum salary and a $13 million signing bonus. (There is also a college football rule with this nickname.)
- the Emmitt Smith Rule -- no taking your helmet off on the field of play. Enacted in 1997.
- the Erik Williams rule -- no hands to the facemask by offensive linemen.
- the Fran Tarkenton rule -- a line judge was added as the sixth official. Enacted in 1965.
- the Ken Stabler rule -- on fourth down or any down in the final two-minutes of play, if a player fumbles, only the fumbling player can recover and/or advance the ball. Enacted in 1979.
- the Lester Hayes rule -- no Stickum™ allowed. Enacted in 1981.
- the Lou Groza rule -- no artificial medium to assist in the execution of a kick. Enacted in 1956.
- the Mel Renfro rule -- allows a "double touch" by the offense. Enacted in 1978.
- the Michael Irvin rule -- no taunting. Another rule, resulting in offensive pass interference, prohibiting WRs to push off CBs, is also often called "the Michael Irvin rule."
- the Bert Emanuel rule -- the ball can touch the ground during a completed pass as long as the receiver maintains control of the ball.
- the Terrell Owens rule -- no "foreign objects" on a player's uniform (enacted in response to the 2002 "Sharpie™ incident").
- the Peyton Manning rule -- Defensive backs can only make contact with receivers within five yards of the line of scrimmage.
- the Roy Williams rule -- no horse-collar tackles. Enacted in 2005. See the external [http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=rulesname Professional Football Researchers Association] for more "player named" rules, and background information on how these rules came about.

Awards


- Vince Lombardi Trophy
- Lamar Hunt Trophy
- George S. Halas Trophy
- Most Valuable Player
- Coach of the Year
- Offensive Player of the Year
- Defensive Player of the Year
- Offensive Rookie of the Year
- Defensive Rookie of the Year
- Super Bowl MVP
- NFL Comeback Player of the Year
- Walter Payton Man of the Year Award

Footnotes

# [http://www.nfl.com/schedules/tv/2005_opponents NFL scheduling formula at NFL.com]

See also


- Glossary of American football
- List of NFL seasons
- NFL Europe
- NFL Lore
- NFL Nicknames
- List of Professional Football Drafts
- American Football League
- Defunct NFL teams
- Pro Bowl
- Super Bowl
- Pro Football Hall of Fame
- NFL Individual Records
- NFL Team-Oriented Records
- Professional Football Championship Games
- Personal Seat License
- List of leagues of American football
- NFL Annual Rushing Leaders
- List of National Football League franchise post-season droughts
- Significant rivalries in the NFL
- Madden NFL series
- NFL Street series
- NFL Blitz
- List of NFL tied games (since 1974)

References


- [http://www.nfl.com Official NFL website]
- [http://www.superbowl.com Official Super Bowl website]
- [http://cbs.sportsline.com/nfl/history NFL History] - Champion and Award Lists
- "NFL Scores Nearly $18 Billion in TV Rights", by Stefan Fatsis and Kyle Pope, 14 January 1998, The Wall Street Journal (p. B1) [http://subscribe.wsj.com/microexamples/articlefiles/NFLScoresNearly18BillionInTVRights.doc]
- NFL Record and Fact Book (ISBN 193299436X)
- Total Football: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League (ISBN 0062701746)
- http://www.pro-football-reference.com - Large online database of NFL data and statistics
- [http://nflhistory.net/ The NFL History Network] - includes a large database of historic NFL box scores
- [http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A57668-2005Jan7?language=printer NFL's Economic Model Shows Signs of Strain]
- [http://www.footballresearch.com/articles/frpage.cfm?topic=rulesname Professional Football Researchers Association] - detailed descriptions of why many of the rules named after players were enacted. Category:American football ja:NFL th:เอ็นเอฟแอล

New York Giants

: This is for the current NFL football team, the New York Giants. For the original football team to take the name, see Brickley's Giants. For the professional baseball team of that name that played in New York from 1883 through 1957, see San Francisco Giants. ---- The New York Giants are a National Football League team that originated in New York City, but is currently based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The Giants were one of five teams that joined the NFL in 1925 The Giants have won six NFL titles, including two Super Bowls. :Founded: The current Giants team started in 1925. :Formerly known as: The New York Football Giants (still the legal name of the corporate entity which owns the team) :Home field: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey (1976-) :Previous home fields: ::Polo Grounds (1925-1955) ::Yankee Stadium (1956-1973) ::Yale Bowl (1973-1974) ::Shea Stadium (1975) :Uniform colors: Royal blue with red trim :Helmet design: Royal blue, with a white lower-case "ny" logo :Unofficial Nickname(s): Big Blue, G-Men

Franchise history

Shea Stadium

1925-1963

The Giants were founded in 1925 by original owner Tim Mara with an investment of $500 and became one of the first teams of the NFL. Mara owned the team until his death in 1959; it was passed to his son Wellington. In 1934, the team defeated the Chicago Bears 30-13 at the Polo Grounds on an icy field with temperatures peaking at 25 degrees. Before the game, team treasurer John Mara talked with coach Steve Owen and captain Ray Flaherty about the frozen field conditions at the Polo Grounds. Flaherty suggested the Giants wear sneakers on the frozen field, as he had played in a game under similar circumstances at Gonzaga and the sneakers proved to be effective. Mara dispatched equipment manager Abe Cohen to get as many sneakers as he could get. Due to traffic and the inability to find any athletic goods stores open on Sunday, Cohen was unable to return before the game started and the Giants, wearing conventional footwear, would trail 10 to 3 at the end of the first half. As the first half progressed Cohen realized he was coming up completely empty. Realizing time was short, Cohen went to Manhattan College - where he had a key to the equipment and locker rooms - and returned to the Polo Grounds at halftime with nine pairs of basketball sneakers, saying that "nine pairs was all I could get." Players donned the sneakers and the Giants, after allowing the Bears another field goal late in the third period, would respond with 27 unanswered points in the 4th quarter to win their first NFL Championship. The game would come to be known as the "Sneakers Game", and the 27 points the Giants scored in the 4th quarter set a single-quarter championship game scoring record that would stand for decades. After the game John Mara expressed his sincere gratitude by stating simply "God bless Abe Cohen." The Giants would add their second NFL championship 4 years later in 1938 with a 23-17 win over the Green Bay Packers in front of over 48,000 fans at the Polo Grounds. The game was a tight affair and the Packers led 17-16 late; but Ed Danowski would throw a 23-yard touchdown pass to Hank Soar and the defense would hold on to give the Giants their second NFL championship. The Giants won their third NFL Championship in 1956. The year marked their first year playing their home games at Yankee Stadium, and the Giants won the Eastern Division with an 8-3-1 record. In the NFL Championship Game on an icy field against the Chicago Bears, the Giants wore sneakers as they had 22 years previous. They dominated the Bears winning the championship by a score of 47-7. The 1956 Giants featured a number of future Hall of Fame players, including Frank Gifford, Sam Huff and Roosevelt Brown. Equally notable, the team featured as its coordinators future Hall of Fame head coaches Tom Landry (defense) and Vince Lombardi (offense). Combined, both coaches would win 7 NFL championships. Not least of all, those Giants featured Frank Gifford, Kyle Rote, Thomas Conlin, and Pat Summerall, who would go on to highly successful second careers as football announcers. The Giants had another successful year in 1958. They tied for the Eastern Division regular season title with a 9-3 record and beat the Cleveland Browns, 10-0. Thus did the Giants secure a berth in the NFL Championship Game against the Baltimore Colts on December 28, 1958. This game, which would become known as "The Greatest Game Ever Played", is considered by many to be a watershed event in the history of the NFL and for many marked the beginning of the rise of the NFL into the dominant sport in the American market. Among other things it was the first game to be shown to a national broadcast audience (on NBC) and was the most watched football game to date. The game itself was a highly competitive, back-and-forth affair that saw the momentum shift back and forth throughout. The Giants got off to a quick 3-0 lead; however the Colts would score two touchdowns to take a 14-3 halftime lead. Late in the third quarter, the Colts appeared ready to put the game out of reach by driving down to the Giants' three yard line. However, the Giants stopped the Colts, tackling fullback Alan Ameche on 4th down. This stop would be a turning point of the game. The Giants, which appeared to be all but defeated, suddenly charged back with a 95-yard drive, the key play being Charlie Conerly's pass to Kyle Rote, who after a 62-yard gain fumbles at the Colts' 25, where Alex Webster picks up the ball and runs to the one, culminating with a one-yard touchdown run by Mel Triplett, to make the score 14-10. Then, in short order, the Giants drove again, with quarterback Charley Conerly throwing a 15-yard touchdown pass to Frank Gifford to take the lead, 17-14. In less than a quarter, the entire momentum had changed, from all Colts to all Giants, and the crowd responded. With slightly more than two minutes left, after having been stopped on third down when it appeared the Giants may have gotten a first down, the Giants punted the ball back to the Colts, pinning them on their own 14 yard line. At this point the Colts appeared to be as defeated and demoralized as the Giants had been. Yet as the Giants had, they put together one last, desperate drive. The star of this drive was receiver Raymond Berry, who caught 3 passes for 62 yards, the last one for 22 yards to the Giant 13 yard line. With seven seconds left in regulation, Steve Myhra kicked a 20-yard field goal to tie the score 17-17, sending the game to overtime for the first time in NFL history. Though the Giants won the toss and received the opening kickoff, the Giants could do nothing and punted it back to the Colts. From their own 20, the Colts marched back up the field in short order, a key play being Alan Ameche's 23 yard run which brought the Colts to the Giants 20. Though the game was delayed temporarily when a fan tripped a television wire, causing NBC to temporarily lose transmission, the Colts momentum was not deterred. Alan Ameche finally scored from the one yard line to give the championship to the Colts, 23-17. The Giants enjoyed a run of success in the early 1960's. Led by quarterback YA Tittle and head coach Allie Sherman, the Giants won three consecutive Eastern Division titles from 1961-1963. In 1961 they were beaten by the Packers, 37-0. In 1962, they went into the championship game with a league best 12-2 record, and a nine-game winning streak; but lost to the Packers again, 16-7. They finished with an 11-3 record in 1963, to face the Chicago Bears for the NFL championship. On an icy field the Giants defense dominated, as the Bears intercepted YA Tittle 5 times (including one returned for a score) and injured Tittle in the first half (though Tittle would finish the game). The Giants hung tough but lost 14-10 to the Bears, their 3rd straight NFL Championship Game defeat.

Tough Times: 1964-1975

After the 1963 season, the team fell apart quickly, finishing 2-10-2 in 1964 and beginning an 18-season playoff drought. The team would rebound with a 7-7 record in 1965 before compiling a league-worst 1-12-1 record in 1966. Interest in the team was waning rapidly, especially with the rapid rise of the New York Jets, their wide-open style of play and their charismatic quarterback Joe Namath. Looking to improve their on-field product, and also to find a player with talent and star power to better compete with the Jets for New York fans' affections, the Giants acquired Fran Tarkenton from the Minnesota Vikings for the 1967 season and quickly showed improvement. They finished 7-7 in both the 1967 and 1968 seasons, and 6-8 in the 1969 season. Notably, in 1968, one of Tarkenton's favorite targets, wide receiver Homer Jones made the Pro Bowl. Through the 2004 season, no other Giants receiver was selected for the Pro Bowl - a drought of 37 seasons. In 1970, Tarkenton's fourth with the Giants, the Giants showed marked improvement, fielding their most competitive team since the 1963 NFL finalist. After an 0-3 start the Giants would win 9 out of their next 10, and with a 9-4 record would go into their season finale against the Los Angeles Rams with a chance to win the NFC East Division. Though the Giants took an early 3-0 lead the Rams would score the next 31 points, dashing the Giants hopes and leaving them out of the playoffs. Tarkenton would enjoy his best season as a Giant in 1970 and make the Pro Bowl. Additionally, running back Ron Johnson also made the Pro Bowl and ran for 1027 yards, becoming the first Giant ever to gain 1000 yards rushing in a season. Meanwhile, the Jets, much as the Giants had in 1964, fell apart suddenly, dropping to a 4-10 record after several consecutive seasons of success. Once again, the Giants appeared to take the lead for New York fans' affections. The Giants were unable to really build on their 1970 success. After the 1970 season the Giants dropped to 4-10, resulting in Tarkenton being traded back to the Vikings. The Giants would rally somewhat the following season to finish 8-6 behind veteran journeyman quarterback Norm Snead, who would lead the league in passing and enjoy his best season. After the 1972 season, the Giants would suffer one of the worst prolonged stretches in their proud history.

Leaving New York: 1973-1978

Desiring their own home stadium, in the early 1970s the Giants reached an agreement with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority to play their home games at a brand-new, state-of-the-art, dedicated football stadium. The stadium, which would be known as Giants Stadium, was to be built at a brand new sports complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. As the complex was being built, and their current home at Yankee Stadium was being renovated, they would be for three years without a home. Their final full season at Yankee Stadium was 1972, and would play their first two games there in 1973. The Giants would play the rest of their home games in 1973, as well as all of their home games in 1974, at the Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut, primarily out of a desire to have their own home field, as opposed to having to share with the Jets. However, between access problems, neighborhood issues, the fact that the Yale Bowl was not ideally suited for pro football, as well as the age of the stadium (it was built in 1914) and the lack of modern amenities, the Giants reconsidered their decision and ultimately agreed to share Shea Stadium for the 1975 season with the Jets. The Giants left Yale Bowl after losing all seven home games played at Yale in the 1974 season and compiling a home record of 1-11 over that two year stretch. Nine years later it would be the Jets who would move from Shea Stadium to share Giants Stadium with the Giants. One of the bright spots in this era was the play of tight end Bob Tucker who, from 1970 through part of the 1977 seasons was one of the top tight ends in the League. Tucker amassed 327 receptions, 4322 yards and 22 touchdowns during his years as a Giant. Despite their new home and heightened fan interest, the Giants still played subpar in 1976 and 1977. In 1978, the Giants started the year 5-6 and played the Eagles at home with a chance to solidify their playoff prospects. However the Giants would be involved in one of the most notorious finishes in NFL history. With less than 30 seconds left, the Giants had a 17-12 lead, and with the Eagles out of time outs, the Giants appeared to have the game won. Inexplicably, however, Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik attempted to hand the ball off to fullback Larry Csonka. Csonka, however, was unprepared to receive the handoff, and the ball bounced off his chest and bounced free. Eagles safety Herman Edwards picked up the loose ball and ran, untouched, for a score, thus giving the Eagles a miraculous 19-17 victory. In the aftermath of the defeat, Giants coach John McVay was fired, and the Giants lost three out of their last four games to finish out of the playoffs for the 15th straight season. However, following the 1978 season came the steps that would, in time, lead the Giants back to the pinnacle of the NFL.

The Building of a Champion: 1979-1985

The Giants made a decision to hire a General Manager following the 1978 season, to be responsible for building the on-field product. However, the search grew contentious and severely fractured the relationship between owners Wellington and Tim Mara. Finally, Wellington Mara asked NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to step in with a recommendation. Rozelle recommended George Young, who worked in personnel for the Miami Dolphins and had been an assistant coach for the Baltimore Colts. Young was hired; however the rift between the Maras lasted for several years (in fact, at one point a partition was put between the two in the owner's box.) One of Young's first actions was to hire Ray Perkins as head coach. In his first draft, Young drafted quarterback Phil Simms from Morehead State University to the surpise of many. The Giants would however continue to struggle, finishing 6-10 and 4-12 in 1979 and 1980. With the second overall draft pick in the 1981 draft, the Giants selected Lawrence Taylor, linebacker out of the University of North Carolina. The impact that Taylor had on the Giants' defense was immediate. His athleticism and speed made him the prototype linebacker of the day and raised the Giants linebacker corps - which included Harry Carson and Brad Van Pelt - into one of the NFL's best. The Giants started the 1981 season 5-3; but would lose their next three games to fall to 5-6 amid the same worries from their fans. Giants fans would become even more on-edge when Phil Simms was injured, to be replaced by Scott Brunner. Brunner, however, proved up to the task. The Giants would beat the defending conference champion Philadelphia Eagles 20-10 before losing a tough game to the San Francisco 49ers 17-10. The Giants would then defeat the Los Angeles Rams 10-7 and the St. Louis Cardinals 20-10, setting up a season finale against the Dallas Cowboys, in which a win would clinch a playoff berth. Wearing their white jerseys at home (so as to force the Cowboys to wear their "unlucky" blue jerseys) the Giants won the game 13-10 in overtime on a Joe Danelo field goal, clinching the team's first playoff berth since 1963. The Giants would acquit themselves well in the playoffs. They would defeat the Philadelphia Eagles on the road 27-21 in the Wild Card round for their first playoff win since 1956, then played the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers tough before falling again 38-24. Despite the loss Giants fans were on the whole pleased with the Giants' progress and for the first time in a generation, the Giants had real hope of being a champion. The Giants were unable to build on their success in 1982, due largely to the 1982 NFL Players Strike that reduced the schedule to 9 games. The Giants lost their first two games before the strike and their first game upon returning. They then won their next three games, against the Detroit Lions, Houston Oilers and Washington Redskins to even their record at 3-3. Unfortunately, they would lose their next two games to effectively knock themselves out of the playoffs, despite getting a win against the Philadelphia Eagles in the season finale. Ray Perkins left the Giants after the 1982 season to replace Bear Bryant as head coach of the University of Alabama. George Young's choice to replace Perkins would be Bill Parcells, the Giants' defensive coordinator. Parcells first year proved to be quite trying. Remembering Scott Brunner's role in helping the Giants to the playoffs in 1981, Parcells' first major decision was to select Brunner over Phil Simms as quarterback. At first it appeared that Parcells' decision was justified, especially after a 27-3 victory over the Green Bay Packers gave the Giants a 2-2 record after 4 games. However, the Giants would proceed to lose all but one of their final 12 games. Many considered the lowlight of the season the Giants' 20-20 tie with St. Louis on Monday Night Football, considered by many to be the worst game played in the history of MNF. Parcells ignored fans' protests and stuck with Brunner for most of the year, although Jeff Rutledge would see considerable late-season action. Simms played very little, only throwing thireen passes all year. One of the few bright spots for the Giants that year was rookie placekicker Ali Haji-Sheikh, who set an NFL record with 35 field goals in 42 attempts on the year. Despite their record, the Giants were competitive in many of their losses, and Young ignored calls to fire Parcells by retaining him for the 1984 season. Phil Simms won the starting job back for the 1984 season and Brunner was released. The Giants enjoyed a resurgence in the 1984 season, highlighted by a midseason stretch where they won 5 of 6 against opponents such as the defending conference champion Washington Redskins, the Dallas Cowboys and their new co-tenants at Giants Stadium, the Jets. With 2 games left the Giants had a 9-5 record and a chance to win their first divisional title in 21 years. Yet despite the fact that they lost their final two games to finish 9-7, the Giants still made the playoffs as a Wild Card. As they had three years previous, they acquitted themselves well again, beating the Los Angeles Rams 16-13 in Anaheim before losing, 21-10, to the eventual Super Bowl champion San Francisco 49ers. Although Parcells preferred a run-first "smashmouth" offense, Simms, highly motivated to prove himself, threw all but one of the Giants' passes in 1984 and threw for 4,044 yards, making him the first Giant to ever reach the 4,000 yard passing milestone in a season. Rob Carpenter and Joe Morris split running back duties, combining for over 1300 yards and 11 touchdowns. Four receivers had over 30 catches on the year, including tight end Zeke Mowatt and receiver Bobby Johnson tying for the team lead with 48 catches each. The Giants started out the 1985 season 3-1. They then lost to the Dallas Cowboys 30-29 in one of the first Sunday night national TV games, and to the Cincinnati Bengals 35-30 to drop to .500. They rallied to win their next 4 in a row, and alternated wins and losses the rest of the season to finish 10-6 and in a three-way tie for 1st. Though the Giants lost the division to the Dallas Cowboys on a tiebreaker, the Giants still made the playoffs as a Wild Card. For the third straight time, the Giants won their first round Wild Card playoff game on the road, 17-3 over the defending champion 49ers. In the divisional playoffs they were no match for the eventual Super Bowl champion Chicago Bears, who won 21-0. (In a memorable aside, NBC Sports commentator Pete Axthelm predicted not only that the Bears would win that game, but that they would shut the Giants out. When the prediction came true, Axthelm drew a big zero with a crayon on a piece of paper and held it up to the camera, to raucous laughter.) Many of the players that would play key roles on the Giants Super Bowl teams emerged in 1985. Joe Morris, known as "Little Joe" for his stature, emerged as the feature back role on the Giants, running for 1,338 yards, scoring 21 touchdowns and making the Pro Bowl. Rookie receiver Lionel Manuel led the Giants with 49 catches, and tight end Mark Bavaro had 37 catches his first season. Simms again threw every pass for the Giants that season, passing for over 3,800 yards, and Lawrence Taylor would get 13 sacks on the season.

Back on Top: 1986-1990

The Giants entered the 1986 season as one of the favorites to win the Super Bowl. They would have their first test in the first Monday Night game against the defending East champion Dallas Cowboys, a team that had become their main nemesis. The Giants played well at home but lost the opener, 31-28. The Giants, however, would win their next 5 in a row and 14 of their last 15, their only other loss coming against the Seattle Seahawks 17-12 in Week 7. The defense set the tone for these Giants, allowing only 236 points all year, 2nd in the NFL. Lawrence Taylor was the standard bearer, and set a single-season team record with 20.5 sacks. (That record is now held by Michael Strahan, who established the record while playing for the Giants during the 2001 season.) Taylor was so dominant that he was named NFL MVP, an award typically given out to an offensive back. On offense, Joe Morris enjoyed another excellent season in 1986, rushing for 1516 yards, scoring 14 touchdowns and making his 2nd straight Pro Bowl. Also making the Pro Bowl was Mark Bavaro who emerged as one of the NFL's best Tight Ends, catching 66 passes for 1001 yards, which made him the Giants' leading receiver. Jim Burt, Leonard Marshall, Brad Benson and Harry Carson also made the Pro Bowl, giving the Giants 7 representatives. Having won their first divisional title in 23 years, the Giants hosted the 49ers in the Divisional Playoffs and won easily, 49-3. The Giants then shut out the Redskins 17-0 in the NFC Championship Game at Giants Stadium. At the end of the game, mindful of how loyal and supportive their fans had been through some very lean years, the Giants flashed a message on the stadium message board thanking "the best fans in the world". Finally, in Super Bowl XXI, after falling behind 10-9 at halftime, the Giants defeated the Denver Broncos 39-20. Quarterback Phil Simms was named MVP after completing 22 of 25 (88%) of his passes - a Super Bowl record. It was these 1986 Giants that popularized the football tradition of dousing the head coach with a cooler of Gatorade near the end of a victorious game. This started in Week 2 of the 1986 season, when Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson snuck up on Coach Parcells to dump the remaining Gatorade over his head. The dousing was a big hit with fans, and the Gatorade dumping would continued on throughout the season after each win, with Taylor and Carson (or whichever players were involved) concocting increasingly elaborate, sneaky and playful rouses, so as to at least attempt to keep the inevitable dousing a surprise. Bill Parcells earned the lion's share of media attention for his building the Giants into a defensive champion. His trademarks were his no-nonsense coaching style, his band of highly capable, loyal and confident assistant coaches, and a style with the press that sometimes came across as abrasive but straightforward. His offenses were considered "smashmouth", unspectacular but brutally effective, revolving around a power running game and a ball-control passing attack featuring the tight end as a primary receiver. Where Parcells' teams really differentiated themselves were their defenses. Parcells' defensive teams were attacking, high-risk and high-reward. In addition to Taylor, these defenses were characterized by players such as Elvis Patterson. Patterson, nicknamed "Toast" for his propensity for getting beat by receivers due to overagressiveness, was encouraged by Parcells staff to be aggressive. The result was Patterson reaching his potential as an dangerous defensive back who reliably broke up passes and, quite often, made big interceptions in big spots, running some back for touchdowns. The 1987 season would be a lost season for the Giants. The Giants lost their first two games of the season before the 1987 NFL Players Strike. Unlike the players strike five years previous, NFL owners made a decision to go forward with replacement players. Unlike other teams like the Washington Redskins and Houston Oilers, who made specific and elaborate plans to deal with the replacement games, the Giants made no plans. The result was that the Giants lost all three replacement games, putting their record at 0-5 before the strike was over and the replacement players came back. Though the Giants would go a respectable 6-4 over their final 10 games, they would finish out of the playoffs at 6-9. Bright spots for the season included tight end Mark Bavaro, who led the team in catches with 55, and three of the Giants linebackers making the Pro Bowl - Lawrence Taylor, Carl Banks and Harry Carson. The Giants started the 1988 season alternating wins and losses through their first six games. However, they were then able to take full advantage of their last-place schedule from the year before, winning their next four games against the Cowboys, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Detroit Lions twice. After two straight losses, the Giants would win their next three games to set up a win-or-go-home game against the New York Jets in the season finale in what would be a road game. Though the Jets were playing for little other than pride and a winning season, they defeated their co-tenants at Giants Stadium 27-21, and as such the Giants would mi