As reported by New York Giants Examiner Zac Wassink and New York Jets Examiner Tyson Rauch, the Giants won a coin toss to determine which New York football franchise would host the first regular season game at the new Meadowlands Stadium in September.
The Giants and the Jets, who are equal partners in the newly constructed $1.7 billion stadium, had been at odds over this issue, with no resolution in sight, until Commissioner Roger Goodell and the National Football League (NFL) were called upon to settle the dispute.
According to 660 WFAN, 1050 ESPN Radio and NYDailyNews.com, Jets owner Woody Johnson was “outraged” a team representative was not present to witness the coin flip.
However, although losing the coin toss, the Jets will host the first NFL game at the new stadium during the pre-season in August as well as the first nationally televised game on the Monday evening following the Giants’ Sunday afternoon home opener on September 12.
In his recent article, Giants Examiner Zac Wassink stated that “the right team won the coin toss and the right team is hosting the first game in the new stadium”.
This is where a respectful counterpoint will be brought to the table.
Over the past decade, neither the Giants nor the Jets established an overwhelming home-field advantage at Giants Stadium.
In 80 regular season games during this span, the Giants were a mediocre 42-38 at home while the Jets closed out their tenure at the 33-year-old venue with a record of 43-37.
The playoff histories for both franchises weren’t stellar ones either.
The Giants began the decade with two consecutive home victories to earn a berth in Super Bowl XXXV against the Baltimore Ravens, where New York was embarrassed by a score of 34-7.
The next two home playoff games for the G-Men came against the Carolina Panthers in 2006 and the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009; and the Giants lost both contests by a combined score of 46-11.
The Giants did win Super Bowl XLII in 2008 by stunning the undefeated New England Patriots, but after disappointing finishes in the last two seasons the luster from that triumph is quickly beginning to fade.
On the other hand, the Jets’ lone home playoff game in the past ten years came against Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. And from the opening kickoff to the final whistle, Gang Green dominated the Colts in every phase of the game on their way to a commanding 41-0 victory.
So, in summary, the past decade saw the Giants finish with a home playoff record of 2-2 and the Jets close with a post-season home tally of 1-0; taking their overall home records to 44-40 and 44-37 respectively.
No real difference here, right?
Wrong.
In their respective Giants Stadium home finales, the Giants allowed the Carolina Panthers to pass, run, and walk all over them in an uninspired 41-9 loss that ended their playoff hopes while the Jets convincingly trounced the Cincinnati Bengals, 37-0, to clinch a post-season wild card spot.
And the Jets carried that momentum into a memorable playoff run which came to an end in the AFC Championship Game against the Indianapolis Colts.
But, in spite of their Super Bowl aspirations being dashed at Lucas Oil Stadium, Gang Green created a buzz in New York City that is still being felt today as a result of the organization’s recent off-season acquisitions.
The addition of future Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson to the top rushing attack in the NFL and the athletically gifted Pro Bowl cornerback Antonio Cromartie to the top defense in the league is as about as aggressive the Jets organization has ever been in recent years to bolster their roster.
But they’re still not finished.
Reports have begun circulating that the Jets may be looking to acquire the services of free agent Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall as well.
For their part, the Giants did sign Pro Bowl safety Antrel Rolle to improve a secondary in dire need of reinforcements, but it’s becoming glaringly obvious the Jets are the ones making the moves that are turning heads and getting people talking.
Therefore, based on the performance of the team at the end of last season, the shrewd maneuvers being made by the front office during this off-season, and the fact they have played second fiddle to the Giants for the past 25 years, the Jets deserved the right to host the first game in the new Meadowlands Stadium.
Alas, what’s done is done. The New York Giants got their wish by winning a coin toss to finally put an end to this senseless argument.
However, truth be told, a new era in New York football is about begin and it has Gang Green’s imprint all over it.
The Giants won this battle, but the Jets may very well end up winning the war in the long run.
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