New York Giants

Lore & Background

The Giants were one of five teams that joined the NFL in 1925, and they are the only one of that group still existing, as well as the league's longest-established team in the Northeastern United States. The team ranks third among all NFL franchises with eight NFL championship titles: four in the pre-Super Bowl era (1927, 1934, 1938, 1956) and four since the advent of the Super Bowl (XXI, XXV, XLII, and XLVI), along with more championship appearances than any other team, with 19 overall appearances. Their championship tally is surpassed only by the Green Bay Packers (13) and the Chicago Bears (9). Throughout their history, the Giants have featured 29 Hall of Fame players, including NFL Most Valuable Player (MVP) award winners Mel Hein, Frank Gifford, Y. A. Tittle, and Lawrence Taylor.

Reader's Guide

To distinguish themselves from the professional baseball team of the same name, the football team was incorporated as the 'New York National League Football Company, Inc.' in 1929 and then changed to 'New York Football Giants, Inc.' in 1937. While the baseball team moved to San Francisco after the 1957 season, the football team continues to legally use it as its corporate name, which the team is often referred to by fans and sportscasters alike. The team has also acquired several nicknames, including 'Big Blue', the 'G-Men', and the 'Jints', an intentionally mangled contraction seen frequently in the New York Post and New York Daily News, originating from the baseball team when they were based in New York.

In addition, the team as a whole is occasionally referred to as the 'Big Blue Wrecking Crew', even though this moniker primarily and originally refers to the Giants defensive unit during the 1980s and early-1990s.

Did You Know?

• The Giants' heated rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles is the oldest of the NFC East rivalries, dating back to 1933, and has been called the best rivalry in the NFL in the 21st century.
• The 1944 Giants gave up only 7.5 points per game and shut out five of their 10 opponents, though they lost 14–7 to the Green Bay Packers in the 1944 NFL Championship Game.
• The Giants played the Detroit Lions to a scoreless tie on November 7, 1943; no NFL game played since then has ended in a scoreless tie.