Tommy De Vito, Mark Bavaro, and Other Italian American Tough Guys

[mrreality68]

He looks good thru the first 4 games of his career and he is athletic and fun to watch.
Not sure on the long term potential as the sample size is small but he earned the starting job the rest of the year and he is putting himself in a great position for a raise and for a backup role vs 3rd string

[bk400]

The Giants looked like the worst team in the NFL until De Vito took the reigns.

The Giants are still an awful, non-competitive team in many respects (and the Eagles might poleaxe them), but at least they are showing up with effort and fight. And they actually have a non-zero chance of making the playoffs.

De Vito is an early study in strong leadership -- at least that's what it looks like watching from an armchair.

[John1941]

I'm just happy to see an Italian-American getting a little success in the NFL.

[bk400]

Originally Posted by John1941

I'm just happy to see an Italian-American getting a little success in the NFL.

Kind of like this other Giant?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqlVwmEiwaE

[mrreality68]

They are more fun to watch even with no real reason to watch with the season done.
Scary but last e games he looked better than D. Jones and he is doing it with the same leaking O Line
But with 2 more against the Eagles(I always hate in a 16/now 17 game season that they make the schedule to have the same 2 teams play twice within 2 weeks of each other in this case 16 and 18)

[packs]

Everyone loves a guy who shows up to play. I don't feel like Eli ever wowed anyone with analytics or stats but anyone who ever watched him play knew that Eli was there to try to win every game. I get the same feeling when I watch DeVito play. I don't feel the same way when Daniel Jones is out there.

[rjackson44]

both horrible lol

[bk400]

Originally Posted by packs

Everyone loves a guy who shows up to play. I don't feel like Eli ever wowed anyone with analytics or stats but anyone who ever watched him play knew that Eli was there to try to win every game. I get the same feeling when I watch DeVito play. I don't feel the same way when Daniel Jones is out there.

+1.

The only Eli stats that matter to Giants fans (and perhaps to him) is 2. As in the number of championships he won.

In terms of advanced analytics, here's one -- Eli Manning had only one Pro Bowler teammate in both Super Bowl winning seasons (Osi Umenyiora in 2007 and Jason Pierre Paul in 2011).

[John1941]

Originally Posted by bk400

Kind of like this other Giant?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqlVwmEiwaE

Yeah, though I didn't know it.

I'd never heard of Mark Bavaro before, but that's kind of an amazing play.

[cgjackson222]

Originally Posted by John1941

Yeah, though I didn't know it.

I'd never heard of Mark Bavaro before, but that's kind of an amazing play.

The Giants would show that play at training camp every year for decades (maybe the still do).

There's a great interview of Bavaro on youtube, which goes into his family history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7vW_0vL5qs

[John1941]

That was a cool interview - thanks for sharing.

Is it my imagination or was football much more brutal in the 1980s?

[bk400]

Originally Posted by cgjackson222

The Giants would show that play at training camp every year for decades (maybe the still do).

There's a great interview of Bavaro on youtube, which goes into his family history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7vW_0vL5qs

That's an awesome interview. I love the end: "Tough."

I don't think there is a more beloved player among old school Giants fans than Mark Bavaro.

(I happened to purchase this card about a week ago.)