For nearly a whole century, the New York Giants have played a giant part of history in America, and also one of the best teams in the NFL. This is thanks to the two main traits that have carried this team forward: good playing and leadership. Though drama has plagued them throughout the years, they’ve overcome the odds time and time again.

Since the very beginning, the Giants have progressed at a rapid rate, proving to be more than just an average team. They’ve gone above and beyond the call, raising money for both the homeless and unemployed of New York. They were one of the main teams to show that pro football was stronger than college football even when so many people were questioning that fact. Ultimately they crushed Notre Dame into the ground in their beginning years, proving that in fact pro football was superior.

The years from 1930-1980 saw some difficulty for the Giants. While they were still a strong team, games began to be harder for them to win. They did not have many strong quarterbacks for several years, and this led to a lack of unity and the creation of drama which stopped the team’s push to victory.

This huge change that returned the Giants to the strength of the NFL began in 1979. Phil Simms became quarterback and Lawrence Taylor joined the team in 1981. This player won several awards. The “Crunch Bunch” began, made up of several linebackers for the Giants who were exceptionally good players. Eventually Ray Perkins resigned as head coach and Bill Parcells took over as the coordinator of team defense. This was a huge change for the Giants and essentially marked their first steps towards returning as a top NFL team.

The Eli Manning era started in 2004 when Eli Manning, Peyton Manning’s brother, joined the team as quarterback. The entire Manning family has a strong history of great football players. Many people think Manning is responsible for bringing the team back into its great power, along with Michael Strahan.

Over the past ten years, the team has gone from being valued at $268 to $890 million. Their fan base hasn’t changed much, remaining comprised of people from New York and New Jersey by a large part, though they have fans from all different countries. It’s hard to say just what the criminal and drug charges brought against the Giants’ players will mean for its future.

The next years for the Giants may continue in the strong vein they are currently threading in, however. Eli Manning has been able to not only hold the team together but also push it forward into victory many times over. What will happen when he leaves is uncertain, but it is possible that as long as he remains with the team, they will stay strong and cohesive.

In the end, the Giants are not only a good football team, but also one with a rich and varied history. They do have fans all over the world even though most of them are based in New York and New Jersey. Because New York is such a big part of American history, the Giants represent America in many ways.

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