When we last saw the Giants in pre-season, Osi Umenyiora was being carted off the field, and with it came predictions of a last-place finish for Big Blue. But, of course, it wasn’t Umenyiora’s injury that derailed the season, but Plaxico Burress’ Shot Heard Round the Latin Quarter (the D-line did wear down at the end of the year, though, and sure could have used Osi).

Last night’s main attraction for Giants fans was the new group of receivers, and to see if we could get a clue as to how they would do in the upcoming season. Will Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith prove to be capable starters? Will Sinorice Moss and Mario Manningham have productive seasons? Will Hakeem Nicks and Ramses Barden be difference-makers as rookies? Will Derek Hagan or David Tyree make the team? Can Homer Jones come out of retirement? Who’s going to catch the ball is the biggest question mark on the team (and may be the only one).

Unfortunately, all we …

On Thursday, our sister site Hot Stove Philly had an awesome opportunity to chat with the Eagles’ Brian Westbrook, who is promoting an online program presented by Gatorade called REPLAY.  

HSP’s Jonathan Atwood spoke with the star running back on a variety of topics ranging from his offseason rehab to the possibility of Ocho Cinco heading to Philadelphia, and even touched on what he feels Braylon Edwards could bring to Big Blue.

For the entire interview head on over to Hot Stove Philly.  Nice work, Jon!

Here are the answers to yesterday’s quiz.

1. The New York baseball team featured in Bang the Drum Slowly is the New York Mammoths.

2. In an episode of Seinfeld, when informed that his son was dead, the first thing that Frank Costanza said to George Steinbrenner was, “What the hell did you trade Jay Buhner for?!”

3. The 1986 Mets recorded the classic song “Let’s Get Metsmerized.”

4. Babe Ruth played himself in Pride of the Yankees.

5. Michael Ontkean, who played Ned Braden in Slap Shot, played for two New York Rangers farm clubs, after starring for the University of New Hampshire hockey team.

6. Marv Albert once appeared on Everybody Loves Raymond.

7. Besides Seinfeld, Keith Hernandez has appeared in an episode of Law & Order, in 1994.

8. Yo La Tengo took their name from an incident in the 1962 Mets season, when center fielder Richie Ashburn and shortstop Elio Chacon collided after going after a fly ball. Chacon did not speak English so Ashburn learned to say yo la …

Here is some more trivia involving local sports and pop culture. The answers will be posted tomorrow.

1. What was the name of the New York baseball team in the movie Bang the Drum Slowly?

2. In an episode of Seinfeld, when George Steinbrenner mistakenly thought that George Costanza was dead and he went to Queens to inform George’s parents, what was the first thing that Frank Costanza said to him?

3. What song did the 1986 Mets record?

4. Who played Babe Ruth in Pride of the Yankees?

5. Which actor in Slap Shot once played for two New York Rangers farm teams?

6. Which New York announcer once appeared on an episode of Everybody Loves Raymond?

7. Besides Seinfeld, what other prime-time TV show has Keith Hernandez appeared in?

8. What rock band took their name from something that happened in Mets history?

9. Which former New York Giant had a recurring role in the third season of The White Shadow?

10. What was the name of Tug McGraw’s comic strip?

Despite the support by existing Giants players to management to bring back Plaxico Burress next year, the New York Giants should expect and plan to be without their star receiver for the 2009-10 season.

Playing without Burress will not be easy even for a talented Giants team that has already proven it can win without him. But in order to get back to the Super Bowl, the Giants will need to address their #1 receiver situation for QB Eli Manning to have any chance of success.

And if matters could not get any worse, fellow receiver and free agent to be Amani Toomer might not be back either. The often quiet Toomer recently criticized Giants management/coaching for his reduced role in the offense when Burress was suspeneded.

With Burress and possibly Toomer out of the starting lineup next year, this would only leave third year man Steve Smith as the go to guy. And while Smith has blossomed nicely as a complement and …

That was disappointing. If you said before the game that the Giants would hold Brian Westbrook to 46 total yards, you’d figure the Giants would cruise to an easy win. But, of course, you’d be wrong. The Giants picked the wrong day to play one of their worst games of the year. What the hell happened? On one hand, the Giants won the Super Bowl last year so expecting them to go back to back was probably too good to be true, so it was almost like a free season (at least that’s what I’m trying to tell myself), but on the other hand, that’s a bunch of crap.

The Good

Umm, my Sundays are now free the rest of the month. Maybe I’ll take up a new hobby, or fine-tune an old one – drinking. And at least now I have time to see Tom Cruise’s big-screen version of Hogan’s Heroes (though I don’t remember Colonel Klink wearing an eye patch). The game started out well …

Hate.  It’s an important part of life as a fan.  It’s the yin to the yang of loving your team unconditionally.  There will be plenty of hate flowing on Sunday at 1PM (EST) at the Meadowlands in New Jersey.  The Eagles and the Giants dislike each other,  which that makes sense.  They are competing for the same prize.  It’s natural.  As for the fans.  Well the reasons are a little less logical.  What fuels the fire of the fans?  Two fans gave some answers.
Jonathan Atwood-Hot Stove Philly/ Eagles Fan
There are certain expectations that go along with being an Eagles fan: chant “E-A-G-L-E-S EAGLES!!!” at random intervals at any sporting event you attend; buy a Dallas Sucks, TO Swallows T-shirt at some point in your life; hate the Cowboys with every fiber of your being; and, of course, hate the Giants.
Most Eagles fans hate the Cowboys more than the Giants, …

Would the Giants have rather played the Arizona Cardinals this Sunday? Probably. Would Giants fans feel more comfortable if Big Blue were facing the Cards? Most likely. But, come on, Giants vs. Eagles is way more fun. An old-fashioned NFC East smackdown will surely be a step up in entertainment value and quality football. Let Carolina play Arizona. The Eagles have now become the team the Giants are supposed to be scared of. Remember just a few short weeks ago when everyone was saying the Cowboys are the one team that can beat the Giants in the Meadowlands in January? Oops, that didn’t work out. Now it’s the Eagles’ turn. But they’ve earned it, winning four out of their last five, and beating Minnesota last week (with a lot of help from the Vikings, though).

The Giants and Eagles have already met twice this season, but you can pretty much throw those games out the window. In the Giants’ victory on November 9th, the Eagles weren’t the same Eagles …

The Giants had nothing to play for in this game, played most of the second half with backups and still almost pulled out a win against the desperate Vikings (though with Chicago’s loss it turned out the Vikes weren’t desperate after all – but they didn’t know that until they won). The Jints lost on a last-second field goal, 20-19, with Brandon Jacobs, Kevin Boss, Barry Cofield and Aaron Ross taking the day off to get an extra week of rest.

The Good

None of the starters suffered a serious injury. That’s the most important thing that can come out of this game. You never want to go into the playoffs on cruise control, but last week’s battle with Carolina was the last big test and the game that got them on the right track for the postseason. The Giants won’t even remember this game in Minnesota. Eli Manning only played the first half and came out alive. He was 11 for 19 and threw for 119 yards, …

The word ‘hero’ gets thrown around a lot these days, so during this time of year, when we’re thinking of family and friends, it’s always good to pay tribute to the real heroes of our country – professional athletes. Teachers? Firemen? Doctors? Come on, where have you been living? Can a teacher score a touchdown on a fourth and goal to go? Can a doctor hit a game-winning sacrifice fly? Some pro athletes cheat, lie, only try when they feel like it, hold out for millions and millions of dollars, demand special treatment for their entourages and themselves, take liberties with the ladies, shoot people, shoot themselves, stab people, stab themselves, crash uninsured cars, stash weapons and ammunition in their New Jersey mansions, can barely read, get arrested for drug possession, overdose on drugs, have no clue what it’s like to live in the real world anymore, and insult their fans – but we love them anyway (as long as they win). This week’s prize …

Here are the answers to yesterday’s quiz.

1. In 1976, Dock Ellis hit Baltimore’s Reggie Jackson in the face as revenge for the 1971 All-Star game home run the outfielder hit off him. Ellis had to wait five years to get back at Jackson because they had been playing in different leagues. That’s patience.

2. Jimmy Piersall of the Mets ran the bases facing backwards when he hit his 100th career home run in 1963.

3. Latrell Sprewell choked Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo in 1997.

4. Former Met and Yankee, media-loving Dave Kingman once sent a live rat to a reporter.

5. Carl Everett holds the belief that dinosaurs didn’t exist and the Apollo moon landing was all a hoax.

6. Theo Fleury collected 216 penalty minutes in 2001-02 for the Rangers, with many game misconducts, because he was completely out of his mind back then.

7. Roger Clemens won 83 games for the Yanks, while David Wells won 68.

8. Billy Martin was fired by George Steinbrenner five times.

9. Vince Coleman swung a …

Crazy. Angry. Drunk. Misunderstood. Just plain nuts. Just in time for Christmas here’s a quiz about some of the slightly off-kilter (or slightly insane) characters that have played in New York. The answers will be posted tomorrow.

1. When Dock Ellis (R.I.P.) pitched for the Yankees in 1976, who did he hit in the face with a pitch (on purpose) and why?

2. Which former New York player ran the bases facing backwards when he hit his 100th career home run?

3. Which coach did Latrell Sprewell strangle?

4. Which former New York baseball player once sent a live rat to a reporter?

5. Which former Met holds the belief that dinosaurs didn’t exist and the Apollo moon landing was all a hoax?

6. Which New York Ranger racked up 216 penalty minutes in 2001-02 because he was thrown out of just about every game he played in that season?

7. Which narcissistic, lard-ass pitcher won more games for the Yankees, David Wells or Roger Clemens?

8. How many times was Billy Martin fired …