New York Giants seasons

The New York Giants are an American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. They are a member of the National Football League (NFL) and play in the NFL's National Football Conference (NFC) East Division. In 83 completed seasons, the franchise has won seven NFL championships, including three Super Bowl victories. The Giants have won more than 600 games and appeared in the NFL playoffs 29 times.cite web | title = New York Giants Franchise Encyclopedia | publisher = Pro Football Reference | url = http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/nyg/ | accessdate = 2008-09-07 ] Though the Giants play home games in East Rutherford's Giants Stadium, they draw fans from throughout the New York metropolitan area. [cite web | title = Identity crisis: Two states claim NFC champion Giants as their own | work = Associated Press | publisher = CNN Sports Illustrated | date = 2001-01-19 | url = http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/football/nfl/2001/playoffs/news/2001/01/19/giants_newyorknewjersey_ap/ | accessdate = 2008-09-11 ]

After Tim Mara paid $500 for the franchise, [cite news | last = Anderson | first = Dave | authorlink = Dave Anderson (sportswriter) | title = Sports of the Times; When Grange Put the Pros in New York | work = The New York Times | date = 2000-11-26 | url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9807E0DC1E3AF935A15752C1A9669C8B63 | accessdate = 2008-09-11 ] the Giants joined the NFL in the 1925 season and won their first championship two years later. In 1934, the team won its second title, defeating the Chicago Bears in the NFL Championship Game. The Giants won another championship four years later, and made four appearances in the NFL Championship Game from 1939 to 1946, losing each time. New York won its fourth NFL title in 1956, with a 47–7 win over the Bears in the championship game. From 1958 to 1963, the Giants reached the NFL Championship Game five times, but were defeated on each occasion. Following the 1963 season, the franchise did not return to the playoffs until 1981, and finished with more losses than wins 12 times in 17 years.

Thirty years after the team's previous NFL title, the Giants were victorious in Super Bowl XXI, winning against the Denver Broncos 39–20 to end the 1986 season. The Giants won their second Super Bowl four years later, defeating the Buffalo Bills 20–19 in Super Bowl XXV. In the 2000 season, New York returned to the Super Bowl, but lost to the Baltimore Ravens 34–7. The 2007 season saw the Giants win their seventh NFL championship at Super Bowl XLII, where they defeated the previously unbeaten New England Patriots 17–14 in a game that is widely considered to be one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history. [cite news | last = Wilner | first = Barry | title = Super Bowl XLII: Giants win an instant classic, beating the 18-0 Pats | work = Associated Press | publisher = "Seattle Post-Intelligencer" | date = 2008-02-03 | url = http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/football/349918_super04.html | accessdate = 2008-09-24 ] cite journal | last = Layden | first = Tim | authorlink = Tim Layden | title = They're History | journal = Sports Illustrated | date = 2008-02-11 | url = http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1109397/index.htm | accessdate = 2008-09-24 ]

Table key

"Statistics above are current as of February 3, 2008. An em dash (—) indicates that the category is not applicable."

Notes

*note label|Playoffs|a|aThe NFL did not hold playoff games until 1932. The team that finished with the best regular season record was awarded the league championship.cite web | title = Pro Football History: The First Playoff Game | publisher = Pro Football Hall of Fame | url = http://www.profootballhof.com/history/decades/1930s/first_playoff_game.jsp | accessdate = 2008-09-21 ]
*note label|Division|b|bIn 1933, the league split into East and West divisions.
*note label|Conference|c|cIn 1950, the league switched to American and National conferences. [cite web | title = History: 1941-1950 | publisher = National Football League | url = http://www.nfl.com/history/chronology/1941-1950 | accessdate = 2008-09-21 ]
*note label|Greatest|d|dThis was the first championship game in NFL history where an overtime period was played, and has been nicknamed "The Greatest Game Ever Played". [cite web | title = Pro Football History: Greatest game ever played | publisher = Pro Football Hall of Fame | url = http://www.profootballhof.com/history/release.jsp?release_id=1805 | accessdate = 2008-09-12 ] [cite web | last = Mosse | first = David | title = What if the Colts-Giants game had not been such a classic? | publisher = ESPN | date = 2007-02-01 | url = http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2794025 | accessdate = 2008-09-12 ]
*note label|82Strike|e|eDue to the 1982 NFL strike, the league was split into two conferences, instead of its usual divisional alignment. The season was shortened to nine games, and the top eight teams in each conference earned berths in an expanded 16-team playoff tournament. [cite journal | last = Zimmerman | first = Paul | title = The Strike: The Winners. The Losers. And Who Did What To Whom | journal = Sports Illustrated | date = 1982-11-29 | url = http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1126143/4/index.htm | accessdate = 2008-09-21 ]
*note label|87Strike|f|fThe 1987 NFL strike caused the schedule to be reduced to 15 games. [cite news | last = Bouchette | first = Ed | title = NFL opts out of labor accord | work = Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | date = 2008-05-21 | url = http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08142/883503-66.stm | accessdate = 2008-09-21 ]
*note label|Tie|g|gTies cannot occur in playoff games. [cite web | title = Rule Book: Sudden Death | publisher = National Football League | url = http://www.nfl.com/rulebook/suddendeath | accessdate = 2008-09-21 ]

References

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