The Giants.com crew is presented with four statements and must decide whether they are Fact or Fiction.
The Lombardi Trophy is harder to win than the Stanley Cup
Dan Salomone: Fiction – Watch the first game of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Now, imagine having to win four of those … four times. Winning the Cup is an absolute test of attrition.
Lance Medow: Fact – It clearly takes more games to win the Stanley Cup than the Lombardi Trophy but volume alone doesn't mean it's more difficult. Having more games in a series is beneficial for a higher-seeded team as it lowers the chance of an upset because you're asking the underdog to not win just one game but three more. In football, the favorite doesn't have that luxury and protection. It's just one game with absolutely no margin for error because if you lose, there's no second chance to make up for it.
Matt Citak: Fiction – In both the NFL and NHL, there are 12 teams that have never won a championship. However, the first Stanley Cup was won back in 1927, while the first Lombardi Trophy was awarded 40 years later in 1967. In addition to that, in the nearly 100 years since the first Stanley Cup was won, only eight teams have ever won back-to-back championships. On the other hand, there are seven NFL teams that have taken home consecutive Super Bowl titles, but over 40 fewer years.
The Giants' 2007 season is the greatest championship run in New York sports history
Dan Salomone: Fact – As an Ohio native who grew up in Minnesota, time to defer to the New Yorkers here. But for what it's worth, outsiders definitely remember the 2007 Giants more than any other New York team. Beating Brett Favre at Lambeau Field and the undefeated Patriots dynasty in back-to-back postseason games is unheard of.
Lance Medow: Fact – Aside from the Yankees, the other New York teams don't necessarily have a large volume of hardware, but you're not going to find another franchise that knocked off an undefeated team to prevent perfection. In 2007, the Giants were a wild-card team and won all four postseason games away from hom, including an overtime affair in one of the coldest contests in league history. You could make a strong argument for the 1998 Yankees because they hold the record for the most wins by a team that won the World Series (114) - but because of their dominance - they were expected to get the job done. The same can't be said for the Giants.
Matt Citak: Fiction – Although not alive to witness it, let's go with the 1969 Mets has to be the greatest championship run in New York sports history. It was only the eighth season of the franchise and the Mets had never finished with a winning record or higher than ninth in the National League. In fact, the Mets had never been over .500 past the ninth game in any of their first seven seasons. What makes this run even better is the fact that on Aug. 14, the Mets were 10 games back from the Cubs and finished eight games ahead of Chicago – an 18-game differential that is one of the largest turnarounds in MLB history.
If you were to guess, Daniel Jones would be the best hockey player on the team
Dan Salomone: Fiction – The Minnesota roots come into play again. The best hockey players, one would guess, are Carter Coughlin, Travis Toivonen, Elerson Smith – three players hailing from the Land of 10,000 Lakes. You also can't count out Shane Lemieux because of his last name.
Lance Medow: Fiction – Daniel Jones is a bit tall for a hockey player. That's not to say there haven't been players with length, but his frame isn't the typical makeup of a NHL standout unless you entertain the idea of him as a defenseman. Saquon Barkley would make a strong case, as well as Xavier McKinney and Wan'Dale Robinson. All three are athletic, versatile and could translate their skills to the ice.
Matt Citak: Fiction – Daniel Jones would be the guess for best golf player on the team, but when it comes to hockey, let's go with Blake Martinez. Martinez has the build of an NHL enforcer at 237 pounds, most of which (if not all) is muscle. The linebacker played multiple sports in high school, as he also lettered in basketball and volleyball, which showcases his superb athletic ability. He also ran a 4.71 40-yard dash at the combine. Despite growing up in Arizona, Martinez would make a great hockey player.
Home-field advantage in the playoffs is most important in the NFL
Dan Salomone: Fact – The Patriots won all those Super Bowls because the AFC always ran through Foxboro. In addition, the home-field advantage comes with a bye in the NFL, which automatically puts you one round closer to the title. Of course, there are always exceptions. The Rams and Bengals made it to the Super Bowl last year as No. 4 seeds.
Lance Medow: Fact – We just saw the Celtics win Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals on the road and the Rangers knock off the Hurricanes in Carolina in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semis – it says a lot when it comes to the NBA and NHL. We saw mixed results in the most recent NFL postseason, but home-field advantage in football carries a bit more weight because of the elements. If you play in a cold weather environment and host a team that usually plays in a dome, it becomes a noticeable edge. In the other major professional sports, Mother Nature doesn't play as big of a role, plus avoiding travel late in the NFL season is a luxury considering the grind of the year for the players and those who are nursing injuries.
Matt Citak: Fact – This is an easy one. Due to the flow of hockey, it's difficult for one team to truly gain a tactical advantage due to crowd noise. Of course, the home team feeds off of the energy of their crowd. But in football, the home team typically has a big advantage as they get the opportunity to operate their offense with little to no noise from the crowd. On the flip side, when the home team's defense is on the field, the fans go crazy, making it as hard as possible for the opposing offense to hear the quarterback at the line of scrimmage. It's why so many teams prepare for away games by practicing silent snap counts.
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