Dear New York Giants,

New York Giants
MetLife Stadium
One MetLife Stadium Drive
East Rutherford, NJ 07073

Dear New York Giants,

My name is Salvatore Fiore Jr., and I’ve been a lifelong New York Giants fan. Our family has had season tickets since I was very, very young—for as long as I can remember. I am 30-years-old now, and I have never experienced a season like this before. It’s not like I work or play for the Giants. I am just a fan, but this organization means more to me than “being just a fan”. It’s tailgating in the parking lot with my father, my family and my friends. It’s the two Super Bowl victories that I can vividly remember, and I still get chills thinking about. It’s the fact that I get the privilege to come to home games every year, which I cherish dearly. It’s being in my seat for the national anthem and cheering alongside of almost 80,000 other Giants fans for the entire game. It’s the countless dollars that my family and I have spent on New York Giants tickets, parking, merchandise, memoribilia, gear, trinkets and concessions at games. Still, it’s much more than all of this to me.

Following this franchise does hold a special place in my heart. When the Giants win, I win. When they lose, I lose. And I can take the losses this year. Down years happen from time to time. But the way the Eli Manning benching was handled this year, just really, truly irked me. It bothered me, as I’m sure it did many others. I’m not privy to the inner workings up an NFL front office, but on a human level, how the situation was handled with Eli was atrocious. This situation could have and should have been handled better. Maybe bring it up weeks in advance, set a plan, and get EVERYONE on the same page. Like I said, what do I know? But, I do know you don’t sit a potential Hall-of-Fame quarterback for one week. You don’t sit a two-time Super Bowl MVP and champion for one week. You don’t sit a man who has showed up for 210 straight games for just one week. Not just any man, but Elisha Nelson Manning. He’s one of the most influential, dedicated, and selfless football players in New York Giants history! You just don’t do that. I’m not blaming one person, one coach, or one owner. I don’t think it’s on any one person to blame. But the fact that he is starting again this week almost doesn’t make sense either. Although, obviously he deserves to play, and I want to see him play. I want to see him beat the Dallas Cowboys. I’ll be there to make sure that happens. But it almost makes the whole Eli benching worse. The way this all played out just straight up sucked, to be frank. The lack of plan, nuance, and foresight was an embarrassing stain for this franchise and its fan base.

I don’t know what writing is really going to do. I don’t even know if anyone will read this, but I did want to write. So, I wrote. I’ve supported this organization my entire life, through the good seasons, the bad seasons, and the mediocre seasons. We have a child due in January that will be a New York Giants fan, undoubtedly. I will always continue to be a fan, no matter what. No situation or scenario will ever change that. I will always have GIANTS PRIDE.

Sincerely,

Salvatore Fiore Jr., A Lifelong New York Giants Fan