Giants Among Men: How Robustelli, Huff, Gifford, and the Giants Made New York a Football Town and Changed the NFL

by Jack Cavanaugh

Book Overview

From the mid-1950s to the early 1960s, when basketball s Boston Celtics were piecing together a run for the ages, when Montreal s Canadiens were in the midst of notching a record-setting five straight... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1400067170
• ISBN13: 9781400067176
• Release Date: October 2008
• Publisher: Random House (NY)
• Length: 315 Pages
• Weight: 1.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 6.4" x 9.5"

Customer Reviews

GIANT'S AMONG MEN

FOR THE LONG TIME NY GIANT FAN IT IS THE BEST DE JA VU READING THERE IS!

A great look at a golden era of the National Football League

This is a great book! The 50's and the 60's were the time the NFL really came of age, and many people have forgotten that the Giants were among the best teams of the era. It seems when most people mention teams of the 50's and 60's the Baltimore Colts and the Green Bay Packers are the only two that are referenced. But the Giants played in 5 NFL Championship games between 1956 and 1963. And of course, they played in the "Greatest Game Ever Played" - the 1958 game vs. the Colts that went into overtime and really put the NFL on the map. What also really makes this book interesting is the personal stories and the personalities that made up the Giants of that era. Author Jack Cavanaugh gives us the background and histories of Giant stars Andy Robustelli, Y.A. Tittle, Charlie Conerly, Frank Gifford, Sam Huff and others to give the reader a feel for what that era was like, living in the NYC area and a feel for the game and lifestyle. These guys were all big stars, especially in NY, but most lived the family life, had kids and worked regular jobs in the off-season. Its hard to imagine today's NFL stars - so many arrogant and selfish - live their lives so humbly; yet its guys like the Giants mentioned above that had a big part in making the NFL what it is today

Very pleasant and mature writing

I was 14 years old when I saw on TV Pat Summerall make a 49 yard field goal in the driving snow with time running out to win a game against the Browns. I found the drama and the heroism of these guys who played with great intensity to be quite powerful. Young males need heroes and the NY Giants were mine. There were no show-offs, no egos, no product endorsements, self promotions, or compulsive interruptions of the game for advertising. I really enjoyed the Giants' run of 5 years with the same group of heroes playing on dirt in all kinds of weather. I found this book to be quite pleasant reading. There are no great revelations or inflammatory gossip or lugubrious statements about the historical or societal significance of this or that. I enjoyed reading the respectful and gentlemanly comments from the grown up men who played in the great games I saw on TV. They were giants and they were heroic men and I liked them.

RICK "SHAQ" GOLDSTEIN SAYS: "WHEN THE NFL WENT FROM INFANCY TO MANHOOD."

This book is ostensibly about the NFL New York Giants from the mid-1950's to the early 1960's... rest assured the author surely provides you with intimate details about the Giants during this time period... but if that's all you're expecting... and believe me... that's plenty... you're going to be more than pleasantly surprised... you will be blown away. Any old-time-old-school football fan will think they're having a dream or a flashback... to the time when football was really football! The quarterback wasn't wearing a dress in those days... there were no GUARANTEED one-hundred-million-dollar-plus contracts. All the players had fulltime jobs during the winter, and some even had second jobs during the playing season. The New York Giants football team of this burgeoning era had so many famous All-Pro and future Hall Of Fame players that the potential reader will understand without hesitation why this was the time... and this was the team... that helped lead professional football onto center stage... a stage that the NATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUE still dominates today. Some of the Giant players that you will be introduced to (or... reintroduced to) include Andy Robustelli, Pat Summerall, Frank Gifford, Sam Huff, Charlie Conerly, Kyle Rote, Y.A. Tittle, Rosey Brown, Del Shofner, Emlen Tunnell, Alex Webster, Jack Katcavage, Dick Lynch, Rosey Grier... and many others. OH YEA... Two of their ASSISTANT COACHES... THAT'S RIGHT I SAID ASSISTANT COACHES... ARE TWO OF THE MOST LEGENDARY COACHES IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL! **VINCE LOMBARDI AND TOM LANDRY** Though the core and the title of this book is built around the New York Giants, the author Jack Cavanaugh seamlessly integrates every team and every noteworthy player that had an impact on the historical coming of age of this monolith... that is today's NFL. The reader is right there when Jimmy Brown the greatest running back in the history of the NFL comes into the league with the Giants greatest rival the Cleveland Browns. Brown is given complete recognition for his unmatched combination of POWER-SPEED-ATHLETICISM and competitive nature. Another powerful part of this book is how it educates the reader on teams and accomplishments that lead to the current state of affairs of the league at the time the book depicts. Such as the fact that the Cleveland Browns from the late 1940's to the early 1950's PLAYED IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAMES TEN-YEARS-IN-A-ROW! "The first four of those ten championship games had been played in the All-America Football Conference, all of which the Browns won. But the last six had been in the NFL, whose title it had won three times - including 1950, the Browns' first year in the NFL. This came much to the astonishment of the League establishment, which had regarded the AAFC as inferior." There is also a detailed look at a young quarterback that was cut by the Pittsburgh Steelers without ever letting him get into a real game. This unknown quarterback then played semi-pr

When The Giants Were New York Giants

This book covers an era when the Giants actually played in New York and weren't paid millions of dollars.Cavanaugh's book covers the Giants from 1952 thru the mid to late 60's.Even though I'm not a Giant fan this was an interesting look at football history.Legendary players such as Frank Gifford,Andy Robustelli, (who's from Connecticut) linebacker Sam Huff,and legendary coaches Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi all get time in the spotlight.The Giants actually fielded great teams from 1956 up until 1963/64.This being the 50th anniversary of the best game ever 1958's Giants vs. Colts gets it's own chapter.Cavanaugh also tells why the Giants to this day have a large New England following: there were no Patriots yet and the Giants used to hold training camps in Vermont and at Connecticut's Fairfield University, not to mention being broadcast throughout New England.Yes folks in the late 50's early 60's the Giants were the toast of New York,even sharing lockers and a field with other famous tenants such as Mantle,Maris,Berra,and Ford.This book is an excellent companion piece to Mark Bowden's 'The Best Game Ever' and Frank Gifford's soon to be released 'The Glory Game.' If anyone in your household is a big Giant fan 'Giants Among Men' will make a great holiday gift.