Pitoniak: Coughlin's legacy cemented
By: Scott Pitoniak
Updated: January 31, 2012
Many believe that Tom Coughlin needs a victory Sunday to earn a bust in Canton. I contend he's already worthy.
If you look at his NFL coaching record to date, it is almost identical to Hall-of-Famer Marv Levy's. The Giants coach is in 18th place on the NFL's all-time victory list, just one win shy of matching Marv. And their postseason records (Coughlin 12-7; Levy 11-8) are almost carbon copies, too.
Of course, the big thing Coughlin has over Marv is a Super Bowl victory.
The Waterloo, N.Y. native's other edge is that he built an expansion team in Jacksonville from scratch into a championship contender. Marv's first head coaching gig in Kansas City resulted in a sub-.500 record.
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There has been talk that if Eli Manning cops his second Super Bowl championship he will have eclipsed his big brother, Peyton.
Hogwash.
Yes, a victory would give the Giants quarterback a 2-1 edge in Super Bowl rings, but he still has miles to go before he's in the same league as Peyton.
Look at what the elder Manning did with an Indianapolis Colts team that rarely had a good defense or run game. He carried them to the playoffs virtually every year and won a Super Bowl along the way. And look at the impact his absence had on the Colts this season. They nose-dived from championship contenders to the NFL's worst record.
Eli has had the benefit of playing with excellent defenses to clean up after him. His big brother never had that advantage.
That's not to take anything away from Eli. He definitely has emerged as an elite QB, and is as good as there is when the game's on the line. But he's still not near Peyton's place among the all-time greats.
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Speaking of Peyton, his days as a Colt are over. And it sounds as if his playing days might be over, too, given the slow recovery from three neck surgeries.
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I love Rob Gronkowski. Game-changer. Tough as nails. I just wonder how effective the All-Pro tight end can be playing with a high ankle sprain that's going to rob him of the burst and strength that make him unique. It will be interesting to see what Belichick concocts to compensate for Gronk being just 50-60 percent healthy.
**
I see where some of the Patriots are irritated about having to talk about the past two losses to the Giants. Well, boys, get used to it, because you've got three more days of those questions.
**
Today marks the 19th anniversary of the Bills' 30-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl 28 in the Georgia Dome. Buffalo actually led at the half, but a fumble by Thurman Thomas early in the third quarter dramatically shifted the momentum and the Bills were handed a fourth consecutive loss in the big game. Thomas, who rarely put the ball on the carpet, went into a funk after that, and, in retrospect, Levy said he should have given his shaken running back a pep talk along the sidelines.
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As a Super Bowl commercial aficionado, I was happy to hear that the Coca-Cola Polar Bears will be back. I'd be even happier if Bud-Wei-Ser would reprise their elastic-tongued frogs.
**
Elton John has had a long-standing feud with Madonna ever since he suspected her of lip-synching her music at an awards show. Asked this morning if he had any advice for Madge, who will be Sunday's halftime entertainment, Sir Elton quipped: "Make sure you lip-synch good."
Award-winning columnist and best-selling author Scott Pitoniak has covered eight Super Bowls. His latest book, Color Him Orange: The Jim Boeheim Story, is available at all bookstores as well as on amazon.com. His 15th book, Johnny Antonelli: A Baseball Memoir, will be published this spring.
If you look at his NFL coaching record to date, it is almost identical to Hall-of-Famer Marv Levy's. The Giants coach is in 18th place on the NFL's all-time victory list, just one win shy of matching Marv. And their postseason records (Coughlin 12-7; Levy 11-8) are almost carbon copies, too.
Of course, the big thing Coughlin has over Marv is a Super Bowl victory.
The Waterloo, N.Y. native's other edge is that he built an expansion team in Jacksonville from scratch into a championship contender. Marv's first head coaching gig in Kansas City resulted in a sub-.500 record.
**
There has been talk that if Eli Manning cops his second Super Bowl championship he will have eclipsed his big brother, Peyton.
Hogwash.
Yes, a victory would give the Giants quarterback a 2-1 edge in Super Bowl rings, but he still has miles to go before he's in the same league as Peyton.
Look at what the elder Manning did with an Indianapolis Colts team that rarely had a good defense or run game. He carried them to the playoffs virtually every year and won a Super Bowl along the way. And look at the impact his absence had on the Colts this season. They nose-dived from championship contenders to the NFL's worst record.
Eli has had the benefit of playing with excellent defenses to clean up after him. His big brother never had that advantage.
That's not to take anything away from Eli. He definitely has emerged as an elite QB, and is as good as there is when the game's on the line. But he's still not near Peyton's place among the all-time greats.
**
Speaking of Peyton, his days as a Colt are over. And it sounds as if his playing days might be over, too, given the slow recovery from three neck surgeries.
**
I love Rob Gronkowski. Game-changer. Tough as nails. I just wonder how effective the All-Pro tight end can be playing with a high ankle sprain that's going to rob him of the burst and strength that make him unique. It will be interesting to see what Belichick concocts to compensate for Gronk being just 50-60 percent healthy.
**
I see where some of the Patriots are irritated about having to talk about the past two losses to the Giants. Well, boys, get used to it, because you've got three more days of those questions.
**
Today marks the 19th anniversary of the Bills' 30-13 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl 28 in the Georgia Dome. Buffalo actually led at the half, but a fumble by Thurman Thomas early in the third quarter dramatically shifted the momentum and the Bills were handed a fourth consecutive loss in the big game. Thomas, who rarely put the ball on the carpet, went into a funk after that, and, in retrospect, Levy said he should have given his shaken running back a pep talk along the sidelines.
**
As a Super Bowl commercial aficionado, I was happy to hear that the Coca-Cola Polar Bears will be back. I'd be even happier if Bud-Wei-Ser would reprise their elastic-tongued frogs.
**
Elton John has had a long-standing feud with Madonna ever since he suspected her of lip-synching her music at an awards show. Asked this morning if he had any advice for Madge, who will be Sunday's halftime entertainment, Sir Elton quipped: "Make sure you lip-synch good."
Award-winning columnist and best-selling author Scott Pitoniak has covered eight Super Bowls. His latest book, Color Him Orange: The Jim Boeheim Story, is available at all bookstores as well as on amazon.com. His 15th book, Johnny Antonelli: A Baseball Memoir, will be published this spring.
