Black Monday in New York: Giants Flounder Finale, Gettleman Retires, and Judge is Gone
Column - January 13, 2022
“It’s finally over, Giants fans.
We can all breathe a sigh of relief for the merciful conclusion of the Giants’ embarrassing 2021 season. A year ending with a 4-13 record—tied for the most losses in a single season in Giants history—and marred by total dysfunction at every level of the organization.
Getting to this point required an extreme amount of resolve and metal fortitude. Each progressive Sunday made it harder for the diehard fans not to ditch their loyalty and walk out on the organization for good.
The on-field product was a total disaster, partly due to relentless injuries but also a result of the incompetence of the front office and head coach in building a properly fitted roster and innovative coaching staff. After the neck injury to starter Daniel Jones in week 12, the quarterback play by his relievers—Mike Glennon and Jake Fromm— degraded to some of the worst numbers ever seen in the history of professional football. The Giants inability to score touchdowns made one question if they were watching a soccer game, in their case a very tedious one.
The charades were never finished once the final whistle blew on another Giants loss, they followed right into the postgame. There, fans were force fed another heaping plate of the “culture” talk by Joe Judge while his top playmakers barely scratched the box score and those same fans were leaving with paper bags over the heads.
The horror show culminated Sunday at MetLife Stadium in another meaningless season finale with the Giants providing one of the poorest send-offs to their frustrated fan base and, as it turned out, numerous members within the organization. Their stadium mostly barren, Big Blue laid a goose egg for three quarters before notching a late touchdown to soften the blow of a 22-7 loss and series sweep to the Washington Football Team.
In what has become a decade-long bout of horrendous football, the latest version of the Giants never looked so many light years apart from the 2011 group that displayed amazing New York grit and captivated so many New Yorkers en route to their title run.
With that travesty behind them, the even greater news is that the time has come for Giants’ leadership to face the music and take accountability for the disastrous campaign that has ensued under their watch and the decisions that led to it.”
My in-depth coverage of Black Monday within the New York Giants organization following their 4-13 season and all the humiliating moments that came with it, ultimately leading to the retirement of general manager Dave Gettleman and the firing of head coach Joe Judge. I touched on the season finale, the buildup through the final six games of the regular season, and what’s next for the Giants in the aftermath of much needed changes.