NY Giants

Being a rabid Patriots fan, you'd think I'd really dislike the Giants after they pulled off last years upset, sending the Wacky Chinahousehold into an emotional tailspin. But strangely, I find the Giants strangely likable this year, despite having nothing for disdain for them in the past.

Upon reflection, I think I've figured out why this is. I used to think of the Giants as a bunch of spoiled, narcissistic primadonnas who were more concerned with airing their dirty laundry to sports media than they were about actually accomplishing anything. Who were the most irritating Giants? In order of annoyingness:

-Tiki Barber, well spoken but super self-centered. Now retired.

-Michael Strahan, mouthy and liked to complain a lot. Now retired.

-Jeremy Shockey, always blaming the coaching staff for his problems. Traded to the Saints.

-Plaxico Burress, super cocky and seemingly lazy. Suspended and fined by the team for thinking the rules didn't apply to him.

-Osi Umenyiora, mouthy and disrespectful towards other players. Out for season with a knee injury.

So to sum it up, all the Giants I hated aren't a huge part of the 2008 Giants' success, nor are they the face of the team anymore. The Giants no longer complain publicly about their coach, promote the individuals over good of their team, or talk about how great they are. They haven't made a lot of noise over their recent success, and all the dislikable malcontents aren't around anymore to let you know when they're not happy. They're no longer that team that thinks they're better than they are and they seem to understand that they cannot just coast on talent to be an elite team.

Usually it takes me years to soften my opinion on a team, but I think the Giants are a much more likable team right now.