Big Blue View
Talk to any New York Giants fan these days and you sense the excitement. The hope. The optimism. There has been some of that during a difficult 13-year stretch, but not like what you feel now.
NFL analysts who dare to predict that the downtrodden Giants might go from worst to first in the NFC East, or at least be good enough to compete for a playoff berth, are not scoffed at the way they would have been in recent years. Their opinions are given validity.
The reason for the change?
John Harbaugh.
Simple as that.
Harbaugh brings credibility to the head coaching position and to the organization that has not existed since Tom Coughlin coached the Giants. Harbaugh is 14th on the all-time win list for coaches with 180 regular-season victories. He has coached in 24 playoff games, sixth-most of all-time. In 18 years with the Baltimore Ravens, his teams won fewer than eight games just one time. The Ravens made the playoffs in 12 of those 18 seasons. They won a Super Bowl.
Harbaugh has brought much more to New York than a resume filled with gaudy accomplishments. He has brought a presence, a force of will, an uncommon energy, and an expectation of daily excellence that have changed the Giants organization for the better.
Before hiring Harbaugh, the Giants had gone through four full-time head coaches — Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur, Joe Judge, Brian Daboll — and two interim ones — Steve Spagnuolo and Mike Kafka — as they tried to find the right successor to two-time Super Bowl winner Tom Coughlin.
After the Ravens fired Harbaugh, the Giants saw a prize they had to have. They put on a full-court press, including trips to Baltimore by Chris Mara, communication from a cancer-stricken John Mara, changing their power structure to have the coach report to John Mara rather than GM Joe Schoen, and a top-of-market five-year, $100 million contract.
The day the Giants introduced Harbaugh, there was a sense that something different was about to unfold. There was an edginess around the facility, like everyone was afraid they would make a mistake that would dampen the day. There were more seats than usual set up in the practice facility for the press conference. There were a high number of players in attendance.
The Harbaugh Experience had begun.
What is the Harbaugh Experience? Let’s find out from the players and coaches who work with him every day, and from Harbaugh himself.
Offensive line coach Mike Bloomgren had never worked with Harbaugh before accepting a job on his coaching staff.
“He is all about ball, and he’s all about what can I do to help the players perform,” Bloomgren said. “And, I know you guys haven’t had an opportunity to go to his team meetings, but every day is like a TED Talk. And, like, I leave there ready to go take the field myself.
“And I think all of our groups do, too. It’s...
