TheNew York Giantshave been in business for over a century and have a long, illustrious history. They have scores of Pro Football Hall of Famers and over 50 members in their Ring of Honor, which was established in 2010.
Most of the franchise's great players, owners, executives, and coaches have been enshrined in the Ring, which raises the question: Who might be next?
Newsday's Tom Rock, who has covered the Giants for three decades, asked the same question, andsome of the names he suggests for inductionmight surprise Giant fans.
The first name is former general manager Jerry Reese, who was run out of town back in 2017 after he and Ben McAdoo made the mistake of benching Eli Manning in favor of Geno Smith, ending Manning's consecutive starting streak.
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There are two general managers who are in the Ring of Honor, though: George Young and Ernie Accorsi. They deserve to be there for their impact not only on winning but on the culture of the organization — but Reese’s record is better than each of theirs and he won just as many Super Bowls as Young did.
The popular knock against Reese is that he won those titles with Accorsi’s roster. It’s true that he took over in 2007, just in time to reap the rewards of a slew of acquisitions that were poised to pay off: Manning, Justin Tuck, Chris Snee, Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan as draft picks, Antonio Pierce and Plaxico Burress as free agents and Tom Coughlin as coach. But Reese was Accorsi’s lieutenant for almost all of those fateful decisions.He had been with the organization as a scout and then an executive since 1994. All of those moves were Accorsi’s, but Reese played a role in them. And when they were ready to blossom into a championship-caliber squad, he, too, was ready to steer the ship.
It’s also worth noting that those who have followed Reese have added to his luster. Dave Gettleman replaced him in 2017 and in four years posted a winning percentage of .292. Gettleman’s departure begot Schoen and his .329 mark.
Some of the other names are nearly as polarizing as Reese's, such as Bill Belichick and Tom Landry. Both were instrumental in building championship teams, but went on to bigger things elsewhere.
Two players, one from the early days of the franchise, quarterback Benny Friedman, and one from the Giants' most recent Super Bowl team, wide receiver Victor Cruz, were also suggested by Rock. They are both deserving, and fans would have no issue with their induction.
The last name Rock proposes is long-time Giants radio voice Bob Papa, who is still calling games for the club. He could go up in the Ring, but maybe not until after his career comes to an end.
This article originally appeared on Giants Wire:Does Jerry Reese belong in New York Giants' Ring of Honor?