The 50 Greatest Players in New York Giants Football History - Hardcover

Robert W. Cohen is the author of numerous sports books, including The 50 Greatest Players in New York Yankees History (2012), The 50 Most Dynamic Duos in Sports History: Baseball, Basketball, Football, and Hockey (2013), Pro Basketball’s All-Time All-Stars (2013), and The 50 Greatest Players in St. Louis Cardinals History (2013), all published by Scarecrow Press.

The New York Giants have a rich 89-year history in which they have appeared in 19 title games and won eight championships, including four Super Bowls; thus, they are ripe for a rendering of their 50 greatest players across all positions. The main problems with ranking football players are the lack of meaningful statistics and the indivisible interdependence of the 11 men on the field; unlike baseball, in football it is very hard to determine how much of a team’s success is dependent on any one player. Sports historian Cohen bases his rankings on statistical leaders, honors awarded, and his judgment regarding how much the player contributed to the team’s success. Each entry provides a biography of the player that highlights his best season and greatest performances. The book is excellent tinder for discussion as is intended. The author rounds out the book with an honorable mention section of the next best 25 Giants. VERDICT Of interest to Giants fans everywhere. (Library Journal)

Over their 89-year history, the New York Giants have appeared in 19 title games and won 8 championships--including 4 Super Bowl triumphs. With such a rich all-time roster, selecting the team’s 50 greatest players is more a game of exclusion than inclusion and is bound to spark debate. Cohen bases his rankings on statistical leadership, honors awarded, and his judgment on how much the player contributed to the team’s success. Of course, there is a great deal of subjectivity involved here. How do you compare a quarterback with an offensive guard or defensive tackle? Football players are indivisibly interdependent on their ten teammates on the field; unlike baseball, it is very hard to determine how much of a team’s success is dependent on any one player on the gridiron. There is usually a dearth of meaningful statistics for most positions as well. And then there is the problem of comparing players across eras, when it is tough enough to compare them to their chronological peers. Justifying the choices is a challenge for any writer. Cohen arranges his selections in ranked order from 1-50. Each entry provides a two- to three-page biography of the player that is followed by sections on the player’s greatest season, his most memorable moments, and his most notable achievements. . . .The author rounds out the book with an honorable mention section of the next best 25 Giants, also in ranked order. As intended, the book is excellent tinder for discussion. For example, the selections are unbalanced by position. Cohen chose only three offensive linemen, but 13 receivers. When he picks his all-time team, he has to draft three linemen, a kicker and punter from his Honorable Mention section to fill out the lineup. Linemen Chris Snee and Jack Stroud certainly belong in that top 50, as do Rosey Grier and Ray Flaherty, but the oddest relegation to just Honorable Mention is Hall of Fame tailback Benny Friedman, the first great NFL passer who dominated the league when he played in New York. . . .[This book] is nicely done and would be welcome in any pro football collection. (American Reference Books Annual)