Jets' Todd Bowles Doesn't Think There's A Rivalry With Giants
By Abraham Gutierrez
Whether discussing basketball, baseball, or football, intracity rivalries are among the most heated ones in professional and collegiate sports. The dislike between the Lakers and the Clippers is palpable, especially now that the Clips have surpassed the Lake Show as the biggest ticket in town. Any time the Yankees and Mets meet on the diamond always makes national headlines, no matter what each team's record is.
So, how is it that Todd Bowles expects NFL fans to believe that the rivalry between the Jets and Giants isn't real? Not only do these teams reside in the same city, but the fact that they share a stadium elevates things to new heights – not to mention the G-Men's dominance, having won eight of their 12 meetings overall, including five in a row.
"No, I don't think it's a rivalry because you don't play them as much," Bowles explained. "They're not in the same division. You only play them once every (four) years. The fact that we're in the same city, same stadium makes it very interesting for the fan base, but other than that, no."
Truth is that, no matter what anyone says, Sunday's Week 13 clash between the Jets and Giants is not only for city bragging rights, but it will also determine who truly rules MetLife Stadium. In contrast to Bowles' comments on the matter, a former member of the New York Giants also took the time to weigh in on the same topic.
"I always looked at it as: The Jets want to get where we're at. That's having won the championships and having won really over the area for the most part. I know there are a lot of Jets fans and they're loyal, but the Jets are in Giants country," said former Giants guard Chris Snee. "Listen, it's definitely a game where you want the bragging rights. You don't want your little brother to beat you in anything, let's put it that way."
With so much on the line for both clubs, the importance of this game is magnified. Entering Week 13, the Giants find themselves in the midst of an NFC East divisional race, currently knotted up with the Washington Redskins atop the division. The Jets, on the other hand, hope to punch their ticket into the postseason by cinching a wild card berth.
In either case, Tom Coughlin and Todd Bowles need this win badly in order to stay in the race, as each one is currently on the outside looking in as far as the playoff picture goes. The Jets come in sitting seventh place in the AFC, while the Giants are ninth in the NFC with five games to play.
So, can Sunday's game be added to another chapter in the rivalry between the Giants and the Jets? Just ask Gang Green wide receiver, Brandon Marshall.
"Because it's two teams in the same city, it's definitely a rivalry," the five-time Pro Bowler weighed in. "We definitely want to be known as the best team in New York, and we have to go out there and fight for that this weekend."
Abe Gutierrez's (Twitter: @GutierrezAbe) passion led him to ditch law school journey in order to launch his own publishing company. His expertise make him a valued addition to Examiner.com, AXS.com and the CBS-Sports family. Some of his work can be found on CBS-Miami (Dolphins), CBS-LosAngeles (Chargers), CBS-BayArea (Raiders), CBS-NewYork (NY Jets), CBS-TampaBay (Buccaneers), AXS.com, Examiner.com and other online publications.
