Say It Ain't So, Steve

As a die-hard Giants fan, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention anything about Steve Smith’s departure to the Eagles last night.  Like most of Giant-land, I assumed Smith’s return to Big Blue was a mere formality.  In fact, when my friend Cheryl visited Giants training camp with me this past Sunday, she asked where Smith was, under the assumption that he’d be practicing with the team.  In an already tumultuous offseason, it was a relief to hear that the former Pro Bowler was checking-in with the team on Tuesday.

So you can imagine my shock and horror when I checked my Twitter account last night, hopeful to see news of a Smith resigning, and saw instead that he had bolted for the hated Eagles.  It was as if someone just reached through my phone and punched me in the stomach.

I won’t sugarcoat it: this is a significant blow to the Giants’ roster.  I am confident that General Manager Jerry Reese has a plan, but I don’t think losing Steve Smith was part of it.  Despite the concern from outside fans and reporters, Giants brass showed no signs of panic when Shaun O’Hara, Rich Seubert, Barry Cofield, Plaxico Burress, and Kevin Boss left the team for various reasons. So it unsettles me when I read that Tom Coughlin is mad about Smith’s abrupt departure. 

I don’t know what to make of Coughlin’s claims that Smith left under cover of darkness.  On one hand, I can’t imagine Smith not giving the Giants the opportunity to match the Eagles' offer.  On the other hand, I can’t imagine New York not shelling out the extra cash to keep a player who was such an integral part of the team before his injury.

And I think that’s the thing that hurts the most.  I don’t blame Smith for leaving, and I definitely don’t condone the Giant fans who are peppering his wall with hateful comments (the vocal minority, as I like to call them).  But I can’t kick the feeling that he was destined to spend his career in blue.  He was an unsung hero of the Super Bowl XLII team (I will never forget 3rd and 11).  He regularly interacted with fans on Twitter and sent barbs like this to irk, ironically, the Eagles.  Players like Cofield and Boss were also loved, but they didn't have the rapport with the fans that Smith did.  He was a Giant, through and through.

Last night, I couldn’t help but think of Johnny Damon, another popular player who endeared himself to the hometown fans by embracing the team they rooted for.  I see a lot of similarities between New York’s reaction today and Boston’s backlash when Damon left for the Yankees.  I’m just waiting to hear the first Giants fan say “I think Jerrel Jernigan might be better than Smith,” much the same way Sox nation talked itself into the Coco Crisp era.

The Giants wanted Smith back, and he wanted to come back, and yet now he’s playing for the Eagles.  Fans have a right to be pissed, even if they’re not sure who they should be pissed at.  As for me, I’m just disappointed.  I know Smith did what he thought was right, and I’m grateful for the memories he gave us.  I just thought there’d be more of them.

Image found here.