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OKAY, I'M RELOADED! The NEW NW Giants
Written by -Tre G.
The Northwest Giants, of Philadelphia, is a franchise with over 20 years of rich and royal history. The Northwest Giants have endured the tests of time, adversity, betrayal, challenge, down and distance. However, heading into the 2010 BNEFF season, they are expecting to be faced with some of their biggest challenges ever.
There have been several SemiPro Men's leagues throughout Philadelphia and it's surrounding areas, in the last 20 years. The Giants have always been one of the premier teams, year after year. Many great players have all gotten their starts, training and made their names, while wearing Giant's blue. For many years, the Giants were the most feared and followed team on the East Coast.
As many people know, organizations have their ups and downs, except for the Giants. They have been able to remain on the top of the food chain for many years. With a stable of talent, a winning tradition and a will to dominate, the Giants have always been the team to beat, until now.
After a disappointing 2009 campaign, during which the transformation of the organization had begun, the Giants knew that the near future would be a tough road. The Giants, who had claimed back to back championships in 2007 and 2008, struggled during the playoffs in 2009 and fell to the Tacony Eagles in the Keystone Conference Championship. The ball of yarn had already began to unwind and it would continue in the months to follow.
There are many contributing factors that have lead up to the new look Giants and what promises to be a long and challenging season.
1. The longtime Giants Head Coach, Brian Horsey, stepped away from the helm, for personal reasons, leaving a vacancy, which would be later filled by former assistant Coach Kieth.
2. Several longtime Giants players had been playing for the CP Piranah in a spring/summer league before rejoining the Giants each winter. The Pirhanah began its inaugural season in the BNEFF this year and many players who were with the Giants for years, decided to align themselves with the Phish.
3. During the reign of the Gmen, there were several key players that were the faces of the Giants. Most of those players have recently retired, making way for a new stable of horses, that will likely carry the franchise for the next 25 years.
4. The explosion of the BNEFF! The Big Northeast Football Federation has grown exponentially in the last 4 seasons. Once considered inferior to all of the neighboring leagues, the BNEFF has flourished and become the premier league on the east coast and one of the best in the country. The success of the league has drawn many great teams to it, thus making the competition tougher than its ever been!
Claiming its third Giants Championship, in 4 seasons, is a very distant possibility, for this season. However, many organizations have yet to claim their first Championship title. But the Gmen are just looking to stay in the hunt for another chip, while grooming its new cast of young super studs, under the leadership of its remaining outstanding veterans.
While many have written off the Giants' season, because they don't see the familiar faces, those who are close to the organization know differently. The winning tradition and championship caliber of the Giants, has attracted and enlisted the services of some very talented young players, many of whom have played at the college level. Add to that the return of some key veterans and what you have is a reloaded, rebuilt, refreshed football team, looking to bust its way back to the top of the mountain.
You can call it a rebuilding year if you'd like, however keep in mind that they are still the mighty Giants. There is only one champion each year, everyone else is tied for second place. Its looks as if the Giants are setting themselves up to make it back to the winners circle very soon.
"We will adjust and continue our respected winning tradition. I want to make sure that the sons of my current players are able to grow up and wear a Northwest Giants uniform, one day." - Mel Barnes, Giants Owner
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