With no hope for this team, honor a great Giant
Nissequogue, L.I.: The New York Giants endured a 17-year playoff drought from 1964-1980 that encompassed my entire childhood. I grew up with them being a dismal franchise and the laughingstock of the NFL. As bad as things were back then, I feel it’s even worse now.
At least then, the Giants always seemed to be competitive and put up a fight. Nowadays, they have a 2-10 record and their star rookie receiver Malik Nabers actually said out loud that the team is “soft as f--k”. This is beyond an embarrassment. It is a historic humiliation to be a Giants fan in 2024.
There are two home games left in the coldest month of the year. What fan in his or her right mind would want to endure the elements to come watch this team get further humiliated playing meaningless games? But there is one possible attraction that Giants management can offer fans this lost season. Currently, former Giants running back and Super Bowl XXV MVP Ottis “O.J.” Anderson is vying for his long-deserved induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
If for nothing else but to give fans a reason to attend one of these meaningless games, the Giants should give Anderson a halftime Hall of Fame awareness ceremony. The reason Anderson isn’t in the Hall is partly because he had such an awesome career that most everybody assumes he’s already in it. If nothing else gets accomplished for the Giants in 2024, they can at least fix this. It’s likely going to be the highlight of the season. Stephen Louro
Pencil-pushers
El Cerrito, Calif.: Really terrific reading Kristian Winfield’s article in praise of the Knicks front office (“Seems like magic,” Dec. 4), which names not a single member of said front office except for the salary cap specialist. Leon Rose and World Wide Wes must’ve had a good laugh reading that one. Ed Bode
A caring coach
Whitestone: When Basketball Hall of Fame coach Lou Carnesecca passed away on Saturday, we St. John’s University friends of Louie lost a good friend and a great role model (“Saint Looie!” Dec. 2). If you were a friend of Louie, you were his friend forever. He never forgot any of the hundreds of players he coached. He was our freshman baseball coach in 1962-63, two years before he took over the basketball team when Joe Lapchick retired. He made everyone feel like they were important to him — a good friend, a good guy. Sometimes, even in his 90s, he would call former St. John’s players and ask how we were doing. He always made time for his hundreds of friends. Michael J. Gorman
Contrived theory
Forest Hills: Daniel Penny’s well-heeled defense team went to Rent-a-Witness and paid $90,000 for a guy to tell them exactly what they wanted to hear. So, we (and the jury) are supposed to believe that even if Penny had not choked him, Jordan Neely would have died in that subway car anyway — spontaneously — from schizophrenia and synthetic marijuana. Alan Hirschberg
Tough talk is cheap
Swarthmore, Pa.: Donald Trump has pledged — actually threatened — that if the hostages held by the terrorist group Hamas are not released prior to his inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025, there will be “hell to pay.” He doesn’t seem to appreciate that Hamas’ hatred for Israel and their dedication to its destruction is what gives them the power to maintain their vise-like grip on the people of Gaza. He also doesn’t seem to realize that the Israelis have already rained hell down on the people of Gaza and Hamas. Trump’s bluster will not scare Hamas into submission — in fact, it may only strengthen their resolve to prove that they’re not afraid of him or the United States. It’s the might and retributive retaliation wrought by the Israeli military that will bring Hamas to its knees, not Trump’s rhetoric, even if he posts it in all caps on his social media site. Ken Derow
Wait and see
Ottawa, Ontario: I do not understand why there is so much doom and gloom about Trump. Whether it is Canada, Mexico or China, you only hear catastrophic messages of what will happen. Really, there has got to be some good news, not 24-hour bad news. Imagine if war ends with Ukraine, imagine if North Korea will stop firing those missiles in exchange for an economic package, or even imagine if Iran would end all hostilities toward the U.S. for sanctions to be lifted. It is possible, isn’t it? If these were to happen, I see the Nobel Peace Prize waiting for Trump. Give him some slack, will you? Anant Nagpur
Not unusual
Austin, Texas: I am tired of news networks dramatizing and making a big deal about President Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter. Their double standard is unreasonable and unfair. Let us remember that Trump promised to pardon so many of those convicted for their involvement in the Jan. 6 insurrection. Moreover, as a friend reminds me, it’s not out of the historical norm for presidents to pardon family members. Bill Clinton pardoned his brother Roger. In addition, Trump pardoned his son-in-law’s father. It’s time, therefore, for the media to stop obsessing over Biden’s decision. He has been an excellent president who came along at a time when the country desperately needed someone who could empathize with Americans and bring back civility and rationality to the White House. Richard Cherwitz
Massive blind spot
Brooklyn: To Voicer Tom Ascher: Are you for real? A pathological liar and convicted felon is about to become the most powerful man in the world, and you say that Hunter Biden is above the law? Give me a break. June Lowe
As yet unpunished
Manhattan: Voicer Tom Ascher’s letter was a bad joke. What were the repercussions for Trump committing high treason by trying to overthrow an American presidential election? He sent a violent, destructive mob of thousands to trash the priceless, national landmark Capitol Building on Jan. 6. What were the repercussions for trying to “find votes” in Georgia, cheat on real estate and business taxes, blackmail Ukraine, confiscate top secret documents and refuse to return them to the government, and lie more than 45,000 times while in office? The penalty for Fox News for repeating the lies was $787 million. The penalty for Rudy Giuliani repeating the lies was $148 million. Other than Trump getting thrown out of court 60 times for lying about “election fraud,” I’m still waiting for those repercussions for the Republican Mobster-in-Chief. Sam Katz
Credibility void
Manhattan: I am a Democrat and believe that those who break the law should pay the penalty. However, the incoming president has said he intends to take revenge on his enemies, and President Biden is probably Enemy #1. But Biden is retiring and not much can be done to him except calling him names (like children would do). His son — now there’s a target! In this very specific instance, I agree with Rep. Eric Swalwell, who posted, “If you defended the 34x felon, who committed sexual assault, stole national security documents, and tried running a coup on his country… you can sit out the Hunter Biden pardon discussion.” Lindsay Cohen
Bending over backwards
Miami: I am glad Biden pardoned his son, even after pledging not to. I get so tired of Democrats gnashing their teeth over shortcomings among their own (Al Franken, for example) while Republicans look past much worse. Do you really think Trump needed this as justification for pardoning the Jan. 6 rioters? Everybody knows he would be doing it no matter what. And please, there is no moral equivalency to pardoning hundreds who were attempting to overthrow our democracy (leading to deaths and injuries of Capitol Police officers) versus pardoning a son who pleaded guilty for filing false gun ownership paperwork and who has turned his life around. Please. Sylvan Seidenman