logo
See it: Football Giants, baseball Giants spoof viral decade-old WFAN call

See it: Football Giants, baseball Giants spoof viral decade-old WFAN call

USA Today04-08-2025
As it turns out, the New York Giants and San Francisco Giants really do get together.
Nearly a decade ago, the question was posed by "Dan in Warwick," who called into WFAN and asked Mike Francesa, in all seriousness, if the two teams ever linked up.
"Do they ever say, 'Hi?' I don't know, go out to dinner or something?" Dan asked.
Francesa was floored. He called it the strangest question he had received, and after trying to wrap his head around it, poked a little fun at "Dan in Warwick."
"(Henrik) Lundqvist is particularly close to (then-Texas pitcher) Yu Darvish, as a matter of fact," he said. "There's a kinship there between the two of them."
The call went viral and remained a topic of conversation for 10 long years. And now, the question has finally been answered.
Leave it to Eli Manning to put this all together for "The Eli Manning Show."
"When I showed (Manning) the clip, he lost it in my office," Giants' senior vice president of marketing and brand strategy Nilay Shah told Newsday. "It was unbelievable. I was, like, 'Are you down to do this?' He said, 'No-brainer.'"
"It's a typical Mike response of just no-holds-barred, 'You're a moron. What are you thinking?' Typical New York bluntness that he always had," Manning said. "Obviously, what made that show so great are the fans calling in and asking these questions and that interaction is obviously an instant classic."
Francesa called the collaboration "ingenious."
Matt Chapman and Logan Webb were also immediately on board.
"I grew up watching him play football," Chatman said. "To be able to meet (Manning), it's really cool."
"It's funny the things that people think, like that we would get together," Chatman said. "But now we did it, and it's fun. And it's funny. It's awesome."
Somewhere, "Dan in Warwick" is smiling, having finally gotten his answer.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Texas makes history in college football's 2025 preseason US LBM Coaches Poll Top 25
Texas makes history in college football's 2025 preseason US LBM Coaches Poll Top 25

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Texas makes history in college football's 2025 preseason US LBM Coaches Poll Top 25

With the start of the college football season less than a month away, the time has come to unveil the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll. And this year, the results create some history and guarantee that the campaign will begin with even more than the usual bang. Texas will open at No. 1 for the first time in the coaches poll. The Longhorns, projected among the early favorites in the crowded SEC, were voted first by 28 of the 67 panelists in this year's poll. They'll get an immediate challenge to that lofty perch, however, as their Week 1 opponent, defending champion Ohio State, will start off at No. 2. The Buckeyes received 20 first-place votes heading an almost equally crowded field of Big Ten contenders. The No. 1 vs No. 2 matchup in the season opener is unprecedented in the history of the coaches poll, and the hype leading up to the clash in Columbus will be as well. TOP 25: Complete preseason US LBM coaches poll OUTLOOKS: Breaking down every Top 25 team in poll Penn State, expected to be Ohio State's primary Big Ten challenger, is No. 3 with 14 top nods, giving the preseason poll three teams with double-digit first-place votes for the first time since 2012. Georgia, accustomed to high starting positions in recent years, will begin at No. 4 while claiming three No. 1 votes. Notre Dame, last season's runner-up, didn't pick up any firsts in preseason balloting but enters the campaign in good position at No. 5. The last two No. 1 votes went to Clemson, which will open at No. 6 overall. Oregon is No. 7, with Alabama, LSU and Miami (Fla.) rounding out the initial top 10. The Crimson Tide's ranking at No. 8 is the lowest in the preseason poll since the second season under Nick Saban in 2008. The SEC, in addition to its quartet ranked No. 9 or higher, has a total of nine teams in the Top 25, with a couple more just outside the poll. The Big Ten has six ranked squads in all. Those include No. 12 Illinois getting its highest starting spot since 1990, and last year's surprise playoff team Indiana opening at No. 19. The Big 12 has five teams ranked, albeit none higher than defending champion Arizona State at No. 11. The ACC placed its two favorites in the top 10 but only one other, No. 16 SMU, landed in the top 25. No. 25 Boise State is the lone representative of the Group of Five leagues to crack the poll. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Texas makes history at No. 1 in college football's 2025 preseason poll

Preseason US LBM Coaches Poll overlooks quarterback inexperience at top of rankings
Preseason US LBM Coaches Poll overlooks quarterback inexperience at top of rankings

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Preseason US LBM Coaches Poll overlooks quarterback inexperience at top of rankings

They say it over and over. The game is all about the quarterback. Those who have experience at the most important position on the field, college football coaches insist, win big games. Unless, apparently, you're a blue blood program. So while you stare at the first US LBM Coaches Poll of the 2025 college football season, don't ignore the glaring reality staring back. Five of the top eight teams have first-time starters at the most important position on the field. 'The quarterback is critical to everything you do,' Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. 'There's no getting around it.' It is here where we introduced Texas, Ohio State, Georgia, Notre Dame, and Alabama. All among the top 10 in the Coaches Poll, and all preseason favorites to reach the College Football Playoff — and possibly much more. All with first-time, full-time starters. If you think the CFP selection committee has problems ranking teams, the 67 coaches shouldn't get pass on criticism, either. There's a whole lot of funky in the first Coaches Poll, beginning at the top with teams ranked on reputation. Not their critical quarterback component. The quarterbacks at those five blue bloods – teams with a combined 119-23 record over the last two seasons – have combined to throw 262 career passes. Arch Manning of Texas has never started an SEC road game, and his only SEC start came last season against tomato can Mississippi State. Gunner Stockton of Georgia has never started an SEC game. CJ Carr of Notre Dame, Julian Sayin of Ohio State and Ty Simpson of Alabama have never started a game. Think about this: college football coaches have essentially told you they believe in a group of quarterbacks who, on average, have 50 career throws each. Maybe this isn't the layup everyone thinks it is. Maybe we're on the verge of a wild ride through the 2025 season, where the unknown unfolds into the unthinkable. Especially considering there's much more to this quarterback story than just first-time, full-time starters. Texas is preseason No.1 for the first time in school history, more hype baggage (and expectations) for Manning to carry before the first snap of the season. After back-to-back national titles in 2021-22, Georgia missed the CFP in 2023 and last year sustained an ugly loss in the quarterfinals — and suddenly looks vulnerable. Ohio State is completely rebuilt on both sides of the ball (only nine starters return), and all Sayin has to do is defend a national title. And beat Michigan for the first time since 2019. Simpson begins his fourth season at Alabama, a program that owned the four-team CFP under former coach Nick Saban — but couldn't make the first 12-team field in 2024. Simpson is merely carrying that weight, OK? ARCH MADNESS: Manning rumor madness with Nick Saban and Cleveland Browns GOOD FIGHT: Deion Sanders is stepping up in biggest battle of career Then there's Carr, a talented redshirt freshman who was given the keys to a championship-level team after Irish coach Marcus Freeman declined to add an experienced quarterback from the transfer portal — and go all-in with the unknown. 'I feel like the experience from last year is invaluable,' Stockton said. That 'experience' consisted of the second half of the SEC championship game victory over Texas, and the CFP quarterfinal loss to Notre Dame. Manning's experience is a home game against the worst team in the SEC, and a home game against lightweight Louisiana-Monroe. Simpson's most extended time on the field was two years ago in a tight win over South Florida, when he replaced starter Tyler Buchner and was essentially the best of two bad options. Carr and Sayin will take their first legitimate college football snaps in the season opener, both in monster non-conference games. Notre Dame plays at Miami, and Ohio State plays host to Texas. 'You want command of the offense," said Ohio State coach Ryan Day, who insists Sayin is still competing with junior Lincoln Kienholz – who has also never started a game – for the starting job. 'When you stand in there as a quarterback, you want everyone to believe in you. You want them to follow your command.' That's all it takes? This will be a cakewalk. Matt Hayes is the senior national college football writer for USA TODAY Sports Network. Follow him on X at @MattHayesCFB. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: College football preseason poll full of quarterback ineperience

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store