Don’t crown Eli and Coughlin as Hall of Famers yet

Added by Leslie Monteiro on January 22, 2012.

In this town, we love to hype our own athletes and coaches. We label them champs or call them Hall of Famers before big games and all. We get so confident about our stars’ ability to step up that we make claims that are premature.

Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News was mentioning Eli Manning and Tom Coughlin as Hall of Famers if they win a championship this year. First of all, one wonders why he would utter Hall of Famers during championship week. Second of all, it’s early to judge their careers.

If the Giants lose to the 49ers on Sunday, it’s going to be hard to label either of them as Hall of Famers.  That’s the rub. It’s hard to anoint them when they have yet to accomplish their goal of winning the Super Bowl this year.

From my perspective, both are not Hall of Famers even if they win another Super Bowl. It’s hard to take either of them seriously for that prestigious honor when they miss the playoffs often.

Bill Belichick and Tom Brady will be in the Hall of Fame. That’s easy to say when one looks at the fact they won three Super Bowl championships and they are in the playoffs every year.  When Coughlin and Manning accomplished what that duo in New England has, an argument can be made for both of them.

It’s possible the Giants head coach and the Giants quarterback can be in Canton one day. They have a good resume, but it comes down to championships. One championship doesn’t do it. They have to win at least three to get there.

With the way the Giants are built, they should be a playoff team every year. The offense and defense feature young players that are starting to reach their prime. Those players are only going to get better. This is a team that can win more championships in the future, and that’s why Coughlin and Manning have a chance.

Coughlin has a good chance of getting into the Hall of Fame. His resume is very good. He made the Jaguars a championship contender when he was coaching there, and that franchise has not been the same since he was fired. Despite missing playoffs several times, his work has been good as a Giants coach.

He still has it as the Giants coach. His players played for him when he needed wins this season. It shows he is the right guy for this franchise for many years to come.

The Giants will give him a nice extension when the season is over. This is where Coughlin needs to win at least two more championships for him to be considered a Hall of Famer. He can get a headstart this year if he gets to the Super Bowl and win it.

It would be great if Coughlin goes to the Hall of Fame. He is all about football, not into talking to the media by making silly guarantees like another football coach in town. He makes players into better men by giving them lecture on life lessons. He puts in the time at his job. He has humility. There is so much to like about him as a person.

Going to the Hall of Fame is what drives him as a coach. It’s something that would mean a lot to him being in the Hall as a Giants coach. This is a coach that has been devoted to bringing excellence back to the Giants, which has been lacking since Bill Parcells retired. It appears that time has come, and that has to be the highlight of Coughlin’s tenure along with winning a championship.

Manning has been up-and-down as a Giants quarterback, but at the age of 31, he may have reached his prime. He has had an excellent season. He is why the Giants are in a position to win a championship. They don’t make the playoffs without his great season. Manning has taken the role of being a leader with him leading Giants to come-from-behind victories.

This season is what the Giants envisioned when then-Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi traded up to get the #1 pick and draft Manning in 2004. Now, the Giants have to hope for more seasons like that from their star quarterback. If he does that, he is a good bet to be in Canton with his head coach.

Manning can play for the next eight years, and he can play at that type of level. Keep in mind some quarterbacks reach their stride in their 30s, and the Giants quarterback can be that guy. The Giants have to feel good about their future mainly for his play. His odds of being in the Hall are good with his ability to lead his team to a championship.

Manning’s success goes hand-in-hand with Coughlin, which the Giants quarterback dictates whether or not he and his coach go to the Hall of Fame. More playoff appearances and couple of championships should put them there.

It’s feasible, but to crown them now is premature. Nothing is guaranteed.