Fans of NY presents: Therese Hoarty and Nell Brennan’s Giants Fandom
Concrete New York brings you the story of three generations of New York Giants fandom. For Therese and Nell, by rooting for the Giants they have created a special bond and important traditions that they share with their entire family.
On their first Giants memories:
Therese: In 1961, we had seven people in a house with one wall phone which was ringing constantly. Leading up to the NFL Championship Game between the New York Giants and the Green Bay Packers, everyone had to answer the telephone by saying, “Beat Green Bay.”
Nell: When I was 10 years old, I went to a Giants game with my mom and my grandpa. He wasn’t feeling great at that time and was unable to walk very far distances and the thought that he wasn't well enough to make it to a game that season was crushing him. My mom worked behind the scenes to arrange an attendant to meet him at the gate and drive him straight to our seat entrance and help him to his seat. The memory of riding with him on the golf cart to our seats for the home opener was not only one of my favorite Giants’ memories, but one of my favorite memories with my grandpa. He was so proud that he didn’t let feeling sick get in the way of him supporting his team.
On the family that influenced their fandom:
Therese: Without question my father was the biggest influence on my fandom. We had one small black and white TV on our kitchen table and we would all huddle around cheering for the Giants. His love and loyalty went back to the days when the team played at the Polo Grounds. Once he and my mother got married, watching Giants game became their “date night.”
A family friend purchased an old school bus and a group traveled en masse to the Giants games. My father sat with his original six at the time while my mother sat in different seats with the ‘gals.” After I finished college and moved into the city I was allowed to claim a seat on the bus, getting picked up Sunday mornings at 9 AM on the corner of 34th Street and 3rd Avenue.
We were never just Giants fans, we were a Giants family. Reflecting on my childhood, I realized how much fun we had incorporating sports into our lives. It was akin to being curious, you needed to enjoy reading, you needed to enjoy listening to music and you needed to enjoy supporting your teams.
Nell: My mom really raised me with the Giants and created the foundation for my support of this team at a young age. Every Sunday, we spent the day together as a family watching football. The memories from Giants games with my mom and family will last a lifetime and I am so grateful that she has instilled in me a love for the Giants.
On the Giants memorabilia that means the most to them:
Therese: One of my father’s original six had his mother knit blue and white striped berets for the group. They wore them to every game and wouldn’t wear them in any other setting. Additionally, one of the original six wore the same grey suit and leather lace up boots to every home opener. After his last home opener, he gave me a piece of the laces from his boot in a frame.
Nell: My New York Giants 'Jay Fund' tee-shirt. The Jay Fund is a non-profit organization established by Tom Coughlin that helps families tackle childhood cancer by providing financial, emotional and practical support. My mom and I have volunteered with the Jay Fund for many years; we help out during an ‘Ice Cream Social' for around 20 pediatric cancer patients and their families at MetLife Stadium. Giants players come straight from practice and dive into hanging out with these kids. Seeing the players create lifelong memories for these children is so unbelievably heart-warming. I love being able to support a team and organization that does so much more than just play football every Sunday.
On their favorite game they’ve ever attended:
Therese: January 11, 1986 when we beat Washington to advance to Super Bowl XXI. They literally had to escort our bus out of the parking lot. We were deliriously happy and had no intentions of letting the moment pass.
Nell: Eli Manning's last game of his career in December 2019 against the Miami Dolphins. Eli was pulled with under 2 minutes left so that the fans could say “thank you” and the stadium erupted. To me, rooting for the Giants had always been synonymous with rooting for Eli. The camaraderie that I felt in the stadium as everyone chanted his name was an amazing fan experience. I’ll really miss going to games this season. So much of my New York Giants love stems from going to games and cheering for them alongside thousands of other fans.
On their favorite fan interactions:
Therese: Over the years, we’ve developed friendships with fans that went beyond the season. We shared marriages, births, adoptions and deaths with these people. They watched my daughters grow up as I have watched theirs [do the same].
Each year the game closest to November 4th which was my mother’s birthday became the Champagne Game. My father hosted a champagne toast to celebrate her. For years he could bring a case of champagne into Yankee Stadium and when the team moved to New Jersey, there would be cases set up outside our tailgate and everyone who walked past could get a plastic cup to toast. Then we had our Christmas Game. We had our song sheets and would sing corals outside the Giants bus to people as they walked into the stadium. After that game we would slowly drive up Fifth Ave to look at all the lights in the store windows while entertaining the passersby with our continued singing.
For years we even had the renowned License Plate Guy sitting in the row behind us. Now we have the next generation of tailgaters and fans in our section who make every home game start with familiarity, which is such an important part of the experience. The best thing is that I get to share this with my daughter’s, nieces and nephews so that the family legacy continues.
Nell: A friend of my uncle's, Swampy, has a bus that has been transformed into a 'Giants Bus'. The entire outside of the bus is decorated for the Giants and the inside is a shrine to the team. Swampy hosts tailgates for every home game of the season with music blasting and people dancing; everyone is welcome. Our extended family always coordinates one game around Christmas to all attend together and we always start the day at Swampy's tailgate. Being at MetLife with all of my cousins, aunts and uncles to make lifelong memories, rain or shine, has been so special.
On their favorite New York Giants moment:
Therese: When my father didn’t win the season-ticket-holder lottery to go to Super Bowl XXI, he exhausted all means to get tickets. Going so far as to write a letter to then owner Wellington Mara, mentioning his Giants fandom and unequivocally stating that he still wanted to pay for passage to the game. Within days, he received four tickets to the game in Pasadena from Mr. Mara and an invoice! My dad and three of the original six took a chartered flight out of JFK the morning of the game and took the same flight back after our victory. The plane was filled with old timers from when the team played in Yankee Stadium as people recognized each other and regaled themselves with many “remember whens.”
Nell: When the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2012. Watching the game with my high school friends and some fellow Giants fans was comforting as it was not the most relaxing game I have ever watched. Being in New York City for the game and audibly hearing cheers from outside of our apartment after the win was an electric experience. It was so special to see my team win in my city and be able to celebrate with all of New York.