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The period of 1979 to 1993 was one of the most successful in New York Giants franchise history. Members of the NFL's National Football Conference, the Giants struggled after reaching the NFL Championship Game in 1963. The 1964 season began a 15-year stretch in which the Giants were unable to make the playoffs. However, in 1979 they started rebuilding, hiring General Manager George Young, the first GM in the family-run team's history. Young, a former Baltimore Colts and Miami Dolphins executive, assembled a team that would become successful in the 1980s and early 1990s. Led by a run-oriented offense and a defense nicknamed the "Big Blue Wrecking Crew", the team qualified for the postseason six times in 10 seasons from 1981 to 1990. During that period, they won Super Bowl XXI (1987) and Super Bowl XXV (1991). The period encompasses the careers of quarterback Phil Simms and linebacker Lawrence Taylor, two of the most accomplished players in team history. Simms was drafted to little fanfare from tiny Morehead State University in 1979, and struggled in his initial seasons before becoming a Pro Bowl quarterback. Taylor was the second selection in the 1981 NFL Draft and, in contrast to Simms, was an immediate success, winning the league's Defensive Player of the Year Award as a rookie. The team's success in this period was aided by head coach Bill Parcells, running back Joe Morris, and Hall of Fame linebacker Harry Carson. Following the 1990 season and a victory in Super Bowl XXV, Parcells resigned as coach and was replaced by the team's offensive coordinator, Ray Handley. Handley served as coach for two mediocre seasons (1991–92), in which the Giants went from Super Bowl champions to a 6–10 record. He was fired following the 1992 season and replaced by former Denver Broncos coach Dan Reeves. In the early 1990s, Simms and Taylor played out the last years of their career with steadily declining production. In 1993, however, the Giants experienced a resurgent season with Reeves at the helm, and Simms and Taylor ended their careers as members of a winning team. ==Building a champion: 1979-1985== The Giants made the decision to hire a General Manager for the first time in team history following the 1978 season.〔Anderson, Dave. (Sports of the Times; Ten Giant Steps to Superdom ), ''The New York Times'', January 25, 1987, accessed March 25, 2008.〕 However, disagreements during the search caused severe friction and discord between owners Wellington and Tim Mara.〔 At one point they had tried to hire Jan Van Duser, a league executive, but he declined the offer due to the ownership squabbles.〔 Finally, the Maras asked NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle to step in with a recommendation.〔 Rozelle recommended George Young,〔Goldberg, Hank. (Giants owner Wellington Mara dies at age 89 ), ''USA Today'', October 25, 2005, accessed March 21, 2007. * Pervin. pg. 73〕 who worked in personnel for the Miami Dolphins and had been an assistant coach for the Baltimore Colts. Rozelle had discussed the hiring before hand with former Giants Frank Gifford and Tom Scott, who recommended hiring Young. They had already recommended Young to Wellington and his son John, but felt if Rozelle presented the recommendation as his own idea the brothers would be more likely to accept the pick.〔 Young was hired and he was instrumental in turning around the fortunes of the franchise. "Oh, there is no question he helped save the franchise," John Mara later said. "It looked like a no-win situation. He came in and overhauled everything we did in a more professional way."〔Waldstein, David. (New York Teams Listen to Leagues When Hiring ), ''The New York Times'', October 14, 2010, accessed November 8, 2010.〕 Despite the hiring and subsequent success, the rift between the Maras lasted for several years〔(Belichick Press Conference ), patriots.com, October 26, 2005, accessed March 21, 2007.〕 and, at one point a partition had to be put between the two in the owner's box.〔Burke, Monte. (Turning $500 Into A $573 Million NFL Team ), forbes.com, August 29, 2003, accessed June 1, 2007.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「History of the New York Giants (1979–93)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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