A hastily customized jersey with the number 26 on it and a photoshopped image of a head on a snake's body may be child's play compared to the vitriol that awaits Saquon Barkley.
Barkley, who was a popular face for the Giants who went 34-64-1 from 2018 to 2023, returns to MetLife Stadium as Public Enemy No. 1 on Sunday when the Eagles visit.
The Pro Bowl running back's decision to sign a three-year, $37.5 million free agent contract with a rival was seen as a betrayal by many fans, as the Giants did not offer him a contract after last season. , His family's wishes cannot be ignored either. A chance to return close to home and watch, with the opportunity to fulfill predictions of greatness.
Former Giants great team radio analyst Carl Banks said, “Saquon did everything he was supposed to do and said everything he was supposed to do, but the team always has a hammer in his hand.” “Some of it's going to be fun. No matter how great of a kid Saquon is, there's going to be some meanness. There's going to be some fans who need to explain why things weren't good. He was a great player in a forgotten era.”
Few legacy athletes have made the direct jump from one side of New York's major rivalry to the other like Barkley.
The paper reached out to Chad Pennington (Jets vs. Dolphins), Johnny Damon (Red Sox vs. Yankees), Scott Gomez (Devils vs. Rangers), and Banks (Giants vs. Washington) to get ideas across opposing teams. He talked about his own experience. What does Barkley really feel (no matter what clichés are used) and what fans and former teammates expect from him?
Barclay was surprised to learn in May, just two months later, that New Yorkers were still upset about his decision. He later admitted that amid all the hate directed at him on social media, he laughed when he saw one photo of a “snake quon.”
Some fans used masking tape and markers to change the “Barkley” nameplate on his No. 26 jersey to represent his replacement, Devin Singletary.
Barkley wants to return, after both teams endured contentious negotiations throughout 2023 that ended with less than $2 million in guaranteed money difference, Barkley wants to return and Giants match his free agent offer Even the “Hard Knocks” scene, which validated the Post's earlier report that it would be a different story, got twisted.
“Rangers vs. Devils is pretty big, but Giants vs. Eagles is in a different category,” Gomez said. “I'm sure he's doing it with thought. If you're not ready for that and you know it's coming, don't sign with the Eagles. I remember [coming back] Like, “Oh my god, this is almost over.” [real]. ” Being ridiculed is a different kind of booing. ”
No need for “idiots”
Damon was the face of the beloved so-called “idiot” who broke the 86-year curse of the Bambino.
But in the span of 426 days, he celebrated a historic 3-0 comeback in the ALCS at the expense of the Yankees in 2004, before leaving the Red Sox for a four-year, $52 million contract to finish his prime years in the Bronx. This led to his resignation.
“My first thought was, 'How can the Red Sox let me walk?'” Damon said. “But what if your current team doesn’t offer you a contract?”
Damon said he was told he had an offer during the 2005 season after winning the World Series. When that didn't happen, he took out $100,000 in insurance against injuries and decided there would be no more hometown discounts.
“They let me do it all year, and I was actually okay with it because I believed in myself,” Damon said.
Barkley similarly bet on himself in 2023 to play on the one-year franchise tag, believing other teams would view his total package as an exception to the way the NFL devalues running backs.
Damon's market cooled as the Tigers and Dodgers pivoted elsewhere. Through teammate Bronson Arroyo, he was informed that the Red Sox believed the Yankees were “lying” about their offer and one-day response.
“The Yankees gave me strength,” Damon said.
Damon said he refused to back out of the agreement when the panicked Red Sox made the offer too late.
Playing in high-stakes games with the Yankees for years at the height of their rivalry was bound to breed hatred among the players as well as the fans. In some cases it was. Where else?
“I didn't want to leave Boston, but if I did leave Boston, I would want to maintain the importance of baseball,” Damon said. “I always admired the Yankees for their hustle and the way they led by example. I never hated them. I hated losing to them.”
When Damon returned to Fenway Park, some fans threw money at the midfielder. Some wore shirts that read, “Looks like Jesus, acts like Judas, throws like Mary.”
“My first season in New York was all about proving the Red Sox wrong,” Damon said. “No one likes to be booed, but they don't boo anyone. It was a great move for me, but it was disgusting for the Boston fans.”
Meet new fans
Pennington never anticipated that he would need phonics lessons to avoid the football mistakes he made in Miami.
“It was a really weird thing to sign, both for me and for the fans who have been supporting me for eight years,” Pennington said. “At one of the first autographs, a fan wanted me to write 'Go Fins.' I spelled it PHINS. And he looked at me like, 'What are you doing?' I saw it at It's Fins. Come on, come on!
The Jets waived Pennington on August 7, 2008, the same day the Jets traded him for Brett Favre. Although most starting quarterback jobs are filled at that point in the calendar, Miami offered a chance to compete in training camp.
“My decision was based on where I had the best opportunity to play as soon as possible,” Pennington said. “In the decision-making process, we never even thought about it from a rivalry standpoint. Once we got there, we did.”
The Dolphins started 0-2, including a season-opening home loss against the Jets in which Pennington was “very emotional about the whole situation and should have played linebacker.” Ta.
But he had the last laugh.
The Dolphins defeated the Favre Jets in the final game of the season at East Rutherford in a winner-take-all AFC East division title (the only division title not won by the Patriots from 2003 to 2019). Pennington won the Jets' most recent AFC East title in 2002.
“The funny thing is, winning instantly changes how the fans view you,” Pennington said. “I could tell they were a little wary of me for the first six weeks or so. But by the end of the season, it was definitely a match made in heaven.”
Even with everything at stake in his first game back at the Meadowlands, Pennington recalls receiving a warm welcome.
“There were multiple comments in the stands saying, 'Chad, thank you for what you did for us,'” Pennington said. “I think the Jets fans respected me because we had success and because I didn't act disrespectful. That was a great moment in my career.”
not everything is allowed
Banks never spoke to the Giants' new head coach, Dan Reeves, until he was fired in 1993.
But he didn't sign with Washington looking for revenge. It wasn't a repeat of Giants great Sam Huff, who held a grudge long after he was traded to Washington.
“It's about maximizing revenue, and Washington has brought in the most money,” Banks said. “I don't think emotions were involved. I was hoping I could help, but it's been a really bad year.”
Banks was ready to bury the hatchet in one of the NFL's great rivalries of the 1980s. His Giants played Washington from 1984 to 1992, going 12-6, including a playoff win, and a time when both teams won two Super Bowls.
But Washington was less forgiving.
“What I realized was that they weren't finished,” Banks said. “They didn't see me as a teammate. I went into the locker room with my rivals. We fought in practice probably once a week that year. After a while, they understood. It’s still bitter.”
The Eagles rallied to welcome Barkley, as if trying to rub the Giants' noses. Banks believes that fans' harsh feelings toward Barkley will eventually fade, similar to how fans felt about Tiki Barber after his awkward retirement.
Banks lasted only one season in Washington. He was introduced before the homecoming game at Giants Stadium, like Washington's other starters, without any show of respect.
“I remember being worried that we were going to get booed by the majority of the stadium during warm-ups, but that wasn't the case,” Banks said. “There were guys behind the bench in Washington who really let me do it. I turned around and said, 'Hey, I'm here.' Please deal with it. They were like, “Oh, I get it.” We just wanted to say hi. ” ”
Enemy or ally?
Gomez, a two-time Stanley Cup champion, is paying off his bar tab with his former Devils teammates, reflecting on the frosty reception he received from some of his teammates after signing a seven-year, $51.5 million free agent contract. Never miss an opportunity to criticize. Signed with the Rangers in 2007.
“When you win together, it's a bond that can never be taken away,” Gomez said. “I thought they were all going to be happy because we're all going through free agency and it's not personal. When you know somebody's upset, you're like, 'Who's who are you?' “F”?” This isn't the 1950s. ”I didn’t ask anyone for permission. ”
Gomez was drawn to the opportunity to play for the Original Six team in historic Madison Square Garden. Two Devils greats, Bruce Driver and Bobby Holik, previously laid the foundation for the jump from the Devils to the Rangers.
“I remember someone saying, 'Anyone but that team,'” Gomez said. “Well, they offered me the most money, so no. What about loyalty? I loved everything about New Jersey, but sometimes you get traded when you buy a house.”
It would be surprising if the Giants' locker room turned against Barkley.
It won't stop the defense from giving him a big hit on Sunday, but the veterans say the five-time co-captain has been honest about wanting to be a “Lifelong Giant” and be immortalized in the franchise's Ring of Honor. I believe I want to leave my name behind. Coach Kayvon Thibodeau said Barkley, the centerpiece of the offense, should have been paid before quarterback Daniel Jones.
Gomez lasted just two seasons with the Rangers, but was booed by Devils fans every time he touched the puck during the 2008 five-game playoff series (which the Rangers won). When faced with hecklers asking him why he left, Gomez found his sincerity. It was the best comeback
“We're able to play because of the fans,” Gomez said. “That’s what makes the tri-state region the best it can be.”
Years later, Gomez, who still spends his time in the New York area in retirement, is surprised that some Devils fans still harbor a grudge. “You let me down,” he hears, “I still haven’t forgiven you.”
“Looking back now, should I change it? No,” Gomez said. “It's a business. You can't bash the fans. Maybe for Saquon Barkley, the boos prove how much they really liked him. But let's be honest, I don't like the Rangers. I signed a contract.”
It's like Barkley signing with the Eagles.
