Giants Hoping to Bring Smiles to Storm-stricken Fans

For many sports enthusiasts, a chance to watch a sporting event is a nice way to escape the stresses of everyday life.

And this weekend, with much of the tri-state area continuing to recover from the effects of Hurricane Sandy, the Giants are hoping to put an added smile on the faces of those who are able to watch them host the Pittsburgh Steelers.

“I think there’s no question about that,” said head coach Tom Coughlin when asked if he and the team felt an added responsibility to those affected by Sandy.

While the team hasn’t yet addressed the issue as a group – Coughlin said, “There will be a time and place for talking about that,” perhaps a reference to the team meeting on Saturday night– he’s well aware of the devastation caused by the storm having not only seen it first hand, but also hearing about it from his staff and players.

“I think the devastation is part of our world,” he said. “Our players have gone through a little bit. I don’t know the extent of the damage of their homes, but I know the majority of them have been without power,” he said.

Running back Ahmad Bradshaw, who remembered how residents of Southern Louisiana found some temporary moments of escape via the Saints football program  in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, said he hoped people in the tri-state area would be able to find temporary relief in what’s an otherwise stressful period in their lives by tuning in to watch the Giants.

“We feel like we can spark New York; just what we do, what we’ve done,” Bradshaw said. “I think we can also help everybody in New York and New Jersey that’s going through this.”

Just how many people the Giants will be able to help remains a question mark, as a large number of people were still without power as of Thursday, awaiting a 7-10 day promise by electrical utility companies to restore power.

There have been service interruptions to mass transit, especially to the New York City subways and New Jersey Transit railway that could impede people’s commute to the game on Sunday. Even those with cars might have trouble attending given the long lines at the limited gas stations that are open in the area.

That’s why if the Giants can do something to help ease the sting of the thousands of people who have been inconvenienced due to the storm, they’re happy to do so.

“Hopefully, we can take care of New York and it will be a good Sunday for everybody,” Bradshaw said. “We need to get everybody through this storm, this weather and everything else; get through this month and get back to normal. Hopefully, our wins and our success help.”