John Delach

(A Selection of My Giants Road Games: 1991 to 2025)

Super Bowl XXV: January 27, 1991

The Giants beat the San Francisco 49ers 15-13 on a last-minute field goal kicked by Matt Bahr on January 21, one week before Super Bowl XXV would be played in Tampa, Florida.

My phone rang minutes after the game ended. The caller was Steve, my tailgate buddy. “John, Thomas Cook, the travel people screwed up. They only offered super bowl tickets to 49er fans and now they can only sell them to Giants fans. My cousin, Mike, is at Giants Stadium where Cook is selling a package. Mike, my brother, Jim, and I are going; do you want in?”

After a moment’s hesitation, I replied, “Hell, yes!”

And so, it goes. Because the Gulf War was underway, I couldn’t join my mates for the chartered flight scheduled on Thursday so I flew down alone on Saturday. Steve, James and Mike met me at the Tampa Airport. “John, “ Steve explained, “we are on our way to downtown Tampa to confront Chris, Mad Dog Russo who predicted the Bills will destroy our Giants.”

“Why not,” I replied. We actually entered the department store where Mad Dog had been broadcasting. Sure enough, there he was on a down escalator while we were on an up escalator. He was getting away, but at least we could bombard him with insults as he passed us by. Russo was content enough to wave and smile.

We had a good dinner on Saturday night. Tampa had its share of both Giants and Bills fans. Knowing who was the enemy was difficult as both teams’ colors were blue, red and white. The only difference was the Bills leaned more toward red and the Giants to blue so we both behaved.

On Sunday, the four of us went to “The Big Sombrero” Stadium to watch Big Blue play the Buffalo Bills. It was a very close game and Bill Belicheck, our defensive coordinator kept it that way by wrecking the Bills passing machine.

Our tickets were in the end zone and I like to tell people that for 58 and ½ minutes we had the worst seats in the stadium but, for the last one minute and thirty seconds the best because we were behind Scott Norwood when he attempted to kick the winning field goal for the Bills.

As soon as the ball left his foot, we knew it was going wide right like a shanked golf ball.

Giants 20, Bills 19. Big Blue were Super Bowl champions for the second time!

Giants at the Chicago Bears: September 15, 1991

The Bears and the Giants were back-to-back Super Bowl Champions, the Bears in 1985 and the Giants in 1986. A group of Bear fans from our Chicago office invited me to attend a game between our teams scheduled to be played at Soldier’s Field on September 15, 1991. They offered me two tickets and I invited my son, Michael, to join me.

Michael was attending college at New England College in Hennicker, NH that the school advertised as the only Hennicker on earth. He had a hand-me-down GMC Jimmy that he drove to Logan Airport, I flew out of LaGuardia and we met in O’Hare.

My Chicago buddies recommended Gene & Georgetti, Chicago’s oldest steakhouse for dinner and we finished the night at Ditka’s named after the Bears Super Bowl head coach.

On Sunday, Mike and I agreed to underplay our Giant’s affiliation and we only wore caps that acknowledged the team we were rooting for. One of the Chicago guys picked us up and we joined their tailgate in the parking lot on a warm, sunny day. Our hosts were three of my Chicago buddies all who were taller than me, Gary Gatewood, Jim Hagelow and Reuben Minor.

A good time and a good tailgate, but the Bears won the game, 20 to 17. Big Blue had their chances but Carl Banks dropped an interception that could have won the game.

When the game ended, a young woman standing behind my 6’ 6” son began to scream into his face: “You suck, the Giants suck and New York sucks!”

Michael ignored her and turned toward the young man who was with her: “If you don’t get her out of here right now, I’m going to punch you in your face!”

Her boyfriend promptly removed her.

(To be continued)