EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - JANUARY 01: Michael Boley #59 of the New York Giants tackles Tony Romo #9 of the Dallas Cowboys for a loss of yards on fourth and one in the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium on January 1, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) (2012 Getty Images)
On Wednesday night the New York Giants will be defending their Super Bowl title in the 2012 Season opener against the Dallas Cowboys at MetLife stadium.
Per tradition, the current Super Bowl champion hosts the NFL kickoff each season.
Since moving the NFL kickoff to a prime time spot on Thursday evenings in 2001, a defending Super Bowl champion has never lost the game.
However things this year are a bit different as the season will open on Wednesday instead in order to not conflict with President Obama’s speech at the Democratic national convention. This will mark the first time in 64 years that the NFL has played a regular season game on a Wednesday.
But even though the day may be different, the Giants aren’t afraid of being the first Super Bowl champs to lose a season opener.
“I think the Cowboys bring the best out of us, and we bring the best out of them,’’ Justin Tuck, Giants defensive end and team captain, told the New York Post. “It’s just one of those rivalry games where it’s turned up a notch. It’s almost in a way kind of a hip-hop hurray party for us.’’
The last time the two teams met the Giant’s ended the Cowboy’s 2011 season it what was their second of six consecutive victories leading up to their Super Bowl win.
This, among prior loses, has fueled the feeling among the Cowboys that they are tired of losing to their rivals.
Mathias Kiwanuka, a linebacker for the Giants, feels it too, telling the New York Post: “People talk about it when they’re out there on the field. We’ve been in this situation before, you want to measure yourself up against the best, and it doesn’t matter where you’re at in terms of wins-losses in the season. If you get a chance at the defending champs, you’re going to give it your best shot.’’
This will be the first time the Giant’s have closed one season and opened the next one in the same venue against the same opponent since 1994 and 1995. And, coincidentally enough, back then they were taking on the Cowboys as well.
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