First trip to Indianapolis proves eventful"WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sec

tions New York Giants NewsGiants Training Camp 2016Giants vs. Eagles 2015 Andrew Adams Color Rush Jersey , Week 172019 NFL DraftEd’s excellent NFL Scouting Combine adventureNew,47commentsFirst trip to Indianapolis proves eventfulESTShareTweetShareShareEd’s excellent NFL Scouting Combine adventureBrian Spurlock-USA TODAY SportsI have been bugging my boss at SB Nation to credential me to cover the NFL Scouting Combine for years now. Just ask him. Joel, I know you’re reading. I wouldn’t call covering the Combine a “bucket list” item, but I have always thought that being in Indianapolis would help me, and by extension Big Blue View itself.As you know if you have been reading the site for the past few days, this was the year when SB Nation finally put me on its credential request list and the NFL issued its magic “yes” decree.Thus, my excellent NFL Combine adventure began.For a bunch of reasons — well, mostly because my travel plans were made late and I wanted to save some money — I chose to drive to Indy rather than fly. That’s just a shade under 800 miles. A trip the GPS estimated at 12 hours. In a car I never really wanted and that’s never been my favorite.Now, Plan A was to split the drive from the upstate New York (Albany) area in two. My son and granddaughter live just outside of Buffalo, roughly 300 miles and 5 hours into the trip. It made sense to drive there Monday, crash, then finish the trip on Tuesday. Only that didn’t happen. I felt like having dinner at home with my wife on Monday. I also didn’t feel like driving up the New York State Thruway while battling 60+ miles per hour wind gusts.So, Tuesday morning at 6:30 I hopped in my 2010 Subaru Forester with 120,000 miles on it for the longest solo drive of my 58 years on the planet. Yes, I recognize that was just a little bit nuts. Something I reminded myself several times over the next 13 hours.The drive to IndyI figured the drive was going to take more than 12 hours, mostly because I expected to needmore bladder-related stops (age and prostate surgery will do that to you) and a “car nap” at some point along the way. The bladder stops I needed. Amazingly, the car nap was never necessary.The biggest problem? I need a new phone!I am clunking along with an ancient Samsung Galaxy S5, a phone I’ve always liked but has its issues. I didn’t account for the fact that my car charger doesn’t do a thing unless the phone is in the exact right spot, and that the aging battery drains quickly when I’m using the GPS. I had to stop several times just to go into a rest area, find an outlet and charge the phone. Annoying, and time consuming!On the plus side, I saw one of the most beautiful sunsets of my life. Forget football. Forget everything. Sometimes you just have to appreciate the beauty of nature. Driving through Ohio and into Indianapolis daylight was waning and the sky was clear. As the massive orange sun began to settle behind the skyline, it left an amazing purplish tint to the sky. That’s a sight I won’t soon forget.Walked by this every day in Indianapolis.Photo by Ed ValentineIn IndianapolisStory-wise Wayne Gallman Color Rush Jersey , this is the boring part. At least to me. Work is work, whether it’s in my office, the MetLife Stadium press box, a ballroom at the Indiana Convention Center or wherever. It was nice to finally meet GM Dave Gettleman one-on-one. I have sat through a number of his media sessions and asked him questions, but until Wednesday morning I had never been able to introduce myself and shake his hand. Mission accomplished. I also discovered that DG and I wear the same sneakers. Nike Air Monarch’s, because I know you have to know. And yes, I made sure to point that out to the GM. Because, well, because it was important for us to bond over our shared footwear.Also bumped into running backs coach Craig Johnson outside the media workroom while stepping out to clear my head between posts on Thursday. What Johnson was doing there I’ll never know, since the Convention Center is across the street from Lucas Oil Stadium. Johnson is originally from Rome, N.Y., so we chatted about our upstate roots while I impressed him with my tale of driving 13 hours just so I could run into him. Johnson and I also share some University of Maryland history since he was once a Terrapins assistant coach and I graduated from there.Media, except for a select few Pro Football Writers of America members who get to see quarterbacks work out on Saturday, is not allowed into Lucas Oil Stadium for the testing. All of our work is done in the aforementioned Indiana Convention Center, a place that doesn’t look like much from the outside but is a massive structure that is kind of like its own city inside a city.It proved excellent for burning calories since the media workroom is ion one corner of the second floor, while public Combine events are on the opposite corner of the first floor. Ah, those public Combine events. Weirdest meat market I’ve ever seen. On one side, eight podiums for player interview sessions — with all eight going on simultaneously and echoing across each other. Players not at podiums are jammed into tables in a corner. On the other side, Radio Row. Or really, Radio Corner. A bunch or tables stuck in the far corner of the half-dozen or so adjoining ballrooms used for the public events.In the middle of all of this? Make-shift bleachers and a make-shift stage where bench-pressing players are put on display like cattle for paying fans. By the way, those paying fans can’t really see the players, anyway. There is so much in the way that all they can really see is the big screen behind the bench-pressing player, showing him furiously pumping 225 pounds up and down as many times as he can before the weight practically collapses on top of him.My big Indianapolis adventure came Wednesday night. Went out to dinner with Patricia Traina at one of the hotel restaurants attached to the Convention Center via skywalk. After dinner Jon Halapio Color Rush Jersey , Pat wanted to do a couple of things so I figured I’d walk the half-mile back to my hotel. Only coming out of the restaurant I was in unfamiliar territory and I even managed to confuse my GPS. I managed to go about four blocks in the wrong direction and turn a 10-12 minute walk into a rather nerve-wracking half-hour journey back to my hotel.By the way, many thanks to Pat for helping a newbie navigate his way around the Combine.The media scrum during player interviews on Thursday.Photo by Ed ValentineFriday did not go as plannedRemember what I said about not exactly liking my Subaru Forester? Well, now I have another reason. Checked out of my hotel early Friday, went to put my stuff in the car and figured I’d work at least until mid-afternoon before heading to Buffalo to spend the evening.My car, though, had other ideas. I knew there was a problem when I hit the keyless entry and nothing happened. I ended up having to manually use the key to get in, which let me put my luggage away. The car, though, was dead. Dead. Dead. Completely dead, to the point of not making a sound.That started a nearly 3-hour adventure with AAA which included multiple calls, AAA sending out a tow truck that didn’t fit into the parking garage instead of a battery truck carrying the new battery I ended up needing and lots of panicked waiting around. By the time I was good to go — not to mention out $131 — it was nearly 11 a.m. and I decided to just hit the road rather than go wait around for quarterback media availability. That, honestly, is something I really wanted to attend. By then, though, I didn’t care how big Kyler Murray was or how cool Dwayne Haskins thought it would be to play for the Giants.I just wanted to hit the road and head home. So, I did.Fortunately, no issues getting to Buffalo. Had a nice dinner with my son and a beautiful 3-year-old granddaughter who puts a smile on grandpa’s face. Got home Saturday for my older son’s birthday, which meant play time with my soon-to-be 2-year-old grandson. Got to watch the CYO basketball team I coach win a 47-46 thriller on Sunday that had my heart pounding two hours after the game was over.So, all’s well that ends well.Would I do this again?You bet. I’m not driving, though. I’m already turning over how to do a better job covering the Combine next year. I’d fly. I’d spend an extra day. I’d have a better idea how things worked, what stories to cover and where to be in the evening to meet and greet the movers and shakers of the Giants and the NFL.I’m ready. At least I will be when my body recovers from the truck that figuratively ran me over and my heart stops pounding from a buzzer-beating victory. The path for the New York Giants to earn the second NFC wild playoff berth is narrow and improbable. So improbable, in fact that FiveThirtyEight, using its Elo ratings Kerry Wynn Color Rush Jersey , comes up with less than a 1 percent chance the Giants will make the playoffs.But ... what if? Odell Beckham Jr. is still believing.“You know when we were 1-7 and I sat there and said I feel like we’re going to win every single game, the goal is to win every single game, it wasn’t me just throwing those words around. Now we’re in that position with the one little mishap, I still see us going 8-8 and I just feel like he’s (God) got a plan and it’s all going to fall together,” Beckham said. “Whoever needs to lose and this and that and all the pieces that need to fall in place, I feel like they’re going to fall in place and we’re going to be in the spot we want to be in.”Because we can, because it’s just plain old fun to think about, let’s break down the probability of each domino the Giants need falling in their direction.Win their final three gamesRecord: 5-8Opponents: Titans, @ Colts, vs. CowboysAll of these games are winnable. They are also games the Giants could easily lose. The Titans are mediocre, but at 7-6 they are fighting for an AFC playoff berth. They have a lot on the line Sunday. The Indianapolis Colts are 7-6, but they have Andrew Luck and have won six of seven. Cross your fingers on that one. The Cowboys? As much as you hate to do it, you have to root for them to have the NFC East title clinched before they come to MetLife Stadium in Week 17.Verdict: A clean sweep that gets the Giants to 8-8 probably isn’t happening. For fun, though, let’s just play along and see what else the Giants need to happen.Carolina Panthers lose two of final three gamesRecord: 6-7Opponents: vs. Saints, vs. Falcons, @ SaintsTwo games against the 11-2 Saints? Yes, thank you NFL schedule makers. Of course, New Orleans might not have anything to play for Week 17. The Falcons are 4-9, have lost five straight, and are playing out the string. Not much hope Atlanta can pull out a victory in Week 16.Verdict: This presents a problem. Giants fans, you are now also Saints fans. Hope that Drew Brees & Co. are playing for home-field advantage in the playoffs Week 17.Philadelphia Eagles lose two of final three gamesRecord: 6-7Opponents: @ Rams, vs. Texans Will Hernandez Color Rush Jersey , @ RedskinsBuckle up and pray that the defending champs lose to the Rams and Texans. Super Bowl hero Nick Foles will be at quarterback Sunday against the Rams and maybe the rest of the way. Hit your knees and say a second prayer that Foles has used up his quota of miracles.Verdict: This could happen. The Rams and Texans are both better than the 2018 version of the Eagles.Minnesota Vikings lose two of final three gamesRecord: 6-6-1Opponents: vs. Dolphins, @ Lions, vs. BearsThe Vikings were so embarrassed by their 21-7 loss on Monday to the Seattle Seahawks that they fired offensive coordinator John DeFilippo. The Vikings’ problem is really that they can’t fire the quarterback they wasted a guaranteed $84 million on, Kirk Cousins. Verdict: The Dolphins are feeling good after their miracle win over the Patriots, but I don’t have much faith in the Lions and don’t know what to expect from the Bears with the division in hand. This could happen, mostly because the Vikings are mess on offense.Green Bay Packers lose one of final three gamesRecord: 5-7-1Opponents: @ Bears, @ Jets, vs. LionsMike McCarthy has already been fired, the Packers already got a victory for interim coach Joe Philbin. They are in that “what comes next?” limbo the Giants were in a year ago.Verdict: This domino will fall.Tampa Bay Buccaneers lose one of final three gamesRecord: 5-8Opponents: @ Ravens, @ Cowboys, vs. FalconsThis team is not very good, and it’s not going on the road and winning back-to-back games.Verdict: Another domino to fall in the Giants’ favor.Washington Redskins lose two of final three gamesRecord: 6-7Opponents: @ Jaguars, @ Titans, vs. EaglesYou saw the Redskins on Sunday vs. the Giants. They will have Josh Johnson, making his first start since 2011, at quarterback on Sunday. They will be lucky to win one game the rest of the way, much less two.Verdict: This is happening.Final verdictAll of this is probably not going to happen. The dream dies for good if the Giants lose a single game. If they manage to win out, the obstacles are really the teams that need to lose two of three. So, pay attention to the Panthers, Eagles and Vikings.