It had been a full decade since the Giants had appeared in a Super Bowl, and after missing the playoffs the previous two years, head coach Jim Fassel guaranteed that his 7-4 team (at the time) after two home losses, would make the playoffs. The Giants responded by winning their final five regular season games to clinch the NFC’s top seed. However, many thought that the Giants wouldn’t be able to slow down the high-powered, second-seeded Minnesota Vikings in the 200 NFC championship game, on January 14, 2001. Although the Giants would get blown out by Baltimore, 34-7, in Super Bowl XXXV, they not only reached that game by slowing down Minnesota, but they completely shut the Vikings down, and shut them out. In a game they could have won 80-0 if they wanted to, the Giants completely dominated Minnesota on both sides of the ball in a 41-0 thrashing, after leading 34-0 at halftime. Vikings’ star wide receiver Randy Moss called it “the worst defeat in his life.” Though, stay tuned for later in the list for one that might have been tougher for Moss to swallow, even if the score was a lot closer.

#9) 2009: The Knicks Slowly Returning To Relevance

After the Knicks achieved much success in the 1990’s, but finished that decade the same way they completed the 1980’s –- without an NBA title — former Knicks’ head coach Jeff Van Gundy could see the Knicks’ impending decline coming well in advance. With the Knicks still over .500 (10-9), just 19 games into the 2000-2001 NBA season, Van Gundy resigned on December 8, 2001. The Knicks proved Van Gundy’s prophecy correct, going 22-43 after Van Gundy stepped aside, to finish that season 32-50 while failing to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 24 seasons. From that point, the Knicks, despite being the most highly valued NBA franchise financially, have remained irrelevant in the NBA. However, as the decade winds down, there appear to be real signs that the Knicks might finally be turning the corner back on the road to relevance and respectability –- which would be great for both city which houses basketball’s mecca, and for the NBA, which has always considered New York its biggest market. On April 2, 2008, the Donnie Walsh era began, and the Knicks have since been pointed in a better direction. By no means has Walsh made all of the perfect moves since he’s joined the Knicks, and he certainly has plenty of work still cut out for him. But, with the firing of former GM and head coach Isaiah Thomas, and the hiring of current Knicks’ head coach Mike D’Antoni, Walsh has given the Knicks something they had lacked since the 1990’s –- an actual working blueprint for restoring success to the franchise. Walsh was been able to effectively clear cap space to possibly bring in top free agents, while developing a young core of supporting talent. While about half of the current team will likely not be part of the team next season, there are still several players on one of the NBA’s youngest rosters who will be part of the future and who have given reason for hope. With those players contributing significantly after a 1-9 start (tying the worst in franchise history) en route to a 3-14 mark through November, the Knicks are 9-5 in the final month of the decade, with one very winnable game left New Jersey before 2010. And, they’re no longer simply trying to outscore teams under D’Antoni, as they’ve returned to their 1990’s roots, holding teams under 100 points in their past 11 games, while compiling a 7-4 record during that stretch.

Brees’ 2009 Avg. Yards Per Game:             250.25

Avg. Yards Needed To Pass Marino:            337.83

Week 4: Although the Saints keep winning, Brees has been rather ordinary over the past two weeks after starting the first two weeks on pace to challenge Marino’s record. That’s probably just fine for Brees and New Orleans, who would probably prefer to keep notching wins over setting records. Marino’s record appears safe for now, but there’s a lot of football left in the 2009 season, and Brees is certainly capable of putting up some more big numbers (although next week against the Giants, who have defended the pass as well as anyone thus far, will be as tough a test as it gets).

WEEK    DATE                    OPP/RESULT        COMP-ATT %   TD-INT    YARDS    REMAINING

1      Sun 9/13           vs DET   W, 45-27           26-34    76.5      6-1       358      4,727

2      Sun 9/20           at PHI   W, 48-22           25-34    73.5      3-1       311      4,416

3      Sun 9/27           at BUF   W, 27-7             16-29    55.2      0-0       172      4,244

4      Sun 10/4           vs NYJ   W, 24-10           20-32    62.5      0-0       190      4,054

5      Bye

6      Sun 10/18         vs NYG

7      Sun 10/25         at MIA

8      Mon 11/2          vs ATL

9      Sun 11/8           vs CAR

10      Sun 11/15         at STL

11      Sun 11/22         at TB

12      Mon 11/30         vs NE

13      Sun 12/6           at WAS

14      Sun 12/13         at ATL

15      Sat 12/19          vs DAL

16      Sun 12/27         vs TB

17      Sun 1/3             at CAR

PF-PA        COMP-ATT     %    TD-INT   YARDS

TOTALS;                                   144-66                        87-129               67.4   9-2       1,031

“These teams are doing well and we need a win here. This game is very important; one of the bigger games of the year so far,” said United midfielder Santino Quaranta. “We have a chance to rest some guys and get everybody back on the same page here. A week (off) is nice…

“We are in a tight race for a playoff spot and I think for me that’s the most important thing right now. Every game is very important but this game is crucial; We gotta try and concentrate on this.”

United (6-4-10, 29 points) sits just one point ahead of Toronto in third place in the conference. Toronto also lost to Los Galácticos 5-1 just two days prior before the largest crowd in BMO Field history. The 72,368 fans at FedEx Field just outside Washington, DC were the most to ever watch a DC United match although most were sporting the white shirt of the visitors.

United’s first XI held their own with the world giants for nearly an hour before succumbing to the heat and the wave of world class players that Madrid put onto the field that they could just not match. Regardless of the score, they all admitted, veterans and younger players alike, that is was a great learning experience.

“We tried our best, but sometimes you’re just outmatched,” said midfielder Ben Olsen after the match.

“It’s how clean they are on the ball; their decisions, their movement off the ball. Everything they do is world-class,” added Chris Pontius. “It was fun being on the field with them and I thought especially in the first half, I thought we did real well and even in the beginning of the second half…they subbed in a few more people than we did and Arjen Robben came in and changed the game. He came in and ran at people and put us in some bad situations.”

United pressured Madrid high which clearly frustrated them, as well as staying very compact holding a high defensive line. They also had their fair share of possession but lacked the ingenuity and decisiveness in the final third to finish the deal.

“I thought we did a pretty good job of accomplishing what we wanted to do-pressure them high and win some balls high. We didn’t do as well with them as I thought we could have. Against good teams you are only going to get a couple of looks and we had opportunities to get in but something missed in the final third;” said Coach Tom Soehn after getting an opportunity to watch the tape and break it down.

“But overall the first half, respecting who they are, we did a pretty admirable job of holding them and frustrated them a little bit. The second half was like I thought. I knew we were tired and them bringing on some horses – of course there’s Robben. When they tried to sucker us we did a good job of closing shape but when Robben came on, he went at guys and that caused us a lot of havoc.”

Conversely, Toronto sat back and allowed Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Raul, Robben and Gonzalo Higuain, who scored two of the goals against United, to run at them throughout most of the match.

Ironically, United have struggled on the road this year, 1-4-6, because they seem to forget what they do best-possess and attack. They have typically stopped pressuring after taking a lead and allowed teams to run at them and dictate tempo.

United have led in eight of their 11 road matches and either squandered that advantage immediately or late in the match. In the season opener at Los Angeles and again two weeks ago against San Jose, United had two goal leads only to settle for draws.

After a complete lack of concentration over a 4-minute span during which they gave up 3 goals and doomed United in a 4-3 loss to Houston two weeks ago, United went down to El Salvador and put together a promising performance in a 2-1 win over C.D. L.A. Firpo on penalty kicks to advance to the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League.

“I just don’t think we’ve been on the same page and I really saw it in Houston,” said Soehn. “We made a big effort to correct that and I though in El Salvador we did a good job. It’s not in so much pressuring high but making sure we are organized and doing it the right way; back shifting when they need to and we have been focusing on that a lot and the last two games have dictated that we are starting to do a better job of it.”

“Tommy has talked about it so much that it doesn’t matter what shape we play or whatever. It has to be 11 guys on board here from the front forwards to the back,” added Quaranta, who did not play against Real Madrid nursing a hamstring injury.

“It all starts up top with our pressure. We have enough guys who can change the game with a free kick or whatever so if you keep the game close you always have a chance.”

Higuain’s first goal was a complete lack of communication and indecision between Marc Burch and Greg Janicki allowing Higuain to split them quite easily before knocking one past Josh Wicks to the far corner.

Communication has been an ongoing issue, primarily with the multiple defensive breakdowns that have cost United precious points in the standings.

“I think it’s just communication. We have good athletes, really good players in the defense but we just have to communicate better,” said reserve goalkeeper Milos Kocic. “It’s different with three in the back or four in the back so you have to communicate more because there is more space to cover.”

According to Kocic, United Assistant Coach Mark Simpson sits behind his and Wick’s goal during scrimmages advising both young ‘keepers what to say and to whom.

The energetic environment at BMO Field will further test their communication systems.

“We know what it is and we know what to expect. I don’t think BMO is any more hostile than the last two crowds and in some ways it brings out the better in us,” said Soehn, referring to El Salvador and unfortunately to the Madrid match.