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Ultimate Standings: Giants fans happy despite high prices

Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

This story is part of ESPN The Magazine's Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!

New York Giants

Overall: 75
Title track: 16
Ownership: 32
Coaching: 86
Players: 69
Fan relations: 68
Affordability: 108
Stadium experience: 93
Bang for the buck: 109
Change from last year: +1

It has been a few years since the Giants made the playoffs, or even had a winning record. After four straight playoff-less years -- with quarterback Eli Manning on the roster! -- the Tom Coughlin era ended poorly. The hope is that a change at the top and $200-plus-million spent on the defense is the antidote to their struggles.


What's good

This much is undeniable: The Giants have a quarterback who can win the Super Bowl. That gives them a leg up on at least half the NFL's teams. Fans have seen Eli Manning do it twice, and, at 35, he doesn't appear to be slowing down yet. The defense is still relatively unsettled, but John Mara's offseason spending spree clearly made an impression on fans, who ranked him 32nd overall, the Giants' second-best ranking this year, behind only title track. Manning has thrived in new coach Ben McAdoo's system each of the past two seasons and has a young, dynamic sidekick in wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. who should make the Giants' offense a force for the next few years.


What's bad

The Giants are predictably near the bottom of the rankings in affordability. They play in the New York market, so it's no surprise that their tickets were on average the most expensive in the NFL last season at $123.40. That's almost $40 more than the league average, and doesn't even account for the seat licenses fans must purchase for the rights to their seats. Parking is also $30, and food doesn't come cheap. A family of four can easily drop $600 for a Sunday afternoon. It doesn't seem to be hurting demand -- there is a significant waiting list for Giants tickets -- but it's almost getting out of hand.


What's new

G-Men fans are taking a wait-and-see approach to new coach Ben McAdoo; the Giants dropped an astonishing 60 spots in coaching after Tom Coughlin resigned in January. McAdoo had success as a coordinator, rebuilding Manning following a 27-interception season in 2013. But now he faces an even greater task -- getting the Giants back to the playoffs. It's not going to be easy. McAdoo, 39, is practically a contemporary to some of the players. He's the league's second-youngest head coach, nine months older than Miami's Adam Gase.

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