Giants Get Custom License Plate, but Some Aren’t Cheering

Giants Get Custom License Plate, but Some Aren’t Cheering But the decision to sell that plate has angered groups that have been trying for years to get the state to create customized plates for them.

In 2004, the Department of Motor Vehicles placed a moratorium on designing new custom plates, a response to a lawsuit filed by an adoption-advocacy group that had sought such a plate. The department said the group’s slogan for the plate, “Choose life,” amounted to a political statement and denied the request, prompting the lawsuit.

Since then, about 280 requests for custom plates have been held up, said Jackie McGinnis, a departmental spokeswoman.

For seven years, Assemblyman James N. Tedisco, a Republican from Schenectady, has been pushing a bill to allow for the creation of a license plate honor the victims and heroes of Sept. 11.

Mr. Tedisco said that while he loved the Giants and was proud of their Super Bowl victory, it was inappropriate for the team to get a plate when Sept. 11 victims had not.

“That they couldn’t find a way in seven years to honor these heroes, but in seven, eight hours they can find a way to honor athletes?” he said.

The plate for the Giants, four-time Super Bowl winners, does not violate the moratorium because it is an alteration of one that had been in circulation before 2004 and was last updated after the 2008 championship, Ms. McGinnis said. The moratorium allowed the state to continue selling the custom plates in existence and any updates to them, she said.

On the Giants championship plate, Ms. McGinnis said, “the Roman numerals have changed on it, the helmet has changed on it, but it’s basically the same.”

Currently, about 300 custom plates are available, with costs ranging from $60 to $90. They promote, among other things, most local sports teams (including the Knicks, the Mets, the Jets and the Yankees), some professions (visiting nurses, podiatrists, acupuncturists), labor unions (the A.F.L.-C.I.O., the Firemen’s Association of the State of New York) and causes (animal population control, multiple sclerosis research, environmental protection).

Those whose applications have been suspended since the moratorium include Laos War Veterans, the Pony Express Motorcycle Club and the Lung Cancer Alliance, Ms. McGinnis said.

In the case of the “Choose life” plate, the advocacy group, the Children First Foundation, applied for the plate in 2002. After the application was denied, the group sued, and a federal judge in November ruled that the state must approve the plate design application. But the state has appealed.

Although she is a Giants fan, Dr. Elizabeth Rex, the president and co-founder of Children First, said the decision to quickly grant the Giants a license plate added “insult to injury.”

“Our license plate is a pro-adoption license plate,” she said. “We support adoption as a good choice. Adoption is a pro-life choice that everyone can support, whether you’re pro-life or pro-choice.”

A federal judge ruled in November that the state’s refusal to allow the “Choose Life” plate violated the group’s free speech rights, but the state has appealed.

Mr. Tedisco said that money from a Sept. 11 plate would go to a scholarship fund for the children of victims and rescue workers, and that the rest of the money could be used to help pad the state’s coffers.

The moratorium on custom plates also infringes on First Amendment rights, Mr. Tedisco said.

“Anything you put on there has nothing to do with the state’s position,” he said. “It’s your car.”

Ms. McGinnis said new plates could be added through legislation. But in 2006, Gov. George E. Pataki vetoed a bill that would have added several new custom plates, including the Sept. 11 plate.

Super Bowl — Giants Take Victory Lap in Lower Manhattan

Super Bowl — Giants Take Victory Lap in Lower Manhattan The celebration kicked off with a parade that wound north up Broadway’s Canyon of Heroes, amid a sea of confetti, horns and fans in blue jerseys, and ended with a ceremony at City Hall Plaza, where Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg presented the players with keys to the city.

“Today, I am declaring the Big Apple the Big Blue Apple, and if you got a problem with that, you can talk to this guy,” Bloomberg said, gesturing to the former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan. Bloomberg added, “We are here today because this team of Giants believed in each other and because you believed in them.”

For the throngs of fans who showed up, the day started early. Bleary-eyed police officers who had been in position since before sunrise wielded cups of coffee. Stacks of Giants-centric newspapers were for sale, as were red, white and blue balloon hats and miniature American flags. Occasionally, mini footballs and rolls of toilet paper soared across the street, drawing chants and screams from the crowd. Backpacks stashed with bottled water, potato chips and cookies — perhaps left over from Super Bowl parties on Sunday — fueled the fans, who used everything from sick days to camera phones to face paint to show their devotion.

“The Giants are our life,” Ross Turrini, who took his son and daughter, Nick and Emily, ages 11 and 14, to the city Monday night from Merrick, N.Y., to stake out a good spot. By 7:30 Tuesday morning, they had found prime viewing territory on the corner of Broadway and Cedar Street. Turrini said that when he heads to Boston this week on business, “I’m wearing my Giants jersey.”

Attendance at New York City schools was 89.4 percent Tuesday, according to the City’s Department of Education. The average attendance for Tuesdays is 91 percent. In a school system of about 1.1 million, that two-percent difference represented about 20,000 students.

 The Giants’ welcome did draw criticism, as some have argued that returning Iraq war veterans deserve one of their own. Tuesday’s parade was the fourth in the city since 2000 to honor the Giants or the Yankees.

Richard Sedotto stood on top of an orange, five-gallon bucket, surveying the growing crowd. To his left, he had more buckets stacked up, on sale for $10 each. “They’re great for kids or short people who can’t see the parade,” he said. By 8:30, Sedotto, a contractor from West Babylon, N.Y., said he had sold 200.

“The price will go up as the day goes on,” he said. “Hey, you can put beer in it, too! I don’t care what you do with it!”

By the time the parade began at Battery Place shortly after 11 a.m., Emily Vail and her mother, Bobby, from Montclair, N.J., had been by Bowling Green for almost six hours, waiting for a chance to glimpse Eli Manning, Tom Coughlin, Justin Tuck and others.

Emily Vail, 31, works as a pastry chef and said she left for the city right after her 9 p.m.-to-4:30 a.m. shift ended. As for her mother, recently retired from her job as a school nurse, “I have time for crazy things like this now,” she said. High above them, office workers in the surrounding buildings threw shredded paper out of their windows.

The parade lasted about an hour. The Giants players rode on floats, and 14 red and blue double-decker buses carried team personnel and their family members and friends.

Patrick Flynn, the bandleader for the New York City Sanitation Department’s Emerald Society Pipes and Drums, said his group was thrilled to be playing their bagpipes in the parade. “We do it all,” he said. “Now, we got to look forward to playing for the Yankees’ championship.”

Many fans said they were still reeling from Sunday night’s game, a 21-17 Giants win that was in doubt until the final second.

“Does it look like I have nails?” Michael Hagelin of the Bronx said, holding out his gnawed fingertips. “The last two weeks have been crazy.”

Adding to Hagelin’s tension was the tattoo he got on his right forearm — “Giants” in letters about seven inches wide and two inches high — two weeks before the Super Bowl victory.

“I just knew they were going to win,” said Hagelin, an emergency medical technician who said he requested the time off for the parade weeks ago. “I’ve seen them at their best and I’ve seen them when they were no good. It feels good to be a New Yorker.”

Joseph Fabrizio, 22, shaved the Giants’ logo into his head Monday. It took him two hours, he said, and involved multiple razors and mirrors.

He took the train in from Long Island at 4:30 a.m., calling in sick to his job as a heating and air systems installer.

“It’s the Giants’ victory,” he said. “We got to celebrate.”

At City Hall, the Giants crossed the stage one by one to receive their keys to the city from Bloomberg.

Seating for the event was limited to the news media, city officials, friends and family of the players and team officials, but some 500 fans also secured tickets through a public giveaway Monday. Others watched on large monitors set up on the surrounding streets. By 2 p.m., street cleaners were working their way up and down Broadway and leaf blowers were moving the confetti and crushed soda cans away. The Giants made their way to New Jersey, where about 40,000 fans waited for a second celebration at MetLife Stadium, and the fans headed for the subways, back to work or into local bars.

Tricia Nasta, 29, and her boyfriend, Jose Moreno, 32, had red, white and blue Giants logos that sparkled on their faces. They arrived from Ronkonkoma, N.Y., at about 5 a.m. for the celebration and were among the handful of fans able to make it into the ceremony.

“It was so great to see Eli,” Nasta said. “We’re just so glad they won.”

The Fifth Down: Jacobs Wants to Stay With Giants, but First, a Little Wrestling

The Fifth Down: Jacobs Wants to Stay With Giants, but First, a Little Wrestling Kathy Willens/Associated PressBrandon Jacobs celebrating at a parade for the Giants last week.

Giants running back Brandon Jacobs made it very clear Monday that he hopes to help defend the team’s Super Bowl title next season. But Jacobs also said that he has no plans to retire if the Giants choose not to keep him and would not rule out considering the Jets if he ends up on the open market.

It was an interesting stance for Jacobs to take, though perhaps fitting since it came during an interview to promote Jacobs’ coming appearance on a professional wrestling show. Jacobs will be part of the “TNA Impact!” show on the Spike channel both this Thursday and next Thursday, where he is expected to be in the ring with wrestling star Kurt Angle.

Jacobs, who grew up a wrestling fan, said he is excited about the appearance although his tense post-game interaction with Jets Coach Rex Ryan in December was ostensibly less contrived. Still, Jacobs said Monday that he doesn’t hold a grudge.

“I want to be a Giant,” said Jacobs, who is due a $500,000 bonus in March that may force a decision from the Giants. Jacobs added: “It was a situation. We were rivals then. There’s no apology needed.”

He concluded: “I like the way Rex handles his business. The guys on that team I know, know how I feel.”

Last off-season Jacobs restructured his contact with the Giants to help the team retain Ahmad Bradshaw, and Jacobs said he is hopeful a similar agreement can be worked out this spring. Despite the Giants’ success in the passing game this season, Jacobs said he believes that he and Bradshaw can thrive with the Giants.

“It wasn’t drawn out on a paper and scripted not to give me carries,” Jacobs said. “It’s just the way things went. No one is against me. No one wanted that to happen. We were getting beat most of the time. We had to go to the air. Ahmad didn’t get that many carries either.”

For now, Jacobs can do little but wait and see how his contract situation plays out. His appearance on the wrestling card was a last-minute development – teammate Jason Pierre-Paul was originally scheduled but backed out – and Jacobs said he is embracing the opportunity to “show another side of myself.”

Growing up, Jacobs watched wrestling all the time, he said, and was a fan of Shawn Michaels, the Hart brothers, Razor Ramon and Andre the Giant, among others. While boxing is his true passion outside of football, Jacobs said he plans on enjoying himself during Monday’s tapings.

“Don’t worry about me getting injured or anything,” he said. “The other guys are the ones who are going to have to worry about avoiding injuries. This is going to be fun for me.”

Extra Points: The Giants officially announced the departure of the quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan, who has will join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the offensive coordinator under Coach Greg Schiano. The Giants also announced the signings of three players to reserve/future contracts: defensive end Craig Marshall, tight end Ryan Purvis and offensive lineman Chris White.

Belichick Wanted Giants to Throw Toward Manningham

Belichick Wanted Giants to Throw Toward Manningham Then the receiver New England deemed less dangerous than Victor Cruz or Hakeem Nicks made a catch that will be replayed over and over for years to come.

"This is still a Cruz and Nicks game," Patriots coach Bill Belichick tells his defenders in audio captured for "Sound FX," which first aired Wednesday night on NFL Network. "I know we're right on them; it's tight. But those are still the guys. Make them go to Manningham; make them go to (tight end Bear) Pascoe. Let's make sure we get Cruz and Nicks."

Manningham's 38-yard reception — over-the-shoulder, between two defenders and along the sideline — was the key play on the Giants' winning drive. New England challenged the catch, but as the video review is going on, a dejected Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is heard muttering, "He caught it."

Cruz had 82 catches for 1,536 yards this season, while Nicks had 76 receptions for 1,192 yards. Manningham caught 39 passes for 523 yards and was slowed by injuries.

With New York in position to run down the clock and kick the winning field goal later in the drive, New England linebacker Jerod Mayo tells his fellow defenders in the huddle, "We've got to let 'em score." Tackle Vince Wilfork then assures a teammate as the players are lining up, "Yeah, yeah, let 'em score."

But on the sideline, Brady laments, "They're not going to score."

He was wrong. Ahmad Bradshaw fell into the end zone after trying to stop himself, putting the Giants up 21-17 with 57 seconds left. With one timeout and needing a touchdown, Brady couldn't lead the Patriots on a winning drive.

"Sound FX" replays will air on NFL Network on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday.

Super Bowl — Lesser-Known Giants Have Their Moment, Too

Super Bowl — Lesser-Known Giants Have Their Moment, Too  People in Justin Tuck jerseys lined the Canyon of Heroes. The crowd showered Eli Manning with chants of “M.V.P.!” On a stage at City Hall, Victor Cruz performed his trademark salsa dance for onlookers, some of whom mimicked his hip-swaying moves.

The latest news, notes and analysis of the N.F.L. playoffs.

All of this was to be expected at Tuesday’s ticker-tape parade in honor of the Giants’ Super Bowl XLVI victory over the New England Patriots. But the raucous celebration was also an opportunity for some of the team’s less-heralded players to soak in New York City’s adulation.

Fans shouted for receiver Ramses Barden, who did not play in the postseason. Just like the rest of his teammates, Adrian Tracy, a linebacker on the practice squad, received a key to the city from Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. The backup quarterback David Carr appeared to record the proceedings from his cellphone as his float rolled beneath fluttering scraps of paper.

The glorious ride up Broadway might have been the most surreal for tight end Bear Pascoe, who grew up in California on a cattle ranch where acres stretched as far as the eye could see.

“That was like nothing else I’ve ever experienced,” Pascoe said after the parade. “That was really cool, really cool. To see the city turn out like that, and stuff coming down from the windows.”

Wearing a camouflage cap and a Giants sweatshirt, Pascoe was joined on the float by, among others, the injured tight ends Jake Ballard and Travis Beckum, who both walked with crutches because of the knee injuries they sustained during the Super Bowl.

Before the tight ends’ float turned left onto Broadway and moved past the “Charging Bull,” the well-known Wall Street statue in Lower Manhattan, the tight ends coach Mike Pope turned to Pascoe and told him to soak it all in, to enjoy the moment.

A few in the crowd even recognized Pascoe and yelled out his name. (The fans were less familiar with the members of the news media standing on a flatbed truck in front of Pascoe’s float, chanting “Who are you?” as the vehicle shuttled past.)

Pascoe waved to the crowd, which did not greet his float with as loud a roar as it did Manning’s. But while his contingent moved past the Trinity Church on Wall Street, a man in the crowd threw Pascoe a football. Pascoe caught it, autographed it and threw it back. Earlier, Pascoe caught a roll of toilet paper and threw it back into the crowd.

While spectators wearing throwback Lawrence Taylor and Rodney Hampton jerseys outnumbered those in Pascoe jerseys — if there actually were any — Pascoe noticed a woman holding a sign for him. Its flirtatious message was, “I Like Bear Pascoe’s Tight End.”

“I got a girlfriend, ladies,” Pascoe said afterward.

His girlfriend, Katie, was there Tuesday, riding in a separate bus. She did not see the sign from Pascoe’s admirer, but said of its message: “No way! Oh, I think that’s going to catch on.”

Among the other players to receive some of the limelight were the injured starters Jonathan Goff and Terrell Thomas, both of whom missed the season because of knee injuries. Also joining the Giants on stage at City Hall was the rookie defensive tackle Marvin Austin, who missed the season with a torn pectoral muscle.

Perhaps the most amusing instance of newfound fame among lesser-known players was shown on the Twitter feed of the reserve defensive end Justin Trattou.

From a reception after the parade, Trattou sent a photograph of him with the clock-wearing rapper Flavor Flav.