RIP Ray Handley

[Corky Ramirez up on 94th St.]

A coach who helped the New York Giants win two Super Bowls died

He was in a tough position, having to follow Parcells. But from what I remember, he did himself no favors with the team and they pretty much turned on him by year two.

I can still remember the Ray Must Go chants (in the same format as the Atlanta Braves’ tomahawk chop) and the NY tabloids excoriating him. Funny - some of our hand-me-down Christmas ornaments are wrapped in NY Post newspapers from 1992 and I was just reading them last month. Along with the story of Amy Fisher’s parents getting a divorce and some NY mafioso getting injured in a shootout, the bulk was about how Handley was a lame duck and it was just a matter of time. And once he was canned, he was never heard from again. I think some reporter once tracked him down and Handley basically told the guy to pound sand.

Reminds me of Rich Kotite - never heard from him again after his time with the Jets.

And then, of course, there was the shirt.

 

[tapintoamerica]

 

[mpcincal]

My lasting memory of him is the film of that weekly press conference when he refused to name a starting QB for the next game, mocked a reporter's annoyed expression, and walked out when they persisted on the QB issue.