Giants’ Soda Disaster Goes From Bad to Worse: TRAINA THOUGHTS
1. We told you in Friday’s Traina Thoughts that the awful and unwatchable Giants came up with a “gesture” for its season-ticket holders who were attending Sunday’s game against the Cowboys.
We’re using the word “gesture” loosely because all New York decided to give those suffering fans was a medium Pepsi. Not a large. No hot dog to go with the Pepsi. Just the medium soda.
The promotion was already a debacle when it came to social media reaction over the weekend, but the backlash somehow got even worse Sunday.
That’s because when fans at the game wanted to get their free drink, they were told the offer was for only one soda per PSL. Meaning, if you were a season-ticket holder who had a ticket for yourself and a ticket for your significant other, you would be entitled to only one medium soda. If you were a season-ticket holder who had four tickets, one for each member of your family, you would still get just one medium soda.
This organization is so pathetic that it managed to screw up a medium soda giveaway.
So let me get this straight @giants, you told fans we get a free soda at the game. I go to get one and I get laughed at by the cashier and everyone in line because it’s only for season ticket holders. I walk away sodaless as everyone laughs.
— positive mets (@positive_mets) December 19, 2021
I am humiliated.
It’s bad enough it was a medium soda and nothing else but only one PER FAMILY? During FAN APPRECIATION DAY? On top of the season they’re having???? Whoever the Giants hired for PR can’t read the room???
— Puneet (@puneetsingh) December 19, 2021
Thanks for the free medium Pepsi today! Next time you should give out one per PSL seat instead of one per account, I’m not good at sharing soda.
— KD (@KennyD225) December 19, 2021
Beautiful giant fumble
— Sports Dudes🎙🎙🎙🎙/#webelong (@SportsD24733772) December 19, 2021
Karma for only 1 free medium soda @Giants
As an honest @Giants fan I think some fans are overreacting to the medium soda thing. I am grateful to split my soda with my family. I just wish my parents would stop yelling at each other over Daniel Jones being good or not. And that the soda wasn’t 3/4 full of ice. #NYGiants
— K-Nic2 (@Wildebeestwo) December 19, 2021
A New York Giants tweet. My family is at the game.
— Eric Hogan (@ehogan47) December 19, 2021
One free medium soda PER SEASON TICKET HOLDER ACCOUNT (!!!) Not even one per season ticket.
Hysterical.
Giants : one Pepsi per account!!!
— Matt (@Mattys0202) December 19, 2021
Fans: but I have 4 seats on my account. We paid 5k each for a total of 20k and my wife and 2 kids would also like a soda.
Giants: we’ll here’s 4 straws lady and tramp that medium Pepsi!
Thanks for my free soda @Giants lol. I was hoping it to be in a Giants cup at least. Nice to see them playing a road game at home today too and crowd just boo’d them coming out of locker room. pic.twitter.com/qB7Taxd8fR
— Kevin McCleerey (@KevinMcCleerey) December 19, 2021
Even the biggest soda fan in sports media couldn’t believe the Giants' feeble attempt to make fans happy.
The once-proud NY Giants who:
— Mike Francesa (@MikeFrancesa) December 19, 2021
Built a stadium nobody likes
Ran off or displaced the league's most loyal fans with PSLs to build it
Made bad hiring decisions at every turn
Lost for a solid decade
And today offer a free Pepsi on Fan Appreciation Day
Sad. Very, very sad.
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2. Sure, T.J. Watt is having a ridiculous season and he has a ton of sacks and will be in the running for Defensive Player of the Year, but none of that is as impressive as the cleats he wore for yesterday's game against the Titans.
![tj-watt-cleats-1](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTg2MTE2Mzc0NDE2ODYwODY3/tj-watt-cleats-1.jpg)
![tj-watt-cleats-2](https://www.si.com/.image/t_share/MTg2MTE2Mzc0NDE2ODYwMjg5/tj-watt-cleats-2.jpg)
Guys. This is my new favorite pair of cleats I’ve done for TJ. #Steelers
— Cody Sabol (@codysabolart) December 19, 2021
MERRY CHRISTMAS YA FILTHY ANIMAL pic.twitter.com/uq6jutvUlj
3. While a very limited amount of Giants fans were able to enjoy a soda Sunday, Bills offensive lineman downed some beer during the game while celebrating a Stefon Diggs touchdown.
#Bills OT Spencer Brown is a terrific teammate. He knew Stefon Diggs was thirsty after his touchdown, and he was quick to provide ice-cold refreshment #BillsMafia #NFL pic.twitter.com/8oulYKqQ9U
— Ted Goldberg (@TedGoldbergTV) December 19, 2021
All of #BillsMafia on game day...@BudLight | #BudLightCelly pic.twitter.com/wDCU1KmJ7E
— Buffalo Bills (@BuffaloBills) December 19, 2021
4. We should've known the Lions were going to beat the Cardinals when Fox assigned Gus Johnson to the game. Here is some vintage Gus.
.@AmaniO with the full extension for the INT‼️#AZvsDET | 📺 FOX pic.twitter.com/dWwcsDD6U0
— Detroit Lions (@Lions) December 19, 2021
5. Dolphins defensive end Christian Wilkins gave us a hat trick yesterday: big guy touchdown, worm celebration, great quote after the game.
THICC SIX
— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) December 19, 2021
📺: #NYJvsMIA on CBS | @cwilkins42 pic.twitter.com/16FDzS38nD
Christian Wilkins on his TD dance: “I was honestly holding back. You haven’t seen me at a wedding or a Bar Mitzvah” pic.twitter.com/qGszTqLNEt
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) December 19, 2021
6. The latest SI Media Podcast features an interview with Troy Aikman.
Fox's lead NFL analyst explains why he'd like to see a Patriots vs. Bucs/Bill Belichick vs. Tom Brady Super Bowl this year and what the game would mean for each guy. Aikman also reveals insight into what Aaron Rodgers is going through while playing with a fractured toe, what's going on with Dak Prescott and the Cowboys and the unusual amount of terrible, unwatchable teams this season.
The Hall of Fame quarterback also addresses rumors that he may team up with Al Michaels to call games on Amazon next season, shares his side of the famous story involving Joe Buck's urinating into a bottle during a game and tells us whether he dreaded calling Bears-Lions on Thanksgiving.
The podcast closes with the weekly "Traina Thoughts" segment with Sal Licata from WFAN radio and SNY TV. This week, we discussed the possibility of that Patriots-Bucs Super Bowl, the Urban Meyer disaster in Jacksonville, that horrible trailer for the upcoming Netflix movie featuring Kevin James as Sean Payton and much more.
You can listen to the podcast below or download it on Apple, Spotify and Stitcher.
You can also watch the SI Media Podcast on YouTube.
7. RANDOM VIDEO OF THE DAY: I'll be featuring Christmas music all week in this space as we get closer to the holiday. We kick things off with Band Aid and a classic that screams 1980s.
Be sure to catch up on past editions of Traina Thoughts and check out the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina on Apple, Spotify or Stitcher. You can also follow Jimmy on Twitter and Instagram.
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