Pep talk from teen battling illness spurs Giants to rout: 'Play like the world champions you are'

Yahoo Sports ^ | 11/26/12 | Dan Wetzel

[Kartographer]

Fifteen years old, with Burkitt's Lymphoma churning in his stomach, there was Adam Merchant, stepping out after Friday's practice in front of the New York Giants, his favorite team and Make-a-Wish first choice. Coach Tom Coughlin had charged him with the task of offering a few final words after a week of preparation and the kid didn't hold back, coming strong before concluding with a most simple message.

"Play like the world champions you are," Adam told his heroes.

[Kartographer]

Blurry screen ALERT!

[Dr. Sivana]

The kid is a relentless Giants fan, even living in New England.

The author of the piece doesn't know the fan base. The Patriots may call themselves "New England", Western Hemisphere, Milky Way, or whatever. In reality, they are the Boston Patriots, or perhaps even the Massachusetts Patriots. I'm from CT, and the FEW Pats fans I met (of course they were pretty bad, then) had serious Boston connections, and Boston isn't an NFL town. Doug Flutie is STILL a bigger man in Boston than Tom Brady wil ever be. The Red Sox will always be more loved. Folks in VT, CT, RI and even western MA are largely Giants fans. I can't speak for NH or ME.

Talented team, but they don't draw in the region like the Giants do.

[kidd]

I live north and east of Hartford. Sort of the border between Boston and NYC

Football fans here are 50-40-5-5 Pats-Giants-Jets-Other

(Baseball is 45-40-5-5-5 RedSox-Yankees-Mets-Twins-Other, the Twins have an AA team nearby)

[kidd]

I live north and east of Hartford. Sort of the border between Boston and NYC

Football fans here are 50-40-5-5 Pats-Giants-Jets-Other

(Baseball is 45-40-5-5-5 RedSox-Yankees-Mets-Twins-Other, the Twins have an AA team nearby)