They're a Basically New Jersey Team, In Disguise
The New York Giants have long-since played in New Jersey, so why not carry the name of their resident state? In fact, as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said, "The only thing New York about the Giants is the 'NY' on their helmets." Indeed, the Giants are staunchly based in New Jersey. They play their games at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey — a seven-mile drive from the Hudson River that separates the state from New York. Their primary practice facility is also in East Rutherford (though they do hold summer training camp in Albany, N.Y.). And, according to a Giants' spokesman, all of the players live in New Jersey during football season. Sure, the New York moniker wasn't inaccurate in the team's early years: The Giants were founded as a Big Apple franchise in 1925, kicking off at the Polo Grounds on Manhattan's Upper West Side. They even played at Yankee Stadium for nearly two decades. But in the 1970s the state of New Jersey presented the Giants with an offer they couldn't refuse: A home of their own. Costing $68 million and housing more than 76,000 fans, it was even named after its primary inhabitants: Giants Stadium. But the Giants were unwilling to reciprocate. They now share the MetLife Stadium with the New York Jets — also located in — you guessed it — New Jersey.