Imo the most underrated te by far. He had unparalleled toughness, out of this world blocking skills, great hands, perfect team mentality. A coaches dream. Was not a giants fan, but Bavaro was my favorite on that team.
If you watched The Giants in the 80’s, there’s no way you didn’t love Bavaro! Epitome of those Giants teams, TOUGH AS NAILS! Bavaro was THE MAN! Ronnie Lott is the one who disliked this
He was such an OLD SCHOOL player!! No other TE will ever be as good as he was back then. Hard worker, never brought attention to himself and showed up when the team needed him most. Thanks Mark for being the tough guy and great player you were for us!!! Once a Giant, always a Giant!!!!
He played in an Era that was so much more physical. And not even close to the ticky-tack puff league that its become. Bavaro was a BEAST and absolutely fearless going over the middle... when back then you just might literally get your head taken off with the likes of Ronnie Lott and such... scary
One of the toughest players to ever play in the NFL. It was a privilege being able to watch him play. He and LT are my two favorite players of all time.
Being Italian I fully understand where his toughness comes from......FAMILY.......Mark epitomizes what a tough football player is and most of all HUMBLE and says little but lets his deeds speak largerly for itself
Mark Bavaro exemplified what the city of New York is all about. Tuff, gritty. Hard work. The play that stands out is when Ronnie Lott tried to tackle him and he carried Lott an extra 20 yards down the field. He was the perfect TE for the Giants during their championship runs.
Those were my GIANTS years! I loved watching and rooting for them. Mark is an inspiring man; Great athlete, Great person. God Bless Mark and his teammates!!!
One of the most genuine men out there, and as a Giants fan, I loved him only second to LT. He's a much better man than LT. If I had boys, I'd tell them to look at this man as inspiration in terms of character, determination, toughness, and humility. I will never forget you Mark, for the rest of my life.
Great, great, great player. You'd think he'd be a Hall of Famer if he wasn't limited due to injury later in his career. I still think he should be in, but two Super Bowls ain't too bad either.
Bavaro and his brother went to my high school rival and my father coached against him. There is a street named after him (Danvers, Ma) and I wore #89 because of him.
As a Northern New Jersey native, I can say Bavaro was a miracle player. He made some of the most exciting catches! Great player! Got to be honest, I did not know he was a Notre Dame grad! Nice! Back in those days, ND football filled my Saturday afternoons and Giants filled my Sunday sports addictions!
ND Boy for sure He actually left Early not for the $$$ but becuz Gerry Faust was one of the worse coaches in College Football History & there was no discipline on those teams & Rambo was all about discipline & humility... LOVE HIM Making the sign of the cross on EVERY touchdown catch. Do you see that today? (Rhetorical Question)
One of the best players for the Giants, ever. Without the injuries, there's no question he'd be a hall of famer already. Without him, I don't know if the Giants would have 1 let alone both superbowls. He was that much of an important part of the offense, with him and Morris and Sims the most important parts. And without him, I'm not sure Morris would have been able to rush as much as he did.
Casper, Newsome, Bavaro, Witten, Gronkowski, Gonzalez. Those are the tight ends I think were the best ever. Kelce might be on that list when he is done. Mike Ditka changed the game as a TE but I never saw him play so I cant offer an educated view on his play. The best clutch TE I ever saw was Dave Casper. He was always BIG in big games.
Mark was the coolest TE! Old school, hard knocks, humble, just did his job, no rah-rah ego BS like Gronk! He was the TE version of the Payton "Always Die Hard" player!
I was in 10th grade when they when they won the Super Bowl then in the U.S. Navy in 1990 when they won. I also had Giants season tickets in high school which was row 1 in the upper bowl. I really didn't realize it then, but I was watching something magical - not just Mark, but all of the other guys as well. Looking back, I feel lucky to have seen all of this as it was happening.
Whether a Giant fan or not, Giants & Packers have the most amazing consistent histories. Tons of great stuff from every decade. Fun to watch as a Football fan.
What's insane about that play is he's dragging Ronnie freakin Lott but it gets crazier when you see the two guys who fly into him with shoulder-first tackle attempts - and both of them literally bounce off of him as if Mark had a dang force field up. That's just bonkers.
Also notice when McConkey caught the TD that went off Bavaros hands broncos safety Tony Lilly hit Bavaro and flew backwards on the floor. Bavaro didn't even budge from it and it looked like he didn't he know he got hit.
Mark was the man. I love to watch him and all the giants play. He was money in the bank. I remember when they spank the 49,s they really beat the hell out of them. Joe got knocked out. That was the end of the 49’s They where never the same.
That 1990 superbowl win has to be one of the most improbable championships ever. Losing Simms and bringing in Hostetler and having an aged running back. They won on guts and will.
They weren't as great as the '86 Giants, but they were a tough, battle-tested, veteran team. That championship game was one of the most PHYSICAL, hardest-hitting games I've ever seen.
Honuman39, ‘improbable’? Not at all. OJ Anderson was acquired during the 1986 season as insurance. Rodney Hampton was the Giants’ first round selection in the 1990 NFL Draft. Hampton breaks his leg in the divisional playoff game vs the Bears so OJ has to play >3 games in as many weeks and Anderson was a stud RB during his days with the Cardinals so mentally no issue for him. OJ Anderson was stashed until he was needed. In the Super Bowl after halftime, Giants OC Ron Erhardt said to Anderson, we’re going to run it up their a**, I need you to give me all that you got. You don’t say that to an ‘aged running back’, you say that to your stud running back. OJ was a blue chip athlete out of UM that had tread left on his tires that transitioned from a shifty halfback to a power back. Jeff Hostetler was the second QB drafted in the 1984 NFL Draft. He was always considered a good player so much so that Giants’ GM George Young refused to trade him despite Hostetler being disgruntled about not getting any playing time. Hostetler knew the offense as well as Phil Simms did and Hostetler provided the offense with more options if the pocket protection broke down or on bootlegs due to his superior mobility. A good example of this is the final drive vs the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Particularly the first play after Roger Craig’s fumble where Hostetler was chased from the pocket by a 49ers blitz, rolled to his right and found TE Bavaro for a key completion, and this was subsequent to Jim Burt diving into Hostetler’s knee. Phil Simms gets sacked on that play if he’s in the game. The Giants didn’t win on guts, they won by playing team football. Contributions came from Erik Howard, Lawrence Taylor, Jeff Hostetler, Pepper Johnson, Gary Reasons, Mark Collins, Leonard Marshall, Mark Bavaro, OJ Anderson and more. You don’t go into Candlestick Park and beat the 49ers who reigned as champions since the 1988 season and beat them in their own house. The Giants did NOT allow the 49ers a rushing first down until there was less than 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter. Then the next week the Giants beat the team with the most talented roster in the NFL, a team that went back to the Super Bowl for 3 consecutive years. The Giants were a** kickers that pushed in the guts and stomped on the will of their opponents.
@@byrongammonbyrongammon9937 well if you put it that way. I get it and the season played out the way you're describing but let's not also underestimate the potential for failure in the scenario. It could have easily been that Hostetler felt the pressure of being the guy and didn't perform well enough. OJ was blue chip but at 33 very much over the hill. Statistically backs improve and produce to age 28 then decline. From the outside looking in they didn't necessarily look like a team that could beat hyped up Buffalo with the no. 1 offense and no. 6 defense.
Check out 5:52. This is nearly 40 years ago and THAT is what anyone in fitness should be doing - especially football players. Nothing “fancy”, nothing has evolved. No shortcuts. Squat Bench Power cleans Reverse hyper Etc
For one, Engram has potential to be a great receiving TE but has concentration lapses. Two he cannot block well. This football era focuses in speed and offense, not blocking or physicality.
The 1990 Super Bowl victory was the greatest coaching job in NFL history. When i bought my first house in 1986, the first thing i posted was a Mark Bavaro photo. Great memories.
It seems as if sports had such a special effect in the 70s - 90s. I can’t even watch a game now because it seems as if something is different. There may be too many stars patting themselves on the back instead of playing the game with heart, and letting the viewers honor them with pats on the back.
That’s my guy... Rambo! They don’t make ‘em like they used to. Throwback TE are a dying breed. Shockey was the last one this organization had. Only serviceable TE (@ best) since Shock. 🤦♂️
Such a warrior. The injury was serious. He was held out of practices that year. Probably shouldn't have been on the field. The cumulative effects had critical repercussions. Without MB its a different offense.
We always thought the giants needed a break out receiver. Instead we got a TE who had to be double or triple teamed. Great player class act all the way
From the wilderness yrs, til 86 that was is always will be the best SB victory of all 4. It was their 1st. Can never be replaced for the memories. Between 11 record setting passing performance to the defense dominance. It was the greatest of all 4. Then again Plax shooting himself took away the 1st dominant team. Pats got lucky the night Plax failed to bring a belt and holstered that gu. BB got lucky. BB paid the ultimate price
Thanks for watching! Subscribe now for the best Giants content
Tough as nails,quiet,blue collar player.Perfect fit for NY
Imo the most underrated te by far. He had unparalleled toughness, out of this world blocking skills, great hands, perfect team mentality. A coaches dream. Was not a giants fan, but Bavaro was my favorite on that team.
I don’t think I’ve ever met an Italian that didn’t love Mark Bavaro. He was one of the greats.
Best Giants Tight End ever.
We need this toughness back
Been a Giants fan for 40+ years, Bavaro is my all-time favorite
Greatest Boston accent of all time
Mark is a humble tough player that set the standard for toughness in the NFL. Way to go Paisan!!......
If you watched The Giants in the 80’s, there’s no way you didn’t love Bavaro!
Epitome of those Giants teams, TOUGH AS NAILS!
Bavaro was THE MAN!
Ronnie Lott is the one who disliked this
i can hear you screaming Bad Diggity Dog!
LoL Ronnie Lot
Bavaro sent a bill to Ronnie Lott for transportation fees.
I was born in 88' but I know all about the legends
Fantastic human being!!! Also really enjoyed the combo of Mark Bavaro and Bob Papa.
He was such an OLD SCHOOL player!! No other TE will ever be as good as he was back then. Hard worker, never brought attention to himself and showed up when the team needed him most. Thanks Mark for being the tough guy and great player you were for us!!! Once a Giant, always a Giant!!!!
Gronk
He played in an Era that was so much more physical. And not even close to the ticky-tack puff league that its become. Bavaro was a BEAST and absolutely fearless going over the middle... when back then you just might literally get your head taken off with the likes of Ronnie Lott and such... scary
Michael Mayer.
@@kagors4491 Gronk never played in or dominated a game with a broken jaw. Bavaro did.
Old school, of course, his Er was old school. He was a BEAST.!!!
Mark Bavaro was a success because he was tough, but more importantly, he was disciplined and his attitude was exemplary. Great player!
He is a humble man.
One of the toughest players to ever play in the NFL. It was a privilege being able to watch him play. He and LT are my two favorite players of all time.
Just a classy person. Everything Parcells looks for in a player Mark had that.
The Best TE in my life time Mark Bavaro
Dude was a beast...loved him.
What a humble guy. He's someone you can always count on
Being Italian I fully understand where his toughness comes from......FAMILY.......Mark epitomizes what a tough football player is and most of all HUMBLE and says little but lets his deeds speak largerly for itself
3:50 😊
Bavaro was Gronk before Gronk. A beast.
One of the toughest football players I ever saw and a great guy as well. Didn' say much, but his actions on the field spoke volumes.
Mark Bavaro exemplified what the city of New York is all about. Tuff, gritty. Hard work. The play that stands out is when Ronnie Lott tried to tackle him and he carried Lott an extra 20 yards down the field. He was the perfect TE for the Giants during their championship runs.
I remember watching Mark 👀 impressive football player ...probably make excellent coach 👏 🏈
The best blocking TE I ever saw
Bavaro knows how great Banks was, Banks should be in the HOF.
I'm from BROOKLYN ny Gaints is my team forever SO many great players on that team Mark Barvarro is one of my favourite players strong and humble
This Guy was as Tough as Nails
Those were my GIANTS years! I loved watching and rooting for them. Mark is an inspiring man; Great athlete, Great person. God Bless Mark and his teammates!!!
Awesome.....
Loved that his celebration was taking a knee and crossing himself. No wonder he chose Notre Dame.
Awesome video.
One of the most genuine men out there, and as a Giants fan, I loved him only second to LT. He's a much better man than LT. If I had boys, I'd tell them to look at this man as inspiration in terms of character, determination, toughness, and humility. I will never forget you Mark, for the rest of my life.
Great, great, great player. You'd think he'd be a Hall of Famer if he wasn't limited due to injury later in his career. I still think he should be in, but two Super Bowls ain't too bad either.
I will always love my Cowboys who have, with the likes of Dupree and Cosbie, their own Tight Ends, but Bavaro was the greatest Tight End of All-Time.
Bavaro and his brother went to my high school rival and my father coached against him. There is a street named after him (Danvers, Ma) and I wore #89 because of him.
One of my favorite Giant of all times
As a Northern New Jersey native, I can say Bavaro was a miracle player. He made some of the most exciting catches! Great player! Got to be honest, I did not know he was a Notre Dame grad! Nice! Back in those days, ND football filled my Saturday afternoons and Giants filled my Sunday sports addictions!
ND Boy for sure He actually left Early not for the $$$ but becuz Gerry Faust was one of the worse coaches in College Football History & there was no discipline on those teams & Rambo was all about discipline & humility... LOVE HIM Making the sign of the cross on EVERY touchdown catch. Do you see that today? (Rhetorical Question)
Mark Bavaro was the type of TE I wished Jeremy Shockey was when he was playing
One of my favorite players of all time. And very handsome,too!
One of the reason I'm a New York Giants Football Fan 🗽
Absolute legend. NY Giants personified. This from a Raiders fan 😀
Parcells loved tough dudes...
Legend has it...the 49ers are still trying to bring Bavaro down.
One of the best players for the Giants, ever. Without the injuries, there's no question he'd be a hall of famer already. Without him, I don't know if the Giants would have 1 let alone both superbowls. He was that much of an important part of the offense, with him and Morris and Sims the most important parts. And without him, I'm not sure Morris would have been able to rush as much as he did.
Casper, Newsome, Bavaro, Witten, Gronkowski, Gonzalez. Those are the tight ends I think were the best ever. Kelce might be on that list when he is done. Mike Ditka changed the game as a TE but I never saw him play so I cant offer an educated view on his play. The best clutch TE I ever saw was Dave Casper. He was always BIG in big games.
No one wanted to go against him hell of a player..really 1st class act..
Mark was the coolest TE! Old school, hard knocks, humble, just did his job, no rah-rah ego BS like Gronk! He was the TE version of the Payton "Always Die Hard" player!
He was always my fav. Very humble
56 and 89. Two numbers giant fans can say set the tempo to both sides of the ball. Still looking for those players today.
I was in 10th grade when they when they won the Super Bowl then in the U.S. Navy in 1990 when they won. I also had Giants season tickets in high school which was row 1 in the upper bowl. I really didn't realize it then, but I was watching something magical - not just Mark, but all of the other guys as well. Looking back, I feel lucky to have seen all of this as it was happening.
That was a special time to see these great men play football and that old gal...GIANTS STADIUM was amazing!!! GO...GIANTS!!
He was the epitome of how the game should be played. Definitely a crime this man is not in the HOF.
Probably not quite enough longevity or stats. Dude was a beast tho. As tough as they come.
Best TE ever. Period.
Why is Mark Bavaro not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? Dominating tight end in his era
You bet your galamodi's Amber
Too busy looking for stat players instead of football players
Shadow of a cross on his left arm as he gives thanks after scoring the go ahead TD against Denver. So cool.
9er fan ova here, this guy was a beast,yo!😎🤘
class act. this man bled blue since the beginning. what a legendary icon.
Bavaro BELONGS in the HOF!
Whether a Giant fan or not, Giants & Packers have the most amazing consistent histories. Tons of great stuff from every decade. Fun to watch as a Football fan.
F the pack😅
This team was incredible I don't believe we will ever see this again!
What's insane about that play is he's dragging Ronnie freakin Lott but it gets crazier when you see the two guys who fly into him with shoulder-first tackle attempts - and both of them literally bounce off of him as if Mark had a dang force field up. That's just bonkers.
Yeah, I noticed that too. Insane!!
Also notice when McConkey caught the TD that went off Bavaros hands broncos safety Tony Lilly hit Bavaro and flew backwards on the floor. Bavaro didn't even budge from it and it looked like he didn't he know he got hit.
Mark was the man. I love to watch him and all the giants play. He was money in the bank. I remember when they spank the 49,s they really beat the hell out of them. Joe got knocked out. That was the end of the 49’s They where never the same.
Absolutely love this guy!!! A super competitor, and a super person!!
I never saw a better TE play, I saw better receivers and better blockers but I never saw a better all around tough productive TE
Lawrence Taylor, a notorious prankster in the locker room, once said he had so much respect for Mark Bavaro that he would never play a joke on him.
You Mark..all time Great!!
Bavaro the real rambo best tight end GIANTS ever had 💪
Longevity is the only reason why he isn't in the HOF. Best combo of run blocking/catching ever!
my all time favorite giant
awesome player
MORE BAVARO!
Outstanding video! One of my favorite players from the 1980’s!
He was the best TE ever. Period.
"Pain Heals, Chicks Dig Scars, Glory Lasts Forever"
Right on Shane! RIGHT ON!
And grateful though we are that Bavaro got the chance to start, even back then preseason games were the Giants' kryptonite
That 1990 superbowl win has to be one of the most improbable championships ever. Losing Simms and bringing in Hostetler and having an aged running back. They won on guts and will.
They weren't as great as the '86 Giants, but they were a tough, battle-tested, veteran team. That championship game was one of the most PHYSICAL, hardest-hitting games I've ever seen.
That sounds like a game I should try to find sans commercials.
@@MrBronx61, statistically the 1990 Giants defense is ranked 6th all-time and they were superior to the 1986 squad.
Honuman39, ‘improbable’? Not at all. OJ Anderson was acquired during the 1986 season as insurance. Rodney Hampton was the Giants’ first round selection in the 1990 NFL Draft. Hampton breaks his leg in the divisional playoff game vs the Bears so OJ has to play >3 games in as many weeks and Anderson was a stud RB during his days with the Cardinals so mentally no issue for him. OJ Anderson was stashed until he was needed. In the Super Bowl after halftime, Giants OC Ron Erhardt said to Anderson, we’re going to run it up their a**, I need you to give me all that you got. You don’t say that to an ‘aged running back’, you say that to your stud running back. OJ was a blue chip athlete out of UM that had tread left on his tires that transitioned from a shifty halfback to a power back.
Jeff Hostetler was the second QB drafted in the 1984 NFL Draft. He was always considered a good player so much so that Giants’ GM George Young refused to trade him despite Hostetler being disgruntled about not getting any playing time. Hostetler knew the offense as well as Phil Simms did and Hostetler provided the offense with more options if the pocket protection broke down or on bootlegs due to his superior mobility. A good example of this is the final drive vs the 49ers in the NFC Championship Game. Particularly the first play after Roger Craig’s fumble where Hostetler was chased from the pocket by a 49ers blitz, rolled to his right and found TE Bavaro for a key completion, and this was subsequent to Jim Burt diving into Hostetler’s knee. Phil Simms gets sacked on that play if he’s in the game.
The Giants didn’t win on guts, they won by playing team football. Contributions came from Erik Howard, Lawrence Taylor, Jeff Hostetler, Pepper Johnson, Gary Reasons, Mark Collins, Leonard Marshall, Mark Bavaro, OJ Anderson and more. You don’t go into Candlestick Park and beat the 49ers who reigned as champions since the 1988 season and beat them in their own house. The Giants did NOT allow the 49ers a rushing first down until there was less than 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter.
Then the next week the Giants beat the team with the most talented roster in the NFL, a team that went back to the Super Bowl for 3 consecutive years.
The Giants were a** kickers that pushed in the guts and stomped on the will of their opponents.
@@byrongammonbyrongammon9937 well if you put it that way. I get it and the season played out the way you're describing but let's not also underestimate the potential for failure in the scenario. It could have easily been that Hostetler felt the pressure of being the guy and didn't perform well enough. OJ was blue chip but at 33 very much over the hill. Statistically backs improve and produce to age 28 then decline. From the outside looking in they didn't necessarily look like a team that could beat hyped up Buffalo with the no. 1 offense and no. 6 defense.
17:50 When talking about his pain threshold Im surprised Mark didn't say it but lets not forget.. HE IS ITALIAN. 😜. Not to mention my cuzin.
Why isn't he in the hall of fame
Check out 5:52. This is nearly 40 years ago and THAT is what anyone in fitness should be doing - especially football players. Nothing “fancy”, nothing has evolved. No shortcuts.
Squat
Bench
Power cleans
Reverse hyper
Etc
I hated the giants but always respected them. Phil Simms is still the toughest QB I've ever watched...
Summeral:
"Bavaro bangs down inside the 5"
Especially for the Italians!!
O2128 - East Boston original !!
His dad Wally played with Bobby Buonopane Sr. Both East Boston Legends forever.
The best tight end ever for the gaints why can’t we get play makers like this again this team under Joe judge is killing me
For one, Engram has potential to be a great receiving TE but has concentration lapses. Two he cannot block well. This football era focuses in speed and offense, not blocking or physicality.
I’m an Eagles 🦅 phan, but I loved Mark Bavaro, even as a giant!
He was the best tight end they ever had. He was very dependable. I bet he was glad he didn't have to go against those linebackers of the Giants.
The 1990 Super Bowl victory was the greatest coaching job in NFL history. When i bought my first house in 1986, the first thing i posted was a Mark Bavaro photo. Great memories.
It seems as if sports had such a special effect in the 70s - 90s. I can’t even watch a game now because it seems as if something is different. There may be too many stars patting themselves on the back instead of playing the game with heart, and letting the viewers honor them with pats on the back.
Was All-time Madden tightend headed to Hall until blew out knee
I remember rooming near him at ND. Quiet, kind, classy gentle giant. Godly man.
That’s my guy... Rambo! They don’t make ‘em like they used to. Throwback TE are a dying breed. Shockey was the last one this organization had. Only serviceable TE (@ best) since Shock. 🤦♂️
The 1st superbowl was on my birthday in my home state of California.
Such a warrior. The injury was serious. He was held out of practices that year. Probably shouldn't have been on the field.
The cumulative effects had critical repercussions.
Without MB its a different offense.
He is one of my favorite Giants of all-time.
Man, Phil Simms threw a pretty ball.
My 3rd favorite Giants of all time.
I’m a Texan born and raised and I’m a Giants fan forever, why? Mark Bavaro 🥹
Tough as steel 😊😊 I' miss him
The original George Kittle TE
We always thought the giants needed a break out receiver. Instead we got a TE who had to be double or triple teamed. Great player class act all the way
The 2nd was 2 days after my birthday.
My go to guy in TecmoBowl!
From the wilderness yrs, til 86 that was is always will be the best SB victory of all 4. It was their 1st. Can never be replaced for the memories. Between 11 record setting passing performance to the defense dominance. It was the greatest of all 4. Then again Plax shooting himself took away the 1st dominant team. Pats got lucky the night Plax failed to bring a belt and holstered that gu. BB got lucky. BB paid the ultimate price