Here is the thing about losing: It drains away anything that actually might be fun or interesting.
Case in point: The atmosphere in and around Munich the past few days was intoxicating and that has nothing to do with beer consumption. This was just the second NFL game ever played in the Bavarian capital and the novelty was still there, unlike the international games played in London, which have a been-there, done-that vibe to them after all these years.
This was designated as a home game for the Panthers and indeed, there was more Carolina blue in the crowd at Allianz Arena than the darker Giants blue. There were cheers when Malik Nabers made a catch down the field but louder roars when Chuba Hubbard broke off a long run for the Panthers.
In the end, the Giants could not overcome their mistakes — two red-zone interceptions by Daniel Jones and a devastating fumble on the first play of overtime by rookie Tyrone Tracy to hand the Panthers the winning points on Eddy Pineiro’s 36-yard field goal.
That sealed the deal for something that the Giants have never before experienced. The 20-17 loss in OT was the first defeat for the Giants on foreign soil.
They previously were 3-0 in these international games, with those three games played in London in 2007, 2016 and 2022.
For those games, the Giants were able to embark on the long flight home with a victory in hand. This time around, the Munich-to-Newark, N.J. trip came after a brutally frustrating loss to a team that was considered to be the worst in the NFL nine weeks into the season.
Well, 10 weeks into the season, the Giants certainly are contenders for that ignominious prize.
Here is one of the shames to all this: It spoiled what should have been a terrific experience.
The international games have a different vibe to them, with European fans bringing a soccer-type feel to the festivities. The sellout crowd of 70,132 at the home of FC Bayern Munich was in the mood to party.
There were singalongs for “Sweet Caroline’’ and “Take Me Home, Country Roads’’ and “Hey! Baby,’’ with the mostly German fans knowing all the words and belting them out after the music stopped. There were frisbees and paper airplanes cutting through the air in the stands.
“Oh, I enjoyed it,’’ Giants defensive end Brian Burns said. “They were very interactive throughout the whole game, singing songs, cheering for stuff that didn’t necessarily need to be cheered for, but it was fun.’’
Dexter Lawrence noted that “it was really loud all the time,’’ although Panthers quarterback Bryce Young appreciated that it got fairly quiet when he was on the field with the Carolina offense.
“I really didn’t know what the cheering was for some of the time,’’ Lawrence said. “But it was cool. It was cool to play here and get this experience. The grass wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. But it was fun just to be a part of the culture.’’
These two Giants defensive players did the best they could to give the local media what they wanted to hear about Munich as a host city for this game.
It was not easy for them to convey any feelings of delight after the Giants lost their fifth consecutive game to fall to 2-8.
Burns said traveling this far, into a six-hour change in time zones, this late in the season was rough on the bodies of the players.
“I’d probably like to travel earlier,’’ Burns said. “The only other time I traveled was my rookie year to London, and that was a pretty early game. Later in the season, it’s a little taxing with the sleep schedule and everything. You kind of get in a routine and it kind of throws you off. But it’s kind of good we’ve got a bye week to bounce back.’’
Lawrence was asked where he wanted to see the Giants sent next season if they are chosen for another game out of the country.
“Oh, I might want to just stay in MetLife [Stadium],’’ he said. “It’s a long way during the season to travel. It’s a little rough.’’
A lot rougher when you lose.
