When there is nothing to cheer about, fans often take to booing.
Leave it to the Giants of 2024 to take this basic truism and turn it upside down.
With this team, something bad happens, delight ensues.
Welcome to the alternate reality where losing is welcomed and winning is nearly impossible.
“It sucks that that’s kind of the mindset of fans,’’ tight end Daniel Bellinger told The Post, “but I understand why the fans are like that.’’
Understanding how and frustration over why are two contrasting ideas banging around in the heads of Giants players who take an eight-game losing streak into Sunday’s meeting with the Ravens at MetLife Stadium.
The oddsmakers have spoken and declared this to be a colossal mismatch — the 16-point spread is the largest in the NFL this season.
There is a good chance the late stages of this game will replicate the closing seconds of last week’s 14-11 loss to the Saints.
There is every reason to believe the Ravens will exert their dominance and have the game wrapped up well before the final 8 seconds, which was the time remaining in Week 14 when Graham Gano’s field goal attempt to send the game into overtime was blocked to ensure the Giants would stay winless (0-7) at home.
As the ball was deflected and fell to the turf, cheers could be heard around the half-empty stadium situated at the Meadowlands.
The sound was more derisive than euphoric, almost as if those who remained to the bitter end found this latest losing wrinkle somewhat funny, while also acknowledging what the result would do to enhance the 2025 draft positioning.
So, losing was also winning.
“Fans are going to do what they want,’’ long snapper and team captain Casey Kreiter told The Post. “It’s our job to put a good product out there and make it entertaining for them.
“I promise you, it’s more fun for us, too, as players when we’re winning. This isn’t a whole lot of fun, risking our bodies, preparing all week and not seeing the results on the field. We’re just as disappointed as they are. I do sympathize with them. They spend hard-earned money to come to the game, and they’re not seeing a product they want to see.’’
The Giants are 2-11 and in position for the No. 2-overall pick in the 2025 draft.
They will not be favored in any of their final three games and have a real chance to finish 2-15 and gain the No. 1 pick.
This is too enticing for fans to resist, especially after a few no-impact wins in 2023 dropped the Giants into the No. 6 pick — too far away to land Jayden Daniels or Drake Maye, two quarterbacks they were interested in trading up to land.
This year, Shedeur Sanders and Cam Ward are expected to be the top prizes at quarterback, though neither is viewed as highly as Daniels and Maye were entering the 2023 draft.
Just as players, grudgingly, acknowledge this sort of intrigue is inevitable in a lost season, fans must also realize players do not appreciate look-ahead draft musings.
“I mean, they’re not doing what we’re doing,’’ running back Devin Singletary said. “They’re not out there putting their bodies on the line, they’re not in here grinding every day.’’
Some of them are pulling for another loss.
“I can’t understand that,’’ Singletary said. “I’m a competitor, I’m not built that way, wasn’t raised that way, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to understand that.’’
Last week, a plane flew overhead hauling a banner pleading with co-owner John Mara to “please fix this dumpster fire.’’
For those who seeking more losing, the Ravens figure to come through and give Giants fans what they want.
“Nobody in this program and facility wants to sit here and see fans cheering after a missed field goal,’’ Bellinger said. “It’s not what you want.”
It is what it has come to.
