Giants Fans Find Sponsors for San Francisco Trip

Rich and Mike Maglione said they wouldn't follow the Giants if they had to travel to San Francisco to play the 49ers in the N.F.C. Championship game. A week later, though, the brothers from Long Beach, to watch Big Blue upset the Packers in a divisional playoff matchup, say they are flying to California for Sunday’s big game.

Credit their fortitude for finding sponsors, including a West End establishment, for their unlikely trip. Tom Corning, owner of , handed Rich a $1,000 check Thursday night, and Undertone, the online advertising company where Rich and his friend Jonathan Kadoch are employed, will spot them $2,500. The pay off is that the trio will plug their businesses on the Boomer & Carton radio show (WFAN 660AM), as they did Friday morning and will do again when they return from San Francisco.

“I have to give a shout out to the best bar in Long Beech, New York, … where we do ice-cold Jäger — Minnesota’s,” Rich said Friday morning on the popular morning show, hosted by Craig Carton and former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason.

To generate buzz for their show, Esiason and Carton came up with an imaginary guard for the Giants, named Batchagaloop Jones, and made up a number 66 jersey with his name. As the Magliones did during the Giants’ road to the Super Bowl in 2008, they have called the show each week during the playoffs, and their rabid devotion to the team was recognized by the hosts. Carton gave the brothers the Batchagaloop jersey to wear and take photos with while in Green Bay.

“The experience from last week was epic,” Richard said about going to Green Bay. “It was a once-in-lifetime opportunity and lived up to every expectation. It was worth every penny.”

After the Magliones, Kadoch and their friend Danny Walsh of Massapequa returned from Wisconsin,they were invited on the popular radio show Wednesday morning to relive their trip. Dubbed the “Batchagaloop Crew,” the foursome took photos and video of their exploits, including having the captain of their Southwest flight wear the jersey and their walk on legendary Lambeau Field the night before the big game.

The crew went on the radio show Wednesday expecting an all-expenses-paid trip to San Francisco, but that courtesy from WFAN never came. So the Magliones hit the streets of Long Beach to find sponsors, stopping by various establishments. A trip to San Francisco was going to cost much more than the $800 that Rich estimated he spent on his trip to Green Bay.

Corning, who said his restaurant-bar has turned into a hangout for die-hard Giants fans, was a willing sponsor for some radio publicity. “We are in full support of our Batchagaloop boys from Long Beach,” Corning said. “This Sunday all Giant fans will unite at Minnesota’s behind our brothers heading west to root our G-Men to victory!”

On his show Friday, Carton half-joked with the Batchagaloop Crew. “Let me ask you a question: Do you think anyone would be paying you to go to Frisco or anything else if you weren’t on this show?”

Their collective answer: No!

So they will fly west Saturday morning, but not before they search for more sponsors.

“It’s been a hectic week,” Rich said “… But it’s all going to be worth it when the Giants come home with a victory.”

If Rich's prophesy is correct and the Giants earn a trip to Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis on Feb. 5, will the brothers fly out there? 

“The reality is, my boss has already told me not to even think about going to the Super Bowl because we have a big meeting in Miami that weekend,” Rich said. “So I don’t know if I’m going to make it.”