# ESPN's Stanford Steve has no time for Cowboys-Giants

> An ESPN regular says the NFL's most-booked Sunday night rivalry stopped earning the slot a long time ago.
- Title: ESPN's Stanford Steve has no time for Cowboys-Giants
- Summary: An ESPN regular says the NFL's most-booked Sunday night rivalry stopped earning the slot a long time ago. Cowboys-Giants keeps getting prime time because of…
- Keywords: nfl, cowboys, giants, sunday night football, espn, news, entertainment, ESPN's, Stanford, Steve, time, Cowboys-Giants
- Source: New York Post — https://nypost.com/2026/09/12/sports/espn-star-calls-out-giants-cowboys-snf-clash
- Published: 2026-09-12T20:01:13+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: nfl, cowboys, giants, sunday night football, espn, news, entertainment
## Opening night, one skeptic
Giants and Cowboys fans are hyped for the Week 1 Sunday nighter at MetLife Stadium. ESPN's Steve Coughlin told Scott Van Pelt on the SVPod he wants no part of it.

> I just can't believe we've got to watch Dallas and the Giants on the first Sunday night.
## What have they done
Coughlin, known as Stanford Steve, framed his complaint as a question about the resumes of both franchises rather than the rivalry itself.

> I'm just so tired of that game. What have those teams done?
## Dallas keeps missing January
The Cowboys have missed the playoffs in four of the past seven seasons and 10 of their last 16. Their last Super Bowl appearance came in 1995.
## The Giants are thinner still
Two titles in 2007 and 2011 buy a lot of goodwill, but New York has made the postseason just twice in the past 14 seasons.
## Big markets, not big teams
Van Pelt's defense was pure television math: two huge markets, two huge fan bases. Coughlin wasn't buying it, right down to the predictable uniforms.

> They could be playing in Australia and that's what the uniforms are going to be.
## Fifteen times and counting
This is the 15th Cowboys-Giants game on SNF since NBC took over in 2006, trailing only Cowboys-Eagles. It doubles as John Harbaugh's debut as Giants coach.
## Key takeaway

Cowboys-Giants keeps getting prime time because of market size and fan bases, not because either team has been any good.