Dexter Lawrence on fans booing at the home opener: ‘I don’t respect it’

Big Dexter Lawrence gets it, but that doesn’t mean he likes it

It didn’t even take 30 minutes of game clock for the boos to rain down on the New York Giants. The fans in attendance for the Giants 28-6 season-opening collapse against the Minnesota Vikings started to let the home team hear their displeasure before the first half was even done.

The Giants being run off the field after appearing unready for the season is a depressingly familiar sight for Giants fans. And it’s also understandably upsetting for fans bought into their team only to be disappointed in the first game for the second time in two years.

Hence, the boos.

“I don’t respect it, honestly,” Lawrence said when asked what he made of fans booing their team at home. “I get it, they want to see their team win.”

He gets it, but he doesn’t like it.

Lawrence is a passionate player and, frankly, the one person in that whole locker room who truly did not deserve to be booed. He can also be forgiven for not wanting to see his teammates booed, either. Likewise, it’s understandable that Lawrence can believe this is merely a rough patch the team can work though.

But from the outside, fans have a right to be upset as well.

A hard-fought loss to the Vikings could certainly be forgiven. After all, these were considered to be two imperfect but evenly matched teams. Instead, the Giants still seemed to be stuck in the pre-season and looked too much like the team that lost 40-0 to the Dallas Cowboys in the season opener a year ago.

And if it’s of any solace, owner John Mara seems as upset as the Giants’ fans are.

We’ll have to see if Mara’s attitude after the game has any consequences in the near term.