Ignoring the simple fact that Eli Manning’s performance yesterday was the coldest shower imaginable for any Big Blue fans looking to ape the actions of the Jets’ Gate D Apes, the New York Times’ David Picker reports on what amounted to something just short of a SWAT team at Giants Stadium yesterday.

The security presence on the two spiral ramps at Gate D of Giants Stadium was overwhelming Sunday during halftime of the Giants™ game against the Minnesota Vikings. More than 25 state troopers and 50 security guards patrolled the multilevel ramps.

No arrests were made, said Sgt. Stephen Jones, a spokesman for the New Jersey State Police. There were also no ejections, according to George Zoffinger, the departing president and chief executive of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which provides security at Giants Stadium.

œIt was in recognition of a problem that had been gaining a little bit of momentum that we have observed lately, Jones said in a telephone interview after the game. He said security had been increased at each of the stadium™s eight spiral ramps during halftime.

Zoffinger and senior members of his staff were also on the ramps at Gate D during halftime, where it was almost impossible to walk more than a few feet without passing security guards in yellow jackets.

œWhat you didn™t see, and we™re going to continue to do this, is the undercover people we have that can find people that are leaders of any kind of chanting and inappropriate things, Zoffinger said in a telephone interview after the game. œAnd we™re going to make sure that we™re equally up to the task come the next Jets home game.

œWe will do this until we nip the problem in the bud.

In other crowd control news, the Benesowitz family vacation to Anaheim, CA is back on schedule. If there’s a break in the trenchant blogging while you’re enjoying the sights, Alex, we’ll understand.