One more Big Blue botch in a year filled with them

ELI MANNING deserved a much better Giants ending. You give your heart and soul to your franchise, and bring home two Super Bowl titles, that’s the least you deserve.

In a 2-9 season of one disaster after another, the Giants allowed a little bit more of their dignity to be stripped away with their terrible Tuesday decision to end the Eli Era.

Instead of riding this season out with Manning and then planning a new future, the rug was pulled out from Manning after 210 consecutive starts, the second-longest QB streak in NFL history.

And it is Geno Smith who will be the starting quarterback in Oakland come Sunday. Not exactly Lou Gehrig replacing Wally Pipp.

The NFL was aghast over this move and rightfully so.

Once the classiest of franchises, the Giants have become the most clueless of franchises. Loyalty used to be their calling card. No more. C ya, Eli. “It’s hard,’’ an emotional Manning said. “It’s been a hard day to handle this, but hang in there and figure it out.’’

At least Manning had the good sense to tell Ben McAdoo to stuff the plan of playing him the first half and then going to Smith in the second half, all the time setting this up as a showcase for young Davis Webb in the near future, because that’s what this is all about, you can be sure of that.

“I thought it was best to give Geno the start, I’ll back him up, I’m a good teammate. I don’t like it but I can handle it,’’ Manning said. “You start a game to keep a streak alive, that’s not what it’s about, it’s not a preseason game.’’

What’s the rush to get Smith a start? He’s been around here long enough to have a read on his limited QB skills. Smith is not the Giants’ future. The Giants want to look at Webb and there would have been ways to do that without cutting the Eli cord now.

You win two Super Bowls you are the face of the franchise, you deserve to continue to start and go out on your own terms this sea- son and then develop a plan for the future.

But like every other big decision the Giants have made this pitiful season, this was the wrong decision.

McAdoo can’t help himself, his social skills are not what you desire in coaching in the NFL in 2017. He’s more of an offensive-minded robot than a head coach. Of the decision made along with GM Jerry Reese and ownership, McAdoo said, “We’re on the same page.’’ That’s the problem. Asked if he saw this coming, Manning answered, “No.’’

That one word speaks volumes.

“If you go out there knowing you’re coming out, how do you prepare?” Manning said of the start-and-come-out plan. “If you’re a starting quarterback your job is to go out there and win the football game.’’

Does he feel he has started his last game for the Giants? “I don’t know,’’ Manning said. “I’ll take it one week at a time.’’

Said Webb of Manning: “If you had a Mount Rushmore of not only New York Giants, but New York athletes, he’d be on it.’’

McAdoo said, “We’re confident that we can put a plan together to put Geno in a position to be successful and go win the game.’’

In McAdoo’s world, Smith gives the Giants a better chance to win than Manning.

McAdoo was asked if this the end of Eli in New York?

“No, I have a lot of confidence in Eli as a player, as a quarterback, but at this point it’s my responsibility for the organization to make sure we take a look at Geno and at some point take a look at Davis, and give them the opportunity to show what they can do, heading into next year,’’ he said.

The real responsibility was to improve the offensive line, come up with winning game plans and not let egos run amok, but Ben and Jerry missed out on all that.

And Eli pays the price. It’s just not right.

Like most things Giants these dreadful days.