jerseygiantfan Posted June 27, 2008 Author Share Posted June 27, 2008 VIDEO Breaking down the NFC east Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted July 9, 2008 Author Share Posted July 9, 2008 Burress Video Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted July 13, 2008 Author Share Posted July 13, 2008 At midway point, 2008 is greatest sports year ever by Kevin Hench Updated: July 11, 2008, 1:03 PM EST 269 comments add this RSS blog email print Congratulations, sports fan. You're already a winner. The 2008 sports calendar has barely passed the midway mark and yet the year has already established itself as the greatest sports annum of all time. The Rays could sweep the Brewers in the least-watched World Series since television arrived and still 2008 would reign supreme. There simply has never been another year quite like it. Never before has one year seen a Super Bowl for the ages, an OT thriller in the NCAA men's basketball championship, a heroic, one-legged U.S. Open golf champion, a historic NBA Finals and a Wimbledon final so compelling it was clear to all who saw it that they had just witnessed the greatest tennis match ever. Sure, it's a little arbitrary. NFL titles used to be decided in December but now each season ends in the next calendar year. Olympic years, like this one, have a big edge. But as bar-room arguments go, the case for 2008 is damn strong. Super Bowl XLII Of the 42 Super Bowls, 29 could be qualified as outright disappointments. Only 13 have been decided by one score or less. Of those close games, one (Super Bowl V) featured 11 turnovers, another (SB VII) would have been a shutout if not for Garo Yepremian's generosity and a third (SB XVI) was only a one-score game by virtue of a meaningless TD with 16 seconds left. Eli and the Giants got 2008 started off right with a memorable playoff run. (Gabriel Bouys / Getty Images) That leaves 10 Super Bowls that could be considered great, and as the years pass, the Giants' upset of the Patriots will age like a fine wine and could eventually sit atop that list. Throw in the Giants' three playoff road wins in January, including the sub-zero upset at Lambeau, on their way to SB XLII and their achievement is unmatched in NFL history. The Giants' victory marked the first time the eventual winner lost the lead in the final three minutes before regaining it. The 83-yard title-winning drive redefined Eli Manning, transforming him from enigma to Mr. Clutch. And David Tyree's catch against his helmet will go down as the greatest play in Super Bowl history, trumping even Lynn Swann's Super Bowl X acrobatics. Then there's the fact that the G-Men beat the 18-0 Patriots, a double-digit favorite who showed up in Arizona for their coronation as the greatest team of all time. The Pats were crowned alright, battered all night by the physical New York defensive line. The efforts of Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora, Fred Robbins, Jay Alford and particularly Justin Tuck (MVP 1-A) made Manning's late heroics possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted July 14, 2008 Author Share Posted July 14, 2008 Plaxico Burress predicts a Giant pact, but what about Jeremy Shockey? BY OHM YOUNGMISUK DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Monday, July 7th 2008, 8:10 PM Plaxico Burress is confident he will report to training camp happy and with a new contract. As for whether his best friend Jeremy Shockey will be joining him at camp, Burress has no clue what will happen with the disgruntled tight end. "I think it is some more personal things that went on with him and with the organization," said Burress, who has an entire chapter in his new book, "Giant: The Road To The Super Bowl," dedicated to his relationship with Shockey. "I think Jeremy, at the end of the day, he wants to be around. I think it is all about wanting to feel wanted for him. I am in the dark like everybody else. With him, come training-camp time, I have no idea of what is going to happen." Burress, who was in the city Monday to promote his book, believes that Shockey's rift with the team can be repaired. After all, Burress defiantly stood on the sidelines and skipped minicamp practices last month to protest the lack of progress in renegotiating his six-year, $25 million contract, which has three years left. Burress played last season despite ailments that included a severe ankle injury, a torn ligament in his pinkie, a separated shoulder and a sprained knee suffered days before the Super Bowl - when he slipped in the shower. The wide receiver feels he deserves a raise that would reflect his status as one of the top wideouts in the league. Yesterday, Burress said all indications are that his deal will be done soon and that he will be in Albany for camp, which starts July 25. "It is going pretty good," Burress said of negotiations involving his agent, Drew Rosenhaus. "I'm getting positive feedback from my agent and looking to get it ironed out before training camp. I think it will be done (by camp)." While Shockey continues to rehab the broken left leg that ended his season in Week 15, Burress says he will be close to full strength by the time camp starts. "I'm not going to make a prediction of what I can put up," he said, "but if I'm healthy, all I can tell people is to watch out." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Top storylines heading into camp by John Czarnecki After giving so many of his exclusives to ESPN, the big question of the day is why did Brett Favre give his first exclusive TV interview to Greta Van Susteren of Fox News? Could the answer be that she is from nearby Appleton, Wis. and is a Badger alumni? It had to make the Packer faithful a bit happy that Greta is one of them, right? Well, at least we finally heard Favre's explanation of his retirement. He wants to play and what's wrong with that? I've written a million times it is the toughest decision in professional sports and once you're done, it's over. Favre surely didn't perform like he was "over" last season. But like everything else, we are left reading between the lines, attempting to find the real truth from every coach and player statements and long-held perceptions. We are entering the best time of summer — the opening of NFL training camps and these are my best storylines heading into the season. With Peyton Manning missing the entire preseason, does this mean either Jacksonville or Tennessee has a legitimate chance at winning the AFC South? If ever there was a quarterback who needed a bit of a rest, it is Peyton. He is a workaholic and is chasing Favre's ridiculous consecutive games record. Granted, this wrecks the Hall of Fame game because Peyton won't be taking four to six snaps in the exhibition opener, but if ever there was a quarterback that could perform in a coma it is Peyton. I mean, he is as reliable as a robot out there. However, being a rhythm passer, Peyton may look a little rusty in the season opener against the Bears. Fortunately for the Colts, the Bears probably won't score more than 10 points. If the Jags are going to finally win the South in the Manning era, their biggest chance will come when they get a shot at a still-rusty Manning in Week 3. Is Wade Phillips the next Marty Schottenheimer? Will Wade Phillips go the way of Marty Schottenheimer? (Chris McGrath / Getty Images) You know, win 12 or 13 games and then get fired. Wade knows the drill from experience because he was coordinating Schottenheimer's defense in San Diego a couple seasons ago. There isn't as much internal pressure on Wade as there was with Marty in San Diego. Jerry Jones laughs and talks with Wade all the time, whereas A.J. Smith avoided Marty in every hallway. But with offensive coordinator Jason Garrett earning more than $3 million and all this money tied up in Tony Romo, T.O. and so many offensive players, the football world suspects Garrett will be the head coach in 2009 even if Wade wins a playoff game. If the Packers really don't want Favre, where will they trade him? I really don't think Favre will show up in Green Bay for training camp unless GM Ted Thompson loses his mind. Favre practicing behind Aaron Rodgers would become as big a circus as Terrell Owens doing push-ups in his driveway. Do Thompson and the Packers really want a daily distraction? I think not. In the end, Tampa Bay makes the most sense for Favre because Jon Gruden loves him and actually worked with him years ago in Green Bay. I think Favre would like Baltimore, too, and Carolina makes some sense. Too bad Drew Brees is in New Orleans, because Favre and Sean Payton could make some magic happen, too. Why are the Giants still not getting any respect? This will be a summer-long issue, because even though Eli Manning has a Super Bowl MVP award many believe Tony Romo possesses more quarterback charisma in the rugged NFC East. The Cowboys may have the best NFC team on paper, but the games are still played outdoors on a field and not in a draft room. Even with Michael Strahan retired and major distraction Jeremy Shockey hanging around, the Giants still have a very good offensive line, a bevy of backs and a respectable defense. Tom Coughlin had the last laugh last season and now he can preach the no-respect line all season. There will be no letdown with the Giants. Now, the Jets are another story. Will Oakland's Lane Kiffin be the first coach to be fired this season? Kiffin is the odds-on favorite because, frankly, he doesn't give a damn. He seems to be playing out his days while owner Al Davis stockpiles offensive coaches. Davis recently added Paul Hackett, a known passing guru, to go with James Lofton (a guy who has never called a play) and offensive coordinator holdover Greg Knapp. Season ticket sales are down, meaning that fans continue to take a wait-and-see attitude. Knapp is supposed to go work with Jimmy Mora in Seattle next season, but he's really the most qualified guy on the staff to replace Kiffin should the Raiders get off to a slow start despite a very easy schedule. Having blown a perfect season, will Bill Belichick and the Patriots sleepwalk through the regular season? Well, this coaching staff was in a funk for a while and the Patriots were in the wrong secondary coverage when Plaxico Burress beat them in Arizona, but Tom Brady won't allow this team to remain in the dumps after spending the offseason with Gisele. Yes, the Pats have four West Coast road games, plus another visit to Indy, but they also should go 6-0 in the AFC East, meaning they just have to find five other wins to ensure themselves another playoff spot. Is this the last hurrah for John Fox in Carolina? Well, Scott Linehan is more of a lame-duck coach than Fox and who really knows where Marvin Lewis stands with Bengals owner Mike Brown. But there is genuine pressure in Carolina, considering unemployed Bill Cowher lives in the state. Panthers owner Jerry Richardson wants a playoff team and Fox could deliver if Jake Delhomme stays healthy or if Favre joins the team. The thing about Cowher is that Richardson doesn't seem to be the type of owner to sign an $8 million check to one coach while handing $15 million in walk-away money to Fox. How serious are these ownership situations in Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Jacksonville? For the small-market franchises, it's a mess out there. The Steelers have family issues which could lead to Dan Rooney losing the franchise (how sad is that prospect?). The Steelers are one of the most popular teams in America — their fans travel everywhere — but Dan will need major outside financial help to settle with his brothers and secure majority ownership. Wayne Weaver's payroll is skyrocketing, a sure sign that he wants to sell, while Chip and Lucy, Georgia Frontiere's son and daughter, respectively, need to sell the Rams in order to deal with the hefty inheritance tax. The other issue is that league-wide ownership wants out of the current deal with the players, meaning there could be a lockout in 2011. Can Tarvaris Jackson really lead the Vikings to the NFC North championship? People forget that Jackson was 8-4 as a starter last season and that Adrian Peterson figures to be much improved, too. Bernard Berrian gives Jackson a reliable deep threat, something he didn't have last season. On defense, the Vikings are really scary with Jared Allen joining their fierce front four. Basically, Jackson doesn't have to screw it up, much like what Rex Grossman did two years ago when he took the Bears to the Super Bowl. Will Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren enjoy his farewell tour this season? I think he will. He gets to see New York and Miami and spends Thanksgiving in Dallas, where Jerry Jones will surely host a nice dinner party. It's hard to believe Holmgren could be in his last season, but speculation persists that he could very well end up in San Francisco as Mike Nolan's boss or becoming someone's GM/coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted July 16, 2008 Author Share Posted July 16, 2008 Jailed Giant Cut Loose -- No Daylight Yet Posted Jul 15th 2008 8:15AM by TMZ Staff Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw is out of the grasp of the law, but he still might get tackled by the NFL for a probation violation. Bradshaw was let out of the Abingdon, Va. Regional Jail on Sunday after a 30-day sentence, but the league is still reviewing why he ended up there in the first place -- and might suspend him as a result. We reported that his pokey time could be the result of an infraction from his juvenile years. Local authorities wouldn't reveal why he had been thrown in the slammer. LINK Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lubeck Posted July 16, 2008 Share Posted July 16, 2008 Jailed Giant Cut Loose -- No Daylight Yet From the Daily News: A source familiar with the situation suggested the violation may have occurred in 2006 when Bradshaw was at Marshall University and was convicted of petty larceny for stealing a video game from a fellow student. He received two years' probation for that incident, but it may have slipped through the legal cracks that the incident also was a violation of the probation from the sealed juvenile incident. Once the court was notified of the error, Bradshaw agreed to serve his time after the Super Bowl. There is no way they could suspend him if that is the reason for the jail time. The NFL can't punish a player for something he did prior to joining the league. Especially when it isn't his fault he had to serve the jail time after joining the NFL. Someone in the justice system screwed up, not Ahmad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 FIVE QUESTIONS Here are five questions the Daily News' Ralph Vacchiano has for the defending Super Bowl champs as they roll into training camp this week: 1. Will Plaxico Burress show up?: After his mini-camp contract protest, Burress used his recent book tour to soften his stance. Now he says he expects to be in camp, armed with a new, lucrative contract extension. In this case, money can buy happiness. But time is running out and he still doesn't have a new deal. 2. Will Jeremy Shockey be a Giant, an ex-Giant, or a giant distraction? GM Jerry Reese said he expects to have a happy team in time for Week 1, but he still won't specifically discuss his enigmatic tight end. By now everyone knows Shockey is miserable. The question is: Can he put his bitterness aside for the good of the team? Or is he going to rock the boat until the Giants finally toss him overboard? 3. How will they replace Michael Strahan? It'll take a village … or at least a committee. Justin Tuck takes his old spot, but defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo is also counting on big seasons from DE Osi Umenyiora and DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka. Expect LB Antonio Pierce to assume Strahan's leadership role. 4. Can Eli Manning pick up where he left off in the playoffs? Ask Manning about last year and he'll tell you he had "one good month." Funny, that's what a lot of his doubters say, too. But a little perspective: That one good month included three road playoff games - one at frozen Lambeau - a Super Bowl, and a game-winning Super Bowl drive. Seriously, what more do you need to see from him to believe? 5. Are the champs really hungry for more? So it seems. This team has an amazing capacity to find disrespect and insults, and they just love proving people wrong. Nothing would make them happier than claiming they're the least-respected back-to-back Super Bowl champs in the history of the NFL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted July 20, 2008 Author Share Posted July 20, 2008 Super Bowl champion Giants keep big chip on shoulder for 2008 By RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Saturday, July 19th 2008, 9:12 PM Antonelli/News Brandon Jacobs and Giants may have Super Bowl champs on their resumes, but going into 2008 training camp, many players say they still feel they're not getting respect they deserve. The hangovers from the Giants' Super Bowl victory party were still fresh when the newly crowned champs sounded the first alarms for 2008. Somehow, just hours after their incredible, improbable win in Super Bowl XLII they had convinced themselves that the world had already dismissed them as a fluke. "We still feel a little bit of a sense of people saying that the Patriots lost," defensive tackle Barry Cofield said in the team hotel the morning after the miracle. "We still feel like a poor man's champ." Nearly six months later, the Giants don't seem to feel any richer, and they've yet to discover a wealth of national respect. They've already heard predictions that they won't even win their division this season, and they've seen the power rankings that have them somewhere below the upper echelon of the league. "I'm not surprised," said running back Brandon Jacobs. "But if we haven't shut up a lot of doubters yet, we can still shut them up next year." It's with that enormous chip still squarely on their shoulders that the Giants finally begin "next year" as they get back to work full-time this week at training camp at the University at Albany. And shortly after they arrive on campus Thursday morning they can expect to receive this message from Tom Coughlin when they gather as a team: Last year was fun. But it's over now. "I think it'll definitely be addressed when we get into training camp and get everybody together," said GM Jerry Reese. "Last year is last year. That's not going to help us win any games this year. We can't talk about it. You've got to get out there and do it. That was our mantra last year: Talk is cheap, play the game. I think that carries over into next year as well. You can't talk about it, you've got to be about it." Of course, it'll take a lot more than talk for the Giants to have a successful follow-up to their Super Bowl season - something they failed to do in 1987, 1991 and 2001 when they followed up a Super Bowl appearance by missing the playoffs. In fact, 12 of the first 41 Super Bowl champions missed the playoffs the year after their championship. Only 10 champs returned to the Super Bowl, with eight winning back-to-back titles. There have only been four repeat Super Bowl champions in the last 28 years. "Yeah, we've looked into that a little bit," Reese said. "Why can't teams play well after they've won a championship? I think a lot of things can be attributed to that in a lot of different ways, but the No. 1 thing is that you just have to focus and not be psyched out before the season starts. You can psych yourself out with that, saying, 'People are not expecting us to do much. We won a championship.' And it's human nature, too, that when you're on top that maybe you get a little bit complacent." And, as the Giants found out during this offseason, a championship can bring all sorts of distractions with it, most notably a long line of players looking for more money. Since the Super Bowl, the Giants have shelled out millions in contracts to Coughlin, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo, offensive linemen David Diehl, Rich Seubert and Chris Snee, kicker Lawrence Tynes and punter Jeff Feagles. But what all that spending also bought them was an unhappy Plaxico Burress, who refused to participate in a June mini camp because his own contract extension talks weren't progressing fast enough. And money wasn't the root of all of their problems, either. Jeremy Shockey spent the offseason telling people how unhappy he was as a Giant, which in turn led the Giants to consider trading him. Then Shockey refused to participate in mini camp, was reportedly in a shouting match with Reese, and nobody knows if he'll show up for training camp or how much of a disruption he'll be. And running back Ahmad Bradshaw, one of the rookie stars of last season, spent 30 days in jail for a probation violation that still hasn't been explained. And oh, by the way, Hall of Fame defensive end Michael Strahan retired. And three other key defensive players - safety Gibril Wilson and linebackers Kawika Mitchell and Reggie Torbor - left via free agency. In other words, the last six months haven't exactly been one long, happy victory parade. "There are always distractions, whether you're on top or not, whether you won three games last year or the championship," Reese said. "But this team is very focused. Our coaching staff does a really good job keeping the team focused on the players who are here and who want to be here and who want to move forward. We have a lot of players who understand what it takes. We have good leadership on this team. I just don't think there will be a lot of distractions for us moving into this season." Even without the distractions, though, the task is tough. Winning a championship was something most of the players had been striving for all their lives, and it's something the organization had been working toward since its last championship, 17 years earlier. An emotional letdown from such an accomplishment is almost inevitable. How can it be prevented? How can they regain their desire and their drive? That's one of the themes that will be addressed all summer long. "I'm going to trust that they're going to do that," Spagnuolo said. "We have prepared for it as a coaching staff. And I know Coach Coughlin has. That's what he's great at. He knows the circumstances of the team and he knows which buttons to push and prod. And I'm sure he'll do that again." From the sounds coming from the players during the spring, Coughlin's button-pushing is already working. It won't be evident until September if they can really begin to recapture last year's magic. But the players insist they're as determined as they ever were before. "It was good and everything, getting our win in the Super Bowl and being able to prove people wrong," Jacobs said. "But now we're looking forward. The goal we have now is to go out and be able to defend our title." "Basically it is an even bigger challenge," added center Shaun O'Hara. "I think that it's easy to go in and win the Super Bowl when you are coming off an 8-8 season. The challenge is: Can you do it again?" It'll help, too, that they head to camp convinced that nobody believes they can repeat. Just like nobody believed they could beat the New England Patriots and win the Super Bowl last year. "That helps," Reese said. "Players are funny kind of creatures. They feel disrespected, that everybody's overlooking us, that we won the championship but nobody is really respecting that we won the championship. That gives them a little bit of a chip. That doesn't really bother me any, but players are different. They take that a little bit personal. So if that gives us a little bit of a chip on our shoulder, that's good. That's a good thing." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted July 30, 2008 Author Share Posted July 30, 2008 Plaxico Burress sidelined in training camp with right ankle pain again BY RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Monday, July 28th 2008, 9:11 PM Plaxico Burress confirmed that his right ankle is injured and it's keeping him off the field for now. Roske/AP Plaxico Burress confirmed that his right ankle is injured and it's keeping him off the field for now. ALBANY - Plaxico Burress insisted that his decision to sit out the first six practices of training camp had nothing to do with his contract. It might have been better for the Giants if it had. Instead, Burress confirmed Monday that his injured ankle is what's been keeping on the sidelines since camp opened at the University at Albany last week. He said it's the same right ankle that bothered him all last season, but it's actually a new injury - one that occurred while he was running routes a few weeks ago. And, much like last season when he rarely practiced, he has no idea when he'll be able to return. "I'm going to go out there when I feel good," he said. "I stressed that and I told them that. I'm not going to go out and limp around and fight through anything like I did last year. My goal is to be healthy so I can go out there and be great. "I'm just trying to prevent what I went through last year. I don't want to play at the same level I played at least year. I want to be better. The only way for me to do that is to rest and get to be 100% so I can go out and take my game to another level." Tom Coughlin said Monday that the team doctors, who examined Burress on Saturday night, were hopeful that he'd be able to return to practice by the middle of this week. But Burress didn't sound as optimistic. Clearly this was an unexpected setback since Burress said he was working out and running routes a few weeks ago and "I was feeling just fine." "Maybe I shouldn't have went out and ran with no tape on my ankles," he said. "I just kind of rolled it a little bit." Burress said after he rolled his ankle he went to North Carolina to be examined by Dr. Robert Anderson, the same orthopedist who examined him last fall, and he informed the Giants about his new injury. But Coughlin still had been expecting Burress to be able to practice once a day this summer, until he showed up to work on Day1 and declared that his ankle was too sore. "I know one time this summer we had a conversation about it and he didn't really think he would be limited," Coughlin said. "But here we are." Coughlin said the team doctors who examined the receiver on Saturday determined that the problem with Burress' ankle was structural, though the coach didn't give any further details. He did say Burress will have to wear some sort of orthotic support device on his ankle "all the time," though Burress - who also has Nike working on redesigning his shoes - didn't sound enthusiastic about that. "If it doesn't feel good with me just walking around, orthotics are not going to do anything for me," he said. Meanwhile, Burress' contract situation is still looming. And while he insisted he's not protesting the slow pace of negotiations - "If it was the contract, I wouldn't be here," he said - he did say it's "sad" the two sides weren't able to reach an agreement on an extension before training camp began. Burress has three years and $10.5 million left on his current deal, but is looking to be paid around $8 million-$9 million per season. "I know I'm one of the best players at my position in this league," Burress said. "I'm just going to go out and keep doing what I've been doing and have the best year of my career. As long as you go out and perform, and I guess you go out and prove yourself to people all over again that you are a great player, then everything will take care of itself." CARR IN GEAR: QB David Carr (foot) was taken off the Non-Football Injury list and returned to practice Monday evening. ... Rookie WR Mario Manningham strained a quad and was pulled from practice in the morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 Jeremy Shockey went from superstar to sideshow in New York BY RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Saturday, August 2nd 2008, 10:40 PM Poor Jeremy Shockey. No one truly grasps what a horrible, personal hell he endured during his six years in New York. He was treated so unfairly. His talent wasn't appreciated. He was treated more like a freak show than then the world-class athlete he is."After being in New York, this is the first time I've ever felt like just one of the guys," Shockey told Sports Illustrated last week at the Saints' training camp in Jackson, Miss., "not like an animal in a cage that everyone's come to see." Hearing that, it would be so easy to feel bad for Shockey, except for the fact that he's the one who turned Shockey World into a zoo. It's hard to pinpoint the exact moment when Shockey turned from the second coming of Mark Bavaro into a carnival sideshow - you know, the kind that make you cringe and say "I can't watch this," just before you sneak a peek. It might have been after his rookie season when he detailed his drinking and sexual exploits to several magazines and showed off his mathematical prowess by discussing his fantasy of a "threesome" with two twins and their mom. Or perhaps it was when he told Howard Stern he "wouldn't, you know, stand for" having a gay teammate, or when he called Bill Parcells a "homo" or when he threw ice at a little boy in the stands in San Francisco or when he interrupted the media interviewing Luke Petitgout after a blowout loss in Seattle to scream, "We were outplayed and outcoached. Write that down." In Shockey World, all those self-inflicted wounds seemed like unprovoked sniper fire. That's the theme of his current Revisionist History Tour: Blaming everyone but himself. He blames the Giants for not flying him out to the Super Bowl, forgetting that he ignored their phone calls. They didn't even know he was coming to Phoenix until late in Super Bowl week. Meanwhile, as Big Blue's charter flight left from New York, Shockey was secluded in Miami, the place he always seemed to be when his teammates were working out in New Jersey. He cries that the Giants wouldn't let him stand on the sidelines. But while the rest of his injured teammates were given seats in the stands - before later sneaking onto the sidelines as a group - he got a private invitation to sit in Steve Tisch's luxury box. He gripes that the Giants didn't invite him to the ticker tape parade, which technically might be true. But all the other injured players found out about it because they chose to be around the team after the game, and at the year-end team meeting back in New Jersey. All Shockey had to do was show up at the postgame party and someone would've told him. Or he could've just turned on his TV. Instead, he chose to live in Shockey World, right next door to the Land of Make Believe, where he is the supreme ruler and everyone else is wrong. He pretends he's not the one who purposely separated himself from the Giants, that he didn't cause all his own problems. He bemoans the fact that he was treated like a caged animal, forgetting he's the one that built the zoo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted August 3, 2008 Author Share Posted August 3, 2008 Replacing Michael Strahan no easy task, but Giants big three will try BY RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Saturday, August 2nd 2008, 9:44 PM ALBANY - Every time Steve Spagnuolo looks out at his defense, whether it's in the meeting room, on a film, or on the field, it's impossible not to notice what's missing. A year ago, he had a Hall of Fame defensive end to wreak havoc on opposing offenses. A year ago he had Michael Strahan. That's a huge - and maybe impossible - hole to fill. So the Giants' defensive coordinator does the only thing he can. He sends promising young Justin Tuck out to fill Strahan's old position. Then he leans on a couple of other players to help fill Strahan's shoes. "You don't replace a Hall of Famer with one guy," Spagnuolo said. "But you certainly can fill people in there, and if everybody picks up the slack you can get the same result." "Everybody needs to step up," added defensive end Osi Umenyiora. "You can replace a guy like Michael Strahan, but you can't just think Justin Tuck is going to replace him. That's unfair to Justin Tuck. Michael is a Hall of Famer, so everybody's going to have to step up their game." A little more than a week since training camp began, it's safe to say the Giants aren't worried about whether that's going to happen. They're confident that Tuck can fill Strahan's spot well at left defensive end, and they remember that Umenyiora, the right end, was the Giants' only Pro Bowler last season. And though Strahan often gets credit for his leadership through the remarkable Super Bowl run, some players always thought Antonio Pierce was the real heart and soul of the defense, anyway. All three of them will have to pick up Strahan's slack, the same way the Giants needed four running backs to replace Tiki Barber last season. But can the committee to replace Strahan really be successful? Can they duplicate last year's incredible 53-sack season? Strahan was a Hall of Famer. But just how good are The Big Three? ANTONIO PIERCE The question seemed innocent enough, but Antonio Pierce didn't like it. How dare a reporter look him in the eye and ask if the Giants were "missing leaders" now that Strahan is retired. Hasn't everyone been paying attention? The leader of the Giants' defense never left. "That's a funny question," Pierce said. "What do you mean leaders? Who has been here the last three years?" It's always been a bit of an overstatement to describe Strahan as the leader of the defense. Though he took on much more of a vocal role late last season, his leadership over the years was more by example. But when the unit looked for fire and inspiration and direction on the field, they usually all looked straight at Pierce The middle linebacker, who was stolen from the Redskins in 2005, was their energy. He was also their brain. And last year, when the defense was struggling to pick up Spagnuolo's defense, he - not Strahan - was the one who held things together on the field. "I think the leadership of Michael Strahan was big, but it might have been overblown a little bit," Umenyiora said. "We've had players on this team who've been vocal, who've been in people's faces telling them exactly what needs to be done. So it's not all doom and gloom because Michael Strahan's not here." Pierce will make sure of that, whether it's blowing an air horn in the locker room, as he did early last season to lighten up the mood (and take some of the media heat off his overwhelmed teammates), or whether it's giving them their chip-on-the-shoulder personality. That chip fueled the Giants' postseason run. And nowhere is it bigger than on the shoulders of Pierce, who believes he's been overlooked and disrespected his entire career. "The question to me that's funny is ‘What leader?'" Pierce said. "I mean, I thought I've done a pretty good job. So obviously I need to pick it up more and show somebody something, I guess." OSI UMENYIORA The funny question Umenyiora always gets is this one: Now that Strahan is gone, who's going to get all the double- and triple-teams? He and Strahan used to argue all the time about who got more attention from opposing offenses. Umenyiora still believes it's him. "Without question," he said. "Ever since the 2005 season I've been getting a tremendous amount of double-teams. So when I hear that notion I really understand that people don't really watch football. If you watched you'd see I've gotten the most double teams since that year. "So I don't think they're going to do anything more than they do normally to me (now that Strahan is gone). I don't think they can double-team me more than they did the last couple of years." Actually, with Strahan gone Umenyiora could see even more since he's now the most accomplished member of the defensive line, by far. The champs' lone representative at the Pro Bowl, Umenyiora had 13 sacks last season and 41½ in his five-year career. Three years ago, when he had 14½ sacks in 2005, he even received a vote for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year. In other words, he's probably The Man now - the guy on the defense that offensive coordinators will fear the most. "No," Umenyiora said. "That'll be Spags. Spagnuolo is the big guy. It's not me. It's all about the scheme." JUSTIN TUCK The 25-year-old can feel the eyes upon him every day, and it's not just because he's the one taking over Strahan's position. He earned the attention with 10 sacks in a reserve role last season. He even might have even been the Super Bowl MVP, if it weren't for Eli Manning's fourth-quarter heroics. "With Michael leaving we, knew Justin would be in position to be able to take his place," said defensive line coach Mike Waufle. "Justin's proven himself as a left end." Tuck was a third-round pick out of Notre Dame in 2005 and the Giants were convinced they had a steal from the moment they got him, especially since he holds his school's career record with 24½ sacks. He was a reserve as a rookie, and his second season was ruined by a foot injury. But he was a force last season as third end in the rotation on the defensive line. In the Super Bowl, he was dominant. He had two sacks, two more hits on Tom Brady and he forced him to rush three throws. And Tuck made his mark last season playing all four spots along the defensive line. The best part, though, is he's somehow remained humble. He knows how good he is, but he also knows what he has to do to be even better. "As I've played here and gotten better, obviously a lot of people have taken notice of what I've done on the football field," Tuck said. "But that means nothing. You've still got to go out there and play the game." "I know this," Spagnuolo added. "From what I've learned about Justin Tuck in the one year I've worked with him, he loves a challenge and he loves to work. So I expect good things." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted August 8, 2008 Author Share Posted August 8, 2008 Giants may look at Chad Pennington BY RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Friday, August 8th 2008, 12:37 AM Rogate for News/Rogate, Joe Chad Pennington might stay in New York if the Giants reach out to him. DETROIT - The Giants spent their offseason trying to upgrade their backup quarterback situation. Maybe the solution was always right in their own backyard. Chad Pennington, released Thursday by the Jets, is apparently on the Giants' radar screen as they search for a viable backup to Eli Manning. They already have veterans Anthony Wright and David Carr on the roster battling for the job, but GM Jerry Reese didn't deny they might have an interest in the now ex-Jet. "We take a look at everybody that's out there," Reese said after the Giants' preseason-opening 13-10 loss to the Lions. "That includes him." During the offseason, the Giants tried to sign Redskins quarterback Todd Collins and they had discussions with Cleo Lemon and Trent Green, before settling for Carr, the ex-Texans quarterback and first pick of the 2002 draft. Carr went 10-for-13 for 104yards and a touchdown in his Giants debut last night, while Wright was a similar 9-for-13 for 116 yards. As for Pennington, he's a "good pal" of Manning, who believes the ex-Jet can still play well, no matter where he lands. "I feel bad for Chad," Manning said. "I've known Chad for a long time. He's been a good pal of mine. I know he'll bounce back on his feet. Wherever he goes, he's going to have a good shot at playing and playing well." As for the Favre news itself, there's no question it made the Super Bowl champs' preseason opener an afterthought, and that's just fine with them. "I don't think that our team gets insulted," Reese said. "We play the underdog role really well. We like playing in the shadows. If we get overlooked a little, that's good for us." The Giants have been complaining about being disrespected ever since the point spread was posted for Super Bowl XLII, a card Big Blue played throughout Super Bowl week on the way to beating the Patriots. And once the Giants won, they thought everyone believed they were a fluke. Then they came to training camp feeling that the world spent too much of the offseason talking about the Dallas Cowboys. And now the city that serenaded them down the Canyon of Heroes just six months ago is having a love affair with someone else? And not just anyone else, but someone they beat six months earlier in the NFC Championship Game. BAD BREAK: Rookie LB Jonathan Goff, the Giants' fifth-round pick, suffered a fractured transverse process (back) in the second quarter last night. That's the same injury that ended the season of DE Adrian Awasom early last year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted August 15, 2008 Author Share Posted August 15, 2008 Giants rush to adjust 'D' BY RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Thursday, August 14th 2008, 1:13 AM ALBANY - On the Lions' first drive against the Giants last Thursday night, Detroit quarterback Jon Kitna may have started a trend when he took the snap from his center ... and ran away. Kitna ran a bootleg, and he later ran several more, in an attempt to get as far away from the Giants' pass rush as possible. And after a season in which the Giants led the NFL with 53 sacks and rattled quarterbacks all the way through winning the Super Bowl, that figures to be a season-long theme. "It opened our eyes as coaches, so I'm kind of glad that happened," said Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. "I would like for people to try and exploit things (in the preseason). I think that helps us." "It's something that we're probably going to see a whole lot more of this year," said linebacker Danny Clark. "Guys will roll out and try to stay away from the front four." It makes sense. By the end of last season, the Giants had the league's most-feared pass rush and Spagnuolo employed a complex blitzing scheme that had players coming from everywhere. Yes, they lost future Hall of Famer Michael Strahan to retirement. But Strahan left defensive ends Justin Tuck, Osi Umenyiora and linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka behind. Add in speedy corners such as Aaron Ross and Corey Webster, and promising rookie safety Kenny Phillips, and Spagnuolo has enough weapons to keep the pressure up all season long. So offensive coordinators will be forced to plot counter moves so their quarterbacks aren't stuck in the pocket like sitting ducks. Not that the Giants are worried. "I hope they do that," Tuck said. "Quarterbacks are more vulnerable when they get outside." Besides, Tuck added, what he thinks teams will find is that the Giants aren't just a team of pass rushers. "We're all-around D-linemen," he said. Granted, they didn't play the Lions' rollouts particularly well in a 13-10 loss last Thursday night, but the problems they encountered, he said, are "very easily fixed." Remember, they didn't game plan for the Lions. And when they game plan during the regular season, they're confident Spagnuolo will come out the winner in any game of chess. "I think a lot of that rests on the defensive coordinator," said Umenyiora. "He has to find a way to put us in position to make the plays we're supposed to make. If teams are doing one thing, you have to find a way to counter. That's what he's done for us." Spagnuolo could have plenty to counter this season. It won't be just bootlegs. The Giants' ends expect to be "chipped" a lot with running backs and expect to find tight ends kept in to help with protection more than usual. Quarterbacks can stretch out the line of scrimmage by rolling a little to one side or the other. They can throw off a pass rusher's rhythm with some play-action, too. "Obviously with the success we had last year, with the pass rush of this football team, that's something we're going to have to combat," Tuck said. "A lot of teams are going to do it." And the pressure will be on everyone. The defensive ends are responsible for containing the quarterback. The outside linebackers and any blitzing corners or safeties will have to be in control when they rush. There's pressure on the secondary, which in a split second has to determine whether a quarterback who is rolling out intends to throw or run. The Giants dealt with those issues at times last season, but their success guaranteed they'll have to deal with them this season more than they ever did before. "It's not a big deal. We just have to get it done," Clark said. "That's why we all have this job. We're all paid the big bucks to get the job done. It's nothing we can't get under control." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted August 15, 2008 Author Share Posted August 15, 2008 Plaxico vows to be ready for season By RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Friday, August 15th 2008, 12:13 AM ALBANY - Plaxico Burress still is not completely healthy, and is not sure when or if he will be. But he is absolutely certain about one thing: He will be in the Giants' lineup on opening night. Burress made that promise Thursday, just before he went through a few light drills with his teammates for only the second time this summer. He vowed to be ready to go when the defending champs face the Washington Redskins at Giants Stadium on Sept.4, and he said there is even a chance that by then his injured right ankle will finally be 100%. "If I'm not, then I'll be pretty close," Burress said. "I'll be a lot further along than I was last year. The more I rest, the more I take care of my ankle, I'll be close to 100%. If I'm not 100, I'll probably be 95-96, which I'll definitely take." Burress took his first steps toward 100% on Tuesday night when he was a very limited participant in his first practice of the summer. He ran lightly through a few routes in individual drills only - a session he duplicated Thursday afternoon. Tom Coughlin called both sessions "a step in the right direction," and Burress most definitely agreed. He said his injured ankle felt fine, but his feet are sore because of his orthotics. Doctors have forced him to wear the devices due to "extremely flat feet" that have apparently caused the problems in his ankle. "It was the first time I actually ran and played on them," Burress said. "It's going to take some time for me to get used to it. Once I get past that stage I think I'll be out here from there." Burress said the doctors had actually approached him about wearing orthotics several months ago, but he initially declined. Then, after he re-injured his ankle a few weeks before training camp began, he reluctantly agreed that it might be for the best. Now he wears them on both feet all the time - on the field and off - and it hasn't been an easy adjustment. "My feet are not in the same position that they've been in for the first 30 years of my life, so they're not comfortable with it," he said. "They're sore. But I think I'll be all right. It's just about me getting used to them." The fact that soreness in his feet is the only major issue is very encouraging to Burress, who suffered through a sprained right ankle throughout the entire 2007 season. Even though he was barely able to practice all year long, Burress still caught 70 passes for 1,025 yards and 12 touchdowns during the regular season. He caught 18 more for 221 yards and one Super Bowl-winning touchdown in the postseason, too. Burress, who turned 31 on Tuesday, believes that if he can get to the point where he is healthy enough to practice regularly this season, he can "dominate and just rip it up." That's why he's refusing to practice fully until all his foot and ankle problems are gone. Even then, though, he doesn't expect to be completely free of medical worries - especially since this is the third ankle injury he has dealt with in the last 13 months. "I know there's going to be times where I go out and jam it a few times, or get tackled or things like that," he said. "I know that's going to happen. I'm just trying to prevent those things from happening by getting it as strong as I can get it, and me just getting back to being myself." OLIVEA OUT: The Giants placed RT Shane Olivea on injured reserve Thursday. He was trying to revive his NFL career after struggling with an addiction to painkillers. Olivea had been out for nearly two weeks with an injured back. He will likely soon receive an injury settlement and be released....DE Antonio Reynolds (hamstring) was waived/injured. ... K Lawrence Tynes said his left leg was feeling better, and he hopes to be able to kick against the Browns on Monday night....LB Mathias Kiwanuka sat out yesterday with what Coughlin called a "slight" groin strain. ... LT David Diehl (ribs) returned to practice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted August 16, 2008 Author Share Posted August 16, 2008 Michael Strahan visits old mates, stops by Giants training camp BY RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Friday, August 15th 2008, 9:54 PM ALBANY - It took a Super Bowl championship, a retirement and a job in a television studio to do it, but Michael Strahan finally made it to training camp. Last evening, the ex-Giant, who held out of camp last year while pondering retirement (but not actually retiring) made his first appearance at the University at Albany since 2006. Wearing a gray workout T-shirt and gray shorts, he looked ready to participate in drills. In fact, after hugging his former star defensive end, Tom Coughlin told him, "You look great. You look spry." But Strahan was unmoved. "I don't miss it," he said. Strahan spent much of the Giants' penultimate practice at Albany smiling and laughing on the sidelines, talking to various members of the staff, including former Giant Jessie Armstead, who is helping coach the linebackers in camp. When practice was over, he acknowledged the fans in the crowd with a wave, then jogged toward the locker room to catch up with his former fellow defensive linemen. Strahan, who is now a studio analyst for Fox, has been to several camps, including a stop at the Cowboys' practice facility in California two weeks ago. TYNES TO WORRY? Lawrence Tynes said he's "not extremely worried," but he is definitely concerned. Sitting and watching is a new experience for the Giants' kicker. And now he'll have to do it on Monday night, too. Tynes, whose overtime field goal in Green Bay booted the Giants into Super Bowl XLII, is temporarily sidelined with an injured left leg. He said he won't be able to kick in the Giants' preseason home opener against the Cleveland Browns, and that forced the defending champs to go out and sign kicker Josh Huston to take his place. Huston - who nearly beat Tynes in a training camp battle last summer - is likely no threat to Tynes' job, unless the injury to the incumbent becomes a long-term thing. And while the early prognosis on Tynes appears to be good, no one has ruled out an extended absence. "Well, I've never been hurt, so I'm taking it day by day," added Tynes, who is coming off his finest season of his career, making 23 of 27 field goals (85.2%) in the regular season. "I'm not extremely worried about it, but I am a little bit." Tynes suffered the injury on Saturday when he planted his left leg into the ground while attempting a kick. He somehow jammed his foot, which slipped out from under him thanks to the very wet grass, and he fell awkwardly, making what he called "a very unathletic move," and twisted his leg. He continued kicking that day, but the next morning, Tynes said, "I couldn't do anything." He said he went for an MRI and met with team doctors and they prescribed only rest and some treatment. He said surgery wasn't discussed, but ominously added, "You never know." SUPER BOWLING: Coughlin took his players on their now-annual bowling trip on Wednesday night. "Last year it caught pretty much everybody by surprise," said WR David Tyree, who rolled the high score. "This year it was like, 'It's bowling night.' It's something we could get used to." Lt. Col. Greg Gadson attended, too. ... The Giants claimed Brooklyn-born OL Cliff Louis (6-8, 315) off waivers from the Cleveland Browns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 Giants have right guys in place to make another run in 2008 Thomas George By Thomas George | NFL.com Senior Columnist Jim McIsaac/Getty Images EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- While studying Giants tight end Kevin Boss and defensive end Justin Tuck, this was clear from the Browns-Giants 71-point affair on Monday night at Giants Stadium: » The Browns gained a 3-0 lead, blinked -- and it was Giants, 30-3. It was a 37-34 loss for the Browns, but the final score perfumed four horrific, alarming Browns plays: A 53-yard pass-interference penalty that moved the ball from the Giants 21 to the Cleveland 26 and set up the Giants' first touchdown; a botched end zone punt that resulted in a safety that easily could have been recovered for a touchdown; an 82-yard kickoff return allowed for a touchdown; a Browns fumble on a play that began at the Giants' 2-yard line that was returned for a 95-yard touchdown. Those are Browns results circa the 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2006 seasons when the team won four or fewer games in each year. Coach Romeo Crennel said that in recent practices he has tried to "save" his team from "getting beat up" and it went out against the Giants "and got beat up." He hinted that upcoming practices will not be as accommodating. » Giants receiver Domenik Hixon is a coach’s dream. He struggled in earlier preseason action at getting both feet in bounds while making tight, end zone catches. So, in practices he has been working particularly on that. And, against Cleveland, one of his three touchdowns was earned on an artistic, perfectly executed tap dance of both feet in bounds in the back of the end zone. Hixon understands how practice makes perfect. As Plaxico Burress continues to nurse foot and ankle injuries and gripe about his contract, Hixon is stepping boldly forward. You think Burress is noticing? » Giants reserve running back Danny Ware, all six feet, 234 pounds of him, looks like a tremendous backup who could find his way prominently into the backfield before season’s end. The former Georgia Bulldog, who was injured most of last season, has re-emerged with a head-turning approach when he is in the Giants backfield. From what he showed against the Browns (97 rushing yards on smooth, yet powerful, runs), this player is fighting to get on the field and looks one step closer to getting there. A lot. » Several NFL scouts attended the game. I asked a few what were they examining? A handful offered: "Anyone the Giants cut. They can't keep 'em all." Such is the status of the Giants' personnel department, led by general manager Jerry Reese. NFL teams are intensely interested in the Giants' scraps. This is the way it used to be every year at places like New England and San Francisco during their Super Bowl championship runs. Quite a nice compliment to the Giants. And we can look to Giants drafts -- they did -- when studying how this team will replace two star players who together had helped build the Giants identity over the last seven seasons: Traded tight end Jeremy Shockey (New Orleans) and retired defensive end Michael Strahan. Shockey was a first-round pick, the 14th overall in 2002. Strahan was a second-round pick, the 40th overall in 1993. Their replacements are Kevin Boss, a fifth-rounder and the 153d player chosen in 2007 and Justin Tuck, a third-rounder and 74th player chosen in 2005. That is a stunning drop-off in draft status but not in potential. This is not an easy accomplishment. It is the type of efficiency in player acquisition that every team seeks. Tuck says you can take the "asterisks" away from their names now. "We both played a lot of football last season and showed the Giants and the fans that if called upon, we can deliver," Tuck said. "It really doesn't matter here if you are starter or not. Everybody has a role to play and a way to contribute and the way we have rotated our defensive linemen, everyone in that group gets a chance to make plays." Boss is considered a better pass catcher than run blocker. But against the Browns on a couple of plays run far to the left, Boss stuck with his blocking assignment on the far right, far away from the play, versus the Browns linebackers. Anytime a blocker sticks his nose in there and fights hard even when he is not at the point of attack is a good sign that the heart and mind are in it. Boss stepped in for the injured Shockey last season and Boss capped his rookie year with a critical 45-yard, fourth-quarter catch in Super Bowl XLII that led to the Giants' first lead in the game. Boss is 6-6, 253 pounds from Western Oregon. He is humble. He never complains, his teammates say. "I am still trying to prove that I belong in this league even though I had a first year that you could not ask for much more," Boss said. "I still have to make a name for myself. I can get better. Andy Lyons / Getty Images Kevin Boss made big plays down the stretch last season, including one crucial catch in Super Bowl XLII. "I never thought Jeremy would not be back with the Giants. There was talk of him being traded to the Saints around the draft, and then when that did not happen, I didn’t think about it anymore. But when he was traded I was at the airport in Portland on my way to training camp. I got a text from my high school coach's son, Trey Ecker. He said the trade had happened. I was going through security. I just put the phone away. I thought, 'Naw, what does an 8-year-old know about that?' And then later I picked up my phone at the airport and I had 15 missed calls and a bunch more text messages. I guess even 8-year-olds know what’s going on in the NFL, after all." Tuck’s teammates are impressed by his strength. More than one player described him as a "beast." He looks the part at 6-5, 274 pounds with a motor and grit that takes him on the edge of the line or inside at tackle with ease. He earned 10 sacks last year as a reserve. The Giants are eager to see what this Notre Dame product can do as an every-down lineman. "I don’t ever want to be known as a one-dimensional guy," Tuck said. "I think I’m just as fast and quick as I am strong. I want to build off of last year but not rest or rely on last year. Our defensive line is a brotherhood. We compete against each other. We get mad when one of us gets a sack and each guy turns that into getting one of his own. On this team, it’s all about reaching the respect of your peers in this locker room." Boss is from Corvallis, Ore. Tuck is from Kellyton, Ala. The Giants nabbed two small-town players to fill the shoes of two high-profile, big-time stars. The Giants signed Tuck to a $31 million, five-year contract with $16 million guaranteed before the team's NFC championship game versus Green Bay. Tuck proved nearly unblockable in the Super Bowl and the Giants are certain that had they waited to sign him afterward, his numbers would have been at least $50 million with at least $20 million guaranteed. And they certainly would have paid up. "Hey, I saved them some dollars by signing a couple of weeks early," Tuck said, smiling. He said he has enough security. With Boss and Tuck, so do the Giants. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted August 21, 2008 Author Share Posted August 21, 2008 Eli Manning 1st met Brett Favre in Mississippi 11 years ago BY OHM YOUNGMISUK DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Pinkus/Getty Brett Favre and Eli Manning go all the way back to a meeting in Mississippi 11 years ago. The introduction took place about 11 years ago at a bar in Mississippi, of all places. Eli Manning was only 16 when he was introduced to the quarterback who ruled the NFL at the time - Brett Favre. "Just where I grew up (in New Orleans), I loved watching him play," Manning said of Favre, the Bayou legend who grew up a few hours away from him in Kiln, Miss. "I was a big fan. He was with the Packers, they had just won a few (NFC) championships and he was in his MVP seasons. He was at the top of his game. I was fired up to see him." Favre also remembers the meeting that took place at his uncle's bar. Just don't ask him how the underage Manning got in. "I can't remember if I helped him get in or what," Favre said. "But that's a different story." When the Giants face the Jets in a preseason game Saturday night, the two quarterbacks will meet again in a completely different setting than their first encounter. This time, it's Manning who is coming off a championship and a Super Bowl MVP performance. Manning and the Giants will face Favre for the first time since beating the former Packers quarterback in sub-zero temperatures at Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship Game. So much has happened since the Giants' overtime victory over Green Bay. Manning led the Giants to perhaps the biggest upset in Super Bowl history over the Patriots and earned Super Bowl MVP honors while finally emerging from the shadow of big brother Peyton. Meanwhile, Favre retired after Corey Webster picked off his final pass as a Packer in overtime. Then Favre unretired before enduring a painful divorce with Green Bay that led to his trade to the Jets. Now Manning and Favre meet again in a preseason game that might seem like a pivotal regular-season game with the Giants' starters expecting to play extended minutes. Manning and Favre are the reasons why New York has become the epicenter of the NFL universe. And even though it's Manning who is now in the prime of his career at 27, he might still feel like a wide-eyed teenager looking up to Favre in awe. "I'm a big Brett Favre fan," Manning said. Even in the twilight of Favre's career, his star power is unrivaled. His presence here has created a media frenzy in New York and overshadowed the NFL champs. Just the sight of Favre running a punishment lap around the field after fumbling a snap caused more of a stir - footage landed on YouTube within hours - than anything the Giants have done in camp. "I'm so glad that's the case," said defensive end Justin Tuck of all the attention surrounding the Jets. "It lets us go about our business and focus on football. That is all we want to do." Before Favre's arrival, the NFL champs had cast a Giant shadow over their AFC neighbors. Now, the Jets are big news and one longtime Giant is happy for them. "It's good for the Jets," said wide receiver Amani Toomer, who returned to practice Wednesday after missing time with a knee injury. "They got a good quarterback and some excitement over there with him and kind of get out of the shadows so to speak." When Manning played at Ole Miss, he not only had to deal with playing in the shadow of his father, Archie, but also Favre's legend at Southern Miss. These days, Favre is the one trying to help the Jets find the limelight. "I give them a tremendous amount of credit and respect," Favre said of the Giants beating him in the NFC Championship Game. "But that is over and done with and obviously it is a new year. A lot of things have changed." Manning can attest to that. HAPPY RETURNS: Toomer (leg) and fellow wide receivers Steve Smith (groin and hamstring) and Mario Manningham (quad) returned to practice Wednesday after missing significant practice time with injuries. .. . Plaxico Burress participated in some light drills, and Tom Coughlin reported that the wide receiver ran "a little bit faster" than usual. ... Tuck (foot), LB Mathias Kiwanuka (groin), LB Jonathan Goff (back), WR Brandon London (shoulder), QB Anthony Wright (back) and K Lawrence Tynes (knee) did not practice. ... The Giants waived injured RB Kay-Jay Harris and signed DB Miguel Scott, who they released on June 20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted August 22, 2008 Author Share Posted August 22, 2008 Giants lurking beneath headlines by John Czarnecki Updated: August 21, 2008, 10:22 PM EST 23 comments add this RSS blog email print Try to remember last summer when most of us, particularly ex-teammate Tiki Barber, were describing the many so-called flaws of Eli Manning. Those criticisms actually stretched deep into December, while this training camp another curious development has enveloped the New York Giants. After beating the evil empire, the New England Belichicks, to win this proud franchise's third Super Bowl, many would have predicted a glaring spotlight to arrive in Albany when the champs came to town. But in this summer of Favre, the Giants opened camp sailing under the national radar while their biggest rival, the Cowboys, were prancing and preening on the Hard Knocks docudrama. In the end, the G-men actually became the second football story on New York's back pages when Brett arrived to quarterback the Jets. Let me tell you, these Giants actually enjoy this lack of attention. They seem to perform better with a chip on their shoulder. They were booed at home last season, where they lost five games only to redeem their season by becoming road warriors, reeling off 11 straight wins. "I don't know if Favre made the right call, but I know (his story) has really made a lot of people not really care about us," Giants running back Brandon Jacobs said. "Then last night I had to watch the Cowboys on Hard Knocks, and they all look like they are auditioning for roles in Hollywood. All I know is that this organization would never allow those (HBO) cameras in here, and I'm happy about that." This doesn't mean that the Giants don't have some issues. They recognize that everyone will be gunning for them, plus they reside in the NFL's most-competitive division. Statistically, the AFC South was better last season, but the NFC East is tougher because the champs reside there with everyone else's favorite, the Cowboys. The Eagles and Redskins aren't chopped liver, either. Even with the departure of Michael Strahan to the Fox studio and tight end Jeremy Shockey to the Saints, the Giants believe they enough pieces to repeat. Like last season, there is a quiet optimism and confidence. "I can remember telling Osi (Umenyiora) toward the end of the Patriots' game (the one the Giants lost in the Meadowlands), not to worry," defensive lineman Justin Tuck said. "I told him we'd get another shot at them in Arizona. I honestly thought that because we played so vanilla on defense in that game." One of the Giants' biggest advantages against the Patriots was the ability of their front four and Tuck in particular to apply constant pressure on Tom Brady in the Super Bowl. Tuck had two of New York's five sacks. In the 16-0 regular season, Brady was sacked only 21 times. Of course, Strahan's presence was one huge reason why it worked. "Once he got here (Strahan missed training camp), Michael did everything you want a veteran leader to do," Coach Tom Coughlin said. "He was helpful in the meetings with the younger guys and he played at a high level. He was a very good leader. When camp started this summer, he left a really nice message on my cell phone." Tuck said that Strahan showed him the ropes when he came to dissecting traits in opposing offensive linemen. "He just knew so much and I am grateful he was willing to pass it on," Tuck said. If Favre can play, so can Strahan. He simply wants a new career, plus it's always better retiring on top. The Giants allowed 80 points when starting 0-2 last season. But it was basically getting used to new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's scheme while getting used to one another. "We knew the talent level was there," Tuck said. On offense, the loss of Shockey means the loss of an emotional leader. But although Manning won't admit it, Shockey also brought negative energy to the huddle. He always wanted the ball and screamed and pouted when the offense didn't go his way. Because Eli was more of a cerebral leader and not highly vocal leader, Shockey often proved to be a distracting influence. Eli won't miss that part; however, the Giants will miss his ability to block and make big plays. The Giants may miss Jeremy Shockey's on-field skills, but won't miss the drama. (Sean Gardner / Getty Images) None other than Giants GM Jerry Reese praised Shockey's blocking skills to me. But Jeremy had to go because he simply couldn't grasp that the Giants won a championship without him. He was in a Super funk. Kevin Boss, whose 45-yard catch-and-run was a Super highlight, is the new starter although he doesn't block like Shockey. The best blocker in New York's tight end group is Michael Matthews, but he doesn't catch as well as Darcy Johnson, who missed all of 2007 with a knee injury. Because of that injury, Johnson has looked tentative this summer and currently is in danger of missing the cut. How young is this group? "I tell people that none of them can rent a car," said position coach Mike Pope, "because none of them are old (25) enough." But the strength of the Giants remains on offense, where the offensive line had only one starter miss a measly game all year, where Eli is more confident and where Brandon Jacobs continues to rumble and out-weigh defenders like Tuck, Osi and middle linebacker Antonio Pierce, the man most likely to assume Strahan's leadership void. About the only headache has been Plaxico Burress, who has spent much of camp complaining about his ankle, his new orthodics and his lack of a new contract. The Giants claim they will give Burress some new money, cognizant of big-time production last season, just not Randy Moss' and Terrell Owens' money. It's a dilemma because the Giants wouldn't have won it all without Plax. Remember those 11 catches for 151 yards in frigid Lambeau last Jan. 20? The secondary should be younger and faster. First-round pick Kenny Phillips looks like an immediate starter at free safety. A big-time hitter at the U. of Miami as a down-in-the-box safety, Phillips has speed to roam and typical of most Giants, has a chip on his shoulder because every team in the league passed on him. The Giants had him rated as a top-15 player on their draft board, regardless of position. The biggest improvement at the end of last season was that cornerback Corey Webster started playing like a veteran. Webster and Aaron Ross give the Giants two quality cornerbacks to go with young safety James Butler, who Coughlin continues to point out led his defense in tackles in Super XLII. New York has old-timers like R.W. McQuarters, Sammy Knight and Sam Madison for quality depth. "You always want to get better," said center Shaun O'Hara, "but we go into this season realizing what we accomplished last year. That has given us a confidence level that maybe we didn't have in the past. We're not a team that is going to coast, either. We will push each other to get better because most of us know you simply can't say, 'Well, we're going to win this game or that game.' " The expectations, though, remain the same. "We're all happy that we won a Super Bowl," Tuck said, "but I look at my hands and I have nine other fingers that could use a ring. I think we're all still hungry to prove last season wasn't a fluke." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted August 25, 2008 Author Share Posted August 25, 2008 Source: Michael Strahan would consider returning for $8 million By RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Sunday, August 24th 2008, 10:53 PM Sipkin/News The Daily News has learned Michael Strahan would consider ending his retirement is the Giants offered him $8 million to return. Michael Strahan was vacationing in Greece Sunday when the news broke that his old friend Osi Umenyiora was lost for the season. But he would consider ending his vacation and coming out of retirement if the Giants really want him back, the Daily News has learned. According to a source close to the future Hall of Famer, all it would take to get the 37-year-old Strahan to end his 77-day retirement would be $8 million and a few kind words. If the Giants made a "sincere" effort to lure him back, the source said, it was "not out of the question" that Strahan could opt out of his contract with Fox and be wearing his old No. 92 jersey when Giants begin their Super Bowl title defense at Giants Stadium on Sept. 4. "If the Giants make a sincere overture, it's a good chance that Strahan would consider coming back," the source said. "There are other things he has to take into consideration: the money and his contract with Fox. But if the Giants really want him, they have a shot. It's not out of the question." Strahan, in an interview with the NFL Network, wouldn't rule it out either. "I haven't heard from anybody else, so to say if I would or wouldn't is premature," Strahan said, "so I'm enjoying my retired life right now." The question, though, is do the Giants really want Strahan to return for a 16th NFL season? They obviously need help at defensive end now that an MRI revealed torn cartilage in Umenyiora's left knee and he will undergo season-ending surgery tomorrow. And they were looking for help at that position even before Umenyiora's injury, which is why they discussed trading disgruntled tight end Jeremy Shockey to Miami last month for Jason Taylor. But as of last night, they had not reached out to Strahan's agent, Tony Agnone, and one source close to the defensive end said, "I don't think they will." They know Strahan's asking price — the same $8 million that they would've paid Taylor — but back in the spring they weren't willing to go any higher than $6.5 million, including incentives. It remains to be seen if Umenyiora's injury has made them desperate enough to up their ante now. "I'm sure Michael is happy with Fox, but he obviously loves the Giants, too," Agnone said. "If they're interested in talking to him, he'd discuss it with them. But right now, as I see it, you'll be watching him on Fox this year." Several sources close to Strahan described the possibility of his return to the league as "doubtful," mostly because they believe the Giants are content to replace Umenyiora by moving linebacker Mathias Kiwanuka back to defensive end. They also have been pleased with the play of backup defensive ends Renaldo Wynn and Dave Tollefson. But Wynn, a 12-year veteran, has just nine sacks in his last five seasons, and Tollefson, a second-year pro out of Northwest Missouri State, is still looking for the first of his NFL career. Strahan is a seven-time Pro Bowler with 141.5 sacks (including nine last season) and a shiny new Super Bowl championship ring. The only question about Strahan would be how quickly he could be ready to play, especially since the season opener is just 10 days away. He did return last year just six days before the season opener, but he had been doing football workouts in anticipation of a return. This year, while one source said Strahan was in the best shape of his life, another said he changed his workout routine after he decided to retire, going with more cardio and machine work than his usual heavy weights. As a result, he has dropped about 10 pounds of muscle from his last playing weight of 255, and he may need some time to get that back. Still, the possibility that he could regain his form quickly might be worth investigating for the suddenly depleted Giants. One team source downplayed the possibility. But GM Jerry Reese refused to rule it out on Saturday night and Tom Coughlin declined to rule it out on a conference call Sunday. "I haven't really talked to anyone at this point in time about anything," Coughlin said. "I'm sure that Jerry Reese and I and ownership will look long and hard at whatever options are out there and do what is best here at this point in time." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted August 26, 2008 Author Share Posted August 26, 2008 On the Mark: Giants have to push for Strahan by Mark Kriegel Mark Kriegel is the national columnist for FOXSports.com. Last year, Michael Strahan famously announced that training camp was overrated. Apparently, the Giants agree. After Osi Umenyiora suffered a season-ending knee injury, they have asked him to consider a now-familiar career path and unretire. But put yourself in Strahan's position. You're in the Greek islands on vacation (from what, I can't exactly imagine). You're lying on a beach, presumably accompanied by the former Mrs. Eddie Murphy. You know you can make a reported $2 million by not getting hit and working for FOX. So how much do you miss the likes of Tom Coughlin and Jon Runyan? You really want to trade that fruity frozen drink for a shot of Toradol and a pregame meal of Indocin? What's it worth to you? Once again, it comes down to money. Strahan wants a whole lot of it to unretire. And if he still has his wits about him, he'll hold up the Giants for every last penny. And as a guy who blasted him for being a prima donna this time last year, I ask: why shouldn't he? In his book with Jay Glazer, "Inside the Helmet," Strahan wrote of his chronic pain and his chronic ingestion of anti-inflammatories. "When there is no longer a line between relief and pain, the window is definitely closing. We look on it as a badge of honor, but I'd much rather not have such medals ... Ten years from now, my wounds won't be honorable ... they will just suck! "...during the season, I live on these pills. Sunday afternoons have now made waking up every day a pain." OK, they all learn to live with pain. And just the same, they're all tempted to unretire. But this isn't Brett Favre. In fact, Strahan's circumstance is exactly unlike Favre's, who considered a bribe from the Packers not to play. Michael Strahan doesn't have a football jones, or a winning jones. He won a Super Bowl and walked away. Unlike last season, when Strahan stayed out contemplating retirement (or was it a new contract?) until camp was all but over, he isn't jerking the team around. Rather, the team is asking. He'd be helping an outfit in sudden and dire need of his services. I'd argue that the Giants had an obligation, not only to contact him, but to make him a great offer. The season starts in nine days. No matter what Strahan's opinion of training camp, he won't be ready. Still, even if he plays his way into shape by, say, October, that'll do just fine. Michael Strahan is a Hall of Famer for whom the Giants don't have to give players or picks. He commands instant respect in the locker room. Over the past four years, the Giants have played 15 games without him — and lost 12 times. If the Giants don't owe him, then they certainly owe their fans, from whom they are now shaking down for Personal Seat Licenses at up to twenty grand apiece. John Mara likes to talk about the team's commitment to its fans. Well, let's see some. He can't say the Giants are short on cash. Yes, the Giants would've been crazy not to make this move. But you have to wonder: how crazy is Michael Strahan? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted August 27, 2008 Author Share Posted August 27, 2008 Strahan turns down Giants, will stay retired by Jay Glazer Jay Glazer is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com on MSN and also appears every week on FOX NFL Sunday as the network's NFL Insider. The recently retired perennial Pro Bowler told FOXSports.com exclusively that he has decided to remain retired and has turned down the Giants' offer to lure him back to action. "This has been one of the toughest nights of my life," Strahan said from Greece. "But after long deliberation and throwing around a million scenarios in my head for the past day, I think it's just best if I stay retired. "I have gone back and forth on this because as a player you'll always want to play, you'll never lose that urge to be out there. But I could only do this if I could commit 100 percent, physically, mentally, emotionally and I can't do that. I've tried to convince myself and my body to give it one more year, but in the end I just don't think I could turn it on like I need to again." Strahan and the team held discussions and he says the money was enough to do the deal. But in the end, it became a matter of whether or not he wanted to put his body through the rigors of another NFL season. "I really love my life now," he said. "It's great having nobody put a finger on me. You really put yourself through an awful lot in this league, more than people realize. "I've got a great home at FOX now and I think it's where I belong. I wish I could've had different news for Giants fans but I've known for a while I'm done." Strahan considered coming out of retirement to help the team after fellow Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora sustained a season-ending injury during the Giants' preseason game against the Jets on Saturday night. Strahan received a call early Monday from Giants GM Jerry Reese at the urging of co-owner Steven Tisch, who has a close relationship with Strahan. "We knew it was a long shot, but we owed it to ourselves to exhaust the possibility," Reese told The Associated Press late Tuesday evening. "We appreciate Michael even considering ending his retirement. He has a new career in front of him and we wish him nothing but the best. As we all said when he announced his retirement, Michael was and is a great Giant." The Giants had been hoping for a repeat of last season, when Strahan missed all of training camp and preseason while deliberating whether to return for a 15th NFL season, then returned to help lead the Giants to their 3rd Super Bowl. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted September 1, 2008 Author Share Posted September 1, 2008 BLACK COFFEE, F-BOMBS, CELL PHONES, & SUPER BOWLS As a new season kicks off, NFL Players of all shapes might wonder: How can we win like the Mannings? The answer has little to do with football. by Seth Wickersham Two brothers pass each other in a doorway, the younger one entering, the older one exiting. Each carries a laptop containing secrets not available to the other. They are in Durham, N.C., breaking down film with their old college coach. Each of the brother's sessions is kept confidential. In fact, one of the biggest misconceptions about Peyton and Eli Manning is that they watch film together, talk shop. They don't. And now that each has won what both want in excess—Super Bowls—they protect their secrets more fiercely than ever. David Cutcliffe, Peyton's coach at Tennessee and Eli's at Ole Miss, serves as their therapist this March afternoon, as he does every winter when the boys visit. He reviews film with them individually for three hours, sometimes four. Nobody—not even their dad, Archie—knows how to dissect the past two Super Bowl MVPs better than Cutcliffe, an amazing line on the résumé of the football coach at Duke. In previous years, these lessons had been marked by Peyton's aggressiveness and Eli's passivity. Peyton would point, instruct, debate; Eli would be so quiet Cutcliffe had to speak for him. But in this, the first film session since the Giants won Super Bowl XLII, Cutcliffe notices a shift. With his laptop projected onto a screen, Eli is more vocal and confident than ever while examining footage from last season. One glance and he notices linemen a quarter step late in pass protection, receivers a half step too early in their routes. Cutcliffe sees that Eli's attention to detail rivals—no, equals—his brother's. After watching his two pupils work, a somewhat shocked and very proud Cutcliffe thinks to himself, There's no difference between them. At first, the similarities seem shallow. "What do Peyton and Eli have in common?" older brother Cooper Manning asks with a slight chuckle. "Well, they're both 6'4", 230-pounders. Both could never play any position besides quarterback. They love their teammates. They're jocks. That's about it." With all due respect to Cooper, after consecutive Super Bowl wins, Peyton and Eli Manning are more alike than ever. Two men long defined by contrasting traits—Peyton too overbearing, Eli too laid-back—have reached the same lofty status: respected in their sport, beloved outside it. To get there, each had to learn what comes naturally to the other. Peyton long had the football credibility but needed to overcome the public's impression that he was stiff and unlikable. Eli, universally amiable, had to convince skeptics that he was serious about football. Both brothers were once genuinely pained by these perceived shortcomings. But to alter the perception, neither changed who they were. They simply shared more of themselves. Peyton is being Peyton. He's droning on about football before a few dozen reporters in the dank concrete bowels of John L. Guidry Stadium in Thibodaux, La. It's the second day of the 13th annual Manning Passing Academy, held every July, and Peyton wants to be clear that this is not a run-of-the-mill summer camp but a football camp, where the game's nuances are taught above all. It's classic Peyton: intimidatingly obsessed. Moments later, though, when asked about his acting and commercial career, he easily pivots to his jokester alter ego. "The most enjoyable commercials are the ones with my dad and Eli," Peyton says. "We did one for ESPN a couple years ago. Everybody wants to give me a hard time for kicking Eli in the backside and picking on little Eli." People giggle. Peyton pauses, shifts his shoulders, sensing an opening. "Look, Eli is 225 pounds. He's solid rock. Before I kicked him, he was giving me wet willies. I told the director, 'Don't we have that on film yet?' He said, 'It's more authentic if he gets it in there every single time.' Eli just loved it. I got an ear infection doing that commercial." Everyone is cracking up. Peyton owns the audience like a huddle. This is why he—and Eli, after beating the Patriots—earns between $75,000 and $125,000 an appearance and seven figures per TV commercial. In his nasal drawl, his cadence loose and his right hand circling like he's signaling a man in motion, Peyton recalls the Saturday Night Live United Way spoof, where he drilled kids with a football. "These kids were child actors," he says, "so a lot of the parents were surrounding us on the outside. I heard one of the parents yelling at the director: 'No, I want him to hit my kid in the face.' " The room is in stitches. Peyton smiles and exits, knowing he's done it again: become human, magnetic even. Just a few years ago, few thought he could pull that off. Apart from winning a Super Bowl, the hardest thing Peyton has grappled with is his micromanaging persona, which has at times undermined his brilliance as a quarterback. Peyton may never publicly admit it, but many close to him are convinced that his know-it-all image is why he lost the Heisman to Michigan's Charles Woodson in 1997 and why the Titans' Steve McNair, with grossly inferior statistics, tied the Colts Pro Bowler for MVP in 2003. "I think some people thought he was dry and always working," Cutcliffe says. "He wasn't perceived well, which was too bad, because everyone who knows him loves him." In reality, Peyton has always worked hard to ensure that his public persona doesn't turn off those closest to him. He introduces himself to every rookie each training camp. "I'm Peyton," he'll say, not assuming they already know who he his. To teammates he's friendly at first, then mischievous. So is Eli. If a Colts or Giants rookie gets doused by ice water while on the toilet, or finds his clothes frozen in his locker, he knows who's responsible. One of Peyton's and Eli's favorite pranks is stealing cell phones and changing the interface language to Spanish or French. "The worst part," says Jared Lorenzen, Eli's former backup and Peyton's current one, "is that you have to know Spanish to figure out how to change it back." Few got to know that side of Peyton, which is why he began sculpting his commercial image with IMG's Alan Zucker in 2004. He wanted the masses to see him as more than just an intense QB. "Some people have this impression of me: Boy, he's always so serious on the field. Football. Football. Football," Manning told USA Today in 2006. "I'd like people to understand that I do have some personality." The safe thing to do, the easy thing, would have been to follow Tiger and every other image-conscious superstar who watched Michael Jordan make millions by perfecting the art of being vanilla. But Peyton, in a genius move, perfected the art of being Peyton. Instead of a manufactured shtick, he chose an authentic one. Yelling "Cut that meat!" and wearing a silly mustache and engaging with Eli in Oreo lick-offs isn't Peyton prepackaged; it's Peyton liberated. When he acts goofy under camera lights, it's because he is goofy. "I just try to remind these directors that we're not doing an Oliver Stone production," he says. "I'm a meathead football player. I'm going to say 'y'all' and 'yonder.' " No surprise, then, that he's never taken an acting class. By casting himself authentically, Peyton has become the most marketable player in the NFL. According to Marketing Evaluations Inc., the outfit that measures Q scores, Peyton Manning was the 87th-most-popular athlete in the U.S. in 2003, just before he began his initial commercial push. After winning Super Bowl XLI, in 2007, he ranked seventh. His appeal among females ages 18-34 now outranks Tiger's and Jordan's and even football's premier metrosexual, Tom Brady. From seven national endorsements and several local deals, Peyton earns an estimated $13 million annually, by far the highest among football players (Brady is second, earning $10 million off the field last year). Figures, considering the Mannings never half-ass anything. In fact, one could argue that Peyton has become so ubiquitous he's borderline overexposed. It's impossible to watch an NFL game and not see him pushing MasterCard, Sprint or DirecTV. Just in time, though, Eli's success means Peyton will now share the spotlight, allowing him to recast himself from goofball know-it-all to goofball brother. "You're going to see more ads featuring the two of them," says Robert Tuchman of Premiere Corporate Events, who has worked with both brothers. You might think Peyton's high profile off the field would engender resentment among teammates, but it hasn't. The Colts laugh when they see their quarterback on SNL yelling at kids for botching pass patterns. That's just Peyton being Peyton. Last year, for instance, Manning famously showered three-time Pro Bowler Jeff Saturday with a storm of F-bombs because the center was talking too much in the huddle. Whether or not teammates enjoy such tactics, they appreciate the transparency. He may be hypercompetitive, but he's not phony. His commercial image, Saturday says, "is how he really is." When it comes down to it, he's a Manning, and Mannings don't like to change. Except, of course, when it comes to coffee. People from New Orleans are particular about coffee. Which means Eli Manning is particular about his coffee. He grinds his own beans, using a machine he bought and set up in the Giants quarterbacks' meeting room. Eli, like Peyton, is a gourmet, and recently even a wine connoisseur (he's building a cellar in his new home in Oxford, Miss., to store vintage labels). But every day during the season starts with black coffee in the Giants' windowless film room at 7:15 a.m. Plenty early, even on Tom Coughlin time, for the 7:30 quarterbacks meeting. At the beginning of last season, Eli drank Italian Roast. He needed to be alert, considering the pressure he faced. Entering his fourth year, he was in danger of being labeled a bust. Giants coaches, even some players, were convinced that his struggles were more about personality than about fundamentals. Eli was too unexpressive, they thought, leaving doubt about how much he cared. Coughlin worried about Eli's sulky body language; Mannings, in general, don't suffer struggling well. During a low point in 2006, a couple days after Eli threw two interceptions in a November loss to the Titans, the coach told his quarterback that the team needed to see more emotion from him. Eli was uncomfortable with the request. Later, Coughlin dispatched backup quarterback Tim Hasselbeck, then a six-year vet, to reinforce his message. This is going to be awkward, Hasselbeck thought. Normally, Hasselbeck would opt for humor. But this was serious. After 10 minutes of mulling his approach, Hasselbeck spoke to Eli. "Look, I'm not saying this is fair," he said. "But as a friend, as a teammate, the coaches want you to speak up more." "Okay, good to know," Eli calmly said, before turning back to film study. It was classic Eli: He listened, but chose not to engage. Whether it hurt him or pissed him off, he didn't want anyone to know. Not that it mattered. "You can't change the way you are," Eli says. "If you're trying to say something just to be heard, people can tell you're being phony." Eli's entire life has consisted of not being phony. He didn't try to be Peyton at Isidore Newman School in New Orleans and didn't try to be Archie at Ole Miss. "Eli's had a lot of comparisons his entire life," Peyton says, "but he's handled them well by trying to be himself." Most in the Manning family think Peyton is the more stubborn of the two, but Eli is his equal, just less demonstrative. He doesn't conform. To find success in New York, he had to take the job and tailor it to his personality. It may have been audacious of Peyton, after his rookie year, in 1998, to convince the Colts coaching staff to adopt an offensive scheme based solely on elaborate hand signals. But it took the same guts for Eli not to be the loudest mouth on a team of loudmouths. The more Coughlin wanted an emotive leader, the more Eli wanted to lead in his quiet way. "That's just how I'm most comfortable," he says. After Tiki Barber retired, in 2006, Coughlin asked Eli to replace the veteran running back's pregame pep talks. Rather than compete with Barber's rhetoric, Eli did it his way. He didn't shout, but he did cuss. He didn't spew clichés, but he did occasionally turn a corny phrase, like before the Miami game in London. "Don't be content with what we have," Eli said. "Be content with what we could have." Eli was rarely content last year. At Washington on Sept. 23, he threw a lousy pick before halftime. Upon entering the locker room, he slammed his helmet on a table, freezing the team. "It was the most intense I'd ever seen him," says tailback Derrick Ward. Eli then rallied the Giants to a comeback win. He got heated again, though, after throwing four interceptions in a 41-17 loss to Minnesota. "It was the most upset I've ever been," he says. Following that game, he knew something had to change. So he junked the Italian Roast for a Starbucks Latin American blend. Soon the Giants won three playoff games in which Eli threw four touchdowns and no picks, prompting outsiders to ask what was different. Nothing, except for his morning beverage. As always, he sat in the first row during meetings, furiously taking notes in indecipherable scribble. He spent his off-days at the facility discussing new plays with offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride. "Tuesday Night Specials," Eli calls them. He spent evenings after practice at his Hoboken, N.J., condo breaking down film on his laptop (for a recent birthday, Peyton bought Eli the same software coaches use to break down film). Wednesday nights were for third downs. Thursdays, blitzes. Fridays, red zone. Saturdays, he made sure every teammate knew the 40 audibles the Giants used every week. "With all due respect to Peyton," says Lorenzen, "I don't know how anyone can work harder than Eli." On Super Bowl Sunday, Eli knew better than to change his routine. He ate his usual breakfast: scrambled eggs, fruit medley, English muffins and black coffee, of course. When Lorenzen sat down, Eli made his usual crack about the hefty lefty's weight. Lorenzen replied, "You nervous? You seem nervous. You should be. It's not like today's the biggest game of your life." They laughed. Eli arrived at University of Phoenix Stadium a few hours before kickoff and threw the Giants' passing tree with Plaxico Burress, just like Peyton does with Reggie Wayne and Marvin Harrison. Then he showered. "He doesn't like to feel sweaty before putting on his uniform," says Lorenzen. As Eli approached the tunnel before kickoff, Lorenzen paused to see what he'd do. Typically, Eli cracks a joke. He claims it loosens up the team, but he's often just relieving his anxiety. Before a 2005 game at San Diego, after stiffing the Chargers in the previous draft, Eli said, "You think they're going to boo me?" This time, though, he didn't say a word. Didn't need to. With Eli staring down the undefeated Patriots, Peyton watched from a luxury box, living each snap as if he were taking it. When Peyton gets antsy, he reaches out. So when the 18-point underdog Giants took a 3-0 first-quarter lead, he was glued to his cell, texting every few plays with Saturday. "They're hangin' in there." "They're doing what they're supposed to do." "Nice throw by Eli." As the game went on and cell phone reception grew spotty, their texting stopped. Saturday didn't know what Peyton thought after Eli began the fourth quarter with a 45-yard strike to tight end Kevin Boss, a play that wasn't even in the game plan. Or when Eli, trailing 14-10 with 1:15 remaining, spun free from Patriots defensive end Richard Seymour and completed that pass for the ages, a 32-yarder to David Tyree. Or when he read the Patriots' blitz and lofted a wedding-bouquet game-winner to Burress with 39 seconds left. Saturday didn't know that a few hours later the Sheraton's bar was off the hook, with a DJ and trays of cigars. Patrons at the Mannings' private party had to wear Livestrong bracelets to enter and exit. When Eli walked in, everyone whooped and cheered in a way usually reserved for Peyton. Figuring he'd lost Peyton for the evening, Saturday texted: "Congratulations. Fantastic game." "Fantastic night, too," Peyton replied late the next morning. Eli spent a few days this past July the same way Peyton had a year earlier: in LA at the ESPYs. Beforehand, he took three teammates—Boss, David Diehl and Rich Seubert—and their wives to dinner. Eli and Peyton have always been good storytellers, recalling favorite moments in their Louisiana accent, talking with their hands, pausing before punch lines for effect. Eli, sitting in the middle of the table, talked about how he hazed poor André Woodson, the rookie quarterback from Kentucky. One day during minicamp, Eli noticed Woodson arrive at the weight room a few minutes late. Sensing a chance to mess with Woodson—messing with people is essential to both Manning brothers—Eli lit into him: "Why are you late? This isn't college anymore! You can't be late!" Woodson was scared stiff, but Eli was just getting warmed up. He and Peyton are legendary pranksters—or, rather, legendary at conceiving pranks and enlisting equipment managers to execute them. (Eli's nickname is The Godfather.) So Eli told a towel boy to clean out Woodson's locker, replacing his clothes with a note. Woodson, upon returning from lifting weights, froze. The note read: "Come see me in my office. -T.C." Woodson, thinking it came from Coughlin, looked sick. Finally, the room exploded in laughter. He'd been Eli-ed. The Manning brothers' success shouldn't be a surprise. Peyton and Eli first learned about quarterbacking by osmosis, as toddlers scurrying around the Saints' locker room, and later by their own will, knowing that playing that position with their last name meant the bar was almost unattainably high. But most important, they learned from their parents, Archie and Olivia, how to be themselves in a demanding world. That's why the Mannings have become America's most successful sports family. Until Venus or Serena has kids, don't even argue. As their careers continue to ascend, Peyton and Eli will only converge more. Cutcliffe, for one, welcomes it. He loves the Mannings' annual pilgrimage his way. More than the film sessions, he loves their dinners. They ate at the University Club in Durham this year before attending the Duke-North Carolina basketball game. As they laughed and traded stories, even reaching back to Eli's preteen days, Cutcliffe removed his cell phone from his pocket and placed it on the table. Later that night, the coach looked at his phone and knew he'd been Manning-ed: The language had been switched to French. He couldn't read anything and had no idea how to switch it to English. Worse, Cutcliffe had no idea which brother was the culprit. He was sure it was Eli. But it could have been Peyton. Can't quite tell anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted September 3, 2008 Author Share Posted September 3, 2008 Decision '08: Manning, Giants set to defend by Alex Marvez Alex Marvez is a Senior NFL Writer for FOXSports.com. He's covered the NFL for 14 seasons as a beat writer and is the president of the Pro Football Writers of America. Updated: September 3, 2008, 10:20 AM EST 191 comments add this RSS blog email print EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - If you take him at face value, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning didn't have a single interesting experience this offseason that directly resulted from winning a Super Bowl. Not one. "No, nothing that I know of," a sighing Manning said Tuesday when asked for an anecdote. "Nothing that's coming to mind right now." Not even a fun road-trip tale involving the hybrid Cadillac he received for being the Super Bowl XLII MVP? "My wife drives it more than I do," Manning said. "Actually, the hybrid wasn't out yet so we just got the regular (Escalade)." Yawn. So Manning wasn't willing to reminisce, but it's understandable why. New York must officially stop living off its past glory when the 2008 regular season opens Thursday night against visiting Washington. The Giants didn't just take a bite out of the Big Apple by winning Super Bowl XLII. The franchise swallowed it — core and all. For months, New York basked in the glory of that 17-14 upset victory over previously undefeated New England. Manning — a punching bag for New York's previous failings — was exonerated by the time he arrived in Disneyland for more MVP honors. Beleaguered head coach Tom Coughlin received a contract extension. Two of the game's heroes (wide receivers Plaxico Burress and David Tyree) wrote autobiographies. There was a tickertape parade through Manhattan. A Super Bowl ring presentation ceremony at Tiffany's. A celebratory trip to meet President Bush at the White House. A pat on the back at every turn. All of which clearly means very little to Manning at this point. "It doesn't change your desire, attitude or work ethic toward football," said Manning, who once again had 100 percent attendance in the team's offseason workout program. "It doesn't change your personality or anything like that. You're very happy about what happened. But the next year, you know you've got to try and become a better player and see how you can become a better team." The Patriots, among others, are being given better odds to capture this season's crown. The Giants aren't even favored to win their division. That distinction belongs to Dallas, one of three teams New York defeated on the road during the 2007 postseason. Those snubs feed into the "underdog" mindset that helped fuel last year's Super Bowl run. "I think we can play off of it," Giants cornerback Sam Madison said after Tuesday's practice. "The bottom line is the guys in this locker room are still hungry." Most of last year's roster has returned, although Madison acknowledged the loss of defensive ends Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan is a "setback." Umenyiora suffered a season-ending knee injury last month and Strahan declined coming out of retirement as a replacement. The duo combined for 22 of New York's NFL-high 53 sacks during the 2007 regular season. Umenyiora and Strahan then teamed to lead the dominating pass rush that was the key to the Giants' postseason success. Madison, though, believes defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo's blitz-heavy philosophy as well as replacement ends Justin Tuck and Mathias Kiwanuka can help compensate for their absence. "It always feels good when you've got No. 92 (Strahan) and No. 72 (Umenyiora)," Madison said. "They're not going to be there, so we need to depend on those guys who are going to get it done." Offensively, Manning has a better idea who he can depend upon. One of his offseason tasks was reviewing every single play from the 2007 campaign. The video reminded Manning how much injuries affected the unit's productivity. Tight end Jeremy Shockey, wide receiver Steve Smith and running back Derrick Ward were forced to miss extensive playing time. Burress — Manning's top receiving target — played in games but was unable to practice until December because of torn ankle ligaments. Once the Giants could settle upon a regular cast, Manning said the offense "found our identity." That helped Manning enjoy the best stretch of his rocky four-year NFL career. "We had everybody in the right spot and practicing in the right spot all week," Manning said. "There was no, 'Well, this guy is going to practice (here) because we don't have Plaxico but he's going to be playing (here) in the game.' You don't find your rhythm in practice so it's hard to find it in the game. We finally started getting confidence because you know what everybody is going to do and how they're going to do it. "Our goal is to kind of get that rhythm we had through the playoffs. Hopefully, it won't take us long where we get that feeling that no matter what is thrown at us, if the game comes down to the fourth quarter and we have a shot to win, we're going to make all the right plays." Unlike the trappings of fame and fortune, confidence is one offshoot of their Super Bowl win that the Giants should carry into this season. "We know our system works and if we execute it properly that we'll win," wide receiver Amani Toomer said. "A lot of teams with new coaches and things like that, they don't all have that same confidence." Said Madison: "We know what it takes to get all the way to the end. When (Coughlin) asks us to go out there and do certain things, we know it's the right thing because we've been through it. If veteran guys are doing it, hopefully the young guys are falling in line. Hopefully, this all leads to one common goal — winning it all." That would give Manning something to talk about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerseygiantfan Posted September 20, 2008 Author Share Posted September 20, 2008 WR Sinorice Moss stumped why he's not playing much BY RALPH VACCHIANO DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER Friday, September 19th 2008, 8:41 PM The third-year receiver said he didn't know why he was the only active player not to play in St. Louis, or why in his third year he's still the team's most forgotten man. "I mean, honestly, I don't know what to think about it," Moss told the Daily News Friday. "I'm going to keep working and stay positive, like I've been since Day 1. And when that times come, just be a humble person and go out there and shine." Despite a sputtering start to his NFL career, the 24-year-old Moss still believes his time will come. In fact, he still thinks it will happen with the Giants. He said that despite rumors and reports, he has no desire to be traded. Even though he has just 27 catches and has played in only 21 games since his arrival, he said he's never considered asking for a trade. "I haven't spoken to anyone about being traded," Moss said. "That's not even on my mind. My mind is to do what I have to do for the team, and when I get my opportunities, make some plays. I would love to be here. This is where I want to be." Still, it's not clear what Moss' future with the Giants is. He was a second-round pick out of Miami in 2006. In fact, the Giants wanted the 5-8 speedster so much they traded up in that round to get him. Unfortunately for him, a quad injury suffered at the combine before he was drafted lingered all summer and effectively ruined his rookie year. Last year, he played in 13 games but was a little-used receiver, catching just 21 passes for 225 yards. The coaches were pleased enough with him that he would've started Super Bowl XLII if the knee injury Plaxico Burress suffered that week had forced him to miss the game. And the coaches saw enough out of him this summer that they kept him over receiver Brandon London, who had an outstanding training camp. Yet last Sunday, he found himself suddenly behind Domenik Hixon on the depth chart. "It does get tougher," Moss admitted. "I work hard every day. I come out here, I go to work, my coaches see what I do, my teammates see what I do. So it gets frustrating. "But that's what it is, man. I really can't go off. I don't know how other guys have handled this situation, but I wasn't brought up that way. I wasn't raised that way to go bad-mouthing and go public. That's not me." In fact, Moss' coaches have praised him in the past for his ability to keep working and stay positive despite his difficult situation. He apparently has no trouble making plays in practice. Of course, he wants to contribute something more. "Sometimes I'll be wishing that people could come and watch me practice," Moss said. "But they'll get their chance. The whole world will see it." NO QUARTER: CB R.W. McQuarters (calf) participated in individual drills, but did not practice Friday. He appears unlikely to play tomorrow against the Bengals, meaning Hixon will be the punt returner again. ... DE Mathias Kiwanuka got through the week without making his ankle worse and should play Sunday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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