Die Hard Giants Fan

The Giants had to go back to work today, unfortunately. Below you will find a bunch of notes and reports assembled by a variety of beat writers. The Giants play their first game on Thursday so make sure you watch it.

The Star-Ledger

• Since Plaxico Burress has been unable to practice, he is contributing as an adviser to the Giants’ young receivers. Plax is taking on the mentor role even if the young guys don’t ask for it.
• Mike Garafolo assembled an in-depth 8/3 morning practice report worth checking out. Below is a sample of the entire report. There’s much more where that came from so go check out the source.
  • DEs Justin Tuck (foot) and Osi Umenyiora (hip), WRs Plaxico Burress (ankle), Amani Toomer (leg), Mario Manningham (groin) and David Tyree (knee/PUP), LBs Zak DeOssie (back) and Gerris Wilkinson (knee/PUP), CB Sam Madison (sports hernia), RT Shane Olivea and S Craig Dahl (knee) did not practice.
  • There we go again: first play of team drills was a bomb. Again from QB Eli Manning to WR Domenik Hixon. Great tackle on the play by CB Aaron Ross. Too bad it was way before the ball got there. That’s a 40-yard pass interference penalty on Ross.
  • QB Anthony Wright and WR Michael Jennings hooked up for deep in.
  • WR Craphonso Thorpe got the crowd excited with a spinning, toe-tapping catch on a fade to the left side from Wright. Dockery was in coverage on the play.
  • Hall ran a nice route to catch a hook from QB Andre’ Woodson in front of Webster. Hall later went deep on Pope, but the ball from Wright was overthrown and out of bounds.
• Mike Garafolo assembled an in-depth 8/3 evening practice report also worth checking out. Below is a sample of the entire report. There’s much more where that came from so go check out the source.
  • WRs Plaxico Burress (ankle), Steve Smith (groin), David Tyree (knee/PUP) and Mario Manninghan (groin), LBs Gerris Wilkinson (knee/PUP) and Danny Clark (sports hernia), CB Sam Madison (sports hernia) and OT Shane Olivea (back) did not practice..
  • CB Corey Webster would have none of WR Domenik Hixon catching a fade on the left side. He stayed all over Hixon and knocked the ball away. Webster also stayed stride for stride on a go from QB David Carr to WR Sinorice Moss. Webster had such good position it almost looked like he was the intended receiver. Webster knocked it away for a PD.
  • Hixon ran a perfect comeback to get separation from CB R.W. McQuarters and make a diving catch. McQuarters bounced back with a PD a few plays later when WR Craphonso Thorpe ran the same pattern.
  • LB Chase Blackburn keeps making plays. I mean, this guy couldn’t get a job after the draft a few years ago and now he’s a steady backup in my mind. Tonight, he stayed with Boss on a post into the end zone and wrestled with him to grab a ball from Wright for an INT.
  • WR Brandon London made his first nice grab in a few days on a skinny post over CB Kevin Dockery. Not a bad ball at all from Woodson. London then did a great job of accelerating to at least get his hands on a deep incompletion from Manning. The ball was overcooked and I didn’t think London had a prayer of getting there, but he dove and almost made the catch after getting past CB Terrell Thomas.
• Plaxico Burress did some light running for the first time since training camp.

Big Blue Blog

• Paul Schwartz assembled his own morning practice notes. Below is a sample of his notes, but there are not too many more.
  • On Manning’s second pass, Ross made another aggressive play, storming in to bat away a pass in the flat. Unfortunately for Ross, the ball was picked out of the air by RB Derrick Ward for a completion.
  • David Carr could not have thrown a better pass on a deep toss to Sinorice Moss, who had a step on two rookies, S Kenny Phillips and CB Terrell Thomas. The ball floated down perfectly to Moss … who watched as it slid right through his arms and to the grass. Moss looked up to the sky in bewilderment.
  • TE Kevin Boss, who has caught virtually everything thus far in camp, could not make the grab on a lunging attempt from Manning over the middle.

Inside the Giants

• Tom Rock believes that Sinorice Moss is basically playing for his Giants career in this camp so he’s been under the microscope this first week and a half. That means every drop is written about, and to be fair, there have been a lot of them. Moss had a pretty good practice tonight.

The Blue Screen

• Mike Garafolo put together another morning report and another evening report.

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If you want see what the media is saying about our boys in blue while they are at Training Camp up in Albany then take a look below:

Newsday

• Tom Rock of Newsday stated that Kevin Boss is making the most of taking Jeremy Shockey’s place. Boss caught just about every pass that came his way during the first week of training camp, and he’s working on his blocking.
• The first fight of training camp took place yesterday. It was between Rich Seubert and Danny Clark, but he said that it, “was more a dance while holding on to each other’s face mask than a brawl.”
• MIA from practice: S Kenny Phillips did not participate in either practice with a sore hamstring, Plaxico Burress (ankle), Amani Toomer (leg), and Mario Manningham (quadricep).
• Players worth Noting: WR Domenik Hixon had another outstanding practice in the morning, though it came at the expense of CB Corey Webster, who covered Hixon most of the session … Undrafted rookie S Nehemiah Warrick had a second straight practice with an interception in the morning, playing with the second unit in place of Phillips.

New York Daily News

• Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News says Sinorice Moss is as disappointed as anyone by the way his first two NFL seasons have gone. He suffered a few injuries, but he’s not ready to give up on himself yet. And neither are the Giants.

New York Post

• According Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, “Tom Coughlin gave permission for [Dave] Tollefson to go home to be with his wife, Megan, for the birth of the couple’s first child, a son they plan on naming Tucker. Megan is due on Aug. 15, but will be induced to accommodate Dave’s football schedule. A day or two later, Tollefson will return to camp and hopes to continue his development at defensive end.

The Star-Ledger

• Dave Tollefson cherishes each moment he is on the field.
• Mike Garafolo compiled some notes about Giants training camp.
• Tom Coughlin is still going to be kind and gentle in 2008.
• Mike Garafolo assembled an in-depth 8/1 evening practice report worth checking out.

Sports Illustrated

• Ben Reiter, a writer at Sports Illustrated, recently provided a Giants camp rundown at SI.com. In Reiters “Three Observations”, he writes this of the secondary:
  • I spent several moments observing what I assumed to be the Giants’ linebacking corps huddled up next to the practice field — until I realized the group was actually the team’s secondary. These guys are monsters (only cornerback Sam Madison is under 6 feet), but the most physically impressive of them all is safety Kenny Phillips, the team’s first-round pick out of Miami.

The good news is that everything mentioned about Big Blue is positive. That’s not the norm so enjoy it while it lasts. As mentioned above, Dave Tollefson’s wife is expected to give birth on August 15 so we wish them a healthy child.

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Jay Glazer of FoxSports.com just made my dreams come true because the Giants have agreed to trade their whining Tight End Jeremy Shockey to the New Orleans Saints for a second-round pick and a fifth-round pick. The deal is pending league approval, according to a league source. Shockey must also pass a physical.

I want to personally thank Jerry Reese for getting rid of this bum. As I have said all along, I thought that Shockey would’ve been the one that Reese made an example of. Yesterday, I stated that it seemed like Shockey got his way since based on Plaxico’s comments as well as the fact that there was only days away from training camp. Only a day after I thought Shockey was sticking around for another year, he’s gone. I know that Jeremy wants to go down there and play with Sean Payton. The players might love him down there, but I don’t think the fans will. The city of New Orleans is still dealing with the effects of Hurricane Katrina so I doubt the fans will want to hear Shockey complain about his teammates when the city is dealing with real world issues.

There’s a new boss in town. Congrats to Kevin Boss because he’s going to be the starting TE this year. Peace out!

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Pat Kirwan of NFL.com wrote an article about how the Giants will effectively pressure the Quarterback without Strahan.  His conclusion is the depth the Giants have at the position, and he is confident that Umenyiora, Tuck, Kiwanuka, and Wynn will wreak havoc on opposing QBs.  I definitely recommend that you check it out.

Giants.com:

Chance to improve - Michael Eisen says TE’s Kevin Boss and Darcy Johnson are getting valuable snaps at Mini Camp.

Moving Forward - Using a bunch of quotes, Michael Eisen realizes that theme is that the Giants are looking ahead to 2008.

Transcript: Player Quotes - Here is the funniest one posed to J-Load:

Your face looks slimmer?

No, this is just sunburn, but I am getting there, I am getting there.  It is always working, you know how it is.

What does looking slimmer have to do with sunburn?

Transcript: WR Amani Toomer - Yesterday, Amani Toomer fields questions about mini camp.  This one is hysterical because Toomer doesn’t seem comfortable answering the first five questions so the media asked what he had for lunch.

Why are all the players upset about all the Shockey questions?

Why are the players getting upset?  Because it is really not the players, it is just between the people who it is between, it is not between us.  We would love to have him back if we could, if everything works out, but it is really out of our control, that is why.

Have you shown him the love?

Yeah, I guess it was good to see him.  I don’t know [what you are asking?]

Is he in a bad mood?

Is he in a bad mood?  I wouldn’t say a bad mood.  Honestly, I have no idea about the whole situation.

What has Plaxico shown you over the years while he is healthy?

I think last year says pretty much everything.  He had a great year last year and he did a lot for our team.  I don’t know what else you want me to say.

What is he like as a teammate?

He does a lot for us on the field.  I don’t know what else to say.  He does a lot for us.

How was lunch today?

Actually it was good, the salmon was pretty good and you can’t complain about that.

Transcript: C Shaun O’Hara - Yesterday, Shaun O’Hara fields questions about mini camp.  Here’s a good one because I’m still waiting for the Giants to have a dynasty era.  Is it now?

What comes along with winning that first title?  Is there more of a desire to get to a second one?

Absolutely.  You do it once and people can call it a fluke, but if you do it twice they start to really respect you and understand your talent.  You have to win three for them to start using the ‘D’ word, dynasty, but I think that we all understand the requirements and the responsibility that comes with being defending champs.

Trancript: RB Brandon Jacobs - Yesterday, Brandon Jacobs fields questions about mini camp.

Head Coach Tom Coughlin (Video) - Tom Coughlin answers questions from the media about today’s practice.

TE Kevin Boss (Video) - Kevin Boss answers questions from the media about Jeremy Shockey.

QB Jared Lorenzen (Video) - Jared Lorenzen answers questions about mini camp.  It’s always good to hear from the ‘Hefty Lefty’.  You only hear from him and see him prior to the season.

DE Osi Umenyiora (Video) - Osi Umenyiora answers questions from the media about moving forward without Michael Strahan.

TE Darcy Johnson (Video) - Darcy Johnson answers questions from the media about how much weight he gained and how he plans on contributing to the team.

Mini Camp Report (Video) - Yesterday, John Schmeelk and Michael Eisen provided the Mini Camp Report.

Head Coach Tom Coughlin (Video) - Yesterday, Coughlin answers questions from the media about practice.

QB Eli Manning (Video) - Yesterday, Eli Manning answers questions from the media about how they intend on improving in 2008.

LB Mathias Kiwanuka (Video) - Yesterday, Mathias Kiwanuka answers questions from the media about moving forward without Strahan.

DE Osi Umenyiora (Video) - Yesterday, Umenyiora answers questions from the media about his contract.

New York Daily News:

Osi Umenyiora not happy with contract, won’t throw mini-tantrum - Ohm Youngmisuk wrote this about Osi, “Umenyiora could have added to the Giant headache but the affable Pro Bowler said he is going to take the opposite route and practice while talking to Giants brass. “I will be in camp,” Umenyiora said. “I’m not going to hold out. My situation is a little different.”"  This is exactly what Plaxico should be doing.

The Star-Ledger:

Afternoon practice report

O’Hara comments on Plax situation - Shaun O’Hara had this to say about Burress’ situation,

There’s a right way to do things. I’ve always felt that, as a player, you go out there, you put your best foot forward and as long as you’re giving 100 percent effort every time, you’ll be taken care of.

I think it’s a disservice to all the other guys that are out there working hard, practicing and doing their jobs. To focus on the negative is … sometimes we expect that, but there are a lot of guys out there doing good things every day. We have a lot of young guys that are getting a lot of good reps in. I think that should be the focus.

I think we proved it last year that the team-first concept overcomes everything. Whether players like it or not, this team is going to move forward. There certainly will be another center playing in my position when I’m done and that goes for every position along the line, so you’re either with us or you’re against us. I think the players are doing a good job of focusing on their daily tasks and their jobs and as long a we all continue to do that, this team will succeed.

Morning practice (and 80/17) report

Giants trainers have a busy day - Mike Garafolo provided an injury status for various players.

Practice must go on - Mike Garafolo tells us the highlights of yesterday’s practice.

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On Friday, Big Blue will be hosting a workout session for some draft hopefuls.  Most of them are local athletes which we wrote about a couple of days ago.  With the draft coming up soon, we’ll see if the Jints take any of the players that they’ve been scouting.

 Still riding high - Vic Carucci says that Coach Coughlin is still riding high on the crest of a congratulatory wave.

Kevin Boss Q/A - Michael Eisen sat down with and had an exclusive interview with one of the players that had one of the biggest catches in Super Bowl XLII, TE Kevin Boss.  Here’s one question that I found interesting because I never knew there was a Kevin Boss Day.

Q: Can you tell us about Kevin Boss Day?

Boss: “They honored me at halftime of a basketball game at Western Oregon (his alma mater) and I signed some autographs. It was fun to get back there and see a lot of my coaches. I played basketball in college for two years, so a lot of the guys that were playing there I played with. It was fun just to see friends and get to chat it up with old friends there.”

New York Times:

Group of Players Plans Removal of Upshaw - Judy Battista found out that, “Baltimore Ravens kicker Matt Stover has proposed a plan to replace the N.F.L. union chief Gene Upshaw by next spring, when the union will most likely be engaged in critical negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.”  Obviously, this is more NFL news than Giants news.  If you are interested in the status of the removal of Gene Upshaw, ProFootballTalk.com has written a few articles about him.

The Star-Ledger:

One more name for the list - Mike Garafolo just learned that one more player will be attending the Friday workouts for the Giants.  The player who was added to the list is the running back back from Troy, Kenny Cattouse.  Garafolo also noted Cattouse’s achievements.

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So many Giants contributed to that win last night so Die Hard Giants Fan would like to give props to the entire team and coaching staff.  That was one of the most memorable Super Bowls ever witnessed.  They G-MEN took down the machine.  The Big Blue Wrecking Crew jacked up Brady for 4 quarters.  They brought the Lombardi Trophy to New York.  They played like old school smashmouth football last night.  I thought it would be a low scoring game, but I thought the score would be similar to the Giants - Packers game…low 20’s not in the teens.

Plaxico Burress backed up his mouth.  Do you remember when the Giants came off the plane in Phoenix dressed in black?  At the time, the Giants said they did that because they were on a ‘buiseness trip’.  Later on in the week, rumors began circling and it was said that the Giants were going to the ‘Patriots funeral’.  Who knows what their real intentions were, but the Giants gave the Pats their funeral.

This is a great day for Giants fans…It doesn’t happen often so enjoy it.  It’s been 17 years since they were crowned.  The Giants won their 3rd Super Bowl since the Super Bowl era.  It is their 7th NFL Championship since the inception of the NFL.  They remain in 3rd place all time in titles behind Green Bay and Chicago.

 Transcript: QB Eli Manning - Eli Manning answers questions about winning Super Bowl XLII and being named MVP.

Transcript: Coach Tom Coughlin - Tom Coughlin answers questions about winning Super Bowl XLII.

News, Notes, and Statistics - Michael Eisen compiled some fun stats, and here is a few of them.

The Giants won their sixth title game and seventh championship overall. They won NFL championship games in 1934, 1938 and 1956, plus the two Super Bowls. The Giants also won the NFL in 1927, before championship games were played.

The No. 5 Giants are the lowest-seeded NFC team to win the Super Bowl since the NFL began seeding teams in 1990. The previous low was a second-seeded team. In the AFC, sixth-seeded Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl two years.

The Giants are just the third team to win the Super Bowl after starting the season 0-2. The others were the 1993 Dallas Cowboys and the 2001 Patriots.

The Giants have 11 rookies on their active roster, a record for a Super Bowl winner. Several of those first-year players - including Aaron Ross, Steve Smith, Kevin Boss, Ahmad Bradshaw, Jay Alford and Zak DeOssie – made key contributions in the game.

The Giants’ defense was superb, holding the Patriots far below their season averages in several categories, including points (the Patriots averaged almost 37 a game in the regular season, but scored 14 in the Super Bowl); yards (New England averaged 411.3 yards a game, but totaled only 274 in the Super Bowl); rushing yards (the Pats averaged 115.6 in the regular season and 147 in their first two postseason games, but settled for only 45 against the Giants and did not have a run longer than nine yards). Tom Brady, who was sacked 24 times in 18 previous games (1.3 a game) was sacked five times in the Super Bowl.

Tom Coughlin became the 26th different head coach to win a Super Bowl, and the second to win one with the Giants (Bill Parcells won two). At 1-0, Coughlin is the 17th coach with an unblemished Super Bowl record.

Manning was named the game’s Most Valuable Player after completing 19 of 34 for 255 yards, two touchdowns and an interception that caromed off Steve Smith’s hands. It was the 22nd time in Super Bowl history a quarterback was named MVP. Peyton Manning was last year’s Super Bowl MVP after throwing for 247 yards and one touchdown.

Zak DeOssie and his father Steve DeOssie, a linebacker/long snapper who started for the Giants in their victory over Buffalo in Super Bowl XXXV, became the first father/son combination to win Super Bowls with the same team. The DeOssies are the 10th father-son tandem to reach the Super Bowl, and the first to play for the same team.

Giants are World Champions! - Michael Eisen tells you all about the Giants winning Super Bowl XLII.

Newsday:

Giants stun Patriots to win Super Bowl

Bleary-eyed Eli still reliving upset

Magical Giants can’t be stopped

Giants’ win ranks among NY’s best - Jim Baumbach goes through the list and raises questions about them.

Giants-Patriots most-watched Super Bowl ever

MVP Eli outduels Golden Boy Brady - Johnette Howard included this quote from Plaxico Burress, “They’re definitely better than us, but on any given day, on any given Sunday, anything can happen.  Any team can beat anybody.  So why not us?”

How the Giants shocked the Patriots - Bob Glauber broke down how the Jints won Super Bowl XLII.

Vindicated Eli wins Super Bowl MVP - I have something to say here.  I was the most excited person ever when Ernie Accorsi traded Philip Rivers for Eli Manning.  At that point in time, I said that if the Eli is half as good as Peyton, the Giants could win a Super Bowl because of all the talent around him.  Eli has played great the first 8 games of each season, but bad the last 8 games of each season.  I disowned him after the Buffalo loss in Week 16.  I knew that he had to play a big game if they were going to stop the Patriots from going 16-0.  The Giants lost 38-35, but Eli played great.  He played good in Tampa Bay.  He played good in Dallas.  He played great in Green Bay…and most importantly, he played great in the Super Bowl.  He won the Super Bowl for the New York Giants and he was named MVP.  And I rocked my dirty, stinky Manning jersey since Week 17.  So, I’m sorry Eli.  This is how a player that isn’t the best at their position can help their team win in the Playoffs, which is very unlike Alex Rodriguez.  I brought that up because I remember a lot of people saying that Eli Manning as the quarterback of the New York Giants was as big as A-Rod, and I couldn’t believe it because A-Rod is supposedly the best player in baseball and Eli Manning was not at the beginning of the season.  Imagine what winning the Super Bowl and being named MVP will do between that popularity contest now.  Eli Manning is now untouchable.  He doesn’t have to play well anymore.  He earned it.

Super Bowl ads show off offers you can’t refuse

Giants’ Tyree makes catch of a lifetime - That play was the greatest play that I’ve ever seen in a Super Bowl.  From Eli Manning escaping two sacks and airing it out to David Tyree who made the catch where he had to bring the ball down to his helmet to get control.  Tyree had two defenders hanging on him.  The down was 3rd and 5, and 1:15 remaining in the game.  Jim Baumbach did a great job describing the play and included a number of quotes about the play from Coaches to players.

Notes: Iraq vet Gadson inspires Giants - Lt. Col. Greg Gadson has been an inspiration for the Giants all season long.  He was nominated as one of the Honory Captains for the NFC Championship game.  His story is a horrible, and God bless him!

‘Wow!’ for Fox’s booth, too - Neil Best wrote about how FOX was reacting during the game, and the most commonly used term by various commentators at various moments was ‘Wow!’.

Patriots’ defense lets it slip away - What wins championships?  That’s right, defense?  Bill Belichick was able to win 3 championships in 4 years because they had great defenses.  This year, the Patriots had the best offense which wasn’t enough to win a championship.  The Giants had the best defense and it resembled when the Patriots won their first championship against the heavily favored Rams.

Giants victory parade planned for Tuesday - Justin Rocket Silverman and Jamshid Mousavinezhad were able to get the details of the victory parade, and here they are “Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said that the parade would begin at Battery Park at 11 a.m. From there it will proceed northbound in the Financial District–along the traditional ‘Canyon of Heroes’ route–to Chambers Street.”.

Patriots’ line can’t protect Brady - It seemed like the D-Line wanted to see who can get to Brady the fastest on every single gown.  5 sacks and all of them were hanging on Brady the entire game.  From Tuck, to Strahan, to Umenyiora, to Alford, to Cofield.  The D-line manhandled the Pats O-Line.  The Giants knocked Brady down 19 times on top of the 5 sacks.

Most Giants fans have no problem wearing Tiki jersey - Jim Baumbach included quotes from Giants fans about why they wore a Tiki jersey, and here’s a quote from the article: “There’s one simple reason why I’m wearing this jersey, the only reason the Giants are in the Super Bowl right now is because Tiki Barber left the team.”.  I agree that the reason the G-MEN won the Super Bowl is because Tiki retired, but I’m still not wearing his jersey.

Giants fan rediscovers how to “always believe”

For fans, it’s screams and tears - Bart Jones and Brandon Bain tell you how the Giants fans reacted at the Brickhouse Brewery in Patchogue.

New York Daily News:

Eli Manning, David Tyree show why Giants are Super this night - That was on the game winning drive, but don’t forget about Kevin Boss catching that 40-yard pass which set up a go ahead TD.

Giants stun Patriots to win Super Bowl

Giants win over Patriots most-watched Super Bowl

When the heat was on, Eli Manning kept Giants, self cool - That’s why they call him ‘Easy’.

Plaxico Burress puts money where mouth is with winning TD

Super brothers Eli, Peyton Manning in league of their own - Just imagine what Archie Manning was thinking after Eli was named Super Bowl MVP one year after Peyton was named Super Bowl MVP.  It’s really amazing if you think about it.

It’s an early exit for Bill Belichick - Bill Belichick didn’t even wait until the clock struck 0:00.

Giants pass rush too much for Tom Brady, Patriots to handle - That sums it up in a sentence.

Big rush to endorse cheating - Bob Raissman put together a good piece here.

David Tyree catches on in Super way - David Tyree made one of the best catches in sports history.  Gotta tip my cap to him.

Giants coaches outclass the masters - Do you think Bill Belichick was wishing Charlie Weiss and Romeo Crennel were there?  I’m just saying.

Patriots are ’shocked, heartbroken’ - I don’t care about the Patriots either.

Wait for ring is finally over for Michael Strahan, Amani Toomer - I’m very happy for Amani Toomer because he’s a classy guy, but I could care less for Michael Strahan because he belongs in jail rather than on a football field.  Toomer reflects what the Giants organization is all about, and Strhan reflects what the Bengals organization is all about.  I’m still waiting for Strahan to retire.

Tom Brady all bunched up

Joe Buck, Troy Aikman make right calls - Buck and Aikman actually weren’t bad last night.  They even pointed out the obvious on the final drive about Manning having success in the 2:00 drill when they use the no-huddle offense.

It’ll be Jags-Cowboys in Super Bowl XLIII - Gary Meyers is quick to make his Super Bowl XLIII predictions.

‘72 Dolphins still alone in perfection

Sen. Specter to call Roger Goodell about latest SpyGate report - God came through in this game because he righted the SpyGate situation just like he righted the pinetar situation when the Cardinals beat the Tigers in the World Series.  In both instances, the respective league did not handle the situation properly but higher powers made it all right.

Ellis Hobbs is a paper tiger - Rich Cimini pointed out how Ellis Hobbs talked smack all week and then got burned on the final play by Plaxico Burress who was the other one talking smack all week.

For Giants fans, a perfect night!

Giants Super Bowl XLII win over Patriots is one for the ages

Boston taverns packed, but full of losers

Greg Gadson inspires Giants to title

Happy mob swarms through Times Square as faithful surf on cars

Spagnuolo’s scheme outdoes Belichick - Just like Bill Belichick out coached Marv Levy in Super Bowl XXV.  This was the greatest upset that I’ve ever witnessed, but I’m not old enough to have watched the Jets upset the Colts.  So Steve Spanuolo now has a Super Bowl on his resume, and it is extremely likely that he will take a Head Coach position next year.  It will probably be with the Redskins.  I want to thank him for his efforts in getting the defense to gel to the point that they became World Champions.  The problem is that the defense was the biggest reason that the Giants won the Super Bowl, and it is unlikely that the Jints will have similar success in future years without him.  If he goes to the Redskins, then the Giants, Redskins, and Eagles will be using the same defense which is strange.

Plaxico Burress eyes relaxation time

Tom Coughlin focuses on positive

New York Post:

GIANT PIECE OF HISTORY

JEREMY SHOCKEY ON SIDELINES AT SUPE - I don’t know what the Giants should do with Jeremy Shockey.  I do know that the Giants have to get Shockey to buy into the team concept, and the Giants need to get Shockey to practice in New York.  He needs to bow down to Eli in the huddle.

TERRIFIC TYREE HELPS JINTS CATCH SUPER DREAM

PLAX COMES UP BIG WHEN IT COUNTS - Plaxico Burress is another one that I used to bash prior to the 2007 season because he wouldn’t play until the whistle blew.  In years past, I was correct in my assessment about him but he was a new man in 2007.  He played hurt every game, he barely practiced this years, and I heard him mention that having a child made him change his perspective in life.  So hopefully we won’t see Burress revert to the old Plax.

ELI DELIVERS A PERFECT ENDING

UN-’D'-LIEVABLE

TUCKS, SPAGS, ENJOY PLENTY OF SACK-NESS - Justin Tuck also had an outstanding game.  In Week 17, the O-Line of the Patriots had a lot of success against the bookends Michael Strahan and Osi Umenyiora, but Justin Tuck kept coming up the middle and knocking Brady around.  In Super Bowl XLII, The Patriots O-Line wasn’t able to stop the pass rush from any angle.  The Giants D-Line manhandled the Pats O-Line, and Tuck had another great game against the Patriots.  Good thing the Giants already locked him up or 5 years.

AMAZING MARCH - Mike Vaccaro takes you through Eli Manning’s game winning drive in Super Bowl XLII.

HISTORIC FOOTNOTE - Mark Cannizzaro wants to know what 18-0 means now?  I’m still saying who cares about the Patriots.

BELL TOLLS AT LAST FOR BELICHICK

NOT ENOUGH TOM - Jay Greenberg pointed out that Tom Brady fell short in the biggest game of his career.

STUD & DUD - Mark Cannizzaro and Paul Schwartz describe the performance of Eli Manning and Bill Belichick.

ELI HEAPS PRAISE ON COUGHLIN

STRAHAN, TOOMER FINALLY GET THEIR RINGS

O-NO, BRADY’S SACK & BLUE

HOBBS NOT A SUPERHERO

NO SUPER ENDING FOR PATRIOTS’ MOSS

WELKER SHINES IN LOSS - Wes Welker was one of the only Patriots that shined.  He had 11 receptions which tied an NFL record, and tying an NFL record in the Super Bowl should earn you the MVP award.  But, I’m a Giants fan so I’m biased and happy that Eli won it.

PATS’ VET: PERFECT LETDOWN - Jay Greenberg is referring to Richard Seymour.

SMITH’S BIG DAY - Rookie Steve Smith stepped up big time also.  The Giants had so many players step up.

COUGHLIN STIRS TEAM IN PEP TALK - Paul Schwartz recalls the Tom Coughlin speech on the eve of Super Bowl XLII.

SHAME GAME - George Willis says that SpyGate may leave the NFL in a dark place.

FOX GETS IT RIGHT ON SUPER NIGHT

BOSS’ BIG PLAY GETS JOB DONE - Finally an article about one of the biggest contributors of the game…rookie Kevin Boss.

GIANTS WIN ONE FOR ‘72 DOLPHINS - Even though the Dolphins were 1-15 in 2007, they should give the Giants their #1 Draft Pick for allowing the Fins to remain undefeated.

GIANT PARTY!

New York Times:

As the Giants’ Defense Holds Tough, the Patriots’ Crumbles

Change of Teams Changes Everything for Hixon

The Stubborn Voice of a Troubadour

Specter Appears on TV and Plans Follow-Up

‘Everybody’s a Giants Fan Tonight’

The Star-Ledger:

N.Y. Giants Steve Spagnuolo noncommittal on Washington Redskins interview - Spags stated that he wanted to wait until the party is over before deciding to interview for a Head Coach job.

Giants Stadium to host Super Bowl celebration in N.J. after NYC parade - According to Mark Mueller, the celebration will continue after the NYC party because Giants Stadium will host the NJ version at 4:00 pm.

PATH, NJ Transit add trains for NY Giants’ victory parade

Patriots’ perfect book yanked despite surge in orders

President Bush calls NY Giants to offer Super Bowl congratulations

Historic final drive leads NY Giants to Super Bowl XLII victory

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I still feel like the Giants need to stop talking.  They aren’t really saying anything wrong, but the media has been spinning it out of control.  On Thursday night, the Rangers retired Brian Leetch’s number, and the local press took what Plaxico Burress said about the Patriots’ receivers and put it on the back page after fabricating the story.  That’s what the Giants have to deal with.  So Brian Leetch didn’t end up on the back page after a Hall of Fame career with the Rangers, but Plaxico did for complementing the Pats and saying that the Giants’ receivers can play with them.  If the Giants say nothing then there won’t be any problems.  The media should be ashamed of themselves, but that will never happen.

 Super Bowl Profile: TE Kevin Boss - Keith Karlsson wrote an article about how much Kevin Boss has contributed to help get Big Blue into Super Bowl XLII.

Super Message - Michael Eisen covered a story about the Super Bowl message that Michael Strahan delivered to the team.

Manning Support - Michael Eisen had another interview with Peyton Manning regarding Eli Manning.

Transcript: LB Antonio Pierce - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Antonio Pierce regarding Super Bowl XLII.

Transcript: C Shaun O’ Hara - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Shaun O’Hara regarding Super Bowl XLII.

Transcript: DE Michael Strahan - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Michael Strahan regarding Super Bowl XLII.

Transcript: Colts QB Peyton Manning - Michael Eisen chatted about Eli Manning with Peyton Manning.

Transcript: Coach Tom Coughlin - Michael Eisen discussed the status of various players with Tom Coughlin.

Transcript: Various Patriots Quotes - Michael Eisen obtained quotes from various Patriot players.

Transcript: Patriots WR Donte’ Stallworth - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Donte Stallworth regarding Super Bowl XLII.

Transcript: Patriots WR Wes Welker - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Wes Welker regarding Super Bowl XLII.

Transcript: Patriots Coach Bill Belichick - Michael Eisen had a Q&A Session with Bill Belichick regarding Super Bowl XLII.

Newsday:

Giants’ Umenyiora:Comments won’t fire up Patriots

SUPER BOWL XLII: GIANTS VS. PATRIOTS: Magic includes a vanishing act

Release and catch: Hixon, Hedgecock have shined - Katie Strang pointed out how Domenick Hixon and Madison Hedgecock got released by their former teams, and now they have their turn to play in a Super Bowl.

Peyton Manning pours on the praise for brother Eli

SUPER BOWL XLII: GIANTS VS. PATRIOTS: BIG BLUE ZONE - Donte Stallworth responds to the comments Plaxico Burress made on Thursday.

Giants’ good-luck charm: Tight end Jerome Collins - Arthur Staple believes that backup TE Jerome Collins is a good luck charm for the Giants because he is a Notre Dame alumni.  Also, Collins hasn’t played a down in his 3-year career.  He was on the Rams last season, but he ended up on the Colts for the final two games of the regular season and sat on the bench throughout the Playoffs and won a ring.  Staple believes that Collins on the bench in the Super Bowl is another good luck charm.

New York Daily News:

Peyton Manning: Eli has ‘what it takes to lead his team’ to NFL title

Two Mannings are better than one against Tom Brady and Patriots

Giant curfews loom large for Big Blue

Tom Brady disappears again

If Antonio Pierce & defense can help it, pressure will be on Tom Brady

Patriots respond to Plaxico Burress’ boast, don’t take Giant bait

Osi Umenyiora tries to explain comments about Matt Light

Michael Strahan glad he didn’t follow Tiki Barber’s lead and retire

Late teammate Marquise Hill isn’t forgotten by Patriots - Hank Gola revealed the feelings of the Patriots regarding the late Marquise Hill.

Jeff Feagles has talent to boot

Super Bowl prediction? Nah, just stuff of ‘Legend’ - Ethan Sacks revealed how the movie “I am Legend” predicts the final score of the Super Bowl, and it didn’t pick the Giants.

New York Post:

JEREMY: DON’T BE SHOCKED BY WIN - Steve Serby interviewed Jeremy Shockey who has been MIA since being placed on IR.

OSI WANTED TO SHINE LIGHT ON DIRTY TACTICS

WEIS GUY GAME PLAN - Charlie Weis discusses the game plan for the Giants and the Pats.

A LONG TOM AGO - Mike Vaccaro wrote an article about Tom Coughlin’s playing days at the RIT.

SHULA WILL BE ‘JUMPING’ IF GIANTS WIN - I bet he will.  Don Shula will be at Super Bowl XLII to congratulate the Patriots if they win jump up and down if the Giants win, according to Steve Serby.

PEYTON: THIS WON’T BE ELI’S LAST SUPER BOWL

VACANCY SIGH STILL OUT ON BRADY’S LOCKER

PATS BOWLED OVER - According to Mark Cannizzaro, the Patriots were very impressed with the Giants after they met in Week 17.

A FAMILY THING - Steve Schirripa, of The Sopranos, feels like the Giants are having all of this success because they are like a family.

TIKI REACHES OUT TO CONGRATULATE EX-’MATE STRAHAN - Towards the end of the article, Paul Schwartz included the prize money that will be allocated to each team based on winning or losing the Super Bowl.

OPEN & SHUT - Paul Schwartz decifered how differently Tom Coughlin and Bill Belichick handled the reporting of injuries.

New York Times:

Giants’ Tuck and Patriots’ Thomas Linked by More Than Blood

Reprising Anonymous Role in Another Super Bowl - Bill Pennington wrote about the Jeremy Collins story for the NYTimes.

Peyton Sees Success in His Brother’s Future

Giants Have Fan in Cashman

The Star-Ledger:

Seubert, Dockery in pads

Fathers’ legacies nurtured by sons - Matthew Futterman explains how the sons of the late Giants owners feel about going to the Super Bowl.

O’Hara is Giants’ shining Knight

Bruschi basks in the moment

The Brady mystery keeps rolling on

Into the sunset - Steve Politi thinks that Michael Strahan can go out on top like John Elway or Jerome Bettis.

Osi just wants Brady to be dirty - So do I, but Osi and the crew need to make it happen.

Peyton steps up for Eli

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It’s the quote of the year from our dear friend T.O.. Who would have thought the Giants would be in the Superbowl? Can it be a Manning back to back combo since Peyton Manning won last year? Better believe it can.

So everyone says the Giants have no shot against the Patriots. That’s the same thing they said about Tampa, Dallas and Green Bay and look what happened. We have been underdogs the entire time and we’re looking like we should have had a better record throughout the season. With Tampa we had a chance; with Dallas we were a definite in everyones’ eyes we were not going past that; Then against Green Bay even T.V. commentators said ok, they’re not getting past this one. So they were all very close games but the main thing is winning. I don’t care how close we came, a win is a win. Who plays to say they were very close though. Our mentality as a team has grown into a denial to lose a game. It does not matter to the Giants that they have nothing to lose. Big Blue wants a win and they have accomplished that with every team they have played so far in the post season. We have become every opponents “worst nightmare” and our intentions are to take out their main weapons.

At offense, Eli Manning deserves the “most likely to suceed” award. Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw are breaking defensive teeth. Plaxico Burress, Amani Toomer and Kevin Boss (aside from others who also attribute to the progress) are catching passes like they’re playing with a frisbee.

In the defensive side, The entire line is pushing fat guys like they’re on a downhill. Our linebackers are playing the role starring Antonio Pierce. The secondary is known as the weakest link yet they have managed to shut people the F-up.

Point is, the entire fanbase thought it was going to be Dallas or Green Bay vs New England. New York Giants is going to do what they have set their minds to.

Talk Is Cheap, Play the Game!

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What a performance by the New York Giants! back to back to back, great output by a team thought to fail by many in the first round. They have been simply amazing and the determination of each player to step up in the big game has had the greatest impact on us.

It all begins with Eli Manning. Throughout the season, Eli has had his ups and downs. Being put down by commentators and said to not have what it takes to bring Big Blue to the Superbowl, Eli has proven his humbleness pays off at the end of the day. These past few weeks have been outstanding for the Giants and most of it thanks to Eli and his composure during our critical times.

Our offense has been very effective and a main factor of our aerial game has been the effectiveness of our dependent veteran Amani Toomer. Also, to be able to depend on our rookies in the playoffs has more than paid off, especially with Kevin Boss and Steve Smith on the field.

The defense has definitely made a statement to the NFL. It does not matter how many pro-bowlers you have on your squad when it comes to the playoffs. Alongside Antonio Pierce, the Giants have been looking powerful on many games. Even with Sam Madison hurt, we have done the right thing rotating our players. We have stepped up not completely, but enough to send the opponents home (crying in T.O.s case).

Finally, we’re on the road again. I have not seen a team so comfortable in winning on the road than the Giants. We love pressure and the underdog spirit has woken up the beast from the east. The Green Bay Packers are our next victims and we’re not sleeping on this game. Like I said before, this is the playoffs…We don’t care who you are, we want this trophy and Green Bay is getting in the way.

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As each day passes, I’m trying to figure out all of the advantages that the Giants have on Sunday.  There are some, but there needs to be more.  The number one thing they got right now is their ‘MOJO’.  We need to hope it carries through to the Superbowl.  Say that the Giants are Austin Powers and the Cowboys are Dr. Evil.  We need to hope that Dr. Evil does not take away Austin Powers’ mojo.  Think about it this way.  Do you remember the goal line stand against the Redskins in Week 3?  Sure you do.  Betts was stopped and the Giants got their mojo during that game.  Big Blue went on to win 6 straight before the bye week.  After the bye week, the Cowboys came into the Meadowlands and beat the Giants.  Since then, the Giants lost their mojo.  The Giants won some, lost some since then, but they never won in the same fashion as they did on that 6-game win streak.  Now, the Giants have recaptured their mojo.  So how far will it take them?  I hope Dallas doesn’t take it away again.  They are an offensive machine, but they are not playing like they did in Week 9 either.  The Giants are on a one-game winning streak now, and they only need to win 2 more to make it to the Superbowl.

 All eyes on defense

Transcript: C Shaun O’ Hara

Transcript: DE Michael Strahan - In Michael Eisen’s interview with Michael Strahan, Eisen asks:

How do you expect Dallas’ offense to change if T.O. can’t play?

He is going to play.  I mean come on.  I have a bridge in Brooklyn, do you want to buy that sucker if you believe he is not going to play?  He is going to play.  The guy came out there three days after breaking a leg and played in the Super Bowl.  He sleeps in a hyperbaric chamber like Michael Jackson, he does all that stuff he needs to do, the guy is going to play in the game, and that is what we are going to prepare for and practice for.  He is not the type of player that if he plays he limits himself so if he is in there expect him to do everything that he always does.

Strahan is always good for a joke.  He brought up Michael Jackson.

Transcript: DE Osi Umenyiora

Transcript: T David Diehl

Transcript: Coach Tom Coughlin - Check out the last question of Michael Eisen’s Q&A Session with Tom Coughlin:

Q:  Have you talked to Parcells regarding getting inside info on Cowboys.

A:  No, I wouldn’t do that.  Bill wouldn’t do that, either.

Transcript: LB Antonio Pierce

Cowboys Scouting Report

Newsday:

Gimpy Burress key to Giants victory

Improved Giants defense itching to get at ‘Boys - I love this title, and I hope it’s backed up on the field on Sunday.

Romo says his focus is on Giants, not Jessica - What else would Romo tell the media?  Wouldn’t it be funny if he said he was focusing on Jessica, not Giants?

Off field, Giants are no match for flashy Cowboys - Who cares?

New York Daily News:

Terrell Owens back at practice

Giants: Terrell Owens will play - I don’t know why everybody keeps writing this story.  Everybody knows that T.O. will play.  It seems like everybody wants to take credit for pointing out the obvious.

Tony Romo: Weekend with Jessica Simpson got me away from distractions

Giants need to focus on Tony Romo, and forget about Jessica Simpson - I don’t understand why the Giants would focus on Jessica Simpson.  This article doesn’t make any sense.

Kevin Boss hopes to fill injured Jeremy Shockey’s shoes - Kevin Boss needs to fill Shockey’s shoes.  Shockey had a great game last time because he overmatched Roy Williams.  As long as Tom Coughlin sees that Boss has good hands in practice, they are going to go to Boss a lot.  They want to take advantage of Williams because he’s far from the best defender on Dallas.

Wade Phillips confident in Cowboys - The Coach should always have confidence in his team.

New York Post:

GIANTS DRAW LINE IN SAND

COUGHLIN: TERRELL WILL PLAY

BIG BLUE: WE HAVE RIGHT MANN FOR JOB

TERSE TONY

New York Times:

Now That Romo Has Rested, Critics Ask if He’s Ready

Cowboys Won’t Say If Owens Will Play

Giants Using Power to Start, and Finesse to Finish - A great article by Bill Pennington.  The article is about the big man Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw.

The Star-Ledger:

Spags must mix it up

Mara withdraws his name from ATL GM search

Injury report (No Boss)

Boss lands in the middle of things for Giants

Romo’s approach not always to the letter

There’s a Jessica for hire; Giants should ante up

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