Archive for the ‘New York Giants’
Carl Banks Interview on WFAN
Yesterday, Carl Banks joined Evan of WFAN to give his thoughts on the Giants trading Jeremy Shockey. To hear the interview in its entirety, click here.
Giants Rid Themselves of Jeremy Shockey
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!
2008 Training Camp Previews
There are a few Training Camp previews out there about the Giants. Here are some links to the sources.
NOTE - The Redskins just signed Jason Taylor, according to The Star-Ledger.
Q&A Session With Michael Strahan
Steve Serby of the New York Post had a Q&A Session with Michael Strahan today. Here are some of the questions…
Q: You retired; Jeremy Shockey’s unhappy; Plaxico Burress wants more money. Can the Giants repeat?
A: Yeah, I mean anything’s possible. It’s all about your focus and your commitment to doing what’s best for the team, and not as an individual.
Q: Shockey’s a good teammate?
A: He’s a great teammate. There’s not a guy in that locker room who would say, “I don’t like Jeremy Shockey. He’s a jerk.” If you want to learn how to work hard, if you want to learn how to be intense, if you want to learn to believe that you’re the best and work for it, if you want to learn how to always require and demand the best out of yourself, you watch Jeremy Shockey.
Q: Advice for Osi Umenyiora as he begins Life After Michael Strahan?
A: Don’t worry about it. As long as he knows he’s doing his best, that’s all he can do. And don’t get frustrated by getting double-teamed, don’t get frustrated by getting triple-teamed, ’cause I’ve gone through that stage where it had me in the dumps. But, it’s a compliment to you. Just continue to fight, continue to work through it, and eventually, you’ll learn how to defeat those things.
Q: Should Mathias Kiwanuka be moved back to defensive end?
A: I think he’s a natural end. I think he picked up linebacker pretty well for a guy who never played it in his life, but I think you can find guys who can play linebacker who always play linebacker. Kiwanuka is a natural, explosive defensive end. (Justin) Tuck is a hybrid, and I think Tuck is probably better served rushing from the inside. They can’t stop him on the inside, whereas on the outside, he’s not as natural as Kiwanuka is. I think that would just be a much better setup.
Q: Will success spoil Tom Coughlin?
A: No. He may smile a little bit more, but he’s still gonna work you.
Giants Top 10 Challengers
Gary Myers of the New York Daily News says that the following teams are the top 10 challengers to a Super Bowl repeat:
1. Cowboys
The ‘Boys are loaded with talent, but it would be nice if Tony Romo, the celebrity quarterback, had more on his resume than being Jessica Simpson’s boyfriend and inspiring a hilarious tear-filled defense by T.O. of Romo’s mediocre playoff performance against the Giants. Romo needs to win his first playoff game - Dallas has not won a postseason game since 1996, the longest drought in its 48-year history. Romo is 0-2 in the playoffs with major mistakes late in each game: The bobbled field goal snap in Seattle and the end zone INT vs. the Giants.
Adam Jones, the bad act formerly known as Pacman, had his suspension lifted for the preseason by Roger Goodell and will be allowed to play in the regular season as long as he stays out of trouble this summer. The ‘Boys are training in Oxnard, Calif., less than two hours from the temptations of Los Angeles. Jerry Jones should call every strip club within a 100-mile radius and institute a no-Pacman rule.
The Giants host the ‘Boys on Nov. 2 and play at Dallas Dec. 14.
2. Patriots
After going 18-0 and then not finishing the deal against the Giants, it could be a letdown year for them. But the AFC East is so weak, the Pats can win the division even if the Jets, Dolphins and Bills turn the cameras around and spy on Bill Belichick’s defense.
Sure, Asante Samuel to the Eagles is the big loss, but if he doesn’t let Eli Manning’s sideline throw sail through his hands on the last Super Bowl drive, then we’re talking about the Patriots trying to repeat. Tom Brady threw for 50 TDs last season, 23 of them caught by Randy Moss, and the Pats scored 589 points - all NFL records. But the Patriots scored only 14 points against the Giants in the Super Bowl with New England’s three Pro-Bowl offensive linemen helpless against the Giants’ pass rush. Can teams go to school on what the Giants did? They need the pieces first. Justin Tuck and Osi Umenyiora are not available and Michael Strahan is retired and not about to pull a Brett Favre.
The Patriots won their first 10 games by an average of 25.4 points, their next eight by 10.1 when teams found ways to slow them down before they lost the Super Bowl by three. Unless there is a Super Bowl rematch, the only time the Giants and Pats play this season is the final preseason game at Giants Stadium on Aug. 28.
3. Jaguars
This is the year they jump over the Colts. They play tough defense, can run the ball with Fred Taylor and Maurice Jones-Drew, and David Garrard had only three INTs in 325 attempts. They have ownership questions, but Wayne Weavers insists he’s not selling. Signing free agent WR Jerry Porter gives Garrard a legitimate No. 1 wideout.
4. Chargers
They hung tough against the Pats in the AFC title game even though QB Philip Rivers went into the game with a torn ACL, and injuries limited LaDainian Tomlinson to two carries and Antonio Gates to two catches.
They won’t have a problem in the AFC West, but after beating the Titans at home in the wild-card game, then winning in Indy before losing in New England in the AFC Championship Game, they have to get some more home playoff games. And wouldn’t it be fitting if Eli Manning went up against the team he dissed in the draft and the Giants played the Chargers in the Super Bowl?
5. Colts
Tony Dungy, the most even-tempered coach in a volatile league, has to be concerned that his entire season was on the operating table last week. Peyton Manning has missed just one snap due to injury during the first 10 years of his career. He has started 160 consecutive games, the longest active quarterback streak in the NFL unless Favre keeps his going. But he had surgery to remove an infected bursa sac in his left knee and his rehab could take six weeks. That will put him perilously close to the Sept. 7 opener in the Colts’ new stadium against the Bears. If Indy’s season, even for a couple of games, is in the hands of backup Jim Sorgi, its five-year run as division champs will end.
6. Steelers
Usually players are oblivious to ownership issues, but it’s different when it involves an NFL and Pittsburgh icon like Dan Rooney. He and his four brothers each own 16% and the brothers want out. A non-family partner owns 20%. Rooney doesn’t have the money to buy out all his brothers (the team was valued at $929 million by Forbes magazine last fall), but if he can get to 30% controlling interest and find partners to buy pieces of the other 50% that his family now owns, the team will stay within the family. That is the most likely conclusion.
But if Rooney’s four brothers sell their 64% to one investor, then the Rooneys won’t have controlling interest. This could be a huge distraction as the Steelers try to bounce back from their disappointing wild-card loss at home to the Jags. Big Ben Roethlisberger is coming off a 32-TD 11-INT year.
7. Eagles
Donovan McNabb is over the shoulder tendinitis that bothered him last month during team workouts. If he’s healthy, the Eagles are going to be serious Super Bowl contenders. McNabb is now two years removed from ACL surgery and that’s when players return to where they were before the surgery. If McNabb slips, backup Kevin Kolb is in the on-deck circle.
There’s always something going on in Philly and now Brian Westbrook wants more money after his first-team All-Pro season with 2,104 yards from scrimmage. The Giants and Eagles don’t meet until Nov. 9 in Philly.
8. Browns
Derek Anderson should be looking over his shoulder from the first day of training camp because at the first sign that he’s a one-year wonder, you know the Browns will want to play Brady Quinn. Anderson threw 29 TDs, but four of his 19 INTs came in a crucial late-season loss that cost Cleveland the playoffs.
The Browns can score - 402 points last season - and have lots of firepower with Braylon Edwards, Kellen Winslow, Donte Stallworth and Jamal Lewis on offense. Trading for Shaun Rogers and Corey Williams will toughen up the front four.
9. Packers
Favre has taken the Pack for a wild ride this offseason. But this is a win-now league, so there is only one issue: Does Favre, coming off one of his best seasons, give the Packers a better chance to win in 2008 than Aaron Rodgers, who has played in one meaningful game in three years? Green Bay GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy have every right to be furious with Favre, but they should take him back.
Will it happen? No way. Too many hard feelings on both sides, culminating in the Packers filing tampering charges against the Vikings. I think Favre will be traded to the Bucs.
10. Saints
Jeremy Shockey would fit in perfectly in Sean Payton’s offense - and it’s still a possibility, especially if Shockey is a no-show or starts acting up when the Giants report to camp Thursday. After their magical ride to the NFC title game in 2006, the Saints had a weird 2007: They started 0-4, got to 4-4, then won only three games in the second half of the season.
Reggie Bush proved he’s not an every-down back after Deuce McAllister was lost with a knee injury early. They got tougher on defense by drafting Sedrick Ellis to play inside and trading for ex-Jet Jonathan Vilma. They also signed ex-Pat CB Randall Gay to help fix their No. 30 pass defense.
It’s nice to hear that teams will be coming after us rather than the Giants going after some other team. Of course these 10 teams can beat the Giants and so could the other 22 teams. I definitely want to see Big Blue in the Playoffs for the 4th consecutive year. It would also be nice to see how far they can go from there. Hopefully a repeat in Giants history.
The Upside to PSLs
On Friday, I wrote a post about the Giants’ PSL pricing. Near the end of the article, I included a quote by Kyle Burks, whose SeasonTicketRights.com Web site manages PSL sales for four NFL teams puts more of a positive spin on it by saying that, “Teams just haven’t done a good job on educating fans what they’re selling” and “The bottom line is that almost all seat licenses will appreciate over time”
I just found a pretty solid article titled ‘PSLs could be used as an investment tool’ by Maura McDermott of The Star-Ledger. I was aware that sports fans were able to buy PSLs and resell them in the future at a higher price if the demand is there, but I didn’t know anything specific about it which is why this article is a good read for those looking to purchase season tickets in the new stadium.
McDermott begins with a story about a couple who purchases PSLs to different stadiums around the country. The couple has a portfolio worth $280,000. Since this is supposed to be for fans, I believe that the NFL should not allow people to purchase PSLs to multiple NFL stadiums. If that isn’t a clue that these people are purchasing the tickets as an investment then I don’t know what is. How many people on the planet are that much of a fan that they will pay for PSLs in multiple stadiums and attend all home games at multiple stadiums? It is one thing if a person purchases one group of PSLs for each sport, but it should be limited to that. By that, I mean that a person may buy 4 PSLs for an NFL team, 4 PSLs for a MLB team, etc.
Further down in the article, McDermott asks if they are a wise investment for fans? She included numerous quotes about how good it can be and some quotes about how it hasn’t worked out so well. I definitely recommend that you give the article a read if you are a season ticket holder and are concerned about the PSLs.
Q&A Session With Plaxico Burress
Arash Markazi of SI.com had a Q&A Session with Plaxico Burress on Friday. Here are some of the questions…
SI: First of all, there’s been some confusion about your situation with the Giants. Will you be there for the start of training camp, on the practice field, ready to go?
Burress: Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’m just waiting on the Giants and my agent to get this deal done in the next few days or so, and I’ll be ready to get down to camp on time on the 24th.
SI: So you’re saying a deal is imminent and you’ll be on the field for the start of camp?
Burress: Yeah.
SI: You almost didn’t play in the Super Bowl after spraining your MCL during a fall in a hotel shower. In your book, you mention crying four days before the game after being told you likely wouldn’t play.
Burress: Yeah, I was very scared. I didn’t think I was going to be able to play. I remember I didn’t run for a week and a half before that. I didn’t know how it was going to feel on Sunday. They gave me some medicine to numb it up but the medicine wasn’t working too good because I was still hurting. The first time [it hurt] was during the warm-ups before the game. It was painful and frustrating because I wasn’t able to do the things I wanted to do, because I was hurting so bad, but I kept telling myself, “If there’s one game I can play with a lot of pain it has to be this one.” I found it in myself to somehow perform. I was just so frustrated that whole game — I don’t remember talking to anyone because I was in so much pain coming off the field and going to the sideline. I was hurting so bad that I just wanted to play one or two plays. I didn’t really think I would play the whole game.
SI: There’s some stuff in the book that’s going to come back at you during the season, especially the weeks you play the Cowboys. You wrote: “The Cowboys don’t talk a lot of trash. They don’t want to get me riled up. You know, their secondary is not that good anyway. Terrence Newman is a good player and I like Kenny Hamlin. But outside of them, there’s not much.” Any concerns?
Burress: Not at all. I’m a very honest person and when I look in the mirror and be honest with myself it’s easy to tell the truth and tell the things that you see. I didn’t have any problem writing or saying anything that was in the book.
SI: The hardest thing for a champion to do is repeat; especially in the NFL where lately we’ve seen Super Bowl teams not even make it to the playoffs the year after a title. What’s your mindset going into this season?
Burress: I want to win another just as bad. When you get one, you want to do it again. That’s what we play for, and when you put that ring on, it’s a daily reminder of all the hard work you put in to get to that point. I think we’re going to be better than we were last year, and I expect us to win it again.
Training Camp is only days away so it seems like Burress won the battle against the Giants. I expected that all along because the Giants couldn’t have made an example of Plaxico and Shockey at the same time. They wouldn’t have any playmakers left if they did that so I figured that they would’ve given into Burress and gotten rid of Shockey. However, it seems like the Jints caved into both players at this point in time.
Will Big Blue Repeat?
Bob Glauber of Newsday asks ‘Will the Super Bowl Championship go to the Giants’ heads?’ Glauber’s argument is, “Repeating as Super Bowl champs is one of the toughest feats in sports; it has been done just eight times before. The Giants do look good on paper, even with the retirement of Michael Strahan, although they’ll have some new faces defensively. It is awfully tough to repeat in this league, and the Cowboys and Eagles remain viable threats. But I will not write off the Giants until I see definitive proof that they’ve taken a step back from last season. Barring key injuries, this is a serious Super Bowl contender.”
I believe that Bob’s argument is a good one. Keep in mind that the Giants had a very similar roster on paper heading into last season, and the ‘experts’ picked them to come in last place in the NFC East. Now they are a ’serious Super Bowl contender’. I love how people point out the obvious. I had the Giants as an 11-5 team heading into last year so don’t buy what the media is selling. The past few season, the Giants have had more offensive weapons on a Giants’ team at one time than I can ever remember. I’m referring to Eli, Tiki, Shockey, Amani, Plaxico, Jacobs, etc. When was the last time that you can remember the Giants having that many Pro Bowl caliber players on offense at one time? It was the defense that got soft the past few seasons which is not the norm. Spags came in and straightened that out in one season.
In another article in Newsday, Tom Rock says that the Giants will continue to use the “us against the world” attitude in 2008 because other teams around the league believe that the G-MEN just got hot at the right time last year. Shaun O’Hara said, “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.” Here’s what the Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning had to say, “I don’t think we’re satisfied. I think we are happy about last year, but we are not content with where we stand as a team and what we can do as an offense, as a team. We know that we can become a better group of players. We can have a better season.” In a similar article by Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, Vacchiano captured the thoughts of other Giants. Barry Cofield said, “We still feel a little bit of a sense of people saying that the Patriots lost. We still feel like a poor man’s champ.” Poor man’s champ…that’s a horrible feeling for taking down the undefeated Cheatriots. Brandon Jacobs said, “I’m not surprised. But if we haven’t shut up a lot of doubters yet, we can still shut them up next year.” Jerry Reese said, “I think it’ll definitely be addressed when we get into training camp and get everybody together. 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.”
That mentality was exactly how the Giants imposed their will upon their opponents. Look back at the Cowboys, Packers, and Patriots tapes and tell me that they didn’t win some of those games on heart alone. Antonio Pierce is probably the best player on the Giants that is also a leader that completely buys into this mentality. You could hear it each week when he called into The Fan. It is imperative that the Giants carry that attitude over to 2008 if they want to repeat.
