Die Hard Giants Fan

NFL.com had a poll where over 200,000 fans ranked all 32 teams for the 2008 season.  Here are the results:

1. Patriots - Core of team returns to avenge Super Bowl loss after perfect regular season.
2. Colts - Core of Super Bowl XLI team is still intact. Dwight Freeney should be ready for season.
3. Cowboys - Talented squad only got better during offseason with Pacman Jones, Zach Thomas.
4. Giants - Competition in NFC East should be tough as Super Bowl champs look to go back-to-back.

Who knows how this stuff works?  Big Blue is obviously the team to beat.  If you want your team to be No. 1 then beat the Champs.

According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, ”Cowboys cornerback Pacman Jones has received permission from the NFL to participate in offseason workouts, training camp, and the preseason.  However, he has not yet been reinstated to participate in regular-season games.”  It seems like Pacman may make it back into the NFL which is a shame.

Florio also reported that Terrell Owens will remain as a Cowboy because, “Owens, we’re told, will receive a signing bonus of nearly $13 million.  In all, he’s under contract for four years, and he’ll earn $34 million.”  Now we have to face this moron twice a year for four more years.

 Tuesday’s OTA Report - Michael Eisen pointed out that Amani Toomer was one of the more visible players on the field today.

Giants Bolster D-Line - Michael Eisen announced that the Giants signed DE Renaldo Wynn which other media outlets reported yesterday.  Eisen included a whole bunch of information about Wynn.

• Michael also reported that the Giants placed linebacker Keith O’Neil on their reserve/retired list.

New York Daily News:

Eli & Amani rekindle their chemistry - Ralph Vacchiano also covered the Giants OTAs.  Vacchiano also noted that:

• Jeremy Shockey, Plaxico Burress, Osi Umenyiora, Antonio Pierce and Michael Strahan did not attend.  AP is still on his honeymoon, and who knows where the rest of them were…
• David Tyree did not participate, though he was inside Giants Stadium doing rehab work for his knee.  “Tyree said his knee feels good and his rehab is right on schedule.  He expects to be ready for the start of training camp.”
• Derrick Ward “said he’s 90-95% healed from his broken fibula and isn’t limited at all in what he can do on the field.”
• Mathias Kiwanuka “said he’s getting closer to 100% too and didn’t seem limited on the field.”

New York Post:

WYNN LANDS WITH GIANTS

The Star-Ledger:

A few practice tidbits

Taking attendance at OTAs

Giants announce Wynn signing - Mike Garafolo included Jerry Reese’s and Tom Coughlin’s thoughts on the signing of Renaldo.

More on the Wynn signing - Mike Garafolo explains why the Giants didn’t sign Wynn until June 1 when Wynn first visited the Giants in mid-May.  Garafolo’s conclusion is, “Wynn’s signing on June 1 means he won’t impact the Giants’ chances for compensatory picks in next year’s draft.”

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Plaxico Burress is a popular guy these days.  For the second day in a row, he made a list on NFL.com.  This time, Pat Kirwan, “put together a list of the probable candidates poised to take the jump from solid starter to star in 2008.”  Pat’s list includes 10 players that he thinks will make the Pro Bowl for the first time in 2008, and Burress is number six on the list.  Here’s the explanation by Kirwan,

6. Plaxico Burress, WR, Giants: Burress established himself as a star during the Giants’ Super Bowl run. His performance in the NFC Championship Game in Green Bay set him apart from the pack. He has found the end zone 29 times in the regular season during his three years with the Giants. More than one fan claimed he’s the greatest offseason acquisition in the history of the Giants.

 Ice Cream Social - John Schmeelk informed us that Tom Coughlin hosted his annual Jay Fund Ice Cream Social at Giants Stadium on Friday.

New York Post:

WARD UPBEAT DESPITE MISSING SUPER BOWL - Derrick Ward had this to say about missing the Playoff run,

One of the hardest experiences I’ve ever been through. Being able to finally do something in the league and help contribute to the season we had and that not be able to play in the Super Bowl, I always dreamed about that when I was a little kid. I was just excited my teammates got me a Super Bowl ring.

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So after the big disappointment for Tiki Barber and his brother, what are the smiley twins up to? It’s been said he’ll be covering some events in the olympics but where is he now? no more Escalade commercials?

Well, can’t say too much against my old boy but what a “sellout”.

Here’s a rundown: His career was fading; He became a fumble star; He got some coaching from Tom Coughlin (how to carry the ball 101); He barely fumbled the ball; He started breaking Giants records; He became a great player.

He left the game for personal reasons but one that he pointed out was his discontent situation with Coughlin. Let’s see…tough love and become great or let career fade into nothing…um?

Yes, we all called him a cry baby and wished he would have shut the “F” up about the whole thing but isn’t it better that we won the superbowl without him?

If there’s one person that our championship hurt the most has got to be Tiki Barber. Aside from talking smack about our team he got to experience first hand the whooping we gave Tampa Bay and his brother Ronde Barber. Plaxico Burress outshined him in most plays and made that Bucs lethargic secondary look lazy.

So as you can see, we were not hesitant to give our new addition Kenny Phillips the #21. Although, this was in memory of the great Sean Taylor, the Giants agreed to this without any regards for Tiki at all. The number will not be removed and now I hope that Phillips gets the job done.

With all this said, does anyone know where Tiki is?

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Michael David Smith at ProFootballTalk.com also assembled a Giants Minicamp Report.  For the most part, it is the same as what is below.  The other day, Mike Garafolo of The Star-Ledger stated that Kenny Phillips might be wearing No. 21 as a tribute to the late Sean Taylor.  According to multiple articles below, it turns out that he was correct.

 Transcript: Coach Tom Coughlin - Giants.com had a Q&A Session with Tom Coughlin.

Rookie Mini-Camp Report - Michael Eisen reported on the first day of practices that the Giants held with 2008 rookies.

Transcript: LB Bryan Kehl - Giants.com had Q&A Session with Bryan Kehl.

Transcript: QB Andre’ Woodson - Giants.com had a Q&A Session with Andre’ Woodson.

Newsday:

Rookie Phillips grabs No. 21 in homage to Taylor - Tom Rock informs us as to why Kenny Phillips wants to wear No. 21.

New York Daily News:

Mario Manningham is a test case - Ralph Vacchiano lets us know why Mario Manningham is on a “short leash”.

New York Post:

TALK TO STRANGERS - Paul Schwartz stated that Coach Coughlin plans on having a chat with the rookies about his expectations.

MARIO LOOKS SUPER AT GIANTS MINICAMP

New York Times:

Safety Set to Blaze Path With Familiar Number

The Star-Ledger:

Even Gilbride’s unsure about Shockey - Mike Garafolo captured Kevin Gilbride’s thoughts on the Jeremy Shockey situation.

Woodson and Manningham hurt

Giants can invest long-term in Woodson - Jenny Vrentas discusses Andre’ Woodson’s role on the team.

Phillips’ 21 is a tribute

Afternoon practice report

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According to Mike Florio over at ProFootballTalk.com, the Cowboys got their eye on the Lions WR Roy Williams.  In order to obtain Williams, the Cowboys might have to give up their Safety Roy Williams.  How many times has a player been traded for a player with the same name?  I hope Jerry Jones keeps his Safety because he can’t tackle, the NFL implemented a penalty called the Horsecollar because he misses the first tackle and has to get the guy down to the ground somehow.

 Transcript: WR Mario Manningham - Giants.com had a Q&A Session with Mario Manningham.

Transcript: CB Terrell Thomas - Giants.com had a Q&A Session with Terrell Thomas.

Transcript: Coach Tom Coughlin - Giants.com had a Q&A Session with Tom Coughlin.

Transcript: Safety Kenny Phillips - Giants.com had a Q&A Session with Kenny Phillips.

Pair of Giants Honored - Michael Eisen pointed out that GM Jerry Reese and MLB Antonio Pierce received the 2008 Man of the Year awards from MAN (Minority Athletes Networking).  Eisen described MAN as,

A not-for-profit organization co-founded by former Giants Ron Johnson and George Martin in 1989, is dedicated to positively influencing the lives of disadvantaged youth in the tri-state area. The MAN scholarship/mentorship program has awarded more than $800,000 to more than 200 students.

Congrats to JR and AP.

Roster Moves - Michael Eisen reported that the Giants added two more rookie free agents yesterday:

• TE Eric Butler of Mississippi State
• Punter Owen Tolson of Army

Newsday:

Giants rookies Kehl, Goff are athletic, and smart - Tom Rock wrote up an article about Bryan Kehl and Jonathan Goff.  The Giants selected Kehl in the 4th round and Goff in the 5th round.  Rock noted how both players went to prestigious schools, and they should have no problem learning the playbooks.

New York Daily News:

Rookies ‘all over the place’ at Giants mini-camp

New York Post:

JINTS GET FEELING OF SAFETY WITH ROOKIE - Paul Schwartz pointed out that Kenny Phillips has his first chance to make an impression today during the start of the two-day rookie mini-camp at Giants Stadium.  Here’s what Coach Coughlin thinks of Phillips, “I think that he will compete. Obviously he is a young player with a lot to learn. He is going to come in and he is going to be humble and try to learn as much as he possibly can, but there is no doubt he has to be excited because of the opportunity.”

The Star-Ledger:

Rookie camp morning practice report - Mike Garafolo lets us know what type of day the rookie’s are having today at the mini-camp.

Giants announce two more rookie signings

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The NY Giants hooked up David Diehl with a new 6-year contract extention worth about $31 million.  Diehl played left tackle last season without making left tackle money.  Add winning the Super Bowl to your resume, and I guess you can get a $31 million contract.  Expect Diehl to be the starting left tackle for a few years because he’s getting paid to do so.

 Jay Fund Event Recap - Michael Eisen tells us how successful the Jay Fund Event was this weekend.

Breakfast Matters - John Schmeelk pointed out that Brandon Jacobs paid a visit to George Washington High School in Manhattan.  The purpose of Jacobs’ visit was to encourage children to eat three meals per day.

New York Times:

Coughlin’s Playful Side Has Deep Roots in Florida - John Branch also covered Tom Coughlin’s charity event this weekend.

The Star-Ledger:

Differing opinions on Strahan - Mike Garafolo lets us know how some Giants think that Michael Strahan will be back, and others think he will retire.  Garafolo also provided this video where Strahan tells us nothing new.

Giants reward Diehl with extension - Mike Garafolo reported that the Giants gave David Diehl a six-year, $31-million contract extension.  Diehl is a stud.  He bounced around the O-Line as requested by the team.  He ended up playing left tackle last season when the Giants cut Petigout.  Most of us never expected Diehl to be able to fill that void, but he did and deserves his extention.

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According to Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com, The ‘Boys have officially announced the signing of Maryland running back Keon Lattimore to a free-agent deal.  Lattimore is Ray Lewis‘ brother, and Jerry Jones must be hoping that he can quickly get into some trouble in Big-D.  That will add to the bad boy image that Jones wants wants to portray.

 Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation - Michael Eisen stated that Tom Coughlin Jay Fund Foundation will hold its 13th annual dinner and celebrity golf classic this weekend in Ponte Vedra Beach.

New York Daily News:

Amani Toomer: ‘No question’ Michael Strahan will return - On Wednesday night, Alex Marvez and Jerry Rice had Amani Toomer on as a guest on Sirius NFL Radio’s Late Hits.  Ralph Vacchiano provided the transcript of the interview.

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Today’s news is all about Big Blue’s vist to the White House yesterday.  All of the articles below overlap.  The funniest thing I read about it was that President Bush really believes in the Jessica Simpson jinx, and he blames her for the Cowboys losing to the Giants.  I would have told you that the Giants won because of multiple factors like Wade Phillips has an awful Postseason record, Tony Romo chokes in the Playoffs, T.O. is not a win first player, and the Giants ‘D’ was downright nasty in the 2nd Half of that game.  If President Bush wants to blame Jessica Simpson then that’s his choice.  I really don’t care.  Seeing Jerry Jones’ face after that game was priceless.  Seeing T.O. pretending to cry was also priceless.  I would love to see that more often.

 Inspirational Visit - Michael Eisen stated that the Giants visited the Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Giants visit White House - Michael Eisen lets us know what took place yesterday when the Giants visited the White House.

Transcript: President Bush - Michael Eisen provided President Bush’s speech at the White House.

Transcript: Coach Tom Coughlin - Michael Eisen provided Coach Coughlin’s speech at the White House. 

Newsday:

Giants visit the White House, meet real patriots

New York Daily News:

President Bush welcomes Giants

New York Post:

W. WALKS AMONG THE GIANT HEROES

BUSH LAUDS SUPER BOWL CHAMPION NEW YORK GIANTS

WHITE HOUSE SALUTE TO ‘FIELD GENERAL’ COUGHLIN

The Star-Ledger:

Giants at Walter Reed

White House turns N.Y. Giants blue for a day

Giants honored at the White House

NY Giants meet Bush, hijinks ensue

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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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The NFL announced the opponents that the G-MEN will face in the 2008 Preseason which gets me a little giddy because it’s a sign that football is coming.  Even though we know the opponents that the Jints will face in 2008 already, the Regular Season schedule will be released in a few weeks.  Once we see the order of the teams that they have to face, we can start breaking it down.

 Preseason Opponents Announced - Michael Eisen listed the Giants 2008 Preseason opponents:

• Week 1 - Carolina Panthers
• Week 2 - Cleveland Browns
• Week 3 - New York Jets
• Week 4 - New York Patriots

The Week 2 game against the Browns will be nationally televised at 8:00 pm on August 18, and the game will be televised on ESPN.  Regarding the other three games, the dates and times are yet to be determined.

New York Daily News:

Tom Coughlin’s changes fit for a title - Gary Meyers discusses the changes Tom Coughlin made prior to a season where Big Blue won the Super Bowl.  I was watching the Jets show on SNY last night, and I heard Eric Mangini say that he needed to make changes too.  In the copy-cat league known as the NFL, it seems like the Jets may win the Super Bowl if Mangini makes the necessary changes. LOL.

New York Times:

Redskins Are the New Adventure for Zorn - If you want to know more about the enemy, Greg Bishop talked to Jim Zorn about becoming the Head Coach of the Washington Redskins.

The Star-Ledger:

Are you ready for some (preseason) football? - Mike Garafolo discusses the Giants 2008 Preseason opponents.

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