Giants Blog

Giants Blog

Giants will have to monitor O'Hara's ankle

September 06, 2010 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

For now, center Shaun O'Hara is feeling good and believes the ankle problem that's kept him sidelined the past two preseason games will not prevent him from playing in Sunday's season opener. O'Hara, though, knows the issue is not a thing of the past and it's a condition that's going to have to be watched all season long.
	 
"I think we’re going to have to monitor it, and it’s definitely going to be one of those things that, if it does act up, what are we going to do during the week to try and take care of it,'' O'Hara said. "It’s not going to be something that is miraculously going to be gone. I’m sure playing in a game, we’ll really be able to see how it’ll respond after a game. If that’s what we have to do, I think I know the offense pretty well and if I have to rest it a little bit, I think I’m comfortable doing that. In my mind, I want to take every rep, and I don’t want to miss out on anything during the week.''
	 
Most likely, O'Hara will not be taking rep during the weekly practices, as he'll need to conserve himself at times for the games. O'Hara has Achilles tendinosis, which is different than tendonitis. O'Hara has to make sure he doesn’t over-work his tendon or else it will flare up on him.
	 
"I can definitely say it’s been frustrating,'' O'Hara said. "It was something that at one point it’d feel like it was getting better, and then it would take a different turn without exactly knowing why. It just was frustrating not being able to practice, and going into my 11th year now, I haven’t really had anything like this. It was tough every day not knowing how it was going to respond.''
	 
O'Hara was able to take part in this morning's brief practice. "It went well,'' said O'Hara, whose ankle was immobilized in a protective boot for the past two weeks. "It wasn’t a rigorous practice by any means. It was just good to get out there to run around and sweat a little bit.''

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

CB Ross improving, could be ready for Giants opener

September 06, 2010 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Tom Coughlin said this morning following practice that CB Aaron Ross is "getting better'' and expressed optimism that he could be ready to return from the plantar fasciitis issue in his right foot in time for Sunday's season-opener against the Panthers.
	 
"He's getting better,'' Coughlin said. "The reports are good, they have some things they got to try to work out in terms of comfort level with his shoe, but he's getting there.''
	 
Asked if Ross will be able to practice Wednesday, Coughlin said "No idea, we'll see.''
	 
Other Coughlin tidbits:
	 
Newly-acquired QB Sage Rosenfels was working on holding for field goals, getting snaps from Shaun O'Hara. Rookie punter Matt Dodge has been the holder all summer and will continue in that role. Coughlin said Rosenfels has "got to be ready. He's not THE holder but every one of these positions has to be backed up. He's the backup holder.''
	 
Asked if carrying only two tight ends on the roster is a concern, Coughlin said "It is.'' He mentioned that there are two tight ends on the practice squad (Jake Ballard, Bear Pascoe) "that are just an up-down away.'' Coughlin then added "What’s really important for us? Can we get [Travis] Beckum to go practice and stay out there? That's a big factor in this.''
	 
Darius Reynaud, acquired in the trade with the Vikings along with Rosenfels, has played both running back and receiver in Minnesota. He's wearing No. 15 and is listed as a receiver with his new team. Reynaud already has a definite role. "He's the punt returner for sure and we'll see,'' said Coughlin, intimating Reynaud could also be used for kickoff returns.
	 
There is no update on Corey Webster, who didn’t practice because of a strained groin that's been bothering him for several weeks. "Got to get him back on Wednesday,'' Coughlin said.
	 
Coughlin said this final round of cuts was difficult, with RB Andre Brown one of the toughest decision. Brown was claimed off waivers by the Broncos. "We knew in more than one spot there was risk involved,'' Coughlin said. "Unfortunately Andre was claimed, we just wish him well, that's all. You hope it's tough, it better be tough.''

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(1) Comments

O'Hara back practicing for Giants

September 06, 2010 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

The best sight for the Giants this morning was seeing center Shaun O'Hara on the field, participating and seemingly on schedule to start Sunday in the season opener against the Panthers.
	 
O'Hara had been shut down and his ankle placed in a boot because of nagging tendonitis and his availability was not certain. Unless he suffers a setback he should be good to go.
	 
The news was not as promising for CB Aaron Ross, who was nowhere to be seen on the field. Ross is dealing with the lingering foot issue of plantar fasciitis and he took was immobilized for a few weeks. There is optimism that Ross won't be sidelined much longer and there's hope he will be able to play in the first game. If not, the Giants could be short at cornerback, as Corey Webster (groin) was not practicing and could be limited for the game.
	 
Otherwise, as expected TE Travis Beckum (neck), LB Chase Blackburn (knee) were all on the field. Not practicing: LB Gerris Wilkinson, LB Phillip Dillard.
	 
The two newcomers acquired Friday in a trade with the Vikings were on the field. RB Darius Reynaud, wearing No. 15 and QB Sage Rosenfels, wearing No. 8, were both getting acquainted. Rosenfels is planning on switching to No. 18.
	 
Other expected number changes: WR Victor Cruz to No. 80. Other hairstyle changes: WR Duke Calhoun and practice squad CB Seth Williams both cut their dreadlocks.
	 
The eighth and final member of the practice squad is RB Charles Scott, an Eagles 2010 sixth-round draft pick who played at LSU. Scott is 6-foot and 238 pounds, a straight-ahead runner with power.

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Giants sign Bomar to practice squad

September 05, 2010 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Rhett Bomar for the second consecutive year did not make the Giants final roster and then signed to the practice squad. Bomar did some decent things in extensive playing time this preseason but no... Read on

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

Giants cut Bomar, Hagan, Alford, Andre Brown; Cruz makes roster

September 04, 2010 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

What turned into a glorious day for Victor Cruz was not so hot for a few players with ties to the Giants who saw those ties severed today. Cruz made it, others did not as the final round of cuts trimmed the roster to the league-mandated 53.
	 
Rhett Bomar did not succeed in his bid to win the No. 2 quarterback job, as he was done in by the trade for Sage Rosenfels. He also did not succeed in impressing the Giants enough to keep a third quarterback on the roster.
	 
The coaching staff did believe that Bomar made significant improvement this summer but ever since Tom Coughlin has been the head coach he's been inclined to keep only two quarterbacks on the roster. Bomar is eligible for the practice squad and it's likely that's where the Giants want to stash him. Bomar, though, must clear waivers first, and it's certainly possible that some team will like him enough to sign him to their roster.
	 
The Giants had to purge 24 players from their roster and a few qualify as surprises: WR Derek Hagan, RB Andre Brown and DT Jay Alford.
	 
Hagan, the veteran receiver, seemingly had a spot locked up as not only the fourth receiver but also as a valuable special teams player. Apparently, he wasn't deemed to be valuable enough.
	 
"It was a tough call,'' Coughlin said. “Derek Hagan is a very good special teams player and he made our team a year ago because of that. We felt like our situation, particularly at the gunner spot, had not emerged the way we wanted to. [Duke] Calhoun did a nice job the other night. He and Reynaud, along with a couple of other guys – D.J. Johnson – will get an excellent opportunity to help us in that regard. We need the power and the speed going down the field because of the young punter (Dodge) and we didn’t get many plays made out of the gunner position in preseason.''
	 
Hagan's bad fortune was a stroke of luck for rookie Cruz, the rookie receiver who completed a rags-to-riches type story by making the team. The Patterson, N.J. native was not drafted out of UMass and was supposed to be little more than training camp fodder but he began making the plays the second week of camp and never stopped.
	 
Surprisingly, another rookie receiver, Duke Calhoun, also made it – the only two rookie free agents to do so. The roster also includes five of the healthy 2010 draft picks and eight linebackers, meaning both Gerris Wilkinson and Bryan Kehl made the cut.
	 
“We put the roster together in the best interest of our football team, the best way in which we felt would possibly balance off our numbers and still be very much aware the way in which you would rank the ability level of all the players on the team,'' Coughlin said. “You’d like to think you’re ready to go in the first game and hopefully we won’t have to make as subtle adjustment as we go along.''
	 
Andre Brown was a 2009 draft pick whose rookie season never materialized because of a ruptured Achilles tendon. He endured a long rehab and looked to have made it back near his pre-injury form, at times running well in camp and in the preseason games. He's currently sidelined with a painful case of turf toe and with the trade for Darius Reynaud from the Vikings and the decision to keep D.J. Ware, Brown was deemed expendable.
	 
At the start of the summer it seemed as if defensive tackle Jay Alford was a lock, even though he was coming off knee surgery that forced him to miss the entire 2009 season. Alford as a rookie in 2007 had an impressive sack in the Super Bowl and was thought to be a player the Giants could use for years to come. He never really came back strong from the injury, though, and he was done in when the Giants in the second round of this year's NFL Draft selected defensive tackle Linval Joseph out of East Carolina. Also, the return to health and effectiveness of veteran tackle Rocky Bernard hurt Alford's chances.
	 
“It was competitive in that spot this year,” Coughlin said. “Even though we still feel like we have a ways to go to have the front that we say we have, it was a very difficult choice to have to make. Based on the competitiveness at the spot and the ability to rank the guys in terms of their production, we really didn’t, in all fairness, have a lot of choice.''
	 
It is surprising but not shocking that Bear Pascoe was one of the cuts, considering he was the only tight end to make it all the way through training camp without experiencing any sort of physical problem. Pascoe endured through the summer but couldn’t make it onto the roster, as for now the Giants will go with only two tight ends – Kevin Boss and injured Travis Beckum (neck, groin), meaning they’ll be scouting the waiver wire for another able-bodied tight end.
	 
“There was an awful lot of sentiment for Bear, because of what he was able to do,” Coughlin said. “There was an entire week in practice when he allowed us to practice. I had to cut some snaps out, he was the guy that kept us going. And when you’d go to him and think he might be a little fatigued, he’d say just the opposite – ‘Bring it on coach, I can do it.’ That attitude is a tremendous thing.”
	 
Guy Whimper was about to enter his fifth season with the Giants but he never progressed to the point where he cracked the starting lineup. The late training camp addition of Shawn Andrews signaled the end of the line for Whimper, who was cut.
	 
Otherwise, there were no big surprises.
	 
The cuts:
	 
QB Rhett Bomar
	 
QB Dominic Randolph
	 
TE Scott Chandler
	 
DE Tommie Hill
	 
DT Nate Collins
	 
S John Busing (contract terminated)
	 
OL Jim Cordle
	 
OL Dennis Landolt
	 
DT Dwayne Hendricks
	 
WR Tim Brown
	 
RB Gartrell Johnson
	 
OL Jacob Bender
	 
FB Jerome Johnson
	 
WR Derek Hagan (contract terminated)
	 
DT Jay Alford
	 
DE Alex Hall (waived injured)
	 
OL Guy Whimper (contract terminated)
	 
OL Herb Taylor
	 
TE Bear Pascoe
	 
RB Andre Brown
	 
S Sha'reff Rashad
	 
S Matt O'Hanlon
	 
CB Courtney Brown (waived injured)
	 
CB Seth Williams
	 
There likely will be a change or two before the start of the regular season. For now, these are your 2010 New York Giants:
	 
OFFENSE (24)
	 
Quarterbacks (2
	 ):Eli Manning, Sage Rosenfels,
	 
Running Backs (4):Brandon Jacobs, Ahmad Bradshaw, D.J. Ware, Darius Reynaud
	 
Fullbacks (1): Madison Hedgecock
	 
Wide Receivers (6):Steve Smith, Mario Manningham, Hakeem Nicks, Ramses Barden, Victor Cruz, Duke Calhoun
	 
Tight Ends (2):Kevin Boss, Travis Beckum
	 
Offensive Linemen (9):David Diehl, Rich Seubert, Shaun O’Hara, Chris Snee, Kareem McKenzie, Will Beatty, Adam Koets, Shawn Andrews, Mitch Petrus
	 
DEFENSE (26)
	 
Defensive Linemen (9):Justin Tuck, Barry Cofield, Chris Canty, Mathias Kiwanuka, Osi Umenyiora, Rocky Bernard, Dave Tollefson, Jason Pierre-Paul, Linval Joseph
	 
Linebackers (8):Jonathan Goff, Michael Boley, Keith Bulluck, Bryan Kehl, Clint Sintim, Chase Blackburn, Phillip Dillard, Gerris Wilkinson
	 
Cornerbacks (5):Corey Webster, Terrell Thomas, Aaron Ross, Bruce Johnson, D.J. Johnson
	 
Safeties (4):Antrel Rolle, Deon Grant, Kenny Phillips, Michael Johnson
	 
SPECIALISTS (3)
	 
Kicker (1):Lawrence Tynes
	 
Punter (1):Matt Dodge
	 
Long Snapper (1):Zak DeOssie

UPIThat didn't last long -- hours after it appeared backup Rhett Bomar made the final roster, he, reciever Derek Hagan, defensive tackle Jay Alford and others were.

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(5) Comments

Giants' preseason wrapup: Bomar makes strides in bid for backup role

September 03, 2010 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Did Rhett Bomar do enough to secure the Giants backup quarterback job?Bomar was supposed to be competing to show the Giants he was enough of a prospect for them to put a third quarterback on the... Read on

Did Rhett Bomar do enough to secure the Giants backup quarterback job?
	 
Bomar was supposed to be competing to show the Giants he was enough of a prospect for them to put a third quarterback on the roster, something the team hasn’t done the past few seasons. Once Jim Sorgi was lost for the season with a shoulder injury, Bomar became the only option, unless the Giants want to go out and find someone with more experience soon to be on the open market.
	 
"I think you’re always available to look at what options are out there, but there isn’t any question Rhett has improved and he has more confidence, he has more poise, he's running the huddle better,'' Tom Coughlin said today. "He's had a couple of back-to-back weeks of two-minute experience that he's handled very well. There's progress there, there isn’t any doubt about it. If we can eliminate the interceptions I’d be even more happy.''
	 
Bomar, a fifth-round draft pick in 2009, spent last season on the practice squad. He started one preseason game in place of Eli Manning (12 stitches in his forehead) and went the distance in a loss to the Steelers. For his final preseason showing, Bomar last night led the Giants on a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, tossing a 60-yard touchdown pass to rookie Duke Calhoun with 1:49 remaining for a 20-17 victory over the Patriots.
	 
"As far as a guy who's been impressive in the way in which he's improved in training camp I don’t think there's any doubt he's improved,'' Coughlin said.
	 
*
	 
Two weeks ago, Keith Bulluck sounded confused about moving from middle linebacker to an outside spot even though he played weak side linebacker for a decade in Tennessee. Bulluck didn’t mind the move at all but was worried he had to start all over again with the learning process with his new team.
	 
He said today "I'm just going with the assumption that I'm playing outside linebacker'' and added his role "is not unclear to me, it’s just I don’t have a definitive answer for you.''
	 
Bulluck also stressed "this was probably the best preseason came I've had'' because of all the mental preparation he's endured coming off knee surgery and learning a new defense and unfamiliar surroundings.
	 
As for his readiness to handle a starting job, Bulluck said "I definitely am. I feel I'm prepared to play a full game.''
	 
*
	 
Both C Shaun O'Hara and CB Aaron Ross are walking around in protective boots, O'Hara to protect tendonitis in his ankle and Ross to deal with plantar fasciitis in his foot. Coughlin said he's not sure if either will be ready to practice Wednesday for the first work for the Panthers. He's hoping the next few days will provide more time to heal for both players and he's also hopeful that TE Travis Beckum (neck) can return next week. … Rookie LB Phillip Dillard (hamstring) is day-to-day. "Maybe a week,'' Coughlin said. … RB Andre Brown was having trouble last week with a turf toe injury until he was finally shut down prior to the game. His status is uncertain for the opener.
	 
Coughlin said he was pleased to see Mario Manningham's 20-yard punt return but overall, the return game has been lacking. Still, Coughlin said "I don’t know if we have to go out and find one,'' adding D.J. Ware has been held out of kickoff returns because he was coming off a concussion.
	 
S Antrel Rolle was fined $7,500 for what was deemed unnecessary roughness on hit last week on Ravens WR Mark Clayton that resulted in a concussion to Clayton.
	 
The final cut-down comes tomorrow, with 22 players coming off the roster to get down to the 53-man limit. Veterans on the bubble include LB Gerris Wilkinson (or Bryan Kehl) and C Adam Koets. If the decision is made to go with four running backs, Gartrell Johnson is likely to go, unless D.J. Ware is the odd-man out.
	 
Coughlin said Johnson "ran well at the end of the game, very powerful'' and that Ware was "very quick, very elusive.''
	 
LG Shawn Andrews, the former Eagles Pro Bowler signed on the last day of training camp, continues to impress. "He showed his power last night,'' Coughlin said. "He has work to do on his assignments as we get more sophisticated.''

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(1) Comments

Coughlin 'surprised' by unhappy Jacobs' comments

September 03, 2010 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Tom Coughlin said today he was surprised to read comments from Brandon Jacobs that he's upset and frustrated about being demoted to the No. 2 running back behind Ahmad Bradshaw."I was surprised to... Read on

Tom Coughlin said today he was surprised to read comments from Brandon Jacobs that he's upset and frustrated about being demoted to the No. 2 running back behind Ahmad Bradshaw.
	 
"I was surprised to see that today,'' Coughlin said. "I'm really not going to comment on that. I think we have always been a multiple running back situation, nothing has changed. The big thing that's important is Brandon is as healthy as he's ever been prior to the start of the season and that's a good thing. So we're looking forward to the opportunity to play with our multiple running game, with our ability to use our power back along in combination with Ahmad and with Danny Ware, we're looking forward to that. At this point in time I do feel good about our ability to use multiple people in that spot. As you well know over a 16-game season you're gonna need 'em.''
	 
Jacobs on Thursday night did not get any rushing attempts in the 20-17 preseason victory over the Patriots
	 and afterward told ESPN.com"No one's your friend in this business. This is a cutthroat, backstabbing business. That's just the way it goes. It's been like that before me. If you expect anything else out of a business like this, you're crazy.''
	 
Jacobs also said "It's almost hard to stay positive in a situation like this, but that's what I've got to do" and that he was never informed of Bradshaw claiming his starting job. "Nope, they don't talk to me about anything - they do what they do," he said.
	 
Asked if the situation was ever explained to Jacobs, Coughlin said, "I'm not sure of all of that. We did have a conversation today and he's well aware of where we are and what we're doing. He's very, very confident of his relationship with [running backs coach] Jerald Ingram, he and Jerald I believe are on the same page. I don’t think there's an issue there.''
	 
In training camp, Bradshaw almost always ran with the starting offense. Bradshaw is coming off surgeries to both feet and one ankle, and Jacobs was coming off knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
	 
"The idea of having all these guys healthy has always been our first and foremost to prepare them, get them ready to go, keep them healthy as best you can,'' Coughlin said. "Obviously you've got to put the work in but that's always been one of the objectives. To the extent of how the individual is used in these preseason games is always a regard for how many snaps. It's all thoroughly planned. Brandon didn't get the number of snaps that was intended for him last night but the end result of having him ready to go for the season is still in place.''

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(9) Comments

Giants' Jacobs upset with role: report

September 03, 2010 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Brandon Jacobs did not get a single rushing attempt in the Giants' 20-17 preseason-ending victory over the Patriots on Thursday and he's upset about seemingly being ousted from the starting running back job by his buddy Ahmad Bradshaw.
	 
"No one's your friend in this business,''
	 Jacobs told ESPN.com after the game. "This is a cutthroat, backstabbing business. That's just the way it goes. It's been like that before me. If you expect anything else out of a business like this, you're crazy.''
	 
Jacobs in training camp watched as Bradshaw received the first carry with the starting offense in almost every practice. Jacobs has been used sparingly this summer, with 10 rushing attempts (for 43 yards) in three games. He did not play in the second game against the Steelers because of a stiff neck.
	 
Tom Coughlin has been non-committal about the identity of his starting running back, stating more than one will play, but the handwriting certainly appears to be on the wall for Jacobs.
	 
"It's almost hard to stay positive in a situation like this, but that's what I've got to do," Jacobs said.
	 
Jacobs said he hasn't been told of any demotion. "Nope, they don't talk to me about anything -- they do what they do," he said.
	 
Jacobs in February of 2009 signed a four-year, $25 million contract extension and he believes he's been under more scrutiny following that deal. He was slowed most of last season by a knee problem that required offseason arthroscopic surgery.
	 
"If I would have stayed making minimum, this wouldn't be a problem," Jacobs said. "Once you get paid, you're always in danger of running into problems like this. It doesn't matter who you are or what team or organization you play for, that's just the way it is."

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(6) Comments

Cruz on verge of making Giants

September 02, 2010 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Undrafted wide receiver Victor Cruz had already done enough to warrant a spot on the Giants roster, and his goal for the final preseason game was this: Don't screw it up."You kind of start thinking... Read on

Undrafted wide receiver Victor Cruz had already done enough to warrant a spot on the Giants roster, and his goal for the final preseason game was this: Don't screw it up.
	 
"You kind of start thinking maybe I have a shot here,'' said Cruz, out of UMass and Paterson, N.J. "But it was definitely a long shot. You still want to keep pushing, keep striving.''
	 
And if he finishes what he started?
	 
"It'd be surreal,'' Cruz said. "Honestly I’d probably cry if I find out I made the team. It’s just a crazy feeling to come up the way I came up and the struggles that I’ve been through. To make any team, not only this team, would be fantastic.''
	 
Cruz headed into the final preseason game leading all NFL receivers with 241 yards and four touchdown catches in the first three. His 12 receptions put him second, one behind Bengals rookie Jordan Shipley.
	 
The next trick for Cruz is to show the coaching staff that he deserves to get a uniform on game day. That is why his work on special teams is vital. There's a need for return men on both kickoffs and punts and thus far Cruz has been given a look on punt returns. He flubbed his second attempt in a game, fumbling it out of bounds.
	 
If Cruz can make enough of an impression to be used in that role, it will make him that much more valuable to be considered the 45 active players on Sundays.
	 
"The thing that all those young guys — you preach, but sometimes they don't listen — that it's going to be special teams," Tom Coughlin said. "If he can help us on special teams, it's going to be a tremendous asset for him and much more for us to evaluate.''
	 
Coughlin usually keeps six receivers on the roster and another on the practice squad. At the start of the summer it figured the best Cruz could do was stick on the practice squad, unless the Giants were finally ready to pull the plug and let go of Sinorice Moss – a former second-round pick with little to show for his first four years.
	 
Moss, though, was having his typically solid training camp and there didn’t seem to be any place to put Cruz. Moss couldn’t endure. He was sidelined with a groin injury that eventually was diagnosed as a sports hernia. He underwent surgery this past week and was placed on season-ending injured reserve.

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(1) Comments

Osi: Giants are the sun

September 01, 2010 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

The annual Giants Kickoff Luncheon is always an event geared to stoking the fans with inspirational speeches from the head coach and select players, all in one way or another promising that good times are coming for the upcoming season.
	 
Wednesday's event, held at the New Meadowlands Stadium, was no different, except that Osi Umenyiora, the defensive representative, took an unusual approach as he delivered his message.
	 
"If you have an opportunity to meet any elderly African people, or like me, growing up in an African household, you realize that they never answer questions straight,'' Umenyiora said. “They answer with a riddle. For example, I’d ask my dad, ‘What time to do you want me to wake up in the morning?’ He’d say, ‘Waking up is very important, and the early bird will always catch the worm,’ and I’m like, ‘I’m 5 years old, give me a straight answer, please.’ I’ll say, ‘Dad, I need new shoes,’ and he’d say, ‘It’s obvious you need new shoes, but a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.’ ‘Man, what’s going on with you, dad?’
	 
"It’s very annoying, and I’m going to take this opportunity to be equally annoying to speak to you in riddles and parables. I think in discussing the 2010 New York Giants, the one thing I would say is this: Individually, the team is like stars, but the team is the sun. While we might all shine, when the sun comes up, we all disappear. I’m quite sure you Giants fans understand exactly what I’m talking about, but there are some players on our team who have no idea what I just said. I’ll say this again, and by the way, they’re all on defense. Individually, the team is like stars, but the team is the sun. While we might all shine, when the sun comes up, we all disappear. That’s the mantra this year: team first, team last, team everything. We will be physical, we will be aggressive, we will be a dominant football team.
	 
"I would like to take this opportunity to personally apologize for everything that went down last year towards the end of the season. That’s not the way we play, that’s not the way we are coached to play, and I can personally guarantee you that things like that will never happen again. If you ever look at an EKG machine when it’s hooked up to a human heart, you see it keeps going up and down and up and down, all that does is indicate that a person is alive. The minute it flat lines, that means they’re dead. This team is very much alive, and though last year was a down, this year we will be back up again.''
	 
Tom Coughlin wasn’t quite as unique with his words but he did get his point across.
	 
"This past season, we lost two icons in the world of sports: John Wooden and George Steinbrenner,” Coughlin said. “As polar opposites as they were, they both stood for and demanded one thing: great effort. Wooden was a man of great effort, and great preparation, and he believed that’s how you succeeded. Steinbrenner’s personality, I think, was developed because he was a football coach. He worked for Woody Hayes as a G.A. back many, many years ago, but that’s where the football temperament came from.
	 
"I love this one quote, and I’m not going to put the team in here for that, but this is a direct quote of his, and you’ll all know what I’m talking about. ‘There are 5 million fans just like me sitting in front of TV sets with beer and hollering the same thing - I want this team to win. I’m obsessed with winning, discipline, and with achieving. That’s what this country is all about, that’s what New York is all about; fighting for everything. New Yorkers wake up fighting everyday of their lives. They fight for cabs, they fight for seats on the subway, they fight for promotions. You better believe we all want a team that fights the way that New Yorkers fight.’
	 
"We have an outstanding group of young men here representing the New York Giants, and they will fight for every yard. Lead, follow, or get out the way; that’s the way we’ve been talking since we started training camp here exactly one month ago. In order to achieve what we want to achieve, and get to where we want to go, we need everyone: players, coaches, front office, fans. We need our fans to have a magnificent experience here at the brand new Giants stadium. We need everyone involved. We need to make the opponent feel like there is no way he can come into this stadium and succeed. We need the noise, the enthusiasm, and we need everyone on the same page with regard to their support. There is good, there is bad, there are all kinds of things that happen in this long season, which is a marathon and not a sprint. If we are together as one, as we have to be, we will succeed.
	 
"Jerry Jones said that a hole in the roof in their new stadium was so God could watch the Cowboys play. We didn’t put a roof on our stadium so that God could watch the New York Giants play, along with Bob Tisch and Wellington Mara. Let’s make this a great, great experience for all of us. Remember, the destination is marvelous, but the real joy is in the journey.''
	 
The five starting offensive linemen – David Diehl, Shaun O’Hara, Chris Snee, Kareem McKenzie and Rich Seubert – were honored as the Giants’ Men of the Year for their work in the community. Former Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer was honored as the Alumni Man of the Year.
	 
All proceeds from the luncheon and a raffle held in the stadium’s Gridiron Club were donated to the Touchdown Fund, a program launched earlier this year by the Hackensack University Medical Center and the Giants that focuses on children and cardiac and cancer care.

PRINT
EMAIL
SHARE
- Yahoo! Buzz
- Digg
- Reddit
- Fark It
- Newsvine
- StumbleUpon
- Twitter
- Facebook
RSS

Post Your Comments ⁄

(0) Comments

↑ Back to Top

Viewing Page: 1 of 50

Next >

Subscribe to this Blog

About the Author

PAUL SCHWARTZ Paul Schwartz has been The Post's Giants beat writer since 1994. He's also covered the Nets, Knicks and college basketball. He is the author of two books, "Tales From the New York Giants Sideline," and his recently published "You're Wrong And You're Ugly" with Sid Rosenberg. Paul is a SUNY-Albany graduate.