Saturday’s Giants News: Final Mini Camp Report
So the Giants have concluded their final day of Mini Camp. The next 40 days or so are going to be much quieter since not much will be going on until they go up to Albany for training camp. I’m sure we’ll continue to hear about Burress and Shockey until it’s resolved. For now, Justin Tuck is expected to replace Strahan at left defensive end rather than moving Mathias Kiwanuka back up to the D-Line.
NFL.com is running a video called ‘Top 10 comebacks’. Big Blue made the list twice, once on the winning end and once on the losing end.
- No. 9: Giants 17-point comeback over the Eagles in 2006.
- No. 3: 49ers 24-point comeback over the Giants on Wild Card Weekend in 2002. This game just broke my heart. I was up at Mohegan Sun watching the game in one of the bars, and I had to drive back to Long Island so depressed.
Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com believes that Michael Strahan may come back if the Jints call him and say that they need him back when the season is about to begin.
Giants.com:
Born to lead - Michael Eisen expects Antonio Pierce to take a bigger role as a leader for this team now that Strahan retired. Pierce said,
I don’t feel that respect amongst the league. Talking to other guys throughout the league a lot of them said, ‘You guys played a hell of a game.’ A hell of a game - so the other 16 games in the regular season and the three playoff games really didn’t do anything for us. You hear that amongst players. We played a good game at the right time. Your quarterback got hot at the right time, your defense started playing ball at the right time. All those things are being said and heard, and that is fine and dandy. We have to do it again and the only thing we are shooting for is to win our division and get to the playoffs.
We are the underdogs again. We are not even picked to win our division, so there is nothing that has changed. The only thing that we have is the title of having the Super Bowl championship, of being the most recent Super Bowl champion. We are still the underdogs, and I think going into it we will probably be underdogs even at home again.
I know what they are saying, but I don’t worry about that. I am going to go about my business the same way I did last year. When Strahan wasn’t here for the whole OTAs, mini-camp, and training camp it was already starting to go that way last year. He came back and he picked up right where he left off. Obviously, he is not going to be here this year. But I am just going to do what I normally do, go about my business the same way. Obviously, I am going to be a little more vocal and I am going to have to be the guy to get after the guys a little bit more if need be.
I know AP loves to use the ‘underdog’ and the ‘us against the world’ mentality to prove everybody wrong. I think that the media is retarded for saying that the Road Warriors are not the team to beat, but maybe it will benefit the team in a positive way this year just like it did last year. Also, AP was the biggest leader on the team last season anyway. Not just on the field, but he represented the team off the field as well (i.e., his weekly spot on WFAN). He did a great job doing it also. He does need to increase his role as a leader now that Strahan is gone. It is funny how a guy like Pierce can become a leader because he was an undrafted free agent signed by the Redskins. The Giants got him and he’s already been one of the leaders of the defense. There are others guys who have been around much longer, but where are they?
Mini Camp Report Day Three (Video) - John Schmeelk and Michael Eisen discussed day three of this week’s Mini Camp.
Fierce Pierce Report (Video) - John Schmeelk had a Q&A Session with Antonio Pierce.
6.13 DC Steve Spagnuolo (Video) - The media asked Steve Spagnuolo about moving forward without Strahan.
OC Kevin Gilbride (Video) - The media asked Kevin Gilbride about Shockey and Burress not being out there on the field.
WR Amani Toomer (Video) - The media asked Amani Toomer if he thinks it makes a difference that he was the only one out there for Eli Manning to throw to.
Head Coach Tom Coughlin (Video) - The media asked Tom Coughlin about this week’s Mini Camp.
QB Eli Manning (Video) - The media asked Eli Manning about this week’s Mini Camp.
RB Brandon Jacobs (Video) - The media asked Brandon Jacobs if they have a different attitude this year since they won the Super Bowl.
CB Sam Madison (Video) - The media asked Sam Madison what he thinks about Plaxico’s contract dispute.
WR Sinorice Moss (Video) - The media asked Sinorice Moss what we should expect from him this year.
New York Daily News:
O’Hara: Media misinterpreted me - Shaun O’Hara had this to say to the media.
I thought it was quite humorous that all these intellectuals with pens and recorders could totally miss the point that was made yesterday I was frustrated with the media. I never once criticized anybody or any teammates. So you guys missed the point on that one. I was asked a general question about players in general. It had no relevance whatsoever to anybody. (It was) a general question about players wanting more money and new contracts. I’m always going to side with the players when they want more money. You have to handle your business. But what I said was that in my opinion that there was a right way to do things. I’m not talking about those guys (Shockey and Burress). I never was talking about those guys. I was speaking in general terms, my belief about the way I would handle it.
Ralph Vacchiano stated that O’Hara, ” has been a consummate professional with the media ever since he joined the Giants. He has earned our trust and the benefit of the doubt, so I’ll believe him that his intent was not to specifically attack two teammates. Only he knows for sure and I’m not going to try to interpret what was in his head.” With that said, Vacchiano included the transript of the interview and O’Hara did respond to the question specifically about Burress. I don’t think O’Hara should back down from what he said. He is the captain because he says the right things about the team.
The Star-Ledger:
Coughlin: Shockey an ‘issue’ - Mike Garafolo pointed out that Coughlin said that, “There is an issue.” when asked about Shockey’s mental state after practice, “but it’s not something that would prevent him from working.”
Final minicamp practice report - Mike Garafolo lets us know who impressed him on the final day of Mini Camp.
Rosenhaus cryptic about 80, 17 - Mike Garafolo provided the transcript from Drew Rosenhaus. As usual, Rosenhaus didn’t have much to say about his clients.
Michael David Smith at ProFootballTalk.com also assembled a 
