Die Hard Sports Fan

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.

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A few days ago, SportingNews.com broke down the Quarterbacks in the NFC. Big Blue ended up No. 5 on their list. Yesterday, they broke down the Offensive Lines in the NFC. Here’s the Top 5 on the list…

1. Dallas Cowboys - “Three Pro Bowlers — LT Flozell Adams, RG Leonard Davis and C Andre Gurode — pave the way for one of the league’s most prolific offenses. The short-yardage running could be better, but that’s nit-picking.”
2. Philadelphia Eagles - “LT William Thomas and RT Jon Runyan are reliable but aging bookends. RG Shawn Andrews is nearing elite status. The massive line is better suited for a power rushing attack than the team’s pass-happy scheme.”
3. Minnesota Vikings - “LG Steve Hutchinson, C Matt Birk and LT Bryant McKinnie make life easier for RB Adrian Peterson, but McKinnie sometimes struggles in pass protection. The right side has been a problem but is improving.”
4. Green Bay Packers - “LT Chad Clifton and RT Mark Tauscher offer the security QB Aaron Rodgers needs, though Clifton isn’t as strong in the running game. Feisty C Scott Wells uses technique and leverage to get the job done.”
5. New York Giants - “The unit of LT David Diehl, LG Rich Seubert, C Shaun O’Hara, RG Chris Snee and RT Kareem McKenzie includes no superstar but has no weak link. It protects Eli Manning and excels in the power running game.”

The Cowboys do have a massive O-Line which bothers me because it makes it a little more difficult for the Giants to get through. I never thought the Eagles had a great O-Line, rather I thought they had a really good Quarterback who avoids getting sacked except in Osi’s 6 sack game. I don’t know much about the Vikings’ or the Packers’ Offensive Lines. They are correct by stating that the Giants don’t have a superstar, but they play very well together.

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Earlier this morning, ‘Boomer and Carton’ of WFAN talked to Giants Center Shaun O’Hara to get his opinion on Jeremy Shockey and Plaxico Burress.  To hear the interview in its entirety, click here.

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I’m definitely going to tune into TLC tonight when they make the Giants bike on American Chopper.  There is an article below about it below, and it airs at 9 PM EST.

Giants.com:

Anheuser-Busch signs cornerstone partnership - “The New Meadowlands Stadium Co. announced today that Budweiser and Bud Light will become the second cornerstone partner of the greatest stadium venture in National Football League history. The agreement grants Budweiser and Bud Light a significant presence in and around the new Meadowlands Stadium when it opens in 2010, and extends the beers’ malt beverage sponsorship of both the New York Jets and the New York Giants. With the signing of this sponsorship deal, 50 percent of the cornerstones have been sponsored by leading international companies.”

American Chopper, Giants style - Michael Eisen says to tune into TLC tonight at 9 PM EDT to watch the making of the Giants bike on “American Chopper”.  Eisen wrote that, “The ultimate Giants fan bike has been designed and produced by Orange County Choppers, a custom motorcycle manufacturer founded and run by Giants fans Paul Teutul, Sr. and Paul Teutul, Jr.”  Orange County Choppers is a shop up in Newburgh, NY that builds custom choppers.  I recommend that you make the trip up there because they got some of the best looking choppers you will ever see.

Sirius: Shaun O’ Hara (Video) - Giants C Shaun O’ Hara is a guest on Sirius Radio.

New York Times:

The N.F.L. Grows a Little Quieter - Here are a few excerpts from an article put together by the AP…

• “Favre, Strahan and Sapp have retired, costing the N.F.L. three potential first-ballot Hall of Famers with extra-large-sized personalities.”
• “Top players retire from the N.F.L. every year, and the league’s popularity never seems to wane. But professional football will not be as much fun without Favre, Strahan and Sapp — players whose exploits on the field were exceeded only by their ability to yap off it.”

The Star-Ledger:

Bradshaw’s lawyer confirms there’s no new incident - Bradshaw’s lawyer, Charlie Stacy, released this statement…

Ahmad Bradshaw is currently serving a 30-day jail sentence in Abingdon Regional Jail in Virginia on a probation violation charged out of the Tazewell County Juvenile and Domestic Relations Court. The underlying charge in this matter stems from an offense that occurred while Mr. Bradshaw was a juvenile. Mr. Bradshaw has not been charged with any offense since being drafted by the New York Giants and is eager to put this matter behind him and be in training for the next season.

Full Plax interview - The other day, Mike Garafolo included a portion of Plaxico’s interview on Philly’s Sportsradio 610 WIP-AM.  Now, Garafolo has the entire interview.  You must download an mp3 file to hear it.

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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.

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Apparantly, Chad Johnson is doing the same thing in Cincinnati as Plaxico Burress is doing here in New York.  The only difference is the reason why they said they haven’t been participating.  Ocho Cinco claims he is injured like Jeremy Shockey rather than saying he wants more money.  Mike Florio of SportingNews.com wonders if these tactics will backfire and if either one of these players will get suspended.  Florio pointed out that:

Though the NFL’s club discipline schedule does not expressly allow teams to fine players for refusing to practice, the collective bargaining agreement permits a team to fine or suspend a player for engaging in conduct detrimental to the team. Surely, refusing to practice when otherwise healthy constitutes detrimental conduct.

Refusing to practice is, in fact, the essence of conduct detrimental to the team because it defies the entire concept of “team,” in which each member has a job to do and does it.

Under Article VIII, Section 1 of the CBA, the maximum permissible fine for conduct detrimental to the team is one week’s pay. The maximum permissible suspension is four games without pay.

In addition to (and separate from) any fine or suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, refusing to practice also jeopardizes the player’s signing bonus, if the player’s contract contains appropriate forfeiture language. Though recovery under contracts signed after February 2006 is limited to 25 percent of the current year’s signing bonus allocation, it’s still a significant amount of money.

Regardless of how the Giants and Bengals deal with their rogue players, any failure by teams to take a stand against such disruptive behavior will result in more of it, and players who want more money will look for more ways to pressure teams into caving.

Now that was a very intersting article by Florio.  It seems like only the stars are trying to pressure the organization they work for to give them more money.  Since the stars are producing at a higher level than the rest of the team, the team’s record will suffer if the organization takes a stand.  The organization doesn’t have as many options now as they did when Free Agency began.  Who is the best receiver that the Jints can obtain now if they have to suspend Burress?  They won’t get anybody who is nearly as talented as Plaxico right now.  If Big Blue caves in then it says that they will cave in to others which isn’t good either.  If you remember from yesterday then you will remember that Mike Garafolo of The Star-Ledger wrote that Shockey could get suspended also.  The Giants do not have enough talent to have a successful season if they suspend both of them.  That’s for sure.  So which one do they suspend, the disgruntled one or the greedy one?  I say Shockey because his issues have been going on for years.

Giants.com:

centerXchange w/ Shaun O’Hara (Video) - John Schmeelk has an exclusive sitdown interview with Giants Center Shaun O’ Hara.

Mini Camp Report - Day Two (Video) - John Schmeelk and Michael Eisen report on yesterday’s Mini Camp.

The Star-Ledger:

Drew is in the ‘haus - Mike Garafolo pointed out that Drew Rosenhaus is at Giants Stadium today.  He believes that Rosenhaus is there to try to smooth things over with the organization about Jeremy Shockey and Burress.

Shockey’s spot still has spark - Mike Garafolo provides the latest status on Shockey and discusses the current TE position.

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Mike Florio of ProFootballTalk.com stated that CBS told them that they want Strahan to work for them.  So he may get offers from FOX and CBS.  One thing Michael is…is funny.  So expect him to be successful on TV.  Hopefully he doesn’t call out his former players or coaches a la Tiki.  Or maybe Strahan should do it because the Giants won the Super Bowl the year that Tiki did that.

Giants.com:

NFLTA: Strahan Top 10 Moments (Video)

Jerome Bettis on Michael Strahan (Video)

Rich Eisen on Michael Strahan (Video)

Coach Tom Coughlin (Video)

NFL Network: Shaun O’ Hara (Video)

Newsday:

Giants’ Strahan sacks his 15-year career

Giants lose a leader in Strahan

DEBATE: Will Michael Strahan play in another game?

Giants remain well-positioned at defensive end - Shaun Powell wrote that, “Strahan may be leaving, but as the Giants open a new era, the real story is who’s coming: Tuck from the left side, Osi from the right, Kiwanuka from either defensive end spot or maybe from linebacker.”

Strahan would be giant in TV booth

Bob Glauber’s top 10 Giants of all time - Bob Glauber list his version of the top 10 Giants of all time:

1. Lawrence Taylor
2. Michael Strahan
3. Sam Huff
4. Mel Hein
5. Phil Simms
6. Roosevelt “Rosey” Brown
7. Harry Carson
8. Tiki Barber
9. Frank Gifford
10. Andy Robustelli

New York Daily News:

Michael Strahan right to leave after winning Super Bowl

Retiring Giant legend Michael Strahan tells Daily News: ‘It’s time’

Mathias Kiwanuka could fill Giant hole left by Michael Strahan

For Mike Strahan, future is with mike

Why Strahan decided to call it a career - Ralph Vacchiano believes that Strahan retired because,

Sometime during the last few weeks, Michael Strahan sat down and made a list of reasons why he should play again in 2008 and the goals he thought he still wanted to accomplish. When he looked at the list, though, he noticed something disturbing:

He had a lot of individual goals listed - like reaching 150 career sacks - but he didn’t have many team-oriented goals left at all.

New York Post:

TUCK IN NO RUSH TO REPLACE LEGEND

MIKE LEAVES LIKE HE PLAYED - ON HIS OWN TERMS

The Star-Ledger:

Kiwi a LB or DE? Looks like both

Strahan: It’s time, I’m done

Giants’ Strahan always interesting

Giants have what it takes to Tuck in loose end

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According to Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News, wrote a post on his blog called The Blue Screen about how there are rumors out there about how unhappy Shockey is with his role on the Giants.  According to Vacchiano,

There are rumors - lots and lots of them - that he’s unhappy in New York and would welcome a trade. One friend of his recently said he’s expressed a frustration with his role in the offense and with the way it’s been portrayed in New York that the Giants’ Super Bowl run started when he got hurt. He’s also apparently a little worried that if the offense tanks next season, people will blame him.

Paul Schwartz of the New York Post, wrote a post in his blog called Giants Blog about Shaun O’Hara, the Giants’ player representative, is unhappy with some of Gene Upshaw’s recent remarks.

New York Daily News:

Eli Manning wants Jeremy Shockey, hopes it’s mutual - Ohm Youngmisuk covered the same story that the New York Post covered yesterday about Eli Manning wanting Jeremy Shockey back.

New York Post:

GIANTS: SHOCK NOT ON BLOCK - Paul Schwartz reminds us that Shockey trains in Miami in the offseason.  Nothing new is in this article.

New York Times:

Gumbel Resigns From NFL Network - Richard Sandomir reported that Bryant Gumbel resigned from the NFL Network on Friday.  Somebody needed to terminate that relationship.  As great as the NFL is, the NFL has created one of the worst channels ever.  The NFL Network should be able to hire the cream of the crop because they are the NFL.  It is in their control, unlike how FOX puts Joe Buck and Troy Aikman out there which is an embarrasement out of the NFL’s control.

The Star-Ledger:

Shockey absence adds fuel to rumors

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The rumors have surfaced…The Giants and Tom Coughlin are close to finalizing a contract extension.  We all knew that that was coming.  It was just a matter of how long and how much, but that hasn’t been fully disclosed yet.  Below, Bob Glauber included some guestimates that sources provided him.  The rumors are a 4-year deal equal to or greater than $20 million.  One of the things that bothers me most about Coach Coughlin is the way is always jumping and screaming on the sidelines.  My problem with that is more out of concern than anything.  He looks like he is going to have a heart attack on every down.  I don’t want to turn on the TV one Sunday and see T.C. drop to the ground.  So I have every right to be concerned, and somebody should tell him to retire, reside on a tropical island, and relax.

Giants.com:

Fans Take - Niraj Prasad gathered the thoughts of Giants fans throughout the 2007 season.

Did you Know? - Michael Eisen sat down with Shaun O’Hara and discussed his NFL career.

Newsday:

Giants ready to reward Coughlin with extension - Bob Glauber reported that “Two league sources familiar with the Giants’ situation told Newsday yesterday that there are few hurdles left in negotiations, and that a deal could be completed sometime this week. One source said the contract will be a four-year extension through the 2011 season. No financial terms were disclosed, but the deal likely will average about $5 million - or perhaps slightly higher - per season.”  The sources also expects the deal to be complete in a few days, and then the Giants will make the announcement.  I’m not a huge fan of Coach Coughlin.  I can’t put my finger on a reason, but I never felt like I can relate to him.  I have no complaints about this extension though.  He just became the only Giants Coach not named Bill Parcells to win a Super Bowl.  So mums the word.

The Star-Ledger:

A few tidbits (so you know I’m breathing) - Mike Garafolo pointed out that:

• Tom Coughlin is close to getting his contract extension.
• Gibril Wilson is a free agent.  The Giants have not given Wilson a new deal yet.  The Giants need to lock Gibril up so he does not end up in the hands of the enemy.
• Kawika Mitchell is a free agent, and Big Blue may offer Mitchell a 3-year extension.
• The Giants are trying to re-sign Derrick Ward.
• The Giants will be looking for a DB in the first round of the draft.
• The Giants may make some cuts in February.

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