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Giants Blog

Giants' Manning calls Jeter 'role model'

July 11, 2011 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Anyone who has witnessed and experienced the way Derek Jeter comports himself in public and with the media understands this is a man with a plan. Anyone who has been around Eli Manning during his time as quarterback of the Giants realizes his plan is in many ways similar to Jeter’s.
	 
Both marquee New York athletes believe less is more and successfully navigate through what can be treacherous image waters by steering clear of controversy. Both are accommodating but often colorless with their comments. Neither ever gives up one of his teammates, which is why their teammates shower them with loyalty.
	 
Manning recently saluted Jeter’s 3,000-hit milestone with a brief message posted on the Giants facebook page. In typical Manning fashion, he needed only 26 seconds to make his point in a video for the Yankees captain:
	 
“Hey Derek, it’s Eli here. Just want to say congratulations on getting the number 3,000 hit. It’s very exciting. Being a New York athlete and seeing how you conducted yourself over the years you’ve been a great role model for me and still are. You’re the best and congratulations.’’
	 
For those who want to hear Eli, click
	 here.

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Giants cancel Albany training camp due to lockout

July 08, 2011 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

The Giants, after 15 consecutive summers holding training camp at the University at Albany, have decided to pull the plug on their upstate plans while the NFL lockout continues.With time winding down... Read on

The Giants, after 15 consecutive summers holding training camp at the University at Albany, have decided to pull the plug on their upstate plans while the NFL lockout continues.
	 
With time winding down and the NFL still not open for business, the Giants on Friday did what many other teams – including the Jets – have been forced to do. The Giants will not hold training camp this summer at the University at Albany – where they’ve trained since 1996 without interruption – because “of logistical and timing restrictions resulting from the league's current ongoing labor negotiations.’’
	 
Instead, the Giants will hold camp at their Timex Performance Center facility at the Meadowlands.
	 
“In light of circumstances, it simply became impractical for us to hold camp away from home,’’ Giants co-owner John Mara said. “The University at Albany and the Capital Region has been a great summer home for us for 15 years, and we have every intention of returning there in 2012.”
	 
Mara this morning called the president of the university, George M. Philip, to alert him that a return to Albany was not going to be possible.
	 
“While I was disappointed when John Mara called me this morning, I fully understand the Giants’ decision,” Philip said. “We have a strong relationship with the team and have enjoyed hosting their summer camp for the past 15 years. We will miss the vibrancy and excitement the Giants would have once again brought to the University and the region this summer. We wish them luck in the upcoming season and look forward to their return in 2012.”
	 
The Albany region has come to depend on the Giants arrival not only from a football fan perspective but also for an economic boost, especially to the eating and lodging establishments in close proximity to the school.
	 
For example, Across The Street Pub is literally across the street from campus and was a frequent stop for fans and Giants executives during their month-long stay in the area.
	 
“It’s gonna hurt, definitely,’’ said pub owner Mike "Ardi" Arduini, who estimated business picked up by at least 15 percent when the Giants were around. “It’s a real kick in the you-know-where. It’s gonna hurt our business.’’
	 
Arduini said he was shocked when Mara himself called with the news.
	 
“For him to take time out of his busy day, I give that man a lot of respect,’’ Arduini said. “His father Wellington used to spend a lot of time sitting here at the bar with us.’’
	 
Albany Mayor Jerry Jennings, a frequent spectator roaming the sidelines at training camp, said, “John called me this morning to let me know of the team’s plans, and I certainly understand and respect the decision. We have had a great relationship with the Giants organization for 15 years, and my office and our city look forward to this season and to welcoming the Giants back next summer.”
	 
Even though an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement is growing close and could be finalized by next week, the Giants determined they did not have enough time to transport their entire operation to Albany. The Giants also are saying that in light of all the missed offseason workouts, Tom Coughlin believes his time will be more efficiently spent at the team’s New Jersey base.
	 
The Giants are working on a plan to allow fans to watch camp practices.

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Clayton believes his experience will aid return to Giants

July 05, 2011 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

With the lockout ongoing and NFL teams bracing for what will likely be a shortened, condensed training camp, teams might put a premium on retaining veteran players in order to help streamline the learning curve. That could hurt rookies trying to make the roster and help experienced players cling to precious spots.
	 
That’s the opinion of Michael Clayton, a veteran receiver who didn’t do much last season in a short stint with the Giants.
	 
"I think that the quick turnaround, it will help me,"
	 Clayton told the St. Petersburg Times. “I made a decision to go play in the UFL and I got picked up. I was prepared to go play in New York and I was ready to go. They had young guys on their roster who had been there for two years who they still didn’t trust.
	 
"To be in that predicament in New York, with the short amount of free agency that we’re going to have, I think that’s really going to benefit me when we get back to playing. Everybody’s job is still on the line, but I think after eight years in the league, coaches have a lot of respect for guys, especially when you’ve carried yourself the right way.’’
	 
Despite what he perceives to be an advantage, Clayton faces long odds to stick with the Giants, as the receiver corps seems fairly well-stocked.
	 
Hakeen Nicks and Mario Manningham are back, Steve Smith, Ramses Barden and Domenik Hixon are returning from injuries and Jerrel Jernigan was taken in the third round of the NFL Draft. Clayton, 28, was signed last season after injuries devastated the receiver position and didn’t add much, with two receptions. He is a free agent and wants to return.
	 
“As an older, veteran team, they really have a lot of respect for veteran players," Clayton said of the Giants. "We [veterans] set the standard. It’s a great feeling. Coach [Tom] Coughlin is a great coach. He’s a no-nonsense guy. You know what you’re getting every single day. No politics, no [garbage]. You know what to expect. I played for Coach [Nick] Saban. It was the same way. You can always respect that.’’
	 
Clayton this spring was an active participant at quarterback Eli Manning’s passing camps and last week participated in a Buccaneers mini-camp.
	 
Clayton spent the first six years of his career with the Bucs, never living up to the promise he showed as a rookie in 2004, when he caught 80 passes for 1,193 yards and seven touchdowns – all far and away career highs.

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Giants' Tuck calls Eagles RB coward

June 30, 2011 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

The most contentious and bitter feud during this ongoing NFL lockout? Owners vs. players? Commissioner Roger Goodell vs. NFL Players Association head DeMaurice Smith?Not even close.The Giants vs.... Read on

The most contentious and bitter feud during this ongoing NFL lockout? Owners vs. players? Commissioner Roger Goodell vs. NFL Players Association head DeMaurice Smith?
	 
Not even close.
	 
The Giants vs. Eagles running back LeSean McCoy wins -- and it’s no contest.
	 
Consider the long-range verbal and Internet warfare a prime and silly example of what happens when football players have too much time on their hands, too many social media platforms at their fingertips, and too much pent-up aggression in need of release.
	 
Now Giants defensive end Justin Tuck has joined the fray, all-but calling McCoy a coward.
	 
After Osi Umenyiora’s claim in a sworn affidavit became public that he felt Giants general manager Jerry Reese broke a promise to come up with a raise or a trade, McCoy fired the first salvo. For some reason, McCoy saw fit to respond to Umenyiora
	 and did so via Twitter, stating Umenyiora was “soft’’ and “overrated’’ and only the third best defensive lineman on the Giants
	 .
	 
That prompted angry retorts from Umenyiora, who referred to McCoy as “she,’’ “a little girl’’ and “Lady Gaga,’’ and promised retaliation when the Giants play the Eagles. One of Umenyiora’s teammates, receiver Steve Smith, decided to involve himself, posting on Twitter pictures of the Giants celebrating after their Super Bowl XLII victory
	 then showing a picture of an empty Eagles trophy case.
	 
Now, enter Tuck.
	 
“Honestly I think social media has made people cowards," Tuck said during an ESPN radio interview. “Where I'm from, if you had a problem with somebody, you said it to their face and that was it. I think now people are hiding behind computers and smart phones to get out something they got on their chest. I don't know what's gotten into these young guys. I think Osi handled it the right way, and we'll handle it on the football field when we get the opportunity.’’
	 
The first opportunity, barring any lockout-related schedule delays, comes Sept. 25 when the Giants face the Eagles in Philadelphia.
	 
“Yes, we will take that personally," Tuck said. "He might want to watch some film before he starts talking about a defensive end of Osi's quality. I don't know where he would say something of that nature because obviously I think Osi's stats back up the fact that he's a pretty good NFL football player."

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Eli says Giants would accept Plaxico before Tiki

June 27, 2011 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Plaxico? Yes. Tiki? No. That’s the assessment of Eli Manning, who says he’d accept Plaxico Burress back with the Giants far more agreeably than Tiki Barber. “Probably Plaxico,” Manning said Monday on... Read on

Plaxico? Yes.
	 
Tiki? No.
	 
That’s the assessment of Eli Manning, who says he’d accept Plaxico Burress back with the Giants far more agreeably than Tiki Barber.
	 
“Probably Plaxico,” Manning said Monday on "The Dan Patrick Show" when asked which former Giants player would be more welcome back in his old locker room. “He has probably fonder memories, winning a Super Bowl, that catch for the touchdown in Super Bowl XLII. Tiki just ended on a bad note. It’s really a shame, he should be remembered as a great Giants running back and a terrific player — because he was — but the way he went out he burned a few bridges. ... So I think Plaxico would probably be welcomed back a little quicker.”
	 
NFL NETWORK ANALYSIS
	 
It was a critique by Barber not long after the running back left the Giants to serve as an NBC analyst that sparked Manning to respond in a very un-Eli-like manner. Barber said Manning’s attempts at leadership early in his career at times were “comical’’ and Manning shot back that Barber announcing his retirement from football at midseason caused an unnecessary distraction.
	 
“I responded back and I think guys liked to see that from me,” Manning said. “I didn’t want it to be a deal where it’s me vs. Tiki ... but I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.”
	 
Barber left the Giants after the 2006 season and is attempting a comeback at 36 years old. Burress hasn’t played since late in the 2008 season and spent almost 21 months in prison on illegal gun charges. He is planning his NFL comeback once the lockout is lifted.
	 
Barber will not return to the Giants and it is unlikely that Burress will, either.
	 
NFL Network analyst Warren Sapp
	 also recently criticized Barber.

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Giants plan to have camp in Albany

June 24, 2011 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

The Giants, unlike the Jets, have not pulled the plug on their upstate training camp plans. The Jets announced Friday they will not be heading to Cortland for camp this summer, but the Giants are... Read on

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Giants' Smith tackles Eagles RB on Twitter

June 22, 2011 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Steve Smith has Osi Umenyiora’s back.The Giants receiver did not stand idly by as Eagles running back LeSean McCoy last week started an unprovoked Twitter battle, calling Umenyiora “overrated n soft’... Read on

Steve Smith has Osi Umenyiora’s back.
	 
The Giants receiver did not stand idly by as Eagles running back LeSean McCoy last week started
	 an unprovoked Twitter battle, calling Umenyiora “overrated n soft’’ and declaring he is only the third-best defensive lineman on the Giants roster.
	 
McCoy was responding to Umenyiora’s claim in a sworn affidavit that general manager Jerry Reese promised the defensive end
	 would receive a large raise or get traded.
	 
Well, that didn’t sit well with Umenyiora, who responded by repeatedly referring to McCoy as “she,’’ revealed that the Giants defense calls McCoy “Lady Gaga,’’ and threatened that McCoy will pay for his harsh words.
	 
Smith then took up the fight, naturally also via Twitter. Smith first tweeted “The nerve of some youngsters running their mouth. Please don’t forget …’’
	 
With that, Smith tweeted a nice little photo montage consisting of three pictures. On the left was a shot of Eli Manning holding aloft the Lombardi Trophy, with a jubilant Tom Coughlin watching and applauding. On the right was a shot of Smith celebrating after Super Bowl XLII, looking joyful as confetti fell all around him that night in Glendale, Ariz.
	 
In the middle was a picture of an empty Eagles trophy case.
	 
Here is the link to Smith’s photo creation.
	 
Smith followed the picture with another tweet: “Eagles have a great team as do we. They’ve had our number lately but until you do something major, I don’t wanna hear it.’’
	 
Good to see the Giants-Eagles rivalry is alive and kicking, even during a lockout.

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Tiki 'started to shrivel' during lowest moments

June 20, 2011 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Tiki Barber admits there was more than one day when he would wake up, have coffee and breakfast and then “sit on the couch and do nothing for 10 hours.’’ Such was the state of depression that overcame him after a failed TV career and marriage left him far from the dynamic player and personality that seemingly made him a lock for an inspiring post-NFL career.
	 
“I started to shrivel. I didn't have that confidence. I didn't have that aura anymore,’’ Barber says in the June episode of HBO’s “Real Sports,’’ which premiers Tuesday at 10 p.m.
	 
The interview by Armen Keteyian is compelling and covers much of the ground first reported
	 exclusively in The Post on May 5, when Barber for the first time opened up about his attempted comeback to football, the depression he experienced, his failed marriage and new relationship with girlfriend Traci Johnson.
	 
ALMOST 'DEPRESSED,' BARBER TURNS BACK TO FOOTBALL
	 
In the HBO piece, billed as “Tiki Barber’s first extended TV interview since his comeback announcement,’’ Barber explains why at the age of 36 he has turned back to football four years after retiring from the Giants.
	 
“The game never needs you because there's always someone else to come and take your place," said Barber, clearly humbled by his fall from grace. “But right now, I need the game. I need to prove to myself that I can be successful at something. I know I'm going to be successful as a football player. I don't know why. The odds say 'No.' I'm 36 and I haven't played in four years. But I just know.’’

Anthony J. CausiFormer Giants star Tiki Barber works out at Joe Carini's House of Iron.

Barber said the seeds of a comeback were planted during this past Super Bowl in Dallas, where he was on the scene working as a correspondent for Yahoo! Sports. He said “old friends and current coaches’’ encouraged him to attempt a comeback.
	 
Barber also candidly admits his failings as a “Today Show’’ correspondent for NBC, saying “Once you sit down, you have to nail it. You have to connect with the subject. That’s a skill set that I had never used or worked on. I tried my best. I really did.”
	 
Barber does not agree that he failed because he did not put in the time or effort, a claim made by some of his former NBC co-workers.
	 
“I would be interested to hear someone say that to my face,’’ Barber said.
	 
Barber spoke of the breakdown of his marriage and the perception -- false, he insists -- that he walked on his wife, Ginny, when she was pregnant with twins to be with Johnson, a former NBC intern. Barber said he and Ginny decided to separate before his relationship with Johnson, but “Five months later, here comes the New York Post stalking me,’’ he said of the “Sneaky Tiki’’ front-page headline chronicling his personal life.
	 
Barber’s agent and friend, Mark Lepselter, tells HBO that Barber “was out of touch’’ during his decline and in “a self-induced coma’’ as far as not realizing the downward spiral he was in and the public reaction to his relationship with Johnson.
	 
As far as his return to the NFL, Barber stated he is convinced, “Not only am I going to be on a team, I’m going to be a big part of a team.’’

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Umenyiora threatens Eagles RB

June 17, 2011 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

The NFL lockout has brought to the surface some boiling blood between Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora and Eagles running back LeSean McCoy, players on arch-rival teams who clearly have no use for each other.
	 
McCoy, after hearing that Umenyiora in a sworn affidavit accused the Giants of reneging on as promise to either produce a new contract or else trade him,
	 ripped the veteran by tweetingUmenyiora is “Overrated n soft’’ and only the Giants third best defensive lineman.
	 
This, Umenyiora said Friday, is not going to end well for McCoy, who opened his mouth on the field last season but has now made the mistake of going public.
	 
“The first game we played them that’s when it started and the second game it really escalated,’’ said Umenyiora, who accused McCoy of ripping into his African heritage. “He’s taken it to a different level now with these comments he’s making. I really believe that was something between me and him on the football field and that’s something me and him were supposed to keep on the football field. He commented in a very inappropriate manner at a very inappropriate time. He’s going to pay for that. That was just stupid.
	 
“He said a couple of things he shouldn’t have said. I’m not going to play innocent now, I got into it with him, too, now. I definitely called him a couple of names also. He said some things he shouldn’t have said and now he’s taking it to a different level.
	 
“It’s definitely personal between me and him.’’

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Osi says 'no promises have been broken' by Giants

June 17, 2011 , ι By PAUL SCHWARTZ

Osi Umenyiora's preference is clear: He wants a new, lucrative contract with the Giants, wants to remain with the only NFL team he’s ever known.“That would be the most ideal thing," the defensive end... Read on

Osi Umenyiora's preference is clear: He wants a new, lucrative contract with the Giants, wants to remain with the only NFL team he’s ever known.
	 
“That would be the most ideal thing," the defensive end told The Post on Friday. “Is that going to happen? I don’t know.’’
	 
Umenyiora’s staying power with the Giants and his relationship with general manager Jerry Reese stormed into the headlines this week. In a sworn affidavit to be filed in federal court next month in Minnesota as part of the Brady vs. NFL antitrust lawsuit,
	 Umenyiora all but called Reese a liarfor reneging on a promise to either produce a new contract or else trade Umenyiora away. Based on his harsh language, Umenyiora sounded as if he wants out.
	 
He doesn’t want out. But he does want more money, and if he doesn’t get it he wants to be traded.
	 
“I’m not getting any younger, I’m 29 years old, I think I have about five very productive years left in this league,’’ Umenyiora said. “What the owners are trying to do now, maximize their revenue, it’s a business decision, and as players we also have to make a business decision for ourselves sometimes.’’
	 
The desire for a new contract isn’t news with Umenyiora but it came to clearer light when in the affidavit he states, “Mr. Reese told me that two years from the start of the 2008 league year, if I was currently playing at a high level, we'd either renegotiate my current contract so that it would be equal to that of the top five defensive ends playing or I would be traded to a team that would do that.
	 
“Before leaving the meeting, I asked Mr. Reese twice if he was absolutely sure that would be the case. He then told me that he was an honest and church-going man and that he would not lie, which I believed to the be the case.’’
	 
Sounds like someone distrusting of the team and looking elsewhere.
	 
“I never said anything crazy about Jerry Reese,’’ Umenyiora said Friday. “I think it’s been portrayed that I’m disrespecting the Giants or calling Mr. Reese a liar but that’s not what this affidavit was about. What is it, I was asked how the lockout was affecting me negatively or doing irreparable harm to me. The affidavit actually was a statement towards that. This was the time-period where my deal was supposed to be renegotiated or I would be traded, based on the conversation that I had. With the lockout for three or four months, it’s prevented that from happening because not only can’t my agent talk to the teams at all, not talk to Jerry at all, if the Giants were going to trade me they can’t talk to other teams. That’s how I’m being harmed by this lockout.
	 
“Nothing has been done yet, no promises have been broken.’’
	 
Late in the 2005 season, Umenyiora signed a six-year, $41 million contract extension that has two years remaining ($3.1 million in 2011, $3.97 million in 2012).
	 
Asked if he believes he is underpaid, Umenyiora said, “By regular people’s standards, by American standards, you can never look at a guy who’s making 4 or 5 million dollars a year and call them underpaid, that’s (not smart).
	 
"But in the same respect, you look at a guy like [Dwight] Freeney or [Julius] Peppers or [Jared] Allen, these guys are making 12, 13 in some cases 14 million dollars a year. In that case, you’re like, ‘Yes I’m underpaid as a defensive end.’ Whenever you see guys who are doing the same job you’re doing, and my numbers are comparable to theirs as far as my performance, and they’re making double and triple what you’re making … ’’
	 
As for moving out of his New Jersey apartment and living full-time in Atlanta, Umenyiora said don’t read much into it.
	 
“I mean I live in Atlanta,’’ he said. “That’s where I'm at, until everything gets resolved that’s where I’m going to be.’’
	 
Umenyiora missed the entire 2008 season after suffering cartilage damage in his knee and was slow to return to form in 2009, getting demoted late in the season and clashing with defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan. He rebounded in 2010 with 11 1/2 sacks and an NFL record 10 forced fumbles, production he feels warrants a big payday.
	 
“I think so,’’ he said. “I think given the season last year … I broke an NFL record last year! I think they would want me, but does it make sense to keep me, that’s something they’re going to have to answer. There’s a lot of guys there, a lot of guys who they have to deal with. Barry Cofield, [Mathias] Kiwanuka, who was having a very good year before he was hurt. Jason Pierre-Paul, he has to get on the field because he’s going to be a monster. They also have Justin Tuck, obviously one of the better defensive ends in football.
	 
"There’s a lot of guys who have to get on the football field. I’m quite sure they’ll find a way to figure that out.’’
	 
If Umenyiora wants to force the Giants to part with him, there is precedent: Jeremy Shockey after the 2007 Super Bowl season turned himself into such a distraction he was traded to the Saints.
	 
“Some players have taken that route, that’s the last route I want to take,’’ Umenyiora said. “That’s not something I would really want to do, especially in New York. It’s been great, it’s been a fun ride, so I wouldn’t want to do anything like that. But at the end of the day from a business standpoint I’m going to have to take care of yourself, you have to.’’
	 
As far as his health, Umenyiora said he is better than ever after offseason hip surgery to clean up a lingering problem.
	 
“I had like a 3-inch bone that was growing out of there and they took that out so I’m able to move freely now,’’ he said. “I feel very good. I took the X-ray, the bone didn’t grow back, it’s not going to grow back, it’s done. I’m 100 percent right now. I feel like I haven’t felt in years. I’m actually able to bend without feeling that pain in my hip and I’m able to move without taking painkillers and taking shots and all those things I had to do just to stay on the football field. I’m able to go out there and do all those things without taking all that medicine so I’m happy.’’

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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.