Giants' Jacobs: Plaxico saga cost us championship

Thursday January 29, 2009 12:05 PM By Ryan Chatelain

If Plaxico Burress didn’t accidentally shoot himself, the Giants would be bathing in champagne Sunday while celebrating back-to-back Super Bowl championships, star running back Brandon Jacobs said.

“If we have Plax on our team, we go 15-1, and we win the Super Bowl,” Jacobs said. “I'm not afraid to say that, and I'll say it to anybody on any team.”

Speaking to reporters Thursday in Tampa, Fla., where the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals will compete in Super Bowl XLIII, Jacobs said the team’s chemistry changed with Burress gone.

“We had a different identity with him, and we didn't have enough time to change our identity to be effective at what we wanted to do.”

Burress was arrested in November after he shot himself in the leg while at a Manhattan nightclub. He faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of criminal gun possession. Days after the incident, the Giants suspended Burress for the rest of the season.Big Blue had a 9-1 record with their star receiver in the lineup, but was 3-4, including a divisional playoff loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, without him.

But Jacobs insisted he hopes Burress will return to the Giants in 2009 and that he had no feelings toward his teammate.

“A lot of people don’t know anything about what happens or how targeted we are,” Jacobs said. “I'm not going to blame him from protecting himself, but in the end he harmed himself.”

The Giants wouldn’t comment on Jacobs’ remarks Thursday.

Amani Toomer speaks up, shows concern for his future with the Giants

Wednesday January 28, 2009 2:55 PM By Max J. Dickstein

Photo by Getty

Amani Toomer has never been one to speak out against the Giants. But after Big Blue's dismal end to the season, Toomer chimed in, offering his two cents on why the Giant's couldn't recover after Plaxico Burress was removed from the lineup.

"The last couple of games I wasn't a big part of the offense and we lost a big percentage of the games [four of the last five]," Toomer said. "I feel like you can't tell me [that] didn't play a big role in [the losing]. I think it did."

But not wanting to seem too hasty, the 13-year veteran receiver decided to clear the air a little on his Web site, posting a few interview excerpts about the previous day's comments.“I absolutely did not intend to criticize nor did I criticize the coaching staff’s game plans," Toomer said in the posted interview. "What I did say was that I thought the team as a whole had less focus this year than they did last year and that I almost could see this [Eagles] loss coming.”

However, on a new Giants deal, Toomer spoke frankly about his future.

“Based on how my role declined near the end of the season, I just don’t know how the Giants view my role ... If I were to come back and not really have a chance to compete, then I’d rather go someplace else where I would have a chance to compete. So, I guess it’s fair to say I am conflicted.”

— amNY

Column: Let’s check some of that Yankees, Mets fever

Thursday January 15, 2009 3:15 PM By Max J. Dickstein

By Max J. Dickstein

The champion Giants have left the scene, joining the colossal folly of the Jets on the NFL postseason sidelines.

So we all see it coming: “Pitchers and catchers.”

The preseason baseball prattle will soon flow from New York fans’ mouths, the speakers intentionally heedless of so many years of waiting till next year.

After an offseason — and fortune — spent addressing last season’s deficiencies, Yankees and Mets players may begin reporting to their spring training grounds in Florida on Feb. 14.

The teams’ additions seem to call for giddy, carnival-barker praise.

“Admire the pinstriped pair of aces, CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, as good as 40 games won!”

“Behold sure-gloved slugger Mark Teixeira, the second coming of Don Mattingly at first base!”

“Hearken to Mets bullpen beasts K-Rod and J.J. Putz, ready to seal up a World Series Game 7 victory in six strikeouts!”

Please.Free-agent pickups held effusive news conferences and two new stadiums will glitter on opening day in April, but before the season actually begins, let’s allow ourselves a note of caution.

Roster upgrades don’t forgo the need for another season of surprises and streaks, disappointments and injuries — all far less predictable than a new signee’s pledge that he’s in New York to win a title.

Because for these two teams, problems persist.

The Yankees own 26 World Series titles, but none since 2000, when millions misplaced on sour talent began to crush the franchise underneath its own bloat.

The Mets, fine-tuners of the agonizing September collapse, just watched the archrival Phillies enact the title run they seemingly can't.

A long season on the field will allow us to measure hope against reality.

Bring on the baseball.

Time to say bye to playoff byes?

Sunday January 11, 2009 1:23 PM By Ryan Chatelain

By Ryan Chatelain

As I write this (at halftime of the Steelers-Chargers game), home teams that “enjoyed” some downtime last week are 0-3 this weekend.

What once was considered easy street to a conference championship game is suddenly being called into question. In each of the previous seasons, teams that earned a first-round bye were 2-2 in the divisional playoff round. Each of the previous three Super Bowl champs (the Giants, Colts and Steelers) had to play on wild-card weekend, making you wonder if having to play on the first week of the playoffs helps a team maintain its momentum.

Of course, we might be able to chalk up this trend up to coincidence. From 2001-2004, after all, bye-week teams went 13-3 in divisional playoff games and won four straight Super Bowls.

But perhaps the time is ripe now for the NFL to rekindle its discussion about expanding its playoffs.

I had never been a proponent of increasing the postseason field. I think sending 12 of 32 teams to the playoffs feels just right. (Sixteen teams in the NBA playoffs is too many, in my opinion.)

But after New England got shut out of the postseason this year with an 11-5 record, it’s obvious something’s wrong with the NFL’s playoff system. I’m not sure what the answer is, but if you wanted to expand the playoffs to 16 teams, taking away first-round byes entirely, now seems like a great time to fire up the discussion.

After Sunday, the Giants probably wouldn’t put up much of a fight against it.

Bitter Giants fans react to 23-11 loss to the Eagles

Sunday January 11, 2009 11:46 AM By Pete Catapano

(AP Photo)

It's been only a half-hour or so since the Giants were stunned at home by the Eagles 23-11.

That's plenty of time for the Big Blue faithful to share their disgust with the rest of the world. Here's a sampling of Giants' fans reaction from the team's message board.

“The better team won. Period. They smacked us around twice in our own stadium.

Of all the ways to go out, I never thought it would be like this”

“I am crushed. I am bleeding blue right now.”

“this (sic) last few months have been horrible for me. I lose my job, can't find a new one, baby on the way, bills piling up, car is falling apart on me and now the giants are choking against the eagles”

“bring back plax. this team died with him”

“I blame Plaxico for this loss and the previous ones, I mean, since he had those stupid incidents, the team got worse and worse, they guys seemed a little bit down.”

It's 'hell' for Giants fan in Eagle country

Thursday January 8, 2009 12:30 PM By Ryan Chatelain

Brian Murray, left, attends a Giants-Eagles game with Philadelphia fans.

BY Ryan Chatelain

Philadelphia Eagles fans have pelted Santa Claus with snowballs and cheered when ex-Cowboy Michael Irvin suffered a career-ending spinal cord injury.

So imagine being a fan of a rival team while living and working in the heart of Eagles territory.

Welcome to Brian Murray’s personal hell.

“They’re brutal here,” said Murray, 30, a lifelong Giants fan and Brooklyn native who now lives in a Philly suburb.The Giants will host the Eagles on Sunday in an NFC divisional playoff game. If Philadelphia upsets Big Blue, not only will it be a dejected end of the season for Giants fans, Murray will undoubtedly never hear the end of it from friends, co-workers and even in-laws.

“The Eagles can definitely win, but I think the Giants are going to come out like a pack of rabid dogs and smack them in the mouth,” he said.

Murray, a computer network engineer, moved to Mount Laurel, N.J., four years ago so that his wife could be closer to her family, all of whom are Eagles fans.

He’s since been denied entry to a sports bar for wearing a Ron Dayne jersey, been beaten up outside Lincoln Financial Field and had “what seems like the whole store” at Best Buy chant “a--hole” at him for sporting a Giants cap.

Sean Presner, 26, remembers his first encounter with Murray. When Presner drove up to a movie theater to meet his future brother-in-law, he noticed a man wearing an Eli Manning jersey.

“Sure enough, that was the guy she was with. And we were like, ‘Oh, crap!” said Presner, an Eagles fan.

Murray said he’s had to leave family functions early because he feared heated conversations with his wife’s uncles might escalate into something “that I don’t want to happen.”

Looking back on sports in 2008: More highs than lows

Monday December 29, 2008 3:45 PM By Max J. Dickstein

Michael Strahan shows you who's Super Bowl champion. (Getty Images)

By Max J. Dickstein

Top that, 2009.

With a field rich in historic achievements from Beijing to Glendale, Ariz., ranking 2008’s best sports stories is difficult. amNewYork gave it a shot and came up with these:

1. PHELPS AND BOLT TAKE BEIJING

The convergence of two of the world’s greatest athletes, Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt, marked the Games of the XXIX Olympiad for all of history. Phelps won all eight races he entered — seven in world-record time. With 14 gold medals in two Olympics, the Baltimorean swimmer earned eternal consideration as the greatest Olympian. Bolt, the dynamic 6-foot-5 Jamaican sprinter, set records in the 100 and 200 meters with energy to spare in China.

2. GIANTS SHOCK IN SUPER BOWL

The Giants’ 17-14 upset of the perfect Patriots could hold the No. 1 spot, too. With 97.5 million viewers watching the action in Arizona, the Giants topped an 18-0 team that would have otherwise been anointed history’s best. Big Blue’s Super Bowl roll continues. Heading into the playoffs at 12-4, the Giants could repeat as champions on Feb. 1. What’s already being repeated — by other NFL teams — is a Giant-like emphasis on a ferocious pass rush and stout running.

3. SPAIN OWNS WORLD SPORT

Rafael Nadal, of Mallorca, defeated five-time Wimbledon champion Roger Federer at the All England Club in the greatest tennis match ever played, but his ascent to No. 1 is just one of his country’s fine athletic achievements this year.

Spain won the quadrennial Euro Cup for its first major soccer title since 1964, overcoming its choker image against powerful Germany. Spanish athletes also claimed a third straight Tour de France (Carlos Sastre), tennis’ Davis Cup and a close-call silver medal behind USA Basketball’s Redeem Team in Beijing.4. METS, YANKEES CLOSE STADIUMS, OPEN WALLETS

The closing of 85-year-old Yankee Stadium assured a nostalgic year even as the team playing there missed the playoffs for the first time since 1993.

The Bombers acted swiftly, committing a total of $423.5 million to first baseman Mark Teixeira and pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, incensing other teams and making a bid to purchase entry into the World Series in their $1.6 billion new home.

The Mets shuttered Shea Stadium, but not their penchant for late-season collapse. For the second straight year, the Mets squandered a comfortable first-place lead in August. Their acquisition of $137.5 million ace Johan Santana in February — and elite closers Francisco Rodriguez and J.J. Putz this fall — may spare them another collapse in their first season at Citi Field.

5. CELTS RECLAIM THEIR NBA GLORY

In a swift rebound for a proud club mired in mediocrity, the Celtics

united title-hungry All-Stars Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and blitzed to a league-best 66-16 record. In the playoffs, tireless Boston set a record for games played (27) and, against classic NBA Finals foe Los Angeles, won its 17th title.

6. BRETT’S JETS FLAME OUT

The Jets (9-7) were by turns captivating and embarrassing as they started 8-3, crumbled and now hit the off-season confused and broken. At least they gave it a shot with Brett Favre, an all-time great quarterback who scarcely played like one after emerging from retirement.

Eric Mangini’s firing yesterday is the latest twist in a bewildering saga.

7. TIGER ROARS ALONGSIDE ROCCO

Tiger Woods gutted through a U.S. Open playoff victory before undergoing badly needed reconstructive left knee surgery.

The interplay between the 14-time major champion and his scrappy but deferential journeyman opponent, 45-year-old Rocco Mediate, left the world transfixed by the men’s sportsmanship.

8. PHILLIES LEAVE NO DOUBT

The Phillies walked the walk this season. They surpassed the rival Mets to take first place in the National League East, motored past the Brewers and Dodgers in the playoffs and delivered Philadelphia its first World Series since 1980. Their opponents, the stalwart, worst-to-first Tampa Bay Rays, enjoyed a spirited run of their own.

9. CLEMENS’ DUBIOUS LEGACY

Mentioned as a performance-enhacing drug user in baseball’s Mitchell Report last December, seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens launched an angry and vigorous character defense, swearing his innocence before Congress and suing his accuser for defamation. Legal rulings pend, but public opinion has swung against the 354-game winner.

10. MILESTONES IN AUTO RACING

Clinching his record-tying third straight NASCAR title, Jimmie Johnson left more hyped young stars in his Chevrolet’s exhaust and sparked talk of a Johnson era. In Formula One, Britain’s Lewis Hamilton became the sport’s first black champion and, at 23, its youngest.

Plaxico Burress and Stephon Marbury cloud New York sports optimism

Monday December 8, 2008 8:17 AM By Max J. Dickstein

Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress is suspended for the rest of the season. (Getty Images)

By Budd Mishkin

Remember the good times in New York sports, when all seemed optimistic and the outlook for the upcoming winter was bright? Remember those halcyon days three weeks ago?

The Giants and Jets were playing beautifully, the Rangers had the best record in the NHL and the Knicks had started to emerge from the abyss of the last seven years.

And then? Plaxico Burress and the Giants. Stephon Marbury and the Knicks. Two completely different situations, but together they've managed to make this a not so jolly time to be a sports fan in New York, with the front and back pages awash in negativity. Some happy holidays.

If you're looking for another dissection of the Plaxico Burress shooting case and all of its implications, look somewhere else. I actually have this ridiculous notion that we should let the justice system play out and render a verdict before columnists do.

That may not be the sexiest opinion to have, especially in this 24-hour sports talk/news world when immediate opinions are required and due process is a legal term best left to others. The Burress case may seem pretty open-and-shut, with even the Mayor chiming in.But we've seen previous cases when we thought we knew all of the details, and the result turned out differently than the public's initial verdict. Do the words Duke lacrosse ring a bell? Entirely different types of cases, but you get the picture. The football field is a place for quick reads and reactions. The legal system isn't.

We can judge right now that the Giants are a lesser team without Plaxico Burress. But our legal judgment of him should wait.

And then there's Steph and the Knicks. So many people in the city have relationship problems. Why should our basketball team be any different?

The divorce was proceeding quietly until the trades to free up cap space to sign You Know Who required more bodies in Knick uniforms. It also precipitated the most parsing of words in recent New York sports history. Did coach Mike D’Antoni "demand" or "request" that Steph play? It's easy to get on Steph, even if his $15 sneakers idea is one of the coolest moves by any modern athlete. The team hasn't won since he's been here, he's never helped himself with his public comments and he makes a boatload of money (his $21 million this season is more than Walt Frazier made in his entire career. Think about that for a second).

But on the first night when Steph refused/politely requested not to play, I found myself siding with him. "We don't want you, we don't want you, we don't need you ... Hey, we need you, can you help us out?" True, the Knicks were still paying him, but Marbury knew they had little use for him in the future. Imagine if Marbury said yes and then went out that night and tore an ACL. Then he's done with the Knicks and any other team that might be interested.

And it does no good to say, "Hey, I can't beg out and still get paid at my job."

In a perfect world, the rules for all employees in all

industries would be the same. Suffice it to say, this ain't that perfect world.

And yet I still can't bring myself to side with Marbury, even if his argument makes sense on some levels. If he'd agreed to play and had played well, it would have been a win-win for Marbury, improving his marketability to other interested NBA teams. But in the end, my feelings aren't really about who said what and the relationship between

Marbury and the Knicks. It's simply a case of too much losing and negativity through the years. We wanted change, we're getting it, even if some toes are getting stepped on in the process. To paraphrase the old story about then-Pirates general manager Branch Rickey when he considered trading slugger Ralph Kiner, "We finished in last place with you Steph, and we can finish in last place without you."

The Burress and Marbury stories haven't exactly had Happy Holidays written all over them. Not to worry. The game's the thing, and if the locals win, the good times will be back. It will be like three weeks ago all over again.

New Yorkers buzzing about a possible Giants-Jets Super Bowl

Sunday November 23, 2008 3:38 PM By Ryan Chatelain

Leon Washington scored two touchdowns yesterday in the Jets’ 34-13 blowout win over the Titans. (Photo by Getty Images)

By Ryan Chatelain and Aline E. Reynolds

The Jets yesterday did what no team in the NFL has been able to do since the start of the football season nearly three months ago: They handily beat the previously undefeated Tennessee Titans, leaving no doubt in the minds of New Yorkers that they are a legitimate Super Bowl contender.

And with Gotham’s two football teams on a roll, New Yorkers are buzzing about the possibility of a Big Blue-Gang Green matchup in Super Bowl XLIII.

“It would be great for the city,” said Ian Wallach, 26, of Murray Hill, a Jets fan watching the game at Stout, a sports bar in midtown. “You’re guaranteed a huge party, whoever wins.”With a 34-13 victory yesterday over the team that has the best record in the league, the Jets improved their mark to 8-3 — tied for second-best in the AFC.

“After this, we should look at ourselves as a great team,” veteran Jets cornerback Ty Law said after yesterday’s game.

The defending world champion Giants yesterday also trounced their opponents, the Arizona Cardinals, 37-29, despite stars Brandon Jacobs and Plaxico Burress missing all or most of the game with injuries. At 10-1, the Giants have the best record in the NFC and have a three-game lead in the NFC East division.

While teams from the same state have faced off in Super Bowls twice before — including the Giants’ win over the Buffalo Bills in 1991 — never has there been a showdown between franchises from the same city in the NFL’s championship event.

“We’ve been through enough with the economy,” said Jessica Sattler, 30, of Manhattan. An all-New York Super Bowl “would be a good boost for the city,” she added.

The talk has evoked memories of and comparisons to the 2000 Subway Series, in which the Yankees defeated the Mets for baseball’s world title.

While some sports fans said a cross-town World Series trumps a Giants-Jets Super Bowl, Wallach disagreed.

“The Super Bowl is one game, one event. That adds to the importance and the hype,” he said.

Not everybody was convinced, however, that a Giants-Jets clash was likely.

“I think one of the two teams will falter before the Super Bowl,” said Keith O’Brien, 29, a Jets fan from Greenpoint.

Newsday contributed to this story.

Michael Strahan back to the Giants?

Monday August 25, 2008 9:27 AM By Elizabeth Nielsen

It's actually not that crazy of an idea. With Osi Umenyiora done for the season after suffering a preseason knee injury against the Jets, the defending fluke-of-nature Super Bowl Champs New York Giants need someone to fill that void?

And guess what. For the cheap price of $8 million dollars, some chocolate chip cookies, and a kiss on the forehead, Michael Strahan and all of his madness can be your man.

The New York Daily News reported today that the gap-toothed wonder would end his 77 day retirement and flake out his Fox Broadcasting contract (side note: if he does, I will be very sad about that. Someone needed to become Emmitt Smith's replacement. Strahan's lisp would have been perfect) for $8 million dollars and some kind words.

Although right now, it seems G-men coach Tom Coughlin has different ideas in mind, replacing Osi with Mathias Kiwanuka, a former defensive end turned linebacker turned back to defensive end. Man, unretirment is the new black this year isn't it...

Check out Michael Strahan's career in tons of awesome pictures!!

And if you REALLY want to (god knows this turns my stomach) check out some pictures from that stupid Super Bowl parade...

--Lizzy

Usain Bolt would look good in a Giants uniform

Wednesday August 20, 2008 11:57 AM By Ryan Chatelain

This could be part of Usain Bolt's touchdown celebration (Photo by AP)

Plaxico Burress spends more time in the team hot tub than he does on the practice field. Amani Toomer is about two years away from his first false-teeth fitting. We’re still waiting for a memorable Sinorice Moss sighting. Steve Smith, Mario Manningham – promising youngsters, but injured. Domenik Hixon? Excuse us if we don’t give into preseason hype.

The Giants’ receiving corps has plenty of potential, but also plenty of question marks. General manager Jerry Reese should swing for the fences by bringing a new receiver into the mix, one who could potentially be the greatest wideout the game has ever seen.

I’m, of course, talking about Jamaican track god Usain “Lightning” Bolt.

There’s so much about Bolt that screams NFL wide receiver.

1. He’s fast. ESPN says he would run the 40-yard dash in an unfathomable 3.49 seconds. In most years, the NFL’s fastest player runs about a 4.2 40.

2. He’s got the size. If a speedy defensive back can defy the odds and keep up with Bolt on the field, what are the chances that he would be able to outjump the 6-foot-5 gold medalist, too? Bolt would have at least a 3-inch advantage over all of last season’s Pro Bowl cornerbacks – half of whom weren’t even 6 feet tall.

3. He’s cocky. By saying things like "I blew the world’s mind,” Bolt has the personality to be an NFL receiver, following in the footsteps of Terrell Owens, Chad Johnson and many others. And as evident by his triumph in the 100-meter dash, in which he began celebrating before he crossed the finish line, it’s easy to picture him high-stepping before he hits the end zone, Deion Sanders style.

Of course, there’s that small matter of whether Bolt can actually catch a football. But T.O. has been one of the NFL’s best at dropping passes the past two seasons and many still consider him to be a great “receiver.”

Although, if Bolt has his choice of signing with any NFL team, the Giants wouldn’t make much sense. He should instead sign with the San Diego Chargers. “Lightning” Bolt playing for the lightning bolts. How perfect would that be?

Coughlin goes easy on Shockey

Monday August 18, 2008 12:34 PM By Ryan Chatelain

On ESPN’s Sunday Conversation last night, Tom Coughlin was given a golden opportunity to rip the departed Jeremy Shockey, who once publicly called the Giants coach an “ass.”

Not only did Coughlin take the high road, he said Shockey, now a New Orleans Saint, was a “team above self” player last season.

“Jeremy tried to get all this energy into the right context, knowing his personality and knowing how aggressive he was, and he did a good job with it,” Coughlin said. “The unfortunate thing is the injury. He paid the price to get to the position that we were in, and it would have been nice to take him with us through the playoff run.”

There were other interesting moments in the interview, including Coughlin talking about how in 2006 media speculation that he might be fired wore on his family, how dangerously close Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress came to missing the big game with ankle and knee injuries and how the defending champs are still fighting for respect.

No Shocker here: Giants deal tight end to N.O.

Monday July 21, 2008 11:39 AM By Ryan Chatelain

Who didn’t see this coming? Despite what was said publicly, it’s been obvious for at least six months that the Giants and Jeremy Shockey wanted to sever ties from each other.

A deal to send the disgruntled tight end to New Orleans would have been completed by draft day, but general manager Jerry Reese refused to let the Giants sell Shockey at a bargain-basement price. For all his faults, Shockey, after all, is still among the most talented tight ends in football when healthy.

This is the kind of trade that could work out well for both sides.

Shockey will be reunited with former Giants offensive coordinator Sean Payton, now head coach of the Saints. He gets a fresh start and will instantly become an integral part in one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses.

The Giants, meanwhile, receive New Orleans’ second- and fifth-round draft choices in 2009. Even more important, they rid themselves of a locker-room cancer and an on-field crybaby, one who many blame for stunting the development of Eli Manning.

But one major question lingers for Big Blue: Is Kevin Boss truly a starting-quality tight end? Looks like we’ll find out.

Photo by Getty Images

Dwight Freeney and Jared Allen on Michael Strahan's retirement

Monday June 9, 2008 11:28 AM By Jamshid Mousavinezhad

We spoke to two of top-rated pass rushers in the NFL on Monday about Michael Strahan's retirement — Dwight Freeney and Jared Allen.

The Indianapolis Colts' Freeney, 28, missed the final seven games of last season with a foot injury and he’s working out in Indianapolis. amNewYork reached him there by telephone Monday morning.

INDIANAPOLIS - OCTOBER 7: Dwight Freeney #93 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrates a tackle for a loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the NFL game October 7, 2007 at the RCA Dome in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

FREENEY: “Strahan had a Hall of Fame career. Obviously he has a sack title which every defensive lineman really goes after every year. He’s done it for a long time and he’s been good for a long time.

"That’s the thing. You can string a couple of good years together, but if you string 8, 9, 10 years together like he has — the level of his game play throughout those 12, 13 years was at the highest.

"Playing in a big city like New York, he did it all. He’s doing his thing. He went out on top. He won the Super Bowl. He got what he wanted, you know?”

Jared Allen, 26, joined the Minnesota Vikings via trade this offseason after four years and 43 sacks in Kansas City.

KANSAS CITY, MO - AUGUST 23: Jared Allen #69 of the Kansas City Chiefs looks on prior to the preseason game against the New Orleans Saints on August 23, 2007 at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

ALLEN: "I always say the difference between good players and great players is consistency. And that was a man that was consistent year in and year out. You know what? We'd all be lucky to have careers as good as his."

— Max J. Dickstein

Jets, Giants schedules released

Tuesday April 15, 2008 2:43 PM By Ryan Chatelain

The NFL released its full schedule today. Here are the slates for the Jets and Giants:

JETS SCHEDULE

Sept. 7 at Miami Dolphins 1 p.m.

Sept. 14 New England Patriots 4:15 p.m.

Sept. 22 (Mon.) at San Diego Chargers 8:30 p.m.

Sept. 28 Arizona Cardinals 1 p.m.

Oct. 5 Bye

Oct. 12 Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m.

Oct. 19 at Oakland Raiders 4:15 p.m.

Oct. 26 Kansas City Chiefs 1 p.m.

Nov. 2 at Buffalo Bills 1 p.m.

Nov. 9 St. Louis Rams 1 p.m.

Nov. 13 (Thurs.) at New England Patriots 1 p.m.

Nov. 23 at Tennessee Titans 1 p.m.

Nov. 30 Denver Broncos 1 p.m.

Dec. 7 at San Francisco 49ers 4:05 p.m.

Dec. 14 Buffalo Bills 1 p.m.

Dec. 21 at Seattle Seahawks 4:05 p.m.

Dec. 28 Miami Dolphins 1 p.m.

GIANTS SCHEDULE

Sept. 4 (Thurs.) Washington Redskins 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 at St. Louis Rams 1 p.m.

Sept. 21 Cincinnati Bengals 1 p.m.

Sept. 28 Bye

Oct. 5 Seattle Seahawks 1 p.m.

Oct. 13 at Cleveland Browns (Mon.) 8:30 p.m.

Oct. 19 San Francisco 49ers 1 p.m.

Oct. 26 at Pittsburgh Steelers 4:15 p.m.

Nov. 2 Dallas Cowboys 4:15 p.m.

Nov. 9 at Philadelphia Eagles 8:15 p.m.

Nov. 16 Baltimore Ravens 1 p.m.

Nov. 23 at Arizona Cardinals 4:15 p.m.

Nov. 30 at Washington Redskins 1 p.m.

Dec. 7 Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m.

Dec. 14 at Dallas Cowboys* 8:15 p.m.

Dec. 21 Carolina Panthers 1 p.m.

Dec. 28 at Minnesota Vikings 1 p.m.

Giants unveil (huge) Super Bowl rings

Tuesday April 1, 2008 6:56 PM By Jamshid Mousavinezhad

A big Super Bowl win deserves a big ring, and New Yorkers are gonna find it hard to miss the new Giants Super Bowl rings.

The rings, to be made by Tiffany & Co.--which also makes the Vince Lombardi Super Bowl trophy--features white gold and diamonds, according to the Giants' website.

Giants stars Eli Manning, Michael Strahan, Amani Toomer and Shaun O’Hara helped design the ring, along with coach Tom Coughlin and other Giants executives.

“I think as players we went and thought that we were there as a token invitation, but they really wanted our input,” O’Hara said, according to Giants.com.

“There was some discussion about maybe one of the rings was too big,” O’Hara said. “I threw out the fact that it was a big win, it was a huge win, so the ring should be designed accordingly. Michael said it best when he said he wanted a 10-table ring."

A 10-table ring?! Strahan explained he meant when he walks into a restaurant, he wants people to see the ring from 10 tables away.

The team will be presented with the rings at a ceremony later this spring.

Click here to see a close-up version of Manning's ring.

Triviality: Memorable Brett Favre moments that intersect with the Giants or Jets

Wednesday March 5, 2008 7:11 PM By Max J. Dickstein

April 21, 1991: Almost a Jet

Arizona renegs on a draft-day deal that would have allowed the Jets to select Southern Mississippi’s Brett Favre with the Cardinals’ 32nd pick. The Jets can’t move up, the Atlanta gets Favre with the 33rd pick.

Jan. 6, 2002: Gift sack?

Michael Strahan needs one more takedown in a meaningless Giants-Packers game to set the NFL’s single-season sack record. With 2:42 remaining, Favre breaks off a run play and rolls away from his blockers to the right. Favre tumbles and Strahan pushes his sack total to 221⁄2.

Oct. 4, 2004: TD after a concussion

Two plays after Giants defensive tackle William Joseph slams Favre’s head to the turf, Favre returns to the field and throws a 28-yard score to Javon Walker. The Packers still lose, 14-7.

Sept. 16, 2007: Most QB wins ever

In a 35-13 romp over the Giants at the Meadowlands, Favre goes 29-38 for 286 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. Favre’s 149th victory eclipses John Elway’s mark for most wins by a starting NFL quarterback. Favre finishes with 160.

Jan. 20, 2008: Bitter End

With a Super Bowl berth at stake in subzero Lambeau Field, in overtime, the Giants’ Corey Webster steps in to pick off Favre’s drop-back pass, intended for Donald Driver. The Packers lose 23-20. Favre’s retirement six weeks later makes this error the endpoint of an enviable career.

— Max J. Dickstein and Erick Blasco

Battle-tested Giants had an edge

Monday February 4, 2008 1:15 AM By Ryan Chatelain

Most war heroes have scars. Behind every scar is a story – about a struggle against adversity, about lessons learned, about survival.

The Giants lost more games by Week 2 than the Patriots lost all season. And just maybe, oddly enough, that was the advantage that propelled Big Blue to a 17-14 Super Bowl XLII upset of New England on Sunday night.

Consider Giants middle linebacker Antonio Pierce’s comments back when his team was riding a four-game winning streak that rescued its season after a 0-2 start: “Honestly, I think the reason we’re playing so good is because we’ve still got that 0-2 mentality,” he said. “We went into this game thinking we were the 1-4 team.”

Pierce’s words prove that these Giants learned long ago to embrace their own mortality -- and kept on embracing it until they were world champs.

That’s a luxury not afforded to the previously perfect Patriots. They never reaped the benefits of being defeated.

Yes, there’s good in losing.

And perhaps, as the Patriots and Giants exhibited Sunday night, losing is a necessary evil in building a champion – at least in the NFL.

Do the math. There were 33 NFL and six AFL champions during the pre-Super Bowl era and now 42 Super Bowl champs. Of those 81 teams that achieved their ultimate goal, 80 lost at least once.

Yes, the 1972 Miami Dolphins were a perfect aberration, and having an undefeated squad in a championship game is extremely rare in the first place, happening just four times. But those teams, which seemed so invincible during their regular seasons, are a combined 1-3 in title games.

And it makes perfect (or imperfect?) sense. Losing builds character. It gives players and coaches a greater chance to learn from their missteps. It’s a natural deterrent to overconfidence.

Without losing, you can never fully appreciate winning. And most important, it’s impossible to be driven by a fear of failure if you’ve always succeeded.

As ironic as it may sound, the Giants had all these things going for them.

This year's Patriots, however, had no losses, no scars.

And now no world championship.

AP Photo by Chris O'Meara

Cinderella and the Juggernaut

Monday January 28, 2008 2:49 PM By Elizabeth Nielsen

Sorry New York. I don't think this is your year.

The Giants have given hope to an region that has been crapped on time and again over the past year by their sports teams. The Mets tied up the NL East in a beautiful red bow and personally handed it to the Phillies last September. The ongoing soap opera in the Bronx, between First Lady of the Diamond A-Rod and Roger Clemens and the controversy over whether he actually let Brian McNamee stick needles in his hiney. The Jets are just terrible. The Knicks are the most despicable franchise in sports, and Isiah Thomas is a clown who has committed at least 6 or 8 fireable offenses just this season with the Knicks. Even the Islanders got in on the action with Chris Simon's cheapshot the sequel. Being proud of one of the sports teams in your city is a wonderful thing, but as Cinderella had a lovely evening in her sparkling gown and glass slippers, Eli Manning will soon turn back into a pumpkin.

The Giants scored 35 points on the Patriots defense during that last scare of the season. However, the Patriots held Philip Rivers and the Chargers to four field goals during the AFC Championship. It is noted that Rivers was missing vital parts of his knee, and LT decided to take a knee for the majority of the game. But the Patriots red zone defense was perfect last Saturday, and I think that Eli and company are going to have their hands full dealing with the notorious Belichick Blitz and the physical play that comes with it. It's worth saying too, that, well, the Giants didn't exactly beat Green Bay in Green Bay, but Brett Farve single-handely killed the Pack with his 55 percent completion rate and two picks. If he'd had the same kind of game as Eli, the Green Bay would have won.

Belichick's army is back to just finding ways to beat you. Who would you rather in a big game? Coughlin or Belichick? Brady or Eli? It's been a fun ride Big Blue, but you can't change destiny.

--Lizzy

G-men can find inspiration in ... the Patriots?

Wednesday January 23, 2008 2:24 PM By Ryan Chatelain

In talking to several football fans who live outside New York City, most aren’t giving the Giants much of a chance in Super Bowl XLII, many forecasting a New England blowout. (The fact that the Giants lost by 3 points to the Patriots last month is inconsequential to them.)

Big Blue currently sits as a 12-point underdog. To understand why no one should count out the Giants, look no farther than the last time a team was a double-digit underdog in the big game.

If anyone should understand the position the Giants find themselves in, it should be the Patriots.

In February 2002, New England earned a trip to Super Bowl XXXVI against the mighty St. Louis Rams. The Rams were easily the most feared team in football from 1999-02, similar to how we think of the Patriots today.

New England, on the other hand, was widely considered to be nothing more than a speed bump for the Rams, propelled by their “The Greatest Show on Turf” offense, on their way to an inevitable world title. By kickoff, St. Louis was 14-point favorites.

Fast-forward to the final score: New England 20, St. Louis 17.

Prior to Adam Vinatieri's 48-yard game-winning field goal, the Rams were regarded almost as highly as the 49ers of the '80s or the Cowboys of the '90s, despite winning just one title. Little did we know at the time, it was a Patriots dynasty that was instead hatched that night in New Orleans, while St. Louis fizzled into merely a one-hit wonder.

And when you think about it, there are several similarities between the 2001 Patriots and the 2007 Giants:

- Both had young quarterbacks amid breakout seasons.

- Both had hard-nosed coaches leading their second NFL teams.

- Both lost their first two games of the regular season.

- Both lost to their Super Bowl opponents (who had the NFL's best records) during the regular season.

So if you encounter someone who is already dismissing this Super Bowl as a laugher, just ask this question: Who was your pick before Super Bowl XXXVI?

Photo by Getty Images

I never thought this day would come...

Monday January 21, 2008 2:17 PM By Elizabeth Nielsen

I have a secret to confess. Very few of my Bostonian friends know. It's something that you generally keep to yourself when you are growing up in Foxboro, Mass. It's all Sox and Patriots all the time, and words like "Mets," "Giants," and especially "Jets and Yankees" are kept out of your mouth. Well, unless you are attaching it to some kind of four letter word.

So here's my secret. The Giants are my favorite NFC team.

My father grew up in Westchester county, and was raised by my grandfather as a rabid Giants fan from back when they still played at Yankee Stadium. Although he moved to Massachusetts in 1977, my Dad remained a Giants fan of sorts ever since. I remember his yelling WIDE RIGHT WIDE RIGHT while throwing pillows around our living room during the 1991 Super Bowl. He justified it like this: Different conferences, and the only way they'll ever play each other is in a Super Bowl. Although I was raised with the Pats as my first passion, my Dad's love for the Giants was sweetly contagious. But I ratioinalized it the same way. A Patriots-Giants Super Bowl will never happen.

Hello, 2008.

I'm rooting for history. I want Brady and Belichick to shut the '72 Dolphins up once and for all. But at the same time, there has been no better sports story to come out of New York in a long time than the emergence of Eli Manning. It's impossible to not root for the underdog, and that's what the Giants have been since their Wild Card victory over Tampa Bay.

The Patriots have a great deal more at stake in the Super Bowl, while the Giants are playing with nothing to lose. It's not the matchup that the networks wanted, but how about giving those Giants, and especially Eli Manning a little ink for the incredible football they've been playing over the last three weeks.

So on Feb. 3rd, when I'm home in Foxboro cracking a beer with my Dad during the Super Bowl, I'll have my old Phil Simms t-shirt on under my Tom Brady jersey. What an incredible game it will be.

Eddie Murphy called it!

Monday January 21, 2008 12:16 PM By Ryan Chatelain

Received this hilarious e-mail last night from Eric Basu in Manhattan:

The Giants victory over the Packers was predicted in Coming to America (1988). Akeem (Eddie Murphy) stated "The Giants of New York took on the Packers of Green Bay, and in the end the Giants triumphed by kicking an oblong ball made of pig skin through a big 'H.' It was a most ripping victory!"

Quick Thought: Giants continue to show their mettle

Sunday January 20, 2008 10:56 PM By Max J. Dickstein

Their story is one of luck and effort — Cinderella and Paul Bunyan, if you will. Fortunate and forthright, the Giants go on, and, at this point, why should we be surprised?

Their victory was the most absorbing one yet in this run. It was a slog through the Green Bay tundra and endless penalties that in every way took the measure of the Giants’ desire, and deservedness, to reach Super Bowl XLII.

Now, in two weeks, comes the ultimate test: the New England Patriots, who edged the Giants by three points in their thrilling final regular-season game.

Even as the NFL’s first 18-0 team, the Patriots cannot claim the kind of spellbound momentum that courses through the heart of Big Blue. The odds will be against the Giants more than ever, but yet again, they’ll be too committed and resilient to bother with others’ expectations for them.

— Max

A Giant slap in the face

Sunday January 20, 2008 10:46 PM By Jamshid Mousavinezhad

Minutes after the Giants beat the Green Bay Packers in a 23-20 overtime thriller to make the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots, out came word that one prominent oddsmaker pegs the Giants as 14-point underdogs.

Ouch!

If I'm Tom Coughlin, at some point on the plane ride back to NYC I'd quiet the guys and tell them the 'experts' are tripping over themselves to disrespect this team.

(Check out photos and highlights of the Green Bay game here).

It really is going to be the Giants against the world, and the history books.

Maybe the only other people on their side are Don Shula and the '72 Dolphins....

Getty Images photo by Jed Jacobsohn

Quick Thought: The Giants are a speeding locomotive

Sunday January 13, 2008 10:10 PM By Max J. Dickstein

The 2007 Giants were a sluggish, underpowered old train on an uphill climb when their season began in September with defenseless losses to Dallas and Green Bay.

That Giants train crested a peak with the team’s commendable showing against the Patriots last month, gathered speed with playoff wins against Tampa Bay last week, and, after a 21-17 win at Dallas yesterday, is now screaming downhill toward Green Bay.

With another expectation-surmounting win, this edition of Big Blue will clinch a rather unlikely Super Bowl berth.

The increasingly praiseworthy Giants are on a roll, and it is a testament to the luck, passion and effort that is bundled up in the mystery of sport.

“That’s a gut check right there,” Eli Manning said after a win that drastically redefined the tilt of the mild-mannered quarterback’s career. “No one’s given us much credit. They probably still won’t. And we like it that way.”

— Max