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Q&A: SNY broadcaster Gary Cohen, the Mets learned voice
Gary Cohen in the SNY booth at Citi Field on a rainy evening before a recent Mets game. (Rj Mickelson/amNY)
Here’s a secret: It is possible to stump Gary Cohen, the comprehensively knowledgeable Mets broadcaster.
“Heresy” though it may be, the Queens native and Columbia alum has gaps in his Mets knowledge from the mid-1980s golden age, when the Mets won their second World Series title. From 1982-88, Cohen was an itinerant, small-town radio man working his way back to New York and following the Mets from afar.
Since 2006, the 51-year-old has led a sharp SNY TV broadcast booth with — oddly enough — two 1980s Mets greats, Ron Darling and Keith Hernandez. Cohen spoke with amNewYork recently.
As a lifelong Mets fan, do you favor one era?
Believe it or not, [it’s] one of the worst eras in Mets history — the late ’70s — only because I probably went to more games as a fan during that time than during any other period. It’s when I was in college, mostly, and I would be at the ballpark 50, 60 times a year.
What is special about how a Mets fan thinks as opposed to other fans?
I think there’s a certain fatalistic view that the Met fan takes, but also one of great expectation. Because let’s face it: The Mets franchise, over 48 years, is a history of a lot of failure punctuated by spectacular success. Their first seven years, they finished ninth or 10th every season. And then, when they won, they not only won, they won everything, and they did it in, quote-unquote, miraculous fashion.How important is impartiality in your broadcast — or at least a firm appreciation of the other team?
Well I think ultimately you have to be honest. That’s the way I’ve approached this since the day I arrived in radio in 1989. In other cities it’s probably different, but in New York, there is an expectation on the part of the people listening and a watching, and a sophistication, that requires you not to lie to people. As long as you’re telling the truth, I think that you’re doing your job. And I think that all of us feel that way. If a player for the opposition does something that would elicit a certain response if a Met did it — if we didn't respond the same way, then it would be being dishonest with the audience. So I think that all of us understand that when the Mets play better it makes our job easier, but at the same time, all you can deal with is the reality of what’s happening in front of you. People can see. People are not stupid. There’s no reason to say something that isn't true. And none of us ever intends to do that.
How do you think you differ from the other lead announcer in town, the Yankees’ Michael Kay?
Everybody has their own style. I have great respect for everybody who does this job at the major league level. And every announcer has his own assets and his own liabilities. And I have tremendous respect for Michael.
If you could guest-announce for any team for a year, which would it be?
The Jets. I’ve been an enormous Jet fan since I was a little kid, been a season-ticket holder for over 30 years. That would probably be a cool thing to do.
How did Columbia WKCR shape your New York sports outlook?
It got me started. My first play-by-play experience on the radio was doing Columbia sports, WKCR. Soccer, football, baseball, basketball. I spent many a 35-degree, rainy day at Andy Coakley Field ... At that point, I was playing and having a good time, never knowing that I would up doing this for a living for as long as I have. Those were fun times and helped point me in this direction.
Columbia isn't exactly a “rah-rah” school. How did that help you or hinder you in your early experiences as a sports broadcaster?
I don't think it really had an impact one way or another. I mean, I broadcast a lot of really, really bad football games. I think that prepares you for real life probably better than doing games at Florida or Ohio State. But more so, it’s growing up in New York and listening to people like Marv Albert, and knowing that there’s a right way to do a game. Being honest, having a sense of humor and telling it straight to your audience is the best way to go. If I remember correctly, virtually all the people at WKCR I worked with had the same approach to things. There’s reason to sugarcoat the fact that the Lions lost to Rutgers 69-to-nothing. [Laughs.] That was reality; I did witness that happen. It is what it is, and I think that ultimately it prepares you to deal with whatever comes your way in the real world. That victory and defeat are things that you should describe in their own fashion.
Do you feel like you’re fully adjusted from radio to TV at this point?
I still think in radio, and I have to avoid overtalking on television because I spent 30 years on the radio. It’s my fourth year doing television. I think I’ve learned a lot in four years about how to adjust what I do to best suit the medium. But there’s no question that it’s still a second language to me and I’m constantly learning.
Tags: gary cohen, sny, ron darling, keith hernandez, new york jets, columbia university, new york mets, michael kay, rj mickelson, max j. dickstein, wkcr
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Column: Paul Auster, a novelist in the press box for a day
World-renowned author Paul Auster observes pitching warm-ups on Wednesday afternoon, May 13, 2009, at Citi Field, before the New York Mets lost 8-7 to the Atlanta Braves in 12 innings. (Rj Mickelson/amNewYork)
amNewYork Sports Editor
Publishing 12 novels doesn’t necessarily prepare you for deadline sportswriting, but Paul Auster handled the job with ease.
(On Thursday, we published his terse recap of the Mets’ tense 8-7 loss on Wednesday.)
[NOTE: See Auster's writeup after the jump]
“It’s just a game after all, but it’s only fun if you take it seriously,” the Brooklyn-based, world-renowned writer told me at Citi Field on Wednesday, when amNewYork got the lifelong Mets fan a seat in the press box for the first time.
In his youth, Auster played shortstop and followed Willie Mays’ New York Giants. “That’s all I did,” he said. “Play, play, play.” After the Giants fled to California in 1957, he adopted the Mets. In April 1962, he was among 9,231 fans at the Polo Grounds on a drizzly day for the expansion Mets’ third game.
Heeding his own words on Wednesday (“take it seriously”), Auster jotted his crisp play-by-play into a black leather notebook.
He occasionally stifled a cheer or exhortation (both are unwelcome in the media area). “That’s good!” he exclaimed after Mets starter Jonathan Niese coaxed an Atlanta Braves groundout. “For him. I’m not supposed to root.”
After the Mets lost, Auster tore three sheets of paper from the black notebook and penned his story in the time it took for him to smoke two Schimmelpenninck cigarillos.
We had observed the Mets’ locker room after the game, but it was getting late. “I’m 62 years old,” Auster said. “It’s OK if I don’t meet Jose Reyes.”Mets K’d in seesaw tilt
Extra-inning loss a painful end to 8-2 homestand
By Paul Auster
Special to amNewYork
The Mets ended a successful homestand Wednesday afternoon with a painful 8-7 loss to the Atlanta Braves in 12 innings.
The lead changed hands for the sixth and final time with one out in the 12th, when Martin Prado homered off Ken Takahashi, the eighth pitcher used by manager Jerry Manuel.
After Tuesday night’s stirring come-from-behind win, 4-3 in 10 innings, the Mets sent young Jonathan Niese to the mound for the rubber match of the three-game series. The 22-year-old left-hander had pitched well in his only other start this season; with Oliver Perez on the disabled list, Niese is fighting for a spot in the starting rotation.
He lasted just 4 2/3 innings, giving up seven hits and five runs and allowing Chipper Jones and Garret Anderson to go 5-for-5, with three doubles.
After the Braves took a 4-2 lead in the third, Fernando Tatis electrified the crowd of 40,555 in the fourth inning by launching a grand slam over the center-field wall.
The Braves retook a 7-6 lead with single runs in the seventh and eight innings. They were aided by a David Wright error on a potential double-play ground ball and a baserunning gaffe by Jose Reyes, who was thrown out trying to go from second to third on a slow roller to short by Luis Castillo, squelching a scoring opportunity.
Gary Sheffield, given a rare start in left field, tied the game once again at 7-7 with the 501st home run of his career in the eighth.
After Prado’s homer in the 12th, Reyes led off the Mets’ half of the inning with his third double of the day. Following a sacrifice bunt, which put Reyes on third base, Braves reliever Mike Gonzalez bore down to strike out Carlos Beltran and Sheffield.
After an 8-2 homestand, the Mets face a 10-game road trip to San Francisco, Los Angeles and Boston. The Giants, Dodgers and Red Sox have three of the majors’ best home records.
Tags: paul auster, citi field, new york mets, atlanta braves, baseball
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By Kyle Stack
Special to amNewYork
Baseball isn’t thought of as a contact sport, but its 162-game grind presents a consistent barrage of injury concerns. With help from Will Carroll, a senior writer for Baseball Prospectus who specializes in sports injuries, here is a rundown of three common afflictions:
Oblique strain
Pitchers are typically more susceptible than hitters. The strain is most irritable to pitchers when it’s on the side of their body opposite their throwing arm, according to Carroll.
One might suspect weak core muscles as the culprit, but Carroll disputes that theory.
“Some players do have weak cores, but if that was the case, we should be seeing a ton of these in high school or college, where you would assume you have lesser athletes,” Carroll said.
Rest is considered the most successful remedy, but one popular new treatment is called platelet-rich plasma therapy. In this procedure, blood is taken from the patient and spun in a centrifuge that separates red blood cells from the platelets which release protein. That mixture is then injected into the affected area. While its long-term effectiveness is still unknown, the treatment is not restricted to oblique injuries.
Forearm strain
It’s been reasoned that the split-finger pitch resulted in a higher percentage of pitchers developing these strains.
“Just do the motion yourself and you can feel the flexor mass kind of stretch,” Carroll said. “You can feel it all the way into the bicep.”
Hitters aren’t immune to forearm strains, either. Position players at “quick throw” positions, such as catchers and shortstops, are at greater risk. The short amount of time between fielding the ball and whipping it to the desired bag can result in contorted throwing motions. Shoulder strains are also associated with this urgent throwing style.
Outfielders are less prone to this type of injury since they have time to rush to a ball, field it, set and throw.
The recovery timeline for the injury ranges from two to six weeks on the low end to three months for the most severe cases, which are associated with pitchers.
“A lot of that [recovery period] is the pitcher getting back into pitching shape,” Carroll said.
Torn hip labrum
New MRI technologies have brought more clarity to this injury, which has often been confused with a groin pull.
“We haven’t had the diagnostic technology [to properly identify it],” Carroll said. “How many years have athletes been treated for a groin strain when in fact they had a hip labrum tear?”
The labrum — a ring of cartilage around the hip socket — acts as a cushion and adds stability, much in the way a gasket does in a car, Carroll said. Players are at most risk when the labrum is over-twisted, or when hip flexors become extremely tight.
Since last season, a rash of high-profile hip labrum tears (and ensuing surgeries performed primarily by Dr. Marc Philippon of Vail, Colo.) has shed light on the recovery timetable.
Mike Lowell underwent surgery last October, but the 35-year-old returned quickly and has looked revitalized with 28 RBIs through 31 games this season. Chase Utley and Alex Rodriguez returned to play well ahead of their initially planned schedules, and Alex Gordon is currently on track to return on time.
Carroll said he is surprised at the overall aggressiveness of the rehab process.
“Two hours after surgery, these guys are riding a stationary bike,” Carroll said. “[The surgery] works.”
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Q&A: Baseball Prospectus co-editor Steven Goldman on Manny Ramirez
The 50-game suspension of Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Manny Ramirez will likely set back his red-hot team, which was 21-8 entering Thursday. (Getty Images)
We caught up with Baseball Prospectus co-editor Steven Goldman (and Pinstriped Bible blogger) by phone on Thursday to discuss the what-if's and the broader implications of the Manny Ramirez suspension.
How does that hypothetical Manny Ramirez-to-the-Mets move look now? Is it true they would have been better off with him?
Except for a 50-game intermission, it’s kind of still true. They do have a little bit of depth there in the outfield with Daniel Murphy and Fernando Tatis, who you could argue should be getting more playing time anyway. They would have survived it. In an alternate history where the Mets had signed Manny Ramirez, I think that, to date, they would have been in better shape than they are now.
But what about the moral consequences of this cheating?
I’m still really agnostic when it comes to this stuff. Using steroids and getting bigger, the effect is fairly minute on hitting. I'm not convinced it's more than maybe a five-percent markup. But while I’m dismissive of the impact, but I’m not dismissive of the attempt to cheat. Maybe the rules are arcane, but that’s all the more reason for you to do the right thing. If you gave a damn about the game, you would do your due diligence. Now the Dodgers are going to have to fight through it.
Not to mention the fact that Manny had done this as a Met in New York — along with A-Rod — this would be a perfect storm with some serious off-field consequences, wouldn't it?
It’s just a massive distraction. You’ve seen this with the Yankees in the last couple of weeks. Even though A-Rod isn't even there, Joe Girardi has to devote a certain amount of his time to Alex Rodriguez, and not just talking about A-Rod's rehab. If A-Rod comes back, and he goes "O" for his first 20, everyone will say he’s off the juice. Had there been two of these scandals going, one for each team, there would have been this incredible resonance and disenchantment with both teams. They would have fed on each other if they’d both been here. You’d rather keep it to on-field stuff.
Tags: manny ramirez, los angeles dodgers, new york mets, alex rodriguez, a-rod, daniel murphy, fernando tatis, joe girardi, baseball
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Legit? Sizing up hot MLB starts
Zach Duke’s efficient 2.63-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio should help maintain his early success. (Image: Getty)
You can count on three things at the beginning of every fantasy baseball season: 1) Mark Teixeira will flirt with the Mendoza Line, 2) at least one team in your league will overpay for saves/steals, and 3) there will be a litany of breakout players whose hot starts you have to determine to be legit or facades. The first two will take care of themselves, but the third is vital to either building on your early success or fostering a turnaround. Here are six surprising players to evaluate after the season's first month:
Facade
Alberto Callaspo (2B/SS, KCR)
Callaspo, a career .266 hitter in 399 at-bats entering the year, is fifth in the Majors in batting average (.379). To his benefit, he batted .337 and .341 in consecutive Triple-A seasons from 2006-07. But he might never have met Lady Luck the way he has this year. His .388 batting average on balls in play (BABIP) is unsustainable, and his 18.1 line drive percentage (percentage of batted balls that are liners) is very low for a player with his batting average.Kevin Milwood (SP, TEX)
It's not good news when a pitcher who has a 2.78 ERA has given up roughly two more earned runs per game on the road (3.80) than at his bandbox for a home ballpark (1.88). That's the quagmire Millwood faces. He has a career 4.80 ERA at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, so that 1.88 figure will correct itself in a bad way. It doesn't help matters that his HR/9 rate has significantly increased (at 1.4 vs. a 0.9 career rate) while his K/9 rate has dramatically dipped (5.0 against 7.1 for his career).
Scott Richmond (SP, TOR)
Try not to pay attention to the 4-0 record. Wins are unpredictable since pitchers have little to no control over their run support. Other stats from Richmond (2.67 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 7.7 K/9) are impressive at first glance, but the career Minor Leaguer hasn't suddenly cracked the code to prolonged Major League pitching success. His 3.6 BB/9 rate is abysmal, especially since three of the five offenses he's faced rank in the latter half in walks. Also concerning is the 24.4 line drive percentage he's allowed, meaning that lineups are making fantastic contact against him.
Legit
Brandon Inge (3B, DET)
You might look at his eight homers and .609 slugging percentage and think to yourself, "There's no way this guy is for real." His slugging percentage is nearly higher than his on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (.672) last year. He's only three homers off his '08 total. Even though Inge's .287 batting average might shrink to the .250s range, his power is legit. He swatted 27 long balls and drove in 83 runners as Detroit's full-time hot cornerman in '06.
Adam Jones (OF, BAL)
Despite his 20/20 potential, Jones' greatest attribute this year will be runs scored; he's tied for the league lead with teammate Nick Markakis at 29. Batting second in the high-powered O's offense could net him 100-plus trips across the plate. A .395 BABIP will ensure that his .350 batting average falls, but the 23-year-old is showing greater plate discipline. His strikeout percentage is down 3.5 percent from last year, and he's cut his number of swings at pitches outside the strike zone by over nine percent.
Zach Duke (SP, PIT)
While another Zack (Greinke) has moved past sleeper status into full-fledged elite starter territory, Duke is keeping fantasy owners skeptical of his long-term value. A 1.12 WHIP is unusually low for him -- he hasn't finished a year below 1.50 since '05 -- but he has legit stats to support the mark. His K/9 rate has improved a full strikeout from last year, to 5.2. More optimistically, he's cut his BB/9 rate to 2.0, thus opening a strikeout-to-walk ratio to a very respectable 2.63-to-1.
All stats referenced are through May 5.
Tags: mlb, baseball, alberto callaspo, kevin milwood, scott richmond, brandon inge, adam jones, zach duke
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Brawn turns it on: Upstart F1 team shocks Ferrari, attracts Virgin
Jenson Button of Brawn GP won his third race in Bahrain on April 26. (Getty Images)
In a development as shocking as the upstart Tampa Bay Rays’ 2008 pennant at the expense of the Yankees and Red Sox, rookie Formula One outfit Brawn GP has claimed three wins out of this season’s first four races.
While traditional F1 powers Ferrari and McLaren lick early-season wounds to their pride, F1-leading Brawn GP is negotiating a long-term sponsorship deal with the Virgin Group this week heading into this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, where top driver Jenson Button is looking for his fourth victory of 2009.
Ross Brawn, a longtime Ferrari engineer, bought Honda’s team and installed Mercedes engines after Honda dropped out of F1 this winter amid economic jitters. His drivers’ success stunned the sport; since the top-level racing circuit’s launch in 1950, no Formula One team had debuted with consecutive victories.
“I have been impressed by Ross Brawn’s technical genius, organizational ability and his guts to go out and bid for the team,” said Richard Branson, president and founder of the Virgin Group. “It is a rare combination and he deserves his success.”
The success of Branson’s fellow British entrepreneur has Virgin negotiating a broader sponsorship deal with Brawn, one that might pave the way for a Virgin F1 team, Branson added.
As the 17-race series moves to Europe, Brawn GP may find its rivals waking from their spring slumber. But the team’s lightning debut has shaken up the sport. From 1998-2008, all but two of the circuit’s champions drove for Ferrari (6) or McLaren (3).
And after pouncing early, journeymen Brawn drivers Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello, Nos. 1 and 2 in the F1 driver standings, face the challenge of maintaining their team’s championship lead through the summer.
Tags: richard branson, ross brawn, jenson button, rubens barrichello, ferrari, mclaren, formula one, racing
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Life in a minor key: Sorting out the tragic death of Mike Coolbaugh
Heart of the Game: Life, Death, and Mercy in Minor League America
By S.L. Price
$24.99, 320 pages (Ecco)
A portrait of a man who seemingly gave his life to the game, S.L. Price’s “Heart of the Game,” to be published next week, is a searing and sweet account of the career of of Mike Coolbaugh, the minor league first-base coach killed by a sharply hit foul ball on the night of July 22, 2007.
Price, a senior writer at Sports Illustrated, does well not to falsely decorate this sad, simple tale with heroic adornments. Coolbaugh, 35, had just concluded a pedestrian minor league career the previous season.
Still, Price’s eye for emotion and detail lead to a number of ponderous and oversentimental passages.
While Coolbaugh was a muscular Texan who hit for average and power and fielded a decent third base, he was not an everyday major league talent. A classic “four-A player,” Coolbaugh’s chief weakness — an inability to hit the high, inside fastball — kept him stuck between Triple-A ball and a secure place in the majors.
In one of many tragic coincidences that led up to Coolbaugh’s death, the pitch that generated the deadly foul ball was an inside fastball.
Price devotes most of his attention to the inner circle of the Coolbaugh family, struggling to cope with a loss both senseless and, in the deeply felt reaction of the baseball world, meaningful.
But Price also delves into the terribly damaged psyche of another career minor leaguer, Tino Sanchez, who cannot escape the haunting knowledge that a ball from his bat killed a man.
Price’s chronicle sheds a brilliant light on the lower rungs of professional baseball, a shadow world of young men locked in largely unrewarded struggle.
Tags: mike coolbaugh, s.l. price, minor leagues, heart of the game, four-a player", baseball
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Yanks place Marte on DL
Damaso Marte (AP Photo)
Just when you thought the Yankees bullpen couldn't get any thinner, the team placed lefty specialist Damaso Marte on the 15-day disabled list.
The move is retroactive to April 26, the last time Marte appeared in a game.
This season, Marte is 0-1 with a insanely high 15.19 ERA, with a lot of the damage coming in a 10-2 loss to Cleveland on April 16, when he allowed six runs in one inning.
The bullpen, which at times has been brilliant, has largely been disastrous. And now Marte joining eighth-inning man Brian Bruney in the trainer's room.
Bruney was hands down the top reliever, next to Mariano Rivera on the team, going seven straight appearances without allowing a run. The righty was placed on the DL with an elbow strain on April 25.
Tags: damaso marte, yankees, mariano rivera, brian bruney
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Q&A: Kentucky Derby is time for some serious horseplay
Kentucky Derby hopeful Atomic Rain and trainer Kelly Breen cool off Wednesday after a morning workout at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky. (AP)
The first leg of the Triple Crown comes Saturday, when 20 horses kick up 1 1/4 miles of dirt at the Kentucky Derby (6 p.m. on NBC).
Lifelong horseplayer Stanley Bavlish, a handicapper and spokesman for the official betting site of Churchill Downs, TwinSpires.com, talked about his passion on Wednesday with amNewYork.
What makes the Triple Crown so hard to achieve?
It’s very stressful. It’s like an athlete running a marathon every two weeks and trying to run at his best. The horses at this time of year — they’re only 3-year-olds. They normally run every four or five weeks. The previous long they would have run is 1 1/8 mile.
What motivation do the horses have to race?
I kind of think it’s inbred. They’re high-spirited animals. They’re bred for speed, for running. It seems to me like they enjoy the competition. I’ve seen horses on the track that just are strutting their stuff not unlike an athlete.
Is I Want Revenge a clear-cut favorite?
The odds are about right. He certainly is legitimate. I’m not convinced that I’ll be betting him at 3-to-1, because I don’t think ... he’d win out one every four times. There are four or five quality horses that could win.
What’s a common mistake made by novice bettors?
In the Derby it would be that they bet the favorites. They’ll go with the crowd. That’s OK. It’s just that opens opportunities for the better bettors to win more money because they have information that the novice player doesn’t.
Do you note who the jockey is on each horse?
The jockey and the trainer are important, but there’s an old saying in racing that “the jockey has never carried the horse across the finish line.” It’s not a situation where a jockey is going to take a bad horse and make him a winner. The best jockey will make the least amount of mistakes and give the horse the best opportunity to win.
Tags: kentucky derby, churchill downs, i want revenge, stanley bavlish, twinspires.com, horse racing
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Special to amNewYork
This weekend’s NFL draft will allow the Jets and Giants to supplement their offseason activity. Both New York teams lack a top-10 pick, however, so it is unlikely that either team will find a franchise player without trading up.
The Jets, having plugged some defensive holes via free agency this offseason, are hunting for offensive help.
Quarterback and wide receiver are Gang Green’s two biggest needs given the departures of QB Brett Favre and WR Laveranues Coles; this year’s draft talent pool favors offensive and defensive linemen, linebackers and wide receivers.
Two quarterbacks should also find their way into the top several picks.
Jets: QBs
While coach Rex Ryan has stated that one of the Jets’ best two current QBs, Kellen Clemens or Brett Ratliff, will be the team’s starter this fall. This could be a smokescreen designed to mask the team’s draft intentions.
The draft’s top two passing prospects — Georgia’s Matthew Stafford and USC’s Mark Sanchez — are expected to be off the board well before the Jets select at No. 17. However, general manager Mike Tannenbaum has a history of making draft-day deals, most notably trading up 10 picks to draft cornerback Darrelle Revis at No. 14 in 2007.
Stafford’s price tag will likely be too high for the Jets, as he is being targeted by Detroit with the first overall pick. But don’t rule out the possibility of a trade-up to acquire Sanchez, who recently worked out for the Jets and possesses leadership traits the team covets. The only other signal-caller who might hear his name called by the Jets in the first round is Kansas State’s Josh Freeman, whose superior arm strength may make him worth the gamble on his mental readiness.
Jets: WRs
The Jets’ scouts may find the first-round talent pool deeper at wide receiver.
Two will likely be gone by No. 17: the tall Michael Crabtree of Texas Tech, and the speedy Jeremy Maclin of Missouri. Given the Jets’ lack of size and speed at the position, either prospect may prompt management to consider trading up.Alternatively, the team could stay put at No. 17 and possibly have its pick among four other worthy wideouts.
Maryland’s Darrius Heyward-Bey ranks as the draft’s fastest receiver, clocking in with a 4.3-second 40-yard dash. Florida’s Percy Harvin uses nifty moves to rack up yards-after-catches, but at under 6-foot, size may prevent Harvin’s skills from transferring to the NFL game. Rutgers’ Kenny Britt possesses the best size/speed combination, but lacks experience against top college defenses. Finally, although he is neither particularly tall nor fast, North Carolina’s Hakeem Nicks is believed by scouts to be the most NFL-ready of the four.
Giants: The view from No. 29
Drafting fourth-to-last in the first round, the Giants will likely focus more on choosing the best player available than on trying to fill a need.
The G-Men may give a serious look to one of the four second-tier wideouts mentioned above. There are also few offensive tackles may also get consideration, including Arizona’s Eben Britton and Connecticut’s William Beatty.
Alternatively, the team may bolster its front seven by tapping into this draft’s surplus of defensive lineman and linebackers. Several defensive lineman are likely to be taken among the first 20 picks, but the Giants may have a shot at Florida State defensive end Everette Brown, Mississippi defensive tackle Peria Jerry or Northern Illinois defensive end Larry English.
At linebacker, top prospect Aaron Curry of Wake Forest will be long gone, but the Giants may have a chance at one of three USC standouts: Brian Cushing, Rey Maualuga, and Clay Matthews. Ohio State’s James Laurinaitis may also be in the mix.
