The musical maestro of the sports blogosphere, Ryan Parker, e-mailed me a link to his latest creation Sunday. It's a song that tackles the hot-button issue of sports bloggers vs. journalists.

I have been both, having worked as an editor and reporter for 20 years, and it is a topic I usually stay away from discussing. I would rather stick to the football I cover at Big Blue View and the baseball I write about at Bugs & Cranks .

Yet, with Buzz Bissinger's vicious attack on the blogosphere still fresh, I feel a need to weigh in. Parker's song gives me a good excuse. I'm posting this in both places, and I hope the powers that be in both groups will forgive me. But, I felt I needed to write it for both audiences. By the way, Bugs & Cranks readers will get a kick out of Parker's B&C screenshot.

The debate between the blogosphere and mainstream sports media is getting old, but Bissinger was particularly vehement in his hatred of bloggers.

Speaking to Will Leitch, editor of Deadspin during a Bob Costas special, Bissinger was bitter.

"I really think you're full of [expletive]. I think that blogs are dedicated to cruelty, dedicated to journalistic dishonesty."

Bissinger completely misses the spirit of what the blogosphere is all about.

Bloggers are NOT journalists. We are fans. We are SUPPOSED to be emotional. We are NOT supposed to be objective. And, despite what some in the mainstream media still want to believe, we ARE entitled to our opinions.

Bissinger and others who have blasted the blogosphere -- like Rick Reilly, Costas and Michael Wilbon -- cling to the old belief that they decide what is important. They tell us what they think we need to know. They know more because they get to talk to the players. That makes them the EXPERTS.

Hogwash! Tell me Tony Kornheiser knows more football than I do and I'll laugh in your face. Yet, he is on Monday Night Football so his opinion is supposed to be valid and mine isn't? That's nonsense.

There are writers in the mainstream media who are extremely good at what they do. There are others who are just idiots with an agenda. These days, I'd put Mike Lupica in that category. I wonder when the last time was that he actually went anywhere near a lockerroom.

The same holds true with bloggers. There is good and there is bad. I'll be honest, I'm a little older than most bloggers and some of what I see in the blogosphere offends me. So, I choose to ignore it. Just like I choose to ignore writers or columnists whose work I don't like.

When it comes to reporting facts, that has always been and will continue to be the job of the mainstream reporters.

When it comes to opinion, mine is just as valid as any mainstream columnist, talking head on the radio, or reader who chooses to comment.

It's opinion. I watch the games. I read the accounts. I see the quotes. I know the Yankees and Giants inside and out. I don't need a press pass to figure out that Ian Kennedy is pitching terribly and deserves to be back in AAA. Or, that Jerry Reese has done a brilliant job in his short tenure as Giants' general manager.

Why is my opinion less valid than Mark Feinsand's or Peter Abraham's? Reality is, it isn't. And, there is nothing wrong with me having a place to share my opinion.

These mainstream guys who are complaining are threatened by bloggers. Sports  news has become more a discussion instead of a one-sided lecture, and they don't like it. Quite simply, they are less important than they used to be.

Get used to it, fellas. Blogs aren't going away.

With rookie mini-camp this week (Friday and Saturday) it is still all about the newcomers for the Giants this week.

So, it will be that way here at Big Blue View as well.

Let's take a more in-depth look at each of the Giants' draft choices, how they affect the roster and how much playing time we can expect them to get.

Today, we will look at No. 1 pick Kenny Phillips.

The Miami safety was thought by most to be the best safety in the draft, and he figures to challenge for playing time right away.

My guess is that veteran Sammy Knight, signed to replace the departed Gibril Wilson, gets one safety slot.

We have talked about it a little before, but I think Phillips will eventually push the just-adequate James Butler out of the way for the other slot.

Argue if you want about strong and free safety -- that doesn't interest me. What does interest me is getting the two best players on the field.

Oddly, Phillips' presence doesn't really put anyone's roster spot in jeopardy. The Giants had only three safeties -- Knight, Butler and Michael Johnson -- on the roster. You need at least four to open the season, anyway.

It's a Sunday in May, and there truthfully isn't much football to talk about.

So, let's do something we haven't done in a long time. Let's throw the floor open for a completely open thread.

• You want to talk NBA playoffs? Go for it.
• You want to talk about the crummy starts by the Yankees and Mets? Go for it.
• You want to tell us a little about yourselves? Please do. I've noticed quite a few unfamiliar names commenting in recent weeks. Tell us a little about yourself -- why you love the Giants, how you became a fan, where live, whatever -- so we get to know you better.
• Been here a while and want to tell us something new about yourself? Please do.

I'll start with this little tidbit. I start a new full-time job on Monday that I'm thrilled about. You guys have benefitted from the fact that I got laid off 6 weeks ago, but Monday morning it is back to the real world for me.

Don't worry, though, I'll still be here for ya!

Other than that, the floor is yours. Do with it what you will.

By George Cronin

[NOTE: This is the latest installment of George Cronin's look back at the Giants of yesteryear. So far, George has taken us an a history lesson from the 1930s all the way the '60s. Today, he talks about 1962.]

Giff came back in’62 and played his third position on the team, flanker, replacing Rote, who retired.   The Giants won the Eastern Division again with a 12-2 record.  They led the league in total offense, gaining more than 5,000 yards and scoring 35 TD passes (33 by YA.)

They met the Pack (13-0) for the NFL championship, fired up to avenge their humiliating loss in the previous year. The teams fielded 15 HOF players. Jim Taylor led the league in rushing, the only time in Jim Brown's career that he failed to gain that honor.

In 1961, despite a clear, blustery day that made passing tough, the field conditions in Lambeau were good. A snowstorm had been forecast and the field was covered hith bales of hay. The hay and snow were removed the morning of the game, and the turf was in good shape.

In ’62, an unexpected, overnight ice storm froze the Yankee Stadium field. The temperature was 13, and swirling 40 MPH winds brought the wind chill factor down to -25. Gusts blew the heavy sideline benches over. Ice formed around players’ eyelids and noses. YA talked of being snake-bitten by the weather two years in a row and of a ball frozen like a block of ice.

Green Bay players have been quoted as swearing that it was colder than the “Ice Bowl” game vs. Dallas in ’67. Hornung called it the hardest game he ever played. Lombardi as fine a football game as he'd ever seen. Blacked out in NYC, I watched this game in a crowded bar on the Jersey shore. The game plan was simple: control the clock by run, run, running Taylor, mostly on sweeps behind a wall of blockers including Hornung and the offensive line.

In the first quarter, Jerry Kramer, who earlier in the year replaced Hornung (leg injury) as placekicker, put Green Bay ahead with a field goal one, of three successes out of five attempts. He wore cleats with a kicking toe, unlike the sneaks worn by all the other players from both teams

In the second quarter, Giants FB Phil King fumbled on the Giants 28 yard line and Ray Nitschke, the Pack’s MLB recovered. On first down, Hornung hit on an option pass to the Giants 7. On the next play Taylor scored on one of the few cutbacks he made that day, which the pursuing defense overran. Later, the Giants tightened things up when CB Erich Barnes blocked a punt and one of his teammates fell on the ball for a TD. GB led at the half, 10-7.

In the second half, the Pack kept battering the Giants defense with Taylor. He needed stitches in his arm during half time, which kept opening every time he scraped them on the frozen ground during the second half. Spitting blood from a bitten tongue, Taylor heaved up from every pile up challenging the Giants to hit him harder.

By the end of the day, The Giants outgained Green Bay in yardage, 291-244, but couldn’t score again and went down to defeat 16-7, the fourth loss in a championship game in five years. Taylor carried the ball 31 times for 85 yards.

Ray Nitschke won the MVP. He played like a wild man, made tackles all over the field, deflected a pass on GB’s 10 that led to interception and recovered two fumbles. One led to a TD; the other, a FG. The Pack players awarded the team ball to Kramer for insuring the win with FGs in impossible conditions.

Allie Sherman won Coach-of-the Year honors for the second time in a row. I believe that’s the only time that has happened.

So the Giants wound up losing the championship game for the fourth time in five years. As a fan, I take the little consolation provided by the knowledge that, in the judgment of most experts, the Colts of 1958-59 (along with the Packers of 1961-62) were among the best teams to ever play in the NFL. But damn, we could have won as many as three of those games.

George Cronin has corrected me. Emlen Tunnell was a safety, not a corner. So, we will elect two cornerbacks and put Tunnell on the team as a safety. A couple of the sources I looked at had him listed as a corner. My fault.

I am getting chastised a bit for leaving Mark Collins off the balloting for cornerback. So, I will leave that up to you guys.

Use the poll to let me know if we should re-vote for the second slot, adding Collins to go up against whoever places second in the ongoing balloting. I will give you the weekend to vote on that.

In an incredibly close vote, Brad Van Pelt has defeated Carl Banks in the balloting for the second outside linebacker position on our Big Blue View All-Time Giants Team.

The final tally was 52-50. It was amazing to watch as the vote unfolded. Banks led all week -- in fact I had to re-write this post because as of Thursday afternoon he was far enough ahead that I thought he was going to win comfortably. The Van Pelt voters rushed to the poll last night, though.

To be honest, I am thrilled with the results of that vote. I think it showed a little respect for the accomplishments of a player many current Giants' fans never saw play.

Let's move on to cornerback as we continue the voting for our Big Blue View All-Time Giants Team.

I feel very, very strongly that Emlen Tunnell belongs on this team. He is in the Hall of Fame (the only Giants' CB so honored) and holds the team's all-time interception record. Tunnell was also named All-NFL four times and played in nine Pro Bowls.

So, as I did with Lawrence Taylor, I am simply putting Tunnell on the team. You guys get to choose the second cornerback.

This is an interesting vote, and in now way do I see a clear-cut choice for the remaining spot.

Here are your nominees:

• Dick Lynch
• Mark Haynes
• Erich Barnes

I did not put Jason Sehorn on this list. I know darn well that if i did the younger BBV'ers would vote for him, and he simply does not deserve to be on this team. Don't get offended. Go look at the careers of the four guys listed. There is no way you can tell me Sehorn is better than any of those guys. Sehorn was never voted to a Pro Bowl or named All-Pro. Same with Mark Collins -- another guy some of you might be tempted to vote for.

So, for this one you guys are going to have to do a little work and brush up on your history. A little background on these guys.

Lynch -- In Giants' history, Lynch is much more than a color commentator on radio broadcast.  He played for nine years, eight with the Giants, and intercepted 37 passes. He was named All-Pro one time.

Barnes -- Totaled 45 interceptions in a 14-year career ... only spent four years with the Giants, but intercepted 19 passes during that time ... Appeared in six Pro Bowls and was named All-Pro once.

Haynes -- Made three Pro Bowls and was named All Pro twice in a 10-year career. ... spent his first six seasons as a Giant.

Big Blue View All-Time Giants Team

Punter -- Sean Landeta
Placekicker -- Matt Bahr
Defensive End -- Michael Strahan
Defensive End -- Leonard Marshall
Defensive Tackle -- Roosevelt Grier
Middle Linebacker -- Harry Carson
Middle Linebacker -- Sam Huff
Outside Linebacker -- Lawrence Taylor
Outside Linebacker -- Brad Van Pelt
Cornerback -- Emlen Tunnell

The Giants added two linebackers in the draft, Bryan Kehl in the fourth round and Jonathan Goff in the fifth. Here is some information about them.

I am intrigued by Kehl since GM Jerry Reese found it necessary to trade up for him in the fourth round, giving up one of his extra sixth-round picks.

From NFL Draft Countdown:

A pretty good all-around player whose physical tools are passable and gets pushed over the top by doing all the little things...Probably not starting material but can make a roster & contribute..Backup / Special Teamer.

The Giants also drafted middle linebacker Jonathan Goff, from Vanderbilt, in the fifth round.

Here is what Footballs Future had to say about Goff.

Goff is a physical, run stuffing force at middle linebacker. He quickly diagnoses the run, and attacks the line of scrimmage. He will take on blockers and battle until he gets to the ball carrier. Goff has the ability to make plays up and down the line of scrimmage, as long as the play is in front of him. He has good size, and the frame to get even bigger to develop even more at the next level.

Goff may lack the change of direction ability and athleticism to be more than a run stopper in the NFL.. He gets lost in space and loses ground when changing directions when asked to cover. He may be limited to a two down role in the NFL. He will also have to pack on some more weight, and he has a lanky build right now.

Goff is one of the best inside linebackers available for the draft. He is an excellent run stopper, and should make an impact there right away in the NFL. He may never be a big time playmaker from his inside linebacker spot, but he will help clog running lanes between the tackles.

Sounds to me like the Giants have added a couple of players who could at the very least add some quality depth. Goff might even be a guy who could replace Antonio Pierce down the road.

Just a little something this morning to honor our President's sense of humor. We thank him for his "We’re going to send Jessica Simpson to the Democrat National Convention," joke yesterday while the defending Super Bowl champion Giants visited the White House.

Don't forget to vote for the player you think should join Lawrence Taylor as an outside linebacker on our Big Blue View All-Time Giants Team.

Today is your last day, and the battle between Brad Van Pelt and Carl Banks is still too close to call. Vote here !

After that linebacker position is settled, we will move on and select the two cornerbacks who will be joining our defensive unit.

I always get a chuckle out of the ridiculous rush by NFL analysts like Mel Kiper and others to grade drafts. You see those ratings almost as soon as the picks are in, and it's nothing short of stupid.

There is no way you can really judge a draft until you get the players on the field and see how they perform.

Well, I have finally come across a set of draft grades I can put some stock in -- for the 2005 season.

Associated Press football writer Dave Goldberg has gone back and looked at the 2005 draft , and concluded that the Giants, Chargers and Cowboys are the only teams who deserved 'A' grades for what they did that year.

Goldberg's reasoning is as follows:

Drafts can’t be rated with grades the day after the draft although fans seem to consider them must reading. But NFL personnel consider three years the period needed to determine who can play and who can’t. So 2005 grades are the ones given this year.

Here is what he said about the Giants '05 draft.

San Diego (13-6), New York Giants (14-6). These are related because of the deal during the 2004 draft that landed Eli Manning with the Giants and Philip Rivers with the Chargers.

Ernie Accorsi, then the Giants general manager, included his first pick in 2005 instead of a raw young defensive end Osi Umenyiora, whom the Chargers said they would take instead.

It worked for both teams: Umenyiora developed into a two-time Pro Bowler and is one of those fearsome pass rushers who terrorized Tom Brady in the Giants’ Super Bowl upset. The Chargers used the pick obtained from New York on Shawne Merriman, the game’s best pass-rushing outside linebacker—Ware is probably the second best.

New York had only four picks in 2005. But its second-rounder was cornerback Corey Webster. Its third was defensive lineman Justin Tuck, and its fourth was starting running back Brandon Jacobs.

Tuck had two sacks of Brady in the Super Bowl. Jacobs was a solid replacement for Tiki Barber with help from one of the 2007 rookies, Ahmad Bradshaw.

Webster is an example of why draft analysis must wait. He was a disappointment until late in his third season, when he had an interception return for a touchdown against Buffalo in the win that clinched a playoff berth. He added two more INTs in the playoffs, including the one in overtime off Brett Favre that set up the winning field goal in the NFC title game.

By the way, Goldberg's worst draft grades for 2005 went to Oakland, San Francisco, Detroit and St. Louis, which went a combined 19-45 in 2007.