A few items of interest this week concerning current and ex-Giants alike.
Turns out that retirement by QB coach Chris Palmer wasn't much of a retirement after all. He has taken on the head coaching position of the New York Sentinels in the one-year old UFL. That's now half of the league's head coaching spots filled by former Giants coaches.
For all the talk about how meaningless the Pro Bowl is, you wouldn't know it by talking to David Diehl, who got the most out of his first Pro Bowl experience.
Also from the Pro Bowl comes a good piece from the Miami Herald about Steve Smith and Clay Matthews of the Packers, players who have familiar names but bright futures.
Vinny DiTrani names the "Almost-Pro" team of the best players not to make the Pro Bowl, and Eli Manning is his QB. I'll be honest, this team would definitely give the actual Pro Bowl teams a real game, what with the absence of the Super Bowl players.
Michael Strahan is the only Giants player named to the NFL's All-Decade team. I think you could definitely make a case that Tiki Barber belongs over Jamal Lewis or Shaun Alexander, but both of those guys had one elite year that jumps out at you, which Tiki didn't have. Either way, I'm just glad the NFL didn't try to be cute like Peter King and leave Strahan off.
Speaking of Tiki Barber, he's got some advice/criticism for Adrian Peterson. I think we all know what this means: the Vikings are going to win the Super Bowl next year.
Continuing our former Giants theme, Bill Cowher recently interviewed Plaxico Burress in jail, who vowed that he would play again. Cowher, who once again denied interest in Tom Coughlin's job, believes that Burress was being sincere in his answers. How long until Cowher/Plaxico/Giants rumors start up?
Finally, our old friend Jeremy Shockey is in Miami preparing to play in the Super Bowl, but I'm sure you already knew that. Here's two articles about Shock, one discussing his desire to actually play this time around, and the other arguing that he sabotaged his own Giants legacy after Super Bowl XLII.