It's always nice to come away from the NFL draft feeling good about our Giants and how they picked. Last year, I remember we were all annoyed with Al Davis for snagging Rolando McClain before we could, and questioning the Jason Pierre-Paul first round choice. Then, of course, we chose a punter, and as Giants' fans we rolled our collective eyes. But this year was different. And while I didn't know much about South Florida LB Jacquian Williams and couldn't find much on him as I relayed the pick to all of you in BBV-land, this article should answer a lot of quetions many of you have....
NFL Draft 2011: New York Giants draft pick Jacquian Williams' long road to the NFL - ESPN New York
There were NFL scouts watching his every move and Williams didn't want to ruin any shot at getting to the next level. That's when New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese said something that not only put Williams' mind at ease but also inspired him. Reese asked Williams how great it would be if he and his old college teammate, Jason Pierre-Paul, were reunited in New York.
What impresses me most about Williams is his utter indifference to contraception--I mean, three kids with three different mothers at the age of 22? Yikes. But seriously, I came away feeling good after reading this. It sounds like Williams has a strong work ethic and really values being re-united with JPP, whom he played with at both high school and college.
New York Giants WR Hakeem Nicks on Marvin Austin: 'A good addition' - ESPN New York
The off-the-field issues were the reason he dropped to the Giants at the 52nd overall pick. Austin told reporters after he was drafted that he is not a bad person. The Giants concurred. "He's definitely not," Nicks said. "He's a guy that just goes after it on the football game. He loves the game."
I love that Reese consults with current Giants players about their former college teammates, and I still love the Austin pick as great value in Round 2.
New York Giants' Pat Hanlon tweets to Rex Ryan: 'Talk is cheap' - ESPN New York
The Jets organization released a statement Sunday night saying, "We'll let Pat enjoy his 15 minutes." Hanlon responded to the Jets' statement, saying, "My 15 minutes has lasted almost 20 years. I happen to work for the best owners and greatest organization in professional sports. I hope they all feel the same way after 20 years. I know the Jets invented social media, particularly Twitter. We're just trying to perfect it."
Damn, that was a low blow by the Jets, but maybe that's why Hanlon made the comments he did afterward. Pretty funny stuff, but I hope Ryan doesn't continue to fan the flames as he promotes his book. But we all know he will.
Tiki Barber discusses motivation behind his attempt to return to the NFL - NYPOST.com
The emptiness paralyzed Tiki Barber to the point where getting out of bed to face the day was overwhelming. One of the greatest New York Giants of them all barely could move. There was no drive, no incentive, no reason to go anywhere, be anywhere. No real purpose to serve. Tiki Barber, his football exploits ended by his own accord, his marriage dissolving and his television career in tatters, was melting down.
I know it's extremely hard to feel sorry for Tiki, but I did, for about five minutes after reading this article. But only for five minutes. The guy just brought it all on himself. Okay, pretty soon I'm going to have to declare a personal moratorium on Tiki, but for now there isn't much news to glean from.
Jim wrote Thursday about Bob Papa being let go by NFL Network, and this reaction by Bob Raissman of The Daily News is spot on, using words like "despicable" and "gutless." Right on. And now, I bid you all an excellent weekend of Derby watching or whatever it is you have planned. Oh, and don't forget to be nice to the moms in your life, especially the ones who, like my wife, so awesomely take care of our kids.