Good morning fellow Giants fans. By the look and sound of everything going on with the NFL, the Giants are sure generating a lot of attention for losing players to teams wanting to emulate them, for having to talk about the Jets and their moves as their stadium-mates compete for headlines, and for watching their potential Hall of Fame former coach consider signing with the Saints for a year. And, of course, for having to apologize for Victor Cruz' "giving himself up" play that wound up being the weird "hands of fate" moment that allowed the Giants to reach the postseason and then win it all. Yeah, and if my aunt had a sack, she'd be my uncle. (Can I say "sack," Ed? If not, oops!)
Yeah, all of that, right? Well, count Giants' guard Chris Snee among those who just want to make headlines in February--for winning the big one:
Chris Snee says Giants 'only want headlines in February' | NJ.com
But this offseason, the Jets have managed to steal the headlines in the New York-New Jersey area, with their surprising trade for Tim Tebow. "We only want headlines in February," Giants right guard Chris Snee said this morning at a preview of the NFL's pop-up store at 41st Street and Sixth Avenue in Manhattan, due to open Monday at 11 a.m. "That’s the only time we want it, and I'm sure most guys on the team will say that.
Brandon Jacobs signs with Giants West, aka the 49ers - latimes.com
It's unclear exactly what Jacobs' role will be in San Francisco. He definitely won't be the No. 1 running back -- that job belongs to Frank Gore, who rushed for 1,211 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Jacobs probably will find himself competing for, or sharing, the backup spot with Kendall Hunter, who rushed for 473 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie last season. Perhaps the move by the 49ers has something to do with their heartbreaking 20-17 overtime loss to New York in the NFC championship game. After all, they went out and snatched Manningham, who had a 17-yard touchdown reception in that game. Subtract those six points from one side and add them to the other and you've got another team representing the NFC at the Super Bowl.
And if my aunt had a sa--.....a never mind. Seriously, though, I had that same thought--where does Jacobs fit in behind Gore and Hunter?
Saints overshadow NFL meetings - Boston.com
"The whole league will talk about it," Giants coach Tom Coughlin said Wednesday. "The commissioner wants the entire league to make sure it's discussed -- to go forward using it as an example, to stress there is no place for that in our league." Several coaches echoed Coughlin, with the hope they will need to bring it up only once to their players. Clubs will gather for workouts in mid-April.
Petrus does music away from football - NFL - CBSSports.com News, Rumors, Scores, Stats, Fantasy
By day, Mitch Petrus is an offensive lineman for the New York Giants, a two-year veteran who last year opened quite a few eyes when with no notice, he stepped in against Green Bay to be the starting left guard, performing well enough to earn a uniform for the rest of the season. By night, Petrus, along with some friends, has begun opening a few ears. The 24 year old and some friends from his home state of Arkansas are part of a band called Vikings of the North Atlantic - VONA for short. Recently, VONA took the next step toward proving they are more than just a flash in the pan by releasing a selection of their songs on iTunes, the popular online music service.
20 post-free agency fantasy sleepers - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
11. Martellus Bennett, TE, New York Giants: Coming at the discounted price of just $2.5 million, this could very well turn into one of the best transactions that went down this offseason. The presence of Jason Witten coupled with Bennett’s maturity issues prevented the 25-year-old from reaching his full potential in Dallas. But now that he’s got four seasons under his belt and is playing with the defending Super Bowl champions, don’t be the least bit surprised if Bennett develops into a top-8 fantasy tight end. There’s a lot of upside here.
Could Devin Thomas finally break through on offense with Bears? - NFL - Yahoo! Sports
Devin Thomas has never taken off as a wide receiver in the NFL. Could Devin Thomas finally break through on offense with Bears? What are the odds he will with the Chicago Bears? That’s hard to say right now. But the Bears certainly don’t have the kind of depth chart Thomas was up against as a member of the New York Giants. Opportunity could come with his new team. The Bears announced Wednesday night they had come to terms with Thomas, who was a special teams savior for the Giants in the postseason, on a one-year deal. It’s a low-risk investment and Thomas has upside on special teams.
Count me among those who wish Thomas nothing but the best. Especially since we won't meet the Bears during the regular season.
New York Giants' Kennedy to Visit Westchester
Westchester County native Jimmy Kennedy, a defensive lineman for the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants, will return to the area April 19 for a visit with his former coaches, teachers and teammates at Roosevelt High School in Yonkers.
NFL.com news: How does free agency impact NFL hierarchy? Bears hit top five
How do you not rank the Giants No. 1? Yes, they finished 9-7 last season. But remember, they were rarely firing on all cylinders because of injuries (much like the 2010 Packers). They still won the Super Bowl. And thus, barring any unforeseen historical revisions, they're still the defending champs -- by a hair. Signing a space cadet like tight end Martellus Bennett for the money they paid seemed like a stretch. Perhaps grabbing Stanford's Coby Fleener at the bottom of the first round would be the better move. That aside, New York is still top dog.
This last news bite is a few days old, but I don't remember posting it or seeing it in one of Ed's notebooks. And again, it's like they are apologizing for having to put the Giants first. I wonder what it will take for us to earn some respect? Oh wait, respect will come in the form of those big, flashy rings the team will receive in a few months.
Meanwhile, wake me up when the Jets sign Terrell Owens. Oh come on, you know that's coming next, don't you?
Have a great weekend, everyone!