Let's get right down to business this morning, New York Giants fans. First, a few non-NFL Draft-related notes. Plenty of draft coverage coming your way the rest of the day, but I figured we would catch up on some other items first.
NFL divisional odds for 2012 are out - Yahoo! Sports
We may be waist-deep in NFL draft talk at the moment, but I wanted to take a quick break and divert your attention to the odds Lucky’s Race & Sports Book in Las Vegas has posted on each team to win its division in 2012.
NOTE: You would never believe it, but the Giants are not the favorites to win the NFC East.
New York Giants feel like underdogs despite Super Bowl title - NFL.com
As he left the New York Giants locker room Thursday, Justin Tuck had a message for some folks at NFL Network who were leery of the reigning Super Bowl champions getting the chance to defend their title.
"Tell your colleagues," Tuck said, "we ARE going to make the playoffs."
Reflecting on the 2007 and 2011 Super Bowl-winning teams, Eli Manning joined Tuck in embracing the notion that the Giants weren't universally seen as world class in becoming world champs.
"(We are) taking kind of the attitude that we still have something to prove," Manning said. "They called it a fluke and we got hot at the right time, but we were still not a great team. That should be the mindset (now). We have to be more consistent. We have to be better throughout the whole season and not have these streaks of good play and bad play."
New York Giants' Mark Herzlich takes aim at starting spot - NFL.com
"It's mine for the taking," the second-year player said Wednesday. "I wish the best for everybody else, but it's still a competition.
"I want the team to do well, and if it’s not the spot that the coaches want me in, then that’s one thing. But the way I look at it is, there is a place that I can play and I don’t want anyone to take that away from me."
Fans choose Calvin Johnson over Cam Newton for Madden cover | ProFootballTalk
Lions fans who believe in curses just got some bad news. Lions fans who don't can celebrate another sign of their team's return to relevance: Calvin Johnson is on the cover of this year's Madden game.