New York Giants News and Notes: Hump Day Hodgepodge Edition

Good morning fellow Giants fans. It's Hump Day, and you know what that means, right? Calendar time! There are 17 weeks until the start of the 2012 NFL regular season, Giants vs. Cowboys on Wednesday night, September 5. And since we're all about perspective on Hump Day, 17 weeks ago the Giants had beaten the Atlanta Falcons in the wild card round and were preparing to upset the Packers on divisional round Sunday. It's interesting to look at it that way, isn't it? Anyway, the Giants had their first workout of the off-season with coaches present on Tuesday, and this Friday rookie mini-camp begins. And of course, there is Osi and the will-he or won't he stay saga. Let's see what is happening, shall we?

Giants rookie camp is this weekend - NFC East Blog - ESPN
Now, the Giants don't generally rush their rookies, but the fact of what Youngmisuk says is there will be opportunities for someone like Hosley to contribute. Other than Corey Webster, the cornerbacks on the Giants' roster all seem to be coming off of serious 2011 injuries. And Prince Amukamara, whose training-camp injury healed enough to allow him to play late last season, isn't all that far ahead of Hosley in terms of his experience in the Giants' program.

Umenyiora: Chance I'll 'be in a wheelchair' after NFL - NFL.com
On Tuesday, Umenyiora responded to Amani Toomer after the former Giants wideout lashed out at Kurt Warner, who said he would prefer that his children not play football due to the game's physical toll.

Wow, Osi sure is generating headlines, isn't he?

CHIP MALAFRONTE: Giants' Kevin Gilbride, a North Haven native, proud of his Connecticut roots - Sports - Post-Chronicle
Long before he became one of the top offensive architects in football, Kevin Gilbride was the star athlete at North Haven High in 1969. He was the football quarterback, basketball power forward and baseball’s ace pitcher. But it was also around that time Gilbride got his first taste of coaching. At 15, he played both Babe Ruth and for the new American Legion baseball team. Longtime coach Joe Mattei managed both teams.

hakeem nicks recalls giants' run to the super bowl - Courant.com
He's gone from the University of North Carolina to the New York Giants to a Super Bowl champion in just three years, but on Monday Hakeem Nicks found himself in unfamiliar territory. "Just being [in Connecticut] for two hours I can't really elaborate on too much. … Once I got the chance to walk around, it was a good vibe," Nicks said. The New York Giants wide receiver was in the state for the first time at Southern Connecticut State University, alongside Kevin Gilbride, former Southern player and coach, and current Giants offensive coordinator.

Draft fallout: Do the Giants have best skill players in NFL? - NFL.com
With David Wilson and Rueben Randle, do the Giants have the best skill position talent in the NFL?

New York Giants Ahmad Bradshaw Steps In For Scott Disick As Host For The Hamptons Golf Classic - Westhampton, NY - Hamptons.com
With the upcoming birth of his second child with Kourtney Kardashian expected sometime this summer Scott Disick has stepped down as host of the Hamptons Golf Classic. Disick whose parents have a house in the Hamptons was spotted at various Hamptons events last summer with Kardshian. According to event founder Zev Norotsky, New York Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw has stepped in as host for the event. The Hamptons Golf Classic will be held at the Hamptons Hills Golf & Country Club in Westhampton on June 25, 2012.

Study: NFL players living longer than general population - CBSSports
The NFL on Tuesday morning sent an e-mail to about 3,200 pre-1993 players that included an update on some retirement issues. There was some normal business chatter in the e-mail, including news that former New York Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik is now interim president of the Alumni Association and Jim McMahon won the association's golf tournament. But also in the letter, obtained by me, was a bit of a blockbuster.

Well, that sure is an interesting twist to recent headlines. Insert your comment here about Pisarcik handing off the ball to the guy who eventually replaces him, perhaps Larry Csonka? Or Herm Edwards?

Victor Cruz Latina Magazine Cover: June July 2012 Issue, New York Giants Victor Cruz | Latina
Victor Cruz graces the June/July 2012 cover of Latina’s Hot Guys issue, which hits newsstands and Nook newsstand on May 15th. The New York Giants wide receiver and Super Bowl champ talks to Latina about how hardships like getting kicked out of school and off his college team, and his father’s death, along with the loving support of the strong women in his life, have made him the man he is today.

Seriously, talk about a rapid rise to stardom!

Kelly Ripa's New Cohost -- Michael Strahan Top Pick?
Kelly Ripa is getting closer to inking a deal with a morning co-host. HollywoodLife.com has spoken to a source close to the production of Live with Kelly! who reveals that former NFL star Michael Strahan is at the top of Kelly’s list! So it’s not surprising that he co-hosted for his ninth time on May 7! "All bets are on Michael Strahan," the source says. "He’s funny, does well on camera and gets along really fabulously with Kelly. Michael is the top name that is seriously being thrown around right now."

This is awesome, but it makes me laugh every time I see this mentioned as a possibility, because this was supposed to be the path Tiki Barber followed. And Strahan has a Super Bowl ring too.

The next Slate/Intelligence Squared debate is May 8: Why Buzz Bissinger thinks college football should be banned. - Slate Magazine
Pulitzer prize-winning journalist H.G. "Buzz" Bissinger knows all about conflicted allegiance to a beautiful, terrible sport. Having grown up watching football, he made his name exposing its underside, with the 1988 best-seller Friday Night Lights. These days he continues to decipher the game’s glories and call out its flaws as a columnist for the Daily Beast.

And here are the USA Today post-draft power rankings, and hey, lookie who is Number 1.