SPAGS
2008 Off-season/Draft
The Super Bowl Champion New York Giants have had a very busy 2008 off-season thus far. The free agency signing period began in March with three defensive players Gibril Wilson, Kawika Mitchell and Reggie Torbor all leaving for greener pastures. Wilson and Mitchell were starters, but wisely Reese didn't over pay for their services. The Giants have signed free agent quarterback David Carr, linebacker Danny Clark who was drafted by and played for Tom Coughlin in Jacksonville and strong safety Sammy Knight.
The Giants have added seven new players through the 2008 NFL draft. With their first two picks they added help in the secondary by taking safety Kenny Phillips from Miami and corner back Terrell Thomas from USC. In the third round the Giants might have the steal of the draft with receiver Mario Manningham from Michigan . The reason he fell to the third round was he tested positive for marijuana at the draft combine. This kid can fly, "Manning to Manningham" could be something special, if he leaves his blunts at home. Randy Moss smokes pot; maybe he'll give the kid some pointers. In the fourth and fifth rounds the Giants selected two linebackers Bryan Kehl from BYU and Jonathan Goff from Vanderbilt. Spags does love his linebackers. In the sixth round the Giants selected a quarterback from Kentucky , Andre Woodson. There sure will be competition this year for the backup job to Eli Manning. With their final pick in the draft the Giants selected defensive end Robert Henderson from USM. It's never too soon to start grooming Strahan's replacement. As always it's hard to grade a draft for a few years, but on paper it seems like another good job by General Manager Jerry Reese and company. Five of the seven picks were defense, so that tells you Spags wants his defense to dominate even more this season.
Speaking of Spags, the best news after we won the Super Bowl was that defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo had decided to turn down Daniel Synder's offer of head coach of the Washington Redskins and continue on as the defensive coordinator of the New York Giants. The Giants made him the highest paid defensive coordinator in the NFL. We have him for at least another year. The more success he has the harder it will be to keep him, unless of course he has been told he is the next head coach in waiting. I sure hope that is the case.
The draft day trade rumor of tight end Jeremy Shockey never happened. It was reported that he would be traded to the New Orleans Saints. Supposedly the Saints wouldn't meet the Giants asking price so for now he remains a Giant. Shockey when he can stay healthy is a good player, but he is somewhat of a head case and quite possibly a locker room cancer. Last year must have been hard on him, getting injured late in the season and not being a part of his team's Super Bowl run. He still separates himself from the team, staying in Miami to train and not participating in the voluntary off-season workouts. If the Giants could get value for him it might be a good idea to end the relationship.
The Giants have ordered their Super Bowl rings from Tiffanys; they will be presented to the players sometime during the summer. If you haven't seen them check them out at Giants.com, they really are beautiful, defiantly the 10 table ring that Strahan wanted. Now that Strahan has his ring will he return for another season? Jerry Reese has said the Giants want him back, and would be willing to redo the last year of his contract. Personally I think he mulls this retirement thing into the summer, misses training camp and plays one more year. That is just my opinion, only Michael Strahan knows what he really wants to do. But why not come back one more year and try to repeat.
Our Super Bowl MVP quarterback Eli Manning married his college sweetheart last month in a festive affair in Mexico . All of the Manning family were there; father Archie, brothers Peyton and Cooper, and his mother Olivia. Abbey make sure you don't keep him away from his film study too much. Your husband just turned the corner last season and if he regresses this year the New York press is going to be all over you. Best of luck to the happy couple. You see Tony, a smart quarterback goes down to Mexico to party during the off-season, and not when his team is getting ready to make a run in the NFL playoffs.
The Giants visited the White House last week, where President Bush acknowledged their Super Bowl win. The Giants presented the President with a Super Bowl jersey and a football signed by all the players. Michael Strahan and Jeremy Shockey did not attend this once in a lifetime affair. Maybe it was political, but it kind of left a sour note on the entire championship season. Shame on the both of you for not accepting the President's invitation. Whatever your feelings are about President Bush, at least he had the decency to acknowledge the Giants as world champions. I know of another politician, Patrick Murphy from Bucks County , PA who was the only one who voted against the US House of Representatives resolution honoring the Giants championship season. What do you expect from a sorry ass Eagles fan?
It's still unbelievable what a season the Giants had in 2007. Now that the draft is over, the 2008 schedule has been released and mini camps start next week, 2007 is officially over and we get ready to start all over again. It has been 17 years since the Giants last began a season as the defending Super Bowl champions. The last time we had coaching changes, Parcells retired and Belichick left for a head coaching job. This year we have continuity in the coaching staff. The Giants still get no respect in the national media. The experts are all still picking the Dallas Cowboys as the team to beat. The Giants have to have that collective chip on their shoulders again this year, us against the world attitude, which carried them to 11 straight road victories. Can they repeat? It will be hard, every team they play this year will be bringing their "A" game against the champs. With some luck and solid play who knows, maybe we can ride this whole thing all over again. One thing I feel confident about is this coaching staff is one of the best in the league and they will have us fighting in every game. Whatever happens in 2008, repeat or not we will not go down without a fight.
JJH
SPAGS
Super Bowl XLII
Giants 17 Patriots 14
The Giants are World Champions. They did it, they pulled off one of the biggest upsets in all of sports history. This win by the Giants is right up there with the Jets beating the Colts in Super Bowl III, The 1980 US Olympic Hockey team beating the Russians and going on to win the Gold Medal and Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson to win the heavyweight title. This was history, the underdog Giants had no chance going up against the undefeated Patriots, the greatest team in NFL history. Once again the 1972 Miami Dolphins can thank the New York Giants, for being the only undefeated team in NFL history. This win finally washes away the bad taste in our mouths of the ass kicking we took in Super Bowl XXXV. This win will be ingrained in our memories until the grave. I woke up Monday thinking I was dreaming, the reality of it all hit me on Tuesday standing on Broadway in lower Manhattan with a couple of million other Giant fans watching the ticker tape parade go by. Times like these make you proud to be a New York Giants fan. Like Eli Manning said "It is only fitting that the greatest city in the world is home to greatest football team in the world". Congratulations to the 2007 New York Giants, Super Bowl XLII Champions.
Osi Umenyiora said it best during the week leading up to the game, "We shouldn't even suit up there's no way we can beat this team". That attitude kind of festered all week with the Giants defense. No one gave them a chance against the high powered Tom Brady led Patriot offense. Tom Brady wasn't ready for what was coming. The most fierce pressure he probably ever saw playing quarterback. He was sacked 5 times, but more importantly he was hit 23 times. They hit him and hit him until they took him out of his game. Tom Brady the 2007 NFL MVP was getting battered all over the desert. The Patriots running game wasn't working, the Giants had made them one dimensional. This defensive game plan devised by Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was working very well. Tom Brady was starting to look scared and who could blame him. Trailing 10-7 in the fourth quarter, Brady finally was able to drive the Patriots down for a score. Brady completed a touchdown pass to Randy Moss on third and goal and took a 14-10 lead with just under 3 minutes to play. Wow the Patriots had to scratch and claw their way back. The look on their faces was finally one of jubilation. The Giants came out and gave them more then they had bargained for, but victory was at hand. It wasn't pretty, but the perfect 19-0 season would be complete. Only one problem there's still 2:48 left too play in the game, enough time for Eli and The Drive.
Eli Manning and the Giants offense took over on their 17 yard line with 2:48 left to play in the game trailing 14-10. This is what every quarterback dreams of, leading your team on a game winning drive in the Super Bowl with the whole world watching. Easy E just kept making plays, completing crucial throws to keep moving the chains. On a critical third and five from the Patriots 44 yard line Manning drops back to pass and is under fierce pressure from the Patriots pass rush. Three Patriots defenders have a shot at sacking him but he gets away from the rush and fires a pass deep down field to David Tyree. What happens next is probably the greatest catch in Super Bowl history. Tyree goes up for the ball, catches it with one hand against his helmet with Patriots defender Rodney Harrison on him. Tyree cannot bring the ball into his body, so he holds it against his helmet as he is brought to the ground, with Harrison trying desperately too knock it away. Tyree holds on for the first down at the Patriots 25 yard line. As the drive continues Manning is faced with yet another 3rd and 5 and hits rookie Steve Smith, who makes the catch and lunges out of bounds at the 12 yard line for a first down and stops the clock, another big play by Manning. All this drama sets the stage for the game winner. Eli Manning faced with an all out blitz, lofts up a pass in the corner of the end zone to 6'-5" Plaxico Burress who hauls in the touchdown. The Giants kick the point after and go up 17-14 game over. Eli Manning like his brother last year is named Super Bowl XLII MVP.
The 2007 New England Patriots had a very impressive season. They won 18 consecutive football games, an incredible feat. They finished their season almost perfect, with 18 wins and one GIANT loss, 18-1 nobody is perfect. As of this writing our defensive genius Steve Spagnuolo is in the nation's capitol interviewing for the job of head coach of the Washington Redskins. Spags has become a hot commodity in the NFL. I sure hope he knows how much he is appreciated in New York by the Giants organization and the fans. I also hope he knows that working for Daniel Synder is a bad job, he won't be a coach he'll be a puppet. Spags you can't take that job you have a title to defend. Wait for a better opportunity with another team, or better yet wait until the Giants job opens up in a few years. I know in the end, Spags will do what he feels is best for him. Thanks for a great season and restoring the pride in the New York Giants defense.
What a ride it has been. I'm especially happy for coach Tom Coughlin, nobody has put up with more then him. All the locker room BS last year that nearly got him fired was really only from one individual, who we won't name. He retired with only a wedding ring on his finger. The interview he did back on opening night about Eli Manning now being the leader of this team is sort of comical. Well Eli Manning is now a Super Bowl MVP quarterback, going to Disneyland and he won't need any empty coke cans to get $7.00 off his admission tickets. Yea that is kind of comical isn't it? Michael Strahan, Amani Toomer and Jeff Feagles all finally have a ring for all the years of hard work playing in the National Football League. Ernie Accorsi took a lot of heat in the New York press for orchestrating the 2004 draft day trade for Eli Manning. Well Ernie you were right, our franchise quarterback has arrived. This entire season came out of nowhere. In my wildest dreams I didn't think we were a Super Bowl team this year. I knew we would be good but not this good. This will have to go down as the best season in the 82 year history of the New York Giants.
Colin, Jason and myself all went to New York for the parade on Tuesday to represent The South Jersey Wrecking Crew. I must say it was a great time. I never thought a parade could be that much fun, I can't wait for the Macy's Parade on Thanksgiving Day. You might say we over paraded, considering we missed our connecting train in Trenton and had to hail a cab back home to South Jersey.
Well football season is over. After these last five weeks of endless drama I know I need a break. There are always changes in the off season, professional football is a business. Hopefully the brain trust of the New York Giants will make the right decisions that are in the teams best interest and we come back next year and defend this title. What the hell let's go for the repeat
JJH
