Giants Morning Roundup

It’s almost August, and the heat is showing no signs of letting up. The same can be said for Giants training camp as veterans and rookies alike vie for those last training camp spots. Here’s the news of the day:

In the New York Post, Paul Schwartz writes about David Carr’s battle for the back-up QB spot. You would think the guy’s pedigree as a number one overall pick would assure him the spot, but apparently journeyman extraordinaire, Anthony Wright has hit the ground running. It’s interesting to compare the very different paths Eli and Carr have taken as number one overall picks respectively. Also, does anyone else miss the Pillsbury Throwboy?

Yesterday the Post featured a story about Tom Coughlin being a changed man. But, I wouldn’t call the training camp a country club atmosphere just yet…

"At one point in the morning, Coughlin was not pleased by the tempo of the second-team offense. “Back in the huddle, what the hell is that?” Coughlin shouted. “It’s not a convention . . . let’s go!”"

For those of us who may be more visual learners, the NJ has a video training camp update:NJ Star Ledger Training Camp Update

Also at the NJ Star Ledger is an update on the evening practice. According to the newspaper, the practice was a sloppy one for the offense:

"RB Derrick Ward fumbled downfield. Tough to see who knocked it out, but Dockery was nearby. Ward later had a bad drop."

This is not good news for Ward, who will supposedly be one part of the three-headed running back platoon this year. Sure the guy was solid for us in the beginning of the year, but the emergence of Ahmad Bradshaw and the fact that Ahmad’s running style is almost a perfect compliment to Brandon Jacobs could make Ward expendable if he continues his sloppy play.

Finally, a story that proves there may be more in this world than just sports. The NY Daily News is running a story on Osi Umenyiora’s recent trip to the Middle East. The News really tries to wrap this story up in a neat little bow by saying the troops’ smiling faces are what Osi will remember, but really, I think this is the image that will be etched into Osi’s retinas:

"“At one base we saw the actual ceremony of them taking bodies back to America,” Umenyiora told the Daily News between practices yesterday. “They had the caskets laying there and everybody had to come out and line up…When you see stuff like that it changes your whole perspective, because you’re there. You’ve got to think that a military person over there, looking right there at a casket going home, you know that at any point in time that could be you.”"

Football players, especially defensive ends are often characterized as killers. Their job, by definition, is to target and destroy. When you think about it, they are not that different than the troops. But this analogy doesn’t hold up to scrutiny very well. For troops in Iraq, there is no huddle, or oxygen mask on the side of the field. There is just the field of battle. I applaud Osi for taking this trip, which is surely humbling.