GMEN HQ » Giants

Giants History:The Real L.T.

Joe Tufaro — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 20:17:13 +0000

Our good friend Ali Conigliaro Hubbard checks in again with a great story about the greatest defensive player to ever play the game. As always you can see all of Ali’s writings at Hergame

A Football Story, but So Much More: When Wall Street Met LT

I received an email from my Mom last week that I felt sent such an important message that I thought, at least part of it should be shared. This is A Football Story, but really – the message is much more than that. In today’s times of judgment and finger pointing, & constant over-generalization about individuals based on race, religion, sexual orientation, political party, weight, choice of friends, and amongst other things, even choice of career, I felt this story needed to be shared.

For this blog I will make an example of the extreme generalization of a certain grouping of people that escalated when the country faced the mortgage debacle and crash of Wall Street in 2009. Every media outlet was all over it, from CNN to NBC to Yahoo!, to YouTube – media everywhere – and the masses jumped on the bandwagon, trouncing all over the popular cry: ‘all these Wall Street people care about is money’, ‘those greedy people on Wall Street looking only for their golden parachutes’…

But do we really all know the people about whom we speak in such derogatory commentary? Do we know how they live their lives – each and every one of them? Have we had an up close and personal view outside of what the media says? Because everything that is written in the media is always on the up and up, right? And the weatherman is always right too. We football fans should know better by now.

As in every single walk of life, granted, there are going to be people who make what many would deem greedy choices, or perhaps, even choices that are downright criminal (we see this in every profession, and in the NFL too). But for the most part, people are inherently good. And so the over-generalization that took over our country during the Wall Street crisis in the last few years has been quite painful to many individuals, and to the families of many good people who have given up so much of their life to work hard for their families in their chosen profession; and who have given and sacrificed so much even while working 17-20 hours, 6-7 days a week for decades; those who always answer the phone when their children need them, who volunteer and give back to their communities; who have still chosen the more economical or hybrid vehicles in place of the ostentatious.

So allow me to share a story from one Wall Street executive, a recently retired partner from one of the major firms, now a board member and ‘enjoyer’ of life – finally – after many, many years of sacrifice in her chosen career. I’ve been around people in her world for much of my coherent life, and I have seen so many who ultimately choose to prioritize family, health and giving before the material rewards that may come. And some – like my Mom – who also prioritizes something else…

Back to the email I received this last week… We are a very close-knit, East Coast family – so we like sharing with each other some of our day-to-day experiences. In fact, as I write this, Mom just texted me to share from a day at Coney Island in Brooklyn with my Dad – a place where we as a family have wonderful childhood memories. So last week, my Mom sent an email to my Dad, my brother and me, with an interesting transcript of an interview she recently did. An executive at one of the companies, for which my Mom is now a board member, interviewed her to share a little bit with their many employees about the newest member of the leadership team. I read the interview. When I got to one of the questions in what I felt was an incredibly honest and introspective interview, I took pause. The message was wonderful. And it was a much bigger message than meets the eye. So here it is, verbatim:

Interviewer: Tell us something about yourself that usually surprises people

Mom: “I think my passion about football and the extent it has taken me to is probably something that would surprise people. There have been really crazy things that I’ve done in my life involving football! I don’t usually talk about this but let me share an incident… A long while ago I was in the process of being recruited by another (Wall Street) firm to come join them. The CEO of the company I was with at the time found out about the opportunity and called me to his office. He was known for trying to give people perks to the extent he could – if they made sense – and he asked me what they could do to keep me. Knowing the business I was in (Wall Street), most people would have probably named a fat salary number… I didn’t. I said I wanted to meet Lawrence Taylor (from the New York Giants). And what do you know… a few weeks later the CEO called and said he had set it up! I ended up spending time with Lawrence Taylor and the Giants… and safe to say the company had my loyalties for several years hence!!

Most people thought it was crazy to not quote a salary number… and it’s not that I’m a celebrity-crazy person… but if I see a sportsperson… or specifically a football player … or even more specifically a Giants player, I would go out of my way to meet them.”

Now that’s a fan. She always loved LT.

My intent is not to put my Mom on a pedestal here. She would hardly want that anyway – it’s just not her way. My intent is to make one example that may represent more people in her chosen profession than the media leads us to often to believe. So perhaps generalizations aren’t always so fair. Perhaps it makes sense to avoid making someone guilty merely for the career path they have chosen; the religion they choose; the team they rep; or any other life choice. Perhaps it makes sense to pause, and think that people may choose a profession, but the stereotypes of that profession hardly define who they are in this world.

If you were in that similar situation – what would you have asked for?

ALL IN.

Ali

@aliconig

Update: Cruz Signs Tender

Taylor Kazlauskas — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 18:30:27 +0000

Oct 21, 2012; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz (80) gestures in the end zone after his game-winning touchdown late in the second half against the Washington Redskins at MetLife Stadium Mandatory Credit: Andrew Mills/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports

A much needed sigh of relief has swept over the Giants locker room. Victor Cruz has finally came in and signed his RFA tender. The tender, worth $2.879 million, could have been lowered to just $630,000 on Monday. Being the only receiver in Giants history with 80+ receptions, 1000+ yards, and 9+ TDs in a season (did it twice, back to back), Cruz is still looking for much, much more.

Take a look at his total stats in the past two seasons. 168 for 2,628 and 19. In 2011 he was 3rd in the league in yards, 9th in receptions, and 6th in TDs. In 2012 he dropped to 15th in yards, 12th in receptions, and 7th in TDs. Why the dip in numbers? I point to Hakeem Nicks. Only played 13 games last year, and was banged up for a significant portion of those he did play in. When Hakeem is not getting the attention from the opposing defenses while injured, they can afford to focus on Cruz much more. Could it have been defenses catching up to Cruz after seeing over a seasons worth of tape? Definitely. But without a healthy Nicks on the field, defenses only had to focus on one receiver.

Cruz has stated that he will continue to work with the Giants on a long term contract. He wants $11 million per year. That number is what the number 1 receivers in free agency have been getting recently. The Giants do not view him as their number 1 receiver after coming out publicly saying that Nicks is their guy. Sources have reported that the Giants are at $8 million per with at least $15 million guaranteed. Cruz refuses to take any thing less than a $9 million per year average.

Do I expect a camp holdout? Not at all. Each day of training camp missed is $30,000, and apparently Victor is all about his money. He just waited until OTA’s and mini camp were over to make sure he did not get hurt before signing.

What may have also pushed him is the competition heating up within the wide receiver corps. There have been multiple reports about how well Rueben Randle has performed so far this off season, something I will touch on later. It is not just Randle that has been impressive, its Murphy and the rest of them. Gilbride even came out and said that not having Cruz and Nicks at practice is not only hurting the team, but themselves,

“The thing is, they haven’t been working, they haven’t been listening, they haven’t been growing, they haven’t been developing, they haven’t been receiving the coaching that they need to get better. And to be quite frank, both of them need it.” – OC Kevin Gilbride (USA Today)

All in all, Giants fans can breathe a sigh of relief right along side the Giants themselves. There is no doubt that we need Cruz on this team, but with the separation in contract talks, it will be interesting to see how it goes the rest of this off season.

Victor Cruz To Sign Tender

Jeff Ellis — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:05:29 +0000

“I’m going to sign my tender today and will continue talks for a long-term deal before camp starts,” Cruz said Friday morning.

Cruz is under pressure to sign today because if he does not sign today then the Giants have the right to reduce the tender to $600,000.

Cruz has not participated in Giants offseason activities due to difficulties in the contract negotiations. Heowever, he did practice with Eli Manning and Hakeem Nicks separate from the Giants during the offseason.

Last Chance to Win a LG Electronics 42-Inch LED TV from FanSided and GMEN HQ

FanSided — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 00:07:52 +0000

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Tom Coughlin Grows Impatient… Along with the Rest of Us

Joe Tufaro — Wed, 12 Jun 2013 17:22:23 +0000

In a few stories written yesterday is was apparent that Tom Coughlin is growing impatient with the business side of football surrounding the Giants. He first had to deal with the speculation that Hakeem Nicks would skip MIni-Camp as he did OTA’s and maybe even sit out training camp. Well Hakeem and his representatives are smarter than that. Spending this years contract in fines to get a new deal down the road makes no sense, so Hakeem sheepishly attended Mandatory Mini Camp and had a talk with coach.

The other side of the coin is Victor Cruz. He is currently not under contract and therefore does not have to attend Mandatory Mini Camp. Coach is not happy, but understands.

I’ve been optimistic since Day 1 and it hasn’t gotten me anywhere, has it?” Coughlin said. ” just continue to be that way. But the clock is running. The calendar dates are going by, fellas. This is something that at least he could have benefitted by, if nothing else, this mini camp.

Coach Coughlin is not the only person getting a bit impatient with the young wideout whom the Giants signed as an Undrafted Free Agent, and then gave more than a few chances to make the team after some early injuries. Cruz is starting to get on the nerves of the fans now too as the season grows closer. While Victor remains popular you can see the rumblings of the fan base on social media. Vic is a regular contributor on Instagram and the comments recently sent his way have turned ugly. While some people still love the man, they hate the situation. Comments like “Nice Shoes…Now sign with the Giants”, “Sign Already” “Sign a contract and get to practice” are becoming more the norm.

Victor may find himself in that odd world of New York sports where he will make himself unpopular with the fans….and we all know what that means…One drop and it’s the boo birds…then the media questions, then the pressure to perform gets ramped up, and the next thing you know you’re in San Diego or Buffalo wondering where it all went wrong.

Ahmad Bradshaw signs with the Colts

Jeff Ellis — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:27:55 +0000

Ahmad Bradshaw will be a real nice addition to the Indianapolis Colts. He signed for $1.1 million in base salary and a $250,000 signing bonus. He was released by the Giants not because of performance but because of salary cap issues. The Giants did not want to pay the $3.75 million that would he would earn in 2013. He was the Giants’ seventh-round draft pick in 2007 coming out of Marshall.

Last year he rushed for 1,015 yards and 6 touchdowns in 221 attempts. In 2011, his numbers were low due to injuries but in 2010 he rushed for 1,235 yards and 8 touchdowns in 276 attempts. Reports are that Bradshaw is healing well after having some screws replaced in his foot this offseason. He is just 27 years old and many believe he has a couple more 1,000 yards season left in him. As long as his foot injuries do not continue to affect he could have a great year in Indianapolis.

The Colts do not have an experienced running back who can be consistent. The current top three running backs in Indianapolis are Donald Brown, Vick Ballard, and Delone Carter. Brown is prone to injury, Ballard had a nice season last year as a rooking but we don’t know how consistent he is, and Carter is fumble prone and injury prone. This leaves the door wide open for a hard working running back like Bradshaw to earn a starting spot on a team that went 11-5 last season and earned a playoff berth.

Bradshaw will also fill a need in the passing game. Last year, Colts QB Andrew Luck threw a remarkable 4,374 yards in his rookie season despite throwing 18 interceptions, fumbling 9 times, and being sacked 41 times. In response to this, the Colts have worked hard in the offseason to strengthen the offensive line and give Luck more time in the pocket. Bradshaw is considered one of the best pass-blocking backs in the league and you can expect to see the Colts including Bradshaw in the plan to keep Luck upright and protected.

Ahmad Bradshaw played every down with a lot of heart and earned the respect of all Giants fans. I believe all Giants fans will be wishing him a successful career with the Colts.

Giants: Next Man Up Now is Your Opportunity to Shine

Joe Tufaro — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 15:11:00 +0000

Our guest writer Miss Ali Conigliaro-Hubbard checks in with her view of the Giants as they exit OTA’s and head for Mini Camp. See all of Ali’s work on her Blog Hergame. Thanks Ali!

I’ll keep this short. A week ago I decided it might just be better to just keep my mouth shut on the topic of starting Giants WRs who elected not to show up for OTAs. I think it’s been made fairly clear what I think: I am disappointed. I don’t really care that OTAs are voluntary. Leaders should be there with their teams. Even if they aren’t physically practicing, clear communication is key, and being there to support the unit is critical in any leadership role; be it the military, a team of doctors working on a cancer patient, a corporate team driving to deliver a product on time, or a sports team. A team is a team, and no one man is more important than the sum of its parts.

You know, ‘team first, team last, team always’… ALL IN is not about when it’s convenient.

But all of that aside, there is one thing I can say that is going to be a very positive outcome of this unfortunate Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks situation. The fact is – it’s not like the Giants organization is going to just throw in the towel because a couple of guys are making what I believe to be unsportsmanlike choices…

What I AM encouraged by the that the guys who DON’T typically get practice reps with Eli and the 1st team, ARE getting those reps. They ARE getting the opportunity to actually BE the next man up, and so no matter what happens with one guy or another before and during the season, Jerrell Jernigan, Rueben Randle, Ramses Barden, Louis Murphy, and number of other undrafted FA rookies, WILL have a chance to step up, stand out, and make an impact when we need it.

So for that reason alone, I’ve decided to say that it is what it is. Yes, the introspective ‘coach’ in me is disappointed. And I hope that 88 will be in mandatory camp next week, and 80 soon thereafter. I hope that when they do come back, the drama subsides quickly so everyone can be focused and not impacted by distractions.

But for now, I’m excited for the other guys; the next in line. Because at the end of the day, football is fleeting and unexpected things happen fast. If you’re gonna be the next man up – you gotta be ready. And this unfortunate set of circumstances presents an opportunity that will make all the NEXT MEN UP as ready as they can possibly be.

So go kick some butt Keith Carlos. Take some names Louis Murphy. Rueben on the rise! JJ – now’s the time to show us why you were drafted. Go make magic!

Ali

@aliconig

JPP Gets Back Surgery. Now What?

Taylor Kazlauskas — Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:53:41 +0000

The 2nd big injury of the season comes over a month before training camp starts. Jason Pierre-Paul, the Giants best defensive end has had successful surgery on his back today to repair a herniated disc. The doctors say it will take 12 weeks or approximately 3 months to have a full recovery. Now if you do the math, that gets him healthy for the start of the regular season against the Cowboys. Obviously there is plenty of recovery work from now until then so who knows what kind of set backs he may encounter.

It is common knowledge that he had a lingering back issue when he was in college but what has recently been reported is that he was playing with back discomfort all of last season, contributing to the sharp decrease in numbers. Apparently that discomfort had gotten worse within the past few months, the treatment was not helping, so doctors decided that surgery was the best option.

Short term, this means more work for players like “Yosi” or Adrian Tracy, a player that got a few reps during the season last year. Also Adewale Ojomo who had a team high 4 sacks in last years preseason games but saw very little action in the regular season. Rookie 3rd round pick Damontre Moore will also be getting plenty of reps when training camp comes along. Right now however, it is looking like Kiwi and Tuck as the starters.

I have some issues with how the Giants handled the whole situation. They knew of the back injuries in college, did they not know his back was bothering him last year? With his back bothering him for the past couple months, this means they knew of his injury during the draft, why not go defense in the first round? The Giants defense was the 4th worst in the league in giving up pass plays over 20 yards , why not draft a corner? Rhodes and Trufant were both available at 19. A good defensive line makes a secondary much better. You saw the difference in the last two seasons. No pressure on the QB = all day to throw = all day for receivers to get loose. The team knew that JPP was hurt going into the draft and they still draft an offensive tackle/guard/center that was in no way the BPA.

Bottom line, JPP needs to get healthy as soon as possible. He had so much work to do this off-season so he could beat the double teams that had stopped him last year. Without that dominant pass rush, the Giants “secondary” will be abused once again.

Should We Be Worried About Nicks?

Taylor Kazlauskas — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:15:50 +0000

How big of a deal is the Nicks situation? Forget about Victor Cruz for a moment and put your focus on the Giants number one receiver. Hakeem Nicks has been absent from OTAs since they have started. Last week there were rumblings over at Yahoo! Sports that it was contract related, those rumors were later shot down. It then came out that he may have been absent because he was honored at an event the night before so he just did not have the energy to make it. Fast forward to this week, he is still a no show. All this time however, Hakeem has not spoken to Coughlin about not coming. All Tom knows is that Nicks told him he would be there. Eli has also vented some frustration about it:

(From ESPN) ”You’ve still gotta work on your timing,” he later added. “You’ve still gotta work on the basics. Everybody needs it. I need the basics. I mean, how many times have I thrown a hitch in my life or a curl route? I’ve still gotta do it. But it is good to have other guys in there running routes and getting your timing down with other guys. That’s how you look at it, but you’d still like to have all your guys out there. We all need to work.” - Eli Manning

Should fans be worried? I do not think so. Is Hakeem going about this in the wrong way? Probably. He should at least have some communication with the team so they have a clue as to what is going on. Remember, Nicks broke the 5th metatarsal bone in his foot during the 2nd OTA last year and then ended up hurt all season trying to overcompensate for that injury, leading to the knee. I feel like Nicks is playing it safe by not coming to the OTAs, and we all know what a healthy Nicks can do.

The positive coming out of this situation is without Nicks, and obviously Cruz, the rest of the Giants WR corps is getting plenty of reps. Second year player Reuben Randle, who showed promise towards the end of last season should be getting plenty of number one reps with Nicks gone. Newcomer Louis Murphy, a real homerun threat, was signed this off season and has already shown some promise. Reports out of OTAs are that he and Eli already have chemistry flowing connecting on multiple nice plays. Say worst case scenario Cruz decided to hold out this season (will not happen), the Giants have Jerrell Jernigan to try his hand in the slot. Drafted in 2011, the fleet footed Jernigan may be in his last season as a Giant if he does not produce. Last but not least, the Giants brought back Ramses Barden, a 6’6” 224 pound wide receiver that showed glimpses of what he could do last year against Carolina in a spot start for Nicks, grabbing 9 for 138 yards.

Bottom line, do not be worried Giants fans. With the top two receivers missing OTAs, it is only opening the door for the whole wide receiver corps to get more reps. The Giants have one of the best quarterbacks in the league, and if he has chemistry with all of his wide receivers? Look out NFL secondaries.

Giants To Wear New Alternate White Pants

Jeff Ellis — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 01:19:22 +0000

The Giants announced the team will wear white pants with blue jerseys in two game this season. The dates of the two games have not been determined and will be announced after NFL approval.

The team last wore the white pants in 1999 which was also the last year “GIANTS” was on the helmets. 1999 was also the last year of the all-white road uniforms.

Photo gallery of NY Giants uniforms >>

Win a LG Electronics 42-Inch LED TV from FanSided and GMEN HQ

FanSided — Fri, 31 May 2013 20:01:21 +0000

FanSided and GMEN HQ have teamed up with Deals2Buy.com to give away a LG Electronics 42-Inch LED TV!!!

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Writers Wanted for G-Men HQ

Ernie Padaon — Fri, 31 May 2013 15:23:04 +0000

Dec 16, 2012; Atlanta, GA, USA; New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) wears a decal on his helmet in memory of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, CT. before the game against the Atlanta Falcons at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

UPDATE: Seems like there may be an issue with the application link. If you are having issues, you can send me and joe a sample of work at joe.tufaro@gmail.com or ernie.padaon@fansided.com

What is happening G-Men HQ!!

The crew at G-Men HQ is looking for some help. Joe has done a great job running the site, but we definitely have room to add more staff writers to the site. We would love to add more opinions and get more content flowing.

If you have a passion for the Giants and would love to write, then fill out an app to join the squad and say that I sent you.

Why would I ask in the middle of the off-season? If you can last through the offseason and offer up opinions, then I know that I can trust you to get things done during the regular season.

Unfortunately, being part of the staff is not a paid gig. Being part of the staff does get you visibility. We have a good following at G-Men HQ and it keeps on growing day by day. You will be part of our FanSided network of sports blogs and your posts will get linked onto Sports Illustrated.

If you do want to join the team, send in an app and send in a sample article. Look forward to hearing from you all and looking forward to building up this staff.

If you are not exactly the writing type, here are some other ways you can help build up the community at G-Men HQ. We would love to bring on someone to run the facebook site and we could also use someone to create morning link dumps for the site. There definitely are assignments in which we could use your help.

Thanks all and looking forward to see your apps come in.

Here is that link once again to send in apps: Join the Fansided Crew

For Cruz and Nicks, It’s Time For Giants To Take Care Of Their Own

Anthony Rushing — Fri, 31 May 2013 11:36:13 +0000

Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz (Image Credit: Andrew Mills/THE STAR-LEDGER via USA TODAY Sports)

The New York Giants began preparations for the upcoming 2013 NFL season without two important pieces to their offense.

It’s deep into OTA’s and there is still no Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz around to catch passes from Eli Manning.

This would normally be enough to cause any normal professional football team with a pulse to bang the panic button. However, the Giants appear to be in no hurry to ease the fears of any fans. They also don’t seem to be in any hurry to address the contract status of Nicks and Cruz, their top two wide receivers.

While Cruz continues to quietly wait out a new contract, Nicks has clearly shown he’s aware that his current contract only has one year left on it and he’d like to start talking about a new deal. Both players have valid reasons to expect significant pay raises.

The OTA’s are voluntary so its not as if Cruz and Nicks have to be there right now. However, their absence is enough to at least raise an eyebrow. The longer these contract talks or the lack of talks go, the hotter the temperature will rise around town as far as the fans are concerned.

Nicks and Cruz are the two leading receivers on the team and together they keep Manning’s passing attack clicking. It can’t be too much longer before it draws the ire of head coach Tom Coughlin that his guys are not on the field yet. My gut feeling tells me that the Giants will find a way to take care of their two stud receivers, it just may take a little longer than fans may have hoped and the route maybe a different one than expected…

The Giants could very well go forward with giving Cruz his long-term deal this summer and then wait to see what Nicks does this season before addressing his contract status again. The reason for that being logical is because Nicks is coming off of an injury-plagued 2012 season and the Giants may want to see if he’s fully recovered and can have a bounce-back year before giving him a new deal. It would be a calculated risk if Nicks winds up hitting the free agent market in 2014.

With training camp right around the corner, fans are hoping to see the Giants take care of business and get back to being a playoff team. It has to first start with them taking care of their own.

New York Giants: Who’s On The Team? – Cornerbacks Edition

Ricky — Wed, 29 May 2013 13:22:29 +0000

Going into OTA’s, here are the cornerbacks currently on the Giants’ roster:

Returnees

Corey Webster: Much was needed of Webster last year after Terrell Thomas went down in the preseason for the second year in a row, but he did little to answer the bell. Webster had probably his worst year as a pro, which contributed mightily to the Giants struggles against the pass. He was never a true shutdown corner, but a bounce-back season from CWeb would be huge.

Prince Amukamara: Between the cold tub incident and his play on the field, it was easy to forget that Prince wasn’t a rookie last year. A year ago, we made excuses for him that he hadn’t had much of a rookie season due to the foot injury that kept him out for the first 7 games, but he’ll have no such cushion this year if things don’t go well.

Terrell Thomas: Where to begin with Thomas? In 2010, the Giants had one of the most promising young cornerback tandems in the NFL between he and Corey Webster. Now, Thomas is coming off of his second torn ACL in as many years and Webster comes into the year as one of the biggest question marks on the roster. If Thomas can contribute anything, whether at corner or at safety, I’ll consider it a positive.

Jayron Hosley: If there’s a reason to be optimistic about the Giants secondary in 2013, it starts with Hosley. The ballhawk had a pretty decent season as the nickel corner after being drafted out of Virginia Tech, and he only figures to improve in his second year in the league. A lot was asked of him last year because of all the injuries suffered by the Giants at the position, but he flashed some impressive talent along the way.

Terrence Frederick: Apparently, Frederick was on the team for the last 2 games of the 2012 season and recorded 2 solo tackles. He also looks like he’s 15. Good job, Terrence!

New Arrivals

Aaron Ross: It’s not really fair to call him a new arrival, since Ross was drafted by the Giants and has two Super Bowl rings emblazoned with the blue “NY” logo. He returns to the team following a 1 year siesta in Jacksonville, where he didn’t accomplish much besides pissing off the entire Jaguars fanbase. At least he’s glad to be back.

Charles James: James is a rookie. I can’t really find any information on him other than that, but he does seem to share a name with a famous fashion designer, which is cool I guess.

Trumaine McBride: Besides having a really cool name, McBride is a 6-year vet who was out of football last year after being cut by the Jaguars before the start of the season. He had some serviceable years in Chicago, and played 14 games for the Cardinals in 2010, but that year was sandwiched between 3 years of irrelevance in ’09, ’11 and ’12.

Giants Contribute in Big Blue Way for Local Charity

Joe Tufaro — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:39:03 +0000

“GIANT” STEPS FOR FAMILY SERVICES OF WESTCHESTER; STEINER SPORTS GROUND BREAKING AUCTION FEATURES CLEATS WORN BY SUCH BIG BLUE PLAYERS AS ELI MANNING, JUSTIN TUCK, JPP AND VICTOR CRUZ

New Rochelle, NY, May 23, 2013 – Notable members of Big Blue including Eli Manning, Justin Tuck, Victor Cruz and Jason Pierre-Paul will literally be taking “Giant” steps to assist Family Services of Westchester by joining teammates with the donation of 27 pair of game-worn cleats to be auctioned off on the Steiner Sports Memorabilia “Ground Breaking” Auction to assist the charity.

Chris Snee, Prince Amukamara, Will Beatty, Antrel Rolle, Mark Herzlich, Keith Rivers and Stevie Brown are also participating in the auction, available at http://auction.steinersports.com/. Bidding continues through June 2.
There are also nine VIP “Meet and Greet” experiences with such top sports names as Matt Harvey, Rickey Henderson, Cal Ripken, Jr., Tommy Lasorda, Darryl Strawberry, Bo Jackson, Pete Rose, David Cone and Dave Winfield.

The Steiner Sports auction also includes one of the most historic artifacts from the career of the immortal Brooklyn Dodgers Hall of Famer Jackie Robinson – a newly-discovered, authentic game-worn baseball glove used during both the 1955 and ’56 World Series (his final season).
A $500 shopping spree at Steiner Sports and a $1,000 gift card for London Jewelers are also on the block.

About Family Services of Westchester
Family Services of Westchester’s Youth Residences give a chance in life to teens who might otherwise not have a chance. Boys and girls come to us deeply troubled, having suffered hurtful neglect and abuse or serious conflict with their parents. Many have been abandoned and have never experienced what most of us take for granted: a stable and secure home. They are often ready to turn their backs on a world that has rejected them. They leave our care, almost always knowing that the world can be harsh, but there are people on whom they can depend. They learn ways to cope, to tap into their strengths, to rise above, and to find hope and joy in becoming creative, contributing members of society.

About Steiner Sports
Established in 1987 by founder and CEO Brandon Steiner, Steiner Sports has been a leader in sports memorabilia and sports marketing for over two decades. Originally focused on procuring athletes for endorsements and speaking engagements, the company has evolved into the world’s foremost provider of authenticated, hand-signed and game-used sports collectibles. Steiner Sports enjoys working relationships with many of the top athletes in sports today, and holds partnerships with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, Chicago Cubs, Dallas Cowboys and Syracuse, Notre Dame and Alabama Universities on the collegiate level. Steiner Sports is located in New Rochelle, N.Y.

New York Giants: ALL IN Necessary for Big Blue OTA’s?

Joe Tufaro — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:44:46 +0000

Our guest writer Alison Conigliaro-Hubbard weighs in with her thoughts on the need for Giants players to show up and participate in Voluntary Team Activities. Alison is a life long Giants fan (Is there any other kind?) who writes her own blog called HerGame and can be found on Twitter @aliconig

One Team, One Plan, ALL IN = WINNING

I’ve been biding my time on this one because the media is so over-active, and I had hoped we’d be through the Victor Cruz stuff by now. The topic so often on my mind, but even more so as we moved past Free Agency and the draft, and as we move in on team OTAs: team unity, team cohesiveness

How critical to the success of a team is the instinctive ability to live, play, achieve as a unified force?

And therefore, how important is it for the TEAM’s success is it for all players to align, and to be in off season workouts, practicing together and working out any kinks before the clock starts to tick on the actual season?

Of course, with all the discussion about Victor Cruz, I just can’t help but to ask these questions. In my view, team unity is one of the most critical characteristics of a championship team (not only in football, but in business and in life). Think about championship teams from recent history and tell me they didn’t share this unified quality: Boston Celtics 2008, Miami Heat 2012, San Francisco Giants 2010/2012, Pittsburgh Steelers 2008, New orleans Saints 2009, Packers 2010, Baltimore Ravens 2012, NE Patriots in their winning seasons, and of course – the New York Football Giants 2007 and 2011… and these are a few that stand out in my head.

Interestingly, my personal belief, having closely watched the San Francisco 49ers last season from my Bay Area perch, is that a few player incidents during the 2 days leading up to the Superbowl are what broke the 100% unity on the team, and I also believe greatly contributed to the outcome of the game. Cohesiveness in a large group is fleeting. If it can be achieved, it’s amazing the results we see. But it can be ruptured so easily – so every moment a team has to practice achieving it, can be all too critical.

One of the keys to developing a unified team in football, I believe, is leadership by example – GM, Head Coach, Ownership and QB operating from the same set of rules with corresponding objectives. The successful teams outlined above, all had that quality. The Giants have that quality. But while so important, unity at the leadership level isn’t the only key to success.

With any team, each player has his own critical role that he plays in effort to make the team the best that it can be, and to help win championships. That’s what the saying (made so popular during the Giants 2011 run): ‘ALL IN’ is about! If every one man on a team is without ego, playing and practicing for the next guy to win, that team has the highest likelihood of being ALL IN – and winning championships.

New York Giants Steve Weatherford Appearance and Autograph Session

Joe Tufaro — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:37:42 +0000

Trenton Thunder: Steve Weatherford Appearance and Autograph Session
Wednesday, June 12th
7:05 vs. Binghampton Mets (AA Affiliate of the NY Mets)

Tickets will be a special rate of $8 for groups of 20 or more and $11 for individual tickets in advance. This game featured the Trenton Thunder, who are a double A affiliate of the New York Yankees vs the Binghampton Mets….

One of the more popular New York Giants Punter Steve Weatherford will make what will most certainly be a very well attended appearance in Trenton New Jersey Wednesday June 12th. Stay tuned to GMenHQ for more details as they arrive!

Weatherford, who got a reprieve from the Jets and came to play on a Champion is certainly very popular with fans, and thrilled to be a New York Giant.

Are you the New Face of The Giants?

Joe Tufaro — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:29:13 +0000

Eli Manning and Victor Cruz will have soon have company as the face of the Giants. New Era, the official on-field headwear of the National Football League, is teaming up with the NFL to launch the Back to Football Photo Day contest. It is the last week to register so I would not want any of your readers to miss out on this great opportunity.

The contest, which can be accessed at www.speakwithyourcap.com or through New Era’s Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/neweracaps?fref=ts) will require Giants fans to submit photos of themselves showcasing how they personally “speak with your cap.” Whether worn sideways, backwards or flexed at the brim, showing how you bring your own style to the game is what matters.

32 fans (1 per team) will ultimately be chosen and win a complimentary trip to New York City for two. The winners will enjoy a four-day VIP experience and will be professionally styled in their favorite team’s looks for a New Era photo shoot that may be used for a year-long advertisement and promotional campaign.

Win a LG Electronics 42-Inch LED TV from GMEN HQ

FanSided — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:04:54 +0000

Last month, we gave away a $300 worth of Sports Memorabilia…This month, FanSided and GMEN HQ have teamed up with Deals2Buy.com to give away a LG Electronics 42-Inch LED TV!!!

STEP 1: Like us on Facebook:

STEP 2: Sign up for Daily Giants Updates

STEP 3: Follow @fansided to see if you won

STEP 4: Share it on Twitter Tweet

STEP 5: Get 10 entries for every 1, with your lucky URL:

http://fansided.com/?

FINISH: Visit FanSided.com and Deals2Buy.com!

New York Giants: Who’s On The Team? – Running Backs Edition

Ricky — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:44:22 +0000

Now that the offseason moves are mostly finished, one question remains: who’s on the Giants now? To help answer that, I’ll be breaking down one position on the Giants every few days, alternating between offense and defense. Every player covered here is currently on the Giants’ roster according to Giants.com, but keep in mind that many of them won’t make the 53-man roster once the real season starts.

The running backs are going to look a whole lot different in 2013 after Ahmad Bradshaw, who led the team in rushing carries and yards each of the last three years, was cut this offseason. While the veteran running back is only 27-years old and remains unsigned, it’s unlikely that the Giants would bring him back with the level of depth they already have at the position. Let’s take a look at that depth:

The Returnees

Andre Brown: Brown figures to enter training camp with the inside-track to get the majority of the team’s carries. While Bradshaw suffered through injuries most of last year, Brown emerged to average 5.3 yards per carry. He doesn’t have the same pass-catching or pass-protection ability as Bradshaw (at least not yet), but he might already be a better rusher.

David Wilson: After fumbling away his first career carry and ending up in Tom Coughlin’s doghouse for most of the season, Wilson showed some home run ability towards the end of the year. He had a couple big runs from the backfield, but his most electric plays came on the kick return. Wilson probably opens the year as the third-down back, but he’ll need to improve his catching skills.

Da’Rel Scott: Scott was a 7th-rounder in 2011. He’s only had 11 rushing attempts over the past two years, but has flashed some impressive speed as a returner. He likely won’t see much time in the backfield, but if the Giants want to move Wilson off kick return duty he could see some opportunities there.

Ryan Torain: Torain is a “returnee” only according to a very liberal definition of the word. He was signed in November of last year after Brown went down with a broken fibula, and resigned with the Giants for another year in the offseason. His Giants.com page doesn’t even have a picture of him. Don’t expect to see him much on the field, either.

The Rookies

Michael Cox: The Giants drafted Cox in the 7th-round of the 2013 NFL draft. He started his college career at Michigan before transferring to UMass because of a lack of playing time. Cox had a pretty good year with the Minutement, rushing for 715 yards and 5 touchdowns in 12 games. He could challenge for the third running back spot behind Brown and Wilson.

Jeremy Wright: Wright signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent after leading the Louisville Cardinals in rushing last year. Wright runs a 4.9/40 and has some experience returning kicks. If he makes the team, it’ll most likely be as a special teamer.