Monday Giantisms: News from around Giants Nation
Aug 10, 2012; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; A general view of a football and helmet during the Jacksonville Jaguars and New York Giants preseason game at EverBank Field. Mandatory Credit: Melina Vastola-USA TODAY Sports
Every week in the NFL there are happenings that we don’t find out about until Monday morning. At least, sports news used to be that way back in the day. Still, sometimes there’s news so juicy, it needs to be told on a Monday coffee break like it’s the ’90s. Around GMEN HQ, we call those stories Monday Giantisms, big news that anyone from Big Blue Nation just can’t live without.
Today, the happenings aren’t too happening as far as can’t go without goes… While there’s good news in the idea that we aren’t reporting on more stories about Giants players getting suspended or being waived from the team, the boring news is just that. Boring.
Still, it’s not all completely barren out there, @Giants has been active with their posts covering OTA’S and they certainly reminded us that we’re, “ONE DAY CLOSER TO FOOTBALL!” in the tweet below. Which features a link to an article with quotes from Tom Coughlin, Antrel Rolle and OBJ.
You really have to appreciate the quote from Antrel Rolle, whom seems to want to have players on the team that want to focus on New York Giants style football.
"Will Hill, who was released by the team this week, and Jayron Hosley“>”We hooked up with a couple tight ends, receivers, it really doesn’t matter. Like I said, I think this group and this unit that we have here is definitely a closer unit than we’ve had in the past.” – Safety Antrel Rolle on team bonding … “It’s too easy to do right than to keep doing wrong. This is my 10th year and I’ve lived it, so I know. Not every guy is going to be like myself, I’m not going to be like every other guy, but like I said once again, it’s too easy to do right to keep doing wrong. That’s something that we don’t need around here. We don’t need to have bad pub, guys ending up on Twitter saying, ‘What’s going on, what’s up with the secondary,’ this, that and the other. It’s a bad reflection. It doesn’t look good.? – Safety Antrel Rolle on the suspensions of Will Hill, who was released by the team this week, and Jayron Hosley"
Sure, some of that’s what they call, “Coach Speak, but it’s a great message for the fans and the organization nonetheless. The Giants are moving forward and players like Rolle seem to think they’re starting to develop some chemistry. It shows the character of the team when veterans step up and simply say, “It’s a bad reflection. It doesn’t look good.” In regards to players getting suspended. To me, that’s much better than having you team leaders say, “No comment.”
Check out the other quotes as well, Giants Nation. For Monday Giantisms, there really wasn’t a lot of big GIANT news… but below I will list a few links of some great Giants reads, starting with this extremely well done look at the Jints backfield situation by Kevin Boilard with B/R. It’s truly a must read for any Giants fan concerned with the running game. Mr. Boilard called the piece:
NY Giants: Full Position Breakdown and Depth-Chart Analysis at Running Back
And he wasn’t kidding, he even breaks down Kendall Gaskins… Did you even know the Giants had a running back named Kendall Gaskins? Here’s his conclusion:
"Could Gaskins be kept aboard for his ability to step in and play fullback if needed, especially now that the Giants have parted ways with utility tight end Bear Pascoe?Overall, Gaskins fits the mold for the type of running back New York is trying to field this year. A power back who averaged less than four yards per carry in college, Gaskins is an unabashed short-yardage guy who scored 38 touchdowns on less than 500 total touches (34 rushing, four receiving).At the very least, Kendall Gaskins is a name to keep an eye on this summer."
I don’t know about you fanatics, but after reading that article, I want to keep an eye on all these guys covered, including:
- Rashad Jennings
- David Wilson
- Andre Williams
- Peyton Hillis
- Michael Cox
- Kendall Gaskins
How can you go wrong with a breakdown that includes a mention of Bear Pascoe? If that’s not a Monday Giantism, I don’t know what is. Need more? How about a feel good story about the Giants additions by Paul Schwartz — it’s a good read and get’s you pumped up to see how guys like Schwartz (Geoff, not Paul) and Jameel McClain will do with the Jints this season. He called it:
Giants newcomers forge team ties
Anytime you’re forging team ties, well, you’re forging team ties. How can you go wrong? Here’s a sample:
"“I’m talking simple things,’’ McClain explained recently to The Post. “I’m talking life. I’m talking your kids, what you like to eat, which foot you like to plant off best with, the right or the left, so this way I know if we get to that side, I’ll give you the side you like.’’McClain is talking about bonding.“It manifests itself off the field,’’ he said. “We go out to eat, we go out to try to understand each other. Someone wants to know of a good restaurant, they ask a teammate and a teammate can easily tell him, and the next thing you know, they might show up there. It’s those things of becoming a team before you can become a good football team. You got to become a good team, a good family first.’’"
You have to love McClain’s attitude as a newcomer. Here’s a 28 year old, 6’1″ -250 lb grown man with 215 NFL level tackles on his resume. A certifiable beast as a human being, coming in talking about doing the little things to become a football team. Like with Rolle, sure it’s coach speak, but you can’t argue with that attitude. The Giants roster is full of little things like that. It’s true, running back and tight end aren’t ideal on paper. But the collection of men Tom Coughlin is building with Eli Manning as the leader?
Well, that’s a potential Monday Giantism on the first Monday in the month of February, 2015. I digress. Before we go here’s another Giants link, a great read from Ed Valentine at Big Blue View:
"Giants Roster Breakdown: C.J. Barnett, SUndrafted safety C.J. Barnett has a reputation as an excellent special teams player. Could that be his ticket to an NFL roster spot?"
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