SB Nation User Blog: ETVal

New York Giants' notes, 10.07.08

ETVal — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:53:27 -0000

Here are some New York Giants' notes to get your mind off Plaxico Burress -- or, maybe, to get my mind off Burress.

Coach Tom Coughlin did find something to complain about following Sunday's 44-6 victory over Seattle -- John Carney's kickoffs.
'Embarrassed' by pre-season whipping, Cleveland hopes to do better against Giants this time.
Neil Best reviews Ralph Vacchiano's book, 'The Making of a Quarterback.'
Shaun Powell says the Giants keep winning while losing.
NorthJersey.com grades the Giants' effort Sunday.

Caption Contest, Week 4

ETVal — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:36:47 -0000

This week's Caption Contest photo is New York Giants' receiver Domenik Hixon hauling in a long pass from Eli Manning with a Seattle defender draped around his leg.

As always, prize for the best entry will be a copy of Tom Coughlin's book "A Team to Believe In."

Make sure to e-mail your entries to bigblueview@gmail.com by Wednesday night. Please remember I need your mailing address in the event you are chosen as the winner.

Is Plax turning into Manny?

ETVal — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 00:11:59 -0000

So, I was reading through the transcripts Monday of Plaxico Burress's odd statements regarding his suspension by the New York Giants when I realized what it was that really bugged me about the whole thing.

Here it is. I think Burress is turning into Manny Ramirez. I don't want to think that. I hate myself for thinking it. I hate writing it. With the Giants cruising at 4-0 I don't want any bad thoughts at all messing with the karma.

But, I can't help it. Ramirez is a tremendously talented guy, yet moody, aloof, seemingly oblivious and unpredictable. Same as Burress.

There is one essential difference. Ramirez famously quit on the Boston Red Sox, more than once it seems, before Boston got tired of his act and shipped him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Burress has never quit on the Giants. Once they get him on the field he is a great asset -- a great player who will take the field hurt, never complains about not getting enough passes thrown to him and makes big plays when they are needed. I hope it stays that way.

Yet, there is the other side. The Plax being Plax side. Like Manny being Manny.

How else do you explain Burress saying he was "cool with" being suspended?

How do you explain this reaction to a question about the suspension changing his behavior?

It hasn’t affected my behavior. It happened, I don’t have any regrets about the situation, I feel good, I am ready to go, I am ready to play, and I don’t see how it is going to affect me. Like I said, I am just going to get back out there and pick up where I left off and then I guess we can let everybody make their assessment and see what they want to say after the game on Monday night. I am ready to go, I am ready to roll, I get to practice for a week before the game, so I am not worried about me performing on the field, that is one thing I am definitely not worried about. I am just ready to get back on the field.

How do you explain this reaction to being asked about reportedly having been fined 40-50 times?

I really don’t know the amount of times, but I do know that I have been fined quite a bit and some things and some of the demands that they ask me to do, I just don’t meet. Do I have an excuse for them? No. Maybe I have a problem with time or something, I don’t know. I haven’t been able to quite put my finger on it, but yeah, I have been fined quite a few times. It hasn’t really bothered me or affected me though. Like I said. when I step on the field it is time to play and that is what I do. If I don’t do things the right way as far as getting there on time or treatments so to speak, I deal with it and get over it and concentrate on my job.

Very odd. No remorse. Seemingly unaffected by the whole thing. Like he can't understand why anyone thinks it's a big deal, or thinks anything should change.

Just the way Manny would have reacted.

I just hope this isn't the beginning of a road that leads to the same kind of acrimonious divorce between Burress and the Giants that the Red Sox and Ramirez suffered through this summer.

I have this nagging feeling that, eventually, that is where this is heading. And I really, really want to be wrong.

'Kudos & Wet Willies' domination edition

ETVal — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 20:58:06 -0000

Wow!! Admit it, New York Giants' fans, you have been waiting for an offensive performance like this for a long, long time.

523 yards of total offense, the team's most since getting 524 against Green Bay in 2002.
Eli Manning (19-25, 267, 2 TDs) was flawless. He had 224 yards passing in the first half, a career high.
Brandon Jacobs ran wild, with 136 yards on 15 carries. There was no one to 'LaRon' all day.
In the first half alone, the Giants had nine plays of 15 yards or more.

How do I do 'Kudos & Wet Willies' today? Pretty much everyone connected with the Giants, especially the offense deserves 'Kudos.'

Let's do this. No one connected with the Giants deserves a 'Wet Willie.' The Seahawks, though, are another matter.

The entire Seattle team deserves a 'Wet Willie' for pretty much failing to show up. The exception would be quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, who played bravely despite injuring a knee on his first throw.

The biggest 'Wet Willie' goes to Seattle's wide receivers. A big deal was made about Seattle's receivers finally being healthy. Unfortunately, nobody bothered to think about the fact that they can't run routes, can't get open and can't catch the ball.

Oh, before I get to the 'Kudos' did anyone catch the Buffalo game. What is up with ex-Giant Kawika Mitchell and the Troy Palamolu hair? That gets a 'Wet Willie.'

Let's get on with wat will be an All-Kudos edition for the Giants.

Kudos to ...

Eli Manning: Sunday's performance is as well as I have ever seen him play. I can't think of one badly thrown ball. No worries about missing his favorite target, Plaxico Burress. He just spread the ball to everyone,and gashed Seattle's defense for big gain after big gain. If anyone is still wondering if Eli is a star, I have no idea what they are looking at.
The offensive line: In particular David Diehl and Rich Seubert. Manning was virtually untouched all day. In the running game, the Giants consistently went left when running the ball, and Jacobs, Derrick Ward and Ahmad Bradshaw had huge holes all day.
Domenik Hixon: Plaxico who? Four catches for 102 yards and one touchdown, and a 15-yard run on a reverse before being injured. Thank you, Denver Broncos for letting this guy go.
Brandon Jacobs: A 44-yard run, an average of 9 yards per carry, two touchdowns and 136 yards running.
Sinorice Moss: Plax suspended? Hixon hurt? Ole' forgotten Sinorice shows up with four catches for 45 yards and two touchdows. Good for him. Moss' performance showcased just how deep and talented the Giants are offensively.
Kevin Gilbride: Pretty much everything the Giants' offensive coordinator dialed up worked. Deep balls, short balls, power runs, reverses. Some thought the Seahawks could stuff Jacobs. No way. Marcus Trufant is a big-time corner, but even without Burress the Giants abused him all day. The way the Giants spread the ball around is a credit to Manning, but the way they absolutely gashed Seattle's helpless defense is a credit to Gilbride. In the first half, they rarely ever faced a third down en route a a 27-6 lead.
John Carney: Three-for-three Sunday, and the 44-yar-old kicking machine is still perfect on the season. He is 12-for-12. How is Tom Coughlin ever going to justify cutting this guy? He simply does not miss.
The defense: The Giants held Seattle to two measly field goals, and just 187 yards of offense. There are probably a few guys who could or should get singled out, but what's the point? I'm not sure if the Giants defense was that good, or Seattle's offense was just incapable of getting out of its own way.

I could probably go on and on. If anyone still doubts how good the Giants are they simply aren't paying attention. Right now, this is a better Giants' team than the one that won the Super Bowl.

Knock off the crap, guys

ETVal — Sun, 05 Oct 2008 23:13:27 -0000

I hate to act like Big Brother, and I hate to take away from the merriment following Sunday's thrashing of Seattle, but I have to address some of what went on between fans of this site and members of 'Field Gulls' for the past few days.

Since this site began I have asked members of Big Blue View Nation to act with class. If you want to comment, have something of quality to say -- and keep it civil.

That did not happen the past few days, and I'm not happy about it. If you want to go to an opponent's site and comment, fine, I have no problem with that. But, if you go there looking for a fight, trying to antagonize or rub it in I won't defend you. I don't tolerate fans of other sites acting like that here, and I won't tolerate you guys going to other sites and intentionally pissing people off.

A couple of you -- and you know who you are -- went over the line the past few days. Knock it off!

If you want to comment on another site, follow 'SBaker's' lead. Be friendly, offer a reasonable discussion and behave. Remember, you represent this site when you go to other blogs as a Giants fan.

This has always been a friendly, classy site. I want it to stay that way.

Here is some post-game reaction:

Seahawks' coach Mike Holmgren was impressed by the Giants, as well he should have been. "Well, that was what we call a good old-fashioned you-know-what. I believe we’re a better football team than that, but give the Giants credit. ... They got us pretty good. They’re a talented team, and they got rolling and we couldn’t stop them."
Seattle linebacker Lofa Tatupu praised the Giants' offensive line. "I think you guys have to start looking at what that offensive line is doing, rather than just giving him (Brandon Jacobs) all the praise. He’s a very good running back in terms of his size and his speed, but they are opening some pretty big holes for him."

Giants vs. Seahawks, Open Thread

ETVal — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 23:39:00 -0000

NEW YORK GIANTS (3-0)	GAME #4	SEATTLE SEAHAWKS (1-2)
	VS.

Date:	October 5, 2008	Location:	East Rutherford, NJ
Time:	1 p.m. EST	Stadium:	Giants Stadium
TV:	FOX	Radio:	WFAN (660 AM)
Final Score:	Giants 44, Seahawks 6

Here is your Game 4 Open Thread. Let's hope the Giants don't suffer a post-bye week letdown. This is a game New York should win.

Go Big Blue!

Vacchiano: No Shockey means Giants can exhale

ETVal — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 23:44:42 -0000

Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News has penned an awesome piece for Pro Football Talk on how subtracting Jeremy Shockey has been good for the New York Giants.

Vacchiano reaches back well beyond last season to make his case.

‘Twas the night before Christmas in 2005 and the Giants were one win away from clinching the NFC East, but they were losing early in the game to the Washington Redskins. They were struggling and things were tense until late in the first half when they were finally able to exhale in the offensive huddle.

Because Jeremy Shockey wasn’t around.

He had injured his ankle (while committing a pass interference penalty) and his backup, Visanthe Shiancoe, was forced onto the field.

“There were plays where (Shiancoe) was running free down the middle of the field (and) Shank would come back and say, ‘I think you had me, but don’t worry, we’ll get it,’” former Giants backup quarterback Tim Hasselbeck says in my new book, 'Eli Manning: The Making of a Quarterback.' “If that’s Jeremy, he’s thinking ‘I just had a 60-yard touchdown that Eli didn’t throw to me. I’m pissed.’ Then he comes back saying, ‘I’m wide open!’”

Added one of their teammates, who preferred to remain anonymous: “There was a calm on the sidelines that was never there before.”

There is more.

Shockey, as it turned out, was more of a disruptive force for the team and for Manning than anyone ever knew.

That should be clear to anyone who watched the Giants win a Super Bowl without him last season, after he broke his leg in Week 15, or to anyone who’s watched the Giants calmly avoid a Super Bowl hangover and get off to a 3-0 start in 2008. It’s not that they and their quarterback are better off without Shockey’s enormous talent – even Manning calls that a “stupid” theory.

It’s that they are both better off without his tired act.

Just look at what they were able to do in Weeks 2 and 3 of this season, when they struggled to put away inferior opponents. It was in situations like those, when the offense would be struggling to score points against teams they knew they should beat, that Shockey would be slamming his helmet, waving his arms, cursing at his teammates and demanding the ball.

Without him, when things get tough, the Giants can do what Manning does best – calmly analyze the situation, regroup, and get their act together.

It's a subject we have probably beaten to death, but still great work by Vacchiano.

Ralph, by the way, seems to be all over the place lately giving interviews to various blogs and radio shows and making TV appearances. As I did with the wonderful Mike Garafolo Friday, I wil try to catch up with Vacchiano around the mid-point of the season and get him to answer some questions for us.

Plax, Giants settle

ETVal — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 00:03:46 -0000

Plax, Giants settle

Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger has reported that the Giants and Plaxico Burress have reached a settlement regarding Burress' suspension.

5 Questions with Mike Garafolo

ETVal — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 14:36:22 -0000

Star-Ledger New York Giants beat writer Mike Garafolo took a few minutes out of his busy schedule this week to answer some of my questions. If you aren't reading MG's stuff, you should be.

Anyway, here is my interview with Mike. Enjoy!

1. BBV: The Plaxico Burress situation. I'm not worried about the short-term implications. Do you see any long-term implications, either with Burress' relationship with the Giants or the 'team above self' philosophy Tom Coughlin has instilled in this team?

MG: I don't see any long-term issues with regard to the entire team. In fact, the suspension was enforced to ensure the team would continue to buy into Coughlin's philosophy. But I do wonder about the long-term effect it'll have on Burress and on his relationship with Coughlin. Burress is an extremely prideful guy, so I can only wonder if the embarrassment of this situation will cause Burress to be even more distant or aloof toward his coach than he had been in the past. It won't affect him on the field. That much I know. But I'm thinking there could be some off-field issues that pop up. We'll see.

2. BBV: Anything, or anyone, really surprise you through the first three games?

MG: Corey Webster has been awesome through the first couple of games. I wasn't sure who we saw in the postseason - a mirage or the real Webster - and thought we would see a little of the new and old Webster. But the old one appears to have left town because I'm seeing a cornerback that's smart, savvy, polished and athletic - everything the Giants hoped he would be. With every one of these games in which he plays solid coverage, his price goes up. It'll be an interesting situation when free agency approaches for Webster.

3. BBV: I watched the Cincinnati game and thought that, before the post-season run last season, it is the type of game the Giants would have lost. Do you agree or disagree with that?

MG: Absolutely agree. But what's different about this team in my eyes is the offense. There are just so many weapons at Eli Manning's disposal that it seems there's no chance the offense can remain in a funk for an entire game. Eventually, somebody's going to get open, somebody's going to make a play. I don't believe they had that in the past and that's why they lost those kinds of games. You were always waiting for them to snap out of it and they never did. Now, they do.

4. BBV: John Carney or Lawrence Tynes? Why?

MG: Tynes. There's a reason they've kept him around instead of throwing him on IR. They like his leg, they like his attitude and they love his swagger. Don't get me wrong, Carney has been excellent. But a healthy Tynes is their best option.

5. BBV: Do you prefer blogging or writing for the print edition? Why?

MG: Wow, toughest question of 'em all. This isn't a copout, but I like them both. The beauty of the blog is there's unlimited space and a chance to get news out there pronto. Plus, it's like free-form radio back in the '70s: anything goes and each blogger does it his way. Of course, on a busy day, writing for the paper becomes simply recapping what you've already blogged all day long. That's when the paper stuff becomes an annoyance. But the beauty of the paper is you still have to craft a story, you still get to write something analytical and present it in a familiar package for the reader. Not that you can't do it in a blog, just that it doesn't often work that way. The best move is to figure out a way to incorporate newspaper writing, format and features into online content. That's a battle we fight every day and we continue to work on it.

Thanks, Mike! That's great stuff. If you want to keep up with the Giants on a daily basis, there is no better way than checking out what MG has to say every day.

New York Giants' notebook, 10.03.08

ETVal — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 11:03:03 -0000

So, still wondering who would step up as a leader on the New York Giants defense -- on the field and off -- with Michael Strahan gone? Try Justin Tuck, who is playing at a Pro Bowl level -- and seemingly taking charge in the locker room.

Listen to what Tuck had to say about the Plaxico Burress suspension.

"I can't speak for Plaxico, but as a team it's indicative of our coaches trying to make a statement as far as every guy on this football team is equal and I think [Tom Coughlin] got his point across. I hope he got his point across."

No excuses for Burress. No questioning the decision to suspend. Just a finger pointed directly at Burress for messing up.

Leadership like that is a primary reason why I don't believe the Burress situation will fracture the 'team above self' commitment the Giants have made.

Without Burress, both Sinorice Moss and Mario Manningham are likely to get some playing time. Both say they are ready.

"This is my opportunity," Moss said Wednesday.

"I'm ready to go out there and make plays and help my team win," Manningham said Thursday.

Domenik Hixon says he is still affected by last season's collision with Kevin Everett.
Giants' defensive linemen are sticking together.
Julius Jones says Seattle's plan to beat Giants includes "hitting them in the mouth."

NOTE: Special treat this afternoon. I have a '5 Questions' for you with Star-Ledger Giants writer Mike Garafolo -- for my money the best of the beat writers. So, be sure to stop back.