Update: Giants Have a Solid Day in East Rutherford, More Signings

July 31, 2011

NEW YORK – The Giants went back to work yesterday and continue to work on improving the team. They signed a few new players and have sent out offers to WR Steve Smith, RB Ahmad Bradshaw and TE Kevin Boss. None of the three mentioned players have signed yet but at least there is a starting point to negotiate. Signing those three offensive players is an absolute priority. Prince Amukamara still isn’t signed but the team expects to get him into camp soon, per Coach Coughlin. And NFL teams can now cease pursuing WR Plaxico Burress, who signed a one year deal with the Jets today. The Giants however, went out and signed three more players last night. Big Blue signed OL Chris White, who is a seven year NFL veteran, OL Brant Clouser who is a rookie from Villanova and TE Christian Hopkins who played a couple of years in the UFL.

Fans had an opportunity to see the players on the field last night, as the team started preparing for the season. There is a ton of work to do in a very short period of time due to the lockout. Nobody understands this better then the coaches and the players. Giants.com provided fans with some terrific coverage of the practice and activities yesterday. I encourage all of our readers to go to their site and look through the photos and videos they have there. It really gives fans an inside look at what is going on and a first look at the rookies wearing Giants blue.

All-Pro defensive end Osi Umenyiora showed up at camp last night after receiving a letter from the team notifying him they would be charging him the standard $30,000 fine per day he holds out from his commitment. Osi’s agent said he does not want to speak to GM Jerry Reese and that he still wants a new contract or trade. Osi must realize how deep the G-Men are at defensive end and the fact that they are all signed already. He must feel disrespected by this fact but continues to approach the situation the wrong way. It’s easy for us to speculate because it isn’t our money tied up but Osi still needs to have a cool head when talking to his bosses. The Giants will be back at practice this evening and I hope we see some of these guys signed and suited up to play ball.

GM Jerry Reese really deserves some credit for dealing with a bad situation. Fans have to understand that the team was $6 million dollars over the salary cap when the free agent frenzy began. I continue to see fans throwing darts at Reese for not doing enough but I ask those fans to really take a long hard look at what he has accomplished with little wiggle room. I think they will see that he addressed a lot of areas that needed work including the offensive line and punter situation. Yes, he isn’t signing the flashy names but he is certainly signing solid players who keep their mouths shut and go to work. I applaud you Jerry Reese for handling team business with a visionary approach in gaining quality players.

What do you think about the state of the New York Giants as of today?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please Support The Wounded Warrior Project by Clicking Here, You Are Not Forgotten!!

2 Comments | 2011 Fantasy Football, 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Preseason, 2011 NFL Regular Season, 2011 NFL Training Camp, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Front Office, Giants History, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Giants Training Camp, Giants Transactions, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL Lockout, NFL New York Giants, NFL Schedule, Nilay Shah, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Draft, NYG Exclusive, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Preseason, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Schedule, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Update, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Steve Tisch, Timex Performance Center, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn, Wounded Warrior Project | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

Giants Training Camp Opens, Rookies Get Jersey Numbers

July 29, 2011

NEW YORK – The Giants are going to have a very busy day. The workers at the stadium are busy getting all of the equipment together and the players are working out the butterflies in their stomachs. It’s a rainy morning in the New York area and scattered thunderstorms are expected throughout the day. If the weather is bad, the practices will be moved indoors and closed to the public. Fans also have to remember to arrive early if they plan on attending training camp tomorrow because it is on a first come, first serve basis. Some Giants players were at the facility as early as 7:00 A.M. getting physicals and the twitter accounts of fans were buzzing with anticipation. It is sure to be a great day in East Rutherford.

Getting back to the physical and mental work of practice is a tremendous step in the right direction. The players have a short period of time to get into football shape and the rookies have almost no time to memorize an NFL playbook. The only thing that balances out these disturbing facts, is that it is a league wide issue due to the lockout and not just something the G-men will be dealing with. The front office will be working hard to make sure the team can re-sign the valuable players who are still without contracts. The coaches will concentrate on coaching.

There are big names floating around out there today. RB Ahmad Bradshaw still hasn’t agreed to the contract terms and RB Brandon Jacobs is said to be working with the team to restructure his contract, a classy move by Brandon. DE Osi Umenyiora is a hot topic and he wants to be paid a fair wage equal to his on-field production. WR Steve Smith is still on the mend but should be a priority signing for the Giants and TE Kevin Boss could make his way back to the team very soon. These players equal a ton of production for the Giants and will need to return in order to maintain the balance that already exists. The team and the fans are still a little woozy from the players who have already been released, if the players above don’t sign, we would essentially be looking at an entirely new team.

There are other players who need to sign contracts but the guys mentioned above are the big names. The team still needs to sign the majority of their 2011 draft picks and also get them acclimated to the Giants way of doing business. Be sure to check back with us later in the day for transaction updates and players moves.

Let’s take a look at the jersey numbers the rookies will wear.

1. CB Prince Amukamara – No.20

2. DT Marvin Austin – No.96

3. OL James Brewer – No.78

4. LB Greg Jones – No.53

5. RB Da’Rel Scott – No.34

6. WR Jerrel Jernigan – No.3

7. S Tyler Sash – No.39

8. FB Henry Hynoski – No.45

9. LB Mark Herzlich – No.58

Do you plan on attending a training camp session this year at the Timex Performance Center?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please Support The Wounded Warrior Project by Clicking Here, You Are Not Forgotten!!

5 Comments | 2011 Fantasy Football, 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Preseason, 2011 NFL Regular Season, 2011 NFL Training Camp, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Front Office, Giants History, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Giants Training Camp, Giants Transactions, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL New York Giants, NFL Schedule, Nilay Shah, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Draft, NYG Exclusive, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Preseason, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Schedule, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Roger Goodell, Steve Tisch, Timex Performance Center, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn, Wounded Warrior Project | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

Giants Getting Ready to Get Down to Business

July 28, 2011

NEW YORK – Giants owner John Mara said he expects to have a “naming rights” deal in place for the stadium before the season begins in September. I’m sure that we will hear news on this very soon, within a week or so. This might seem like a small piece of business considering all of the madness going on with the players but fans better familiarize themselves with it. They will be looking at it for a lot of years to come. As I’ve said many times, it will always be Giants stadium to me but the thought of calling it the MetLife stadium for a decade is vividly unappealing. However, I understand why the Giants and Jets need to do this, I just wish it could be named the JetBlue stadium or Green Giant stadium.

Then we have training camp opening tomorrow at the Timex Performance Center for the first time in team history. The training camp practices will be open on a “first come, first serve” basis because of the lack of space. There will be a capacity of about 2,000 fans allowed to enter, so be sure to get there early if you want to get in. Also, be sure to bring a few bucks for the parking (camp itself is free) and any merchandise you want to buy. You can bring photo cameras with you but no video cameras. It is always a good idea to bring some water and snacks with you too if you have kids. It really is a unique experience that I recommend to all Giants fans.

Fans can expect a ton of player news to drop during the day today. Be sure to come back and catch up on all of the news with us. I expect some of the players to be released today and maybe get a few of the current players on the roster re-signed. RB Ahmad Bradshaw, RB Brandon Jacobs and TE Kevin Boss top the list for today. WR Steve Smith, DE Osi Umenyiora and DE Mathias Kiwanuka have to be crucial re-singings as well. These six guys make up a ton of production for Big Blue. Stay tuned for the good and bad news that is sure to follow at some point today.

Are you excited about the 2011 NFL season kicking off soon?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please Support The Wounded Warrior Project by Clicking Here, You Are Not Forgotten!!

Leave a Comment » | 2011 Fantasy Football, 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Preseason, 2011 NFL Regular Season, 2011 NFL Training Camp, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Front Office, Giants History, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Giants Training Camp, Giants Transactions, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL New York Giants, NFL Schedule, Nilay Shah, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Draft, NYG Exclusive, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Preseason, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Schedule, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Roger Goodell, Steve Tisch, Timex Performance Center, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn, Wounded Warrior Project | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

New York Giants Continue Adding and Subtracting Players

July 27, 2011

NEW YORK – It has been absolutely insane the past two days. Today we saw some interesting moves made by Big Blue. The first thing I would like to mention is the classy move to extend head coach Tom Coughlin’s contract through the 2012 season. Tom Coughlin deserves to remain with the team despite what the “experts” say about him being on some invisible hot seat. Coughlin is an elite head coach and a proven winner. As a fan, I am very happy to see John Mara reward Coughlin for his hard work and show how valuable he is to the organization. Congrats on your new contract coach and I hope you can stay another ten years.

Another coach that was hired today is assistant special teams coach Larry Izzo. Fans have known about this move for weeks. The Giants have been horrible on special teams the past couple of years. There is just no other way to say it. The Giants actually lost games due to the poor play of special teams and Jerry Reese took notice because he addressed that area during the draft and yesterday when he worked on the undrafted rookies. Izzo was an outstanding special teams player when he played in the NFL and spent the bulk of his career with the New England Patriots and Miami Dolphins. He is a three time Pro Bowl player and a three time Super Bowl Champion.

The Giants were unable to work out a deal with DT Rocky Bernard, so he is expected to be released soon. This does not surprise me at all but does make me wonder if the team could have kept DT Barry Cofield if the news was announced prior to him making a six year deal with the Washington Redskins this morning. The team is going to miss Barry Cofield and I was pleased to hear they fought to try and keep him. The Giants have become very deep at the DT position with young talent but losing two veterans could hurt them a bit. The Giants are also looking to sign RB Ahmad Bradshaw, RB Brandon Jacobs and TE Kevin Boss. These three guys were in the news the most today as the front office clearly turns it’s attention to the offense. WR Plaxico Burress is back in the mix as a possibility to return and he is expected to meet with the Giants on Friday.

Let’s take a look at some of the moves/deals over the past 48 hours.

1. C Shaun O’Hara – expected to be released.

2. OL Rich Seubert – expected to be released.

3. OL Shawn Andrews – expected to be released.

4. DT Barry Cofield – six year deal with Washington Redskins.

5. DT Rocky Bernard – expected to be released.

6. Coach Tom Coughlin – signs contract extension through 2012.

7. Coach Larry Izzo – hired as assistant special teams coach.

8. OL David Baas – agreed to a deal with Giants via 49ers.

9. OL Kevin Boothe – signs two year deal with Giants.

10. WR Plaxico Burress – meeting with Giants on Friday.

How have you been keeping up with all of the transactions going on with Big Blue and the NFL?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please visit www.hampscamp.com and donate/contribute to Rodney Hampton’s charity for the kids!

6 Comments | 2011 Fantasy Football, 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Preseason, 2011 NFL Regular Season, 2011 NFL Training Camp, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Front Office, Giants History, Giants Injuries, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Giants Training Camp, Giants Transactions, Hamps Camp, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL New York Giants, NFL Schedule, Nilay Shah, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Exclusive, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Preseason, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Schedule, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Update, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Roger Goodell, Steve Tisch, Timex Performance Center, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

New York Giants Continue to Reshape Team with More Moves

July 27, 2011

NEW YORK – The New York Giants had a wonderful day by any measure of success in obtaining undrafted rookies yesterday. However, they also caused some waves among Giants fans by releasing some “fan favorite” players. After the news broke about the teams plans to release C Shaun O’Hara and OL Rich Seubert, the team followed up with more bad news by not coming to terms with OL Shawn Andrews. That means three offensive linemen have been cut or released in one day. This has left fans scratching their heads because it was very evident that the offensive line needed help before these cuts. They did re-sign OL Kevin Boothe to a two year deal but he is primarily a backup. The Giants have also reportedly agreed to terms with OL/C David Baas (6’4″ 330 pounds) who played his first six seasons with the San Francisco 49ers. Fans have come to trust GM Jerry Reese and I’m sure he has a plan but this is asking for a whole lot of trust.

Fans awoke today to more bad news, when they read that DT Barry Cofield will be leaving the team and going to the Washington Redskins of all places. Reports have him signing a six year deal with the division rival. This is another move I just don’t understand. Barry Cofield had become one of my favorite players because all he did was shut his mouth and do his job. The coaches must have seen something that I didn’t because Barry appeared to be the only steady rock in the middle of that defensive line. I truly wish him well and hate that he will be playing across the line from us for at least six years.

The Giants have been working hard to re-sign RB Ahmad Bradshaw and believe it or not, the team had been talking with WR Plaxico Burress for much of the day yesterday. Coughlin even came out and said he did not mind speaking to Burress, which he will do today. I’m not sure how realistic it is to think Plaxico will return to New York after all of the bad things he said about not wanting to play for Coach Coughlin but crazier things have happened in the past. It is unclear who the G-Men will target in free agency after clearing up some cap space by releasing all of these players. They may have to just sign all of their own players and only get one or two free agents off the market. The Giants have just placed the offensive linemen position on top of the “need” chart by making all of these moves. I’m very surprised they didn’t take measures to replace them prior to announcing the cuts. That only tells me that GM Jerry Reese must be targeting at least one big time offensive lineman from free agency. The madness is far from over so stay tuned for more updates fans.

Are you surprised by all of the player moves Big Blue has made so far?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please Support The Wounded Warrior Project by Clicking Here, You Are Not Forgotten!!

8 Comments | 2011 Fantasy Football, 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Lockout, 2011 NFL Minicamp, 2011 NFL Preseason, 2011 NFL Regular Season, 2011 NFL Training Camp, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Front Office, Giants History, Giants Injuries, Giants Mini Camp, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Giants Training Camp, Giants Transactions, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL Lockout, NFL New York Giants, NFL Schedule, Nilay Shah, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Draft, NYG Exclusive, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Minicamp, NYG Preseason, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Schedule, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Roger Goodell, Steve Tisch, Timex Performance Center, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn, Wounded Warrior Project | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

New York Giants to Release Seubert and O’Hara

July 26, 2011

NEW YORK – What a shock is was today to hear the names Rich Seubert and Shaun O’Hara mentioned with player cuts. These two gentlemen made up 40% of the starting offensive line. These two guys have been with the team for a very long time and the announcement today said that both would be released within the next day or two. It felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. My first question was why? In both cases, it appears that injuries played a role in the decision to release them. Knowing that still doesn’t take the sting out of actually hearing it out loud and realizing another era of Giants football has come to an end.

There are some who think the Giants will re-sign one or both of these guys to to less expensive contracts. It would be wonderful if their theories came to fruition but it still won’t change the fact that things will never be the same again. This is simply the beginning of the end. I really respect these “good guys” and hope that something can be done. Reports say the team will save $5.3 million dollars by making these roster moves. Regardless of these cuts, they would still be over the cap limit by about $1 million dollars. Another thing to consider is that losing two quality players at crucial offensive line positions, seriously jeopardizes QB Eli Manning’s Iron Man streak.

Center Shaun O’Hara is 34 years old and has played 12 years in the NFL. He played four seasons with the Cleveland Browns and the last seven years with the Giants. Shaun is a three time Pro Bowl player and Super Bowl Champion. OL Rich Seubert is 32 years old and has played 11 seasons in the NFL, all of them with the New York Giants. Seubert was an undrafted player who worked his way up from the bottom and was extremely valuable as an interchangeable lineman. His hard worked paid off and led him all the way to becoming a Super Bowl Champion. I understand that both of these men are no spring chickens but I truly believed they had a few more years left in them.

I do not want to speculate on replacement players because I think it would be rude to do that so soon. Quite frankly, GM Jerry Reese must have a plan we don’t know about because there doesn’t seem to be enough players on the current roster to fill the void. It took me a couple of hours to write this article because the news was so sudden and unexpected. I still don’t fully believe this is happening. I would like to personally say thank you to both Rich and Shaun for all of the great years they gave the team and the fans. You will both be sorely missed.

How do you feel about the news that C Shaun O’Hara and OL Rich Seubert will be released from the team?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please Support The Wounded Warrior Project by Clicking Here, You Are Not Forgotten!!

Leave a Comment » | 2011 Fantasy Football, 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Lockout, 2011 NFL Preseason, 2011 NFL Regular Season, 2011 NFL Training Camp, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Front Office, Giants History, Giants Injuries, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Giants Super Bowl History, Giants Training Camp, Giants Transactions, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Lockout, NFL New York Giants, NFL Schedule, Nilay Shah, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Exclusive, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Preseason, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Schedule, NYG Story, NYG Super Bowl, NYG Training Camp, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Roger Goodell, Steve Tisch, Super Bowl XLII, Timex Performance Center, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn, Wounded Warrior Project | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

Big Blue is Making Waves Early in the Free Agency Pool

July 26, 2011

NEW YORK – The Giants have started making roster moves. The biggest signing of the day was Boston College star LB Mark Herzlich. This is a kid that seems to charm everyone he meets and he has also shown his inner strength by beating cancer. I do not want to focus too much on him beating cancer (awesome story) because I’m sure this young man wants to put that all behind him and focus on the future. I hope other sports writers will leave him alone about that too. Let the kid play football now.

Giants GM Jerry Reese continues to show why he is an elite general manager in the NFL by having a great morning in the free agent market. The collection of undrafted rookies he has made deals with all bring unique talents to the table. Of course, Herzlich was projected to be a first round pick before he got sick and I have been hearing a lot of good things about this fullback Hynoski.

I will list a few of the players below but this is by no means the complete list. These are just a few players the team has worked on this morning. You can absolutely expect the list of players to grow but I thought I would give our readers a taste of what the day has brought so far. You can expect the madness to continue throughout this week and all the way up until the season starts. The two biggest needs for Big Blue are linebackers and offensive linemen.

Let’s take a look at some of the players the Giants were able to grab today.

1. LB Mark Herzlich – 6’4″ 250 pounds, Boston College

2. FB Henry Hynoski – 6’2″ 260 pounds, Pittsburgh

3. DB David Sims – 5’9″ 200 pounds, Iowa State

4. DT Martin Parker – 6’2″ 303 pounds, Richmond

5. LB Spencer Paysinger – 6’3″ 235 pounds, Oregon

6. DE Justin Trattou – 6’3″ 250 pounds, University of Florida

Which player are you hoping the G-Men will re-sign out of the current Giants free agents?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please visit www.hampscamp.com and donate/contribute to Rodney Hampton’s charity for the kids!

4 Comments | 2011 Fantasy Football, 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Lockout, 2011 NFL Minicamp, 2011 NFL Preseason, 2011 NFL Regular Season, 2011 NFL Training Camp, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Front Office, Giants Mini Camp, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Giants Training Camp, Giants Transactions, Hamps Camp, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL Lockout, NFL New York Giants, NFL Schedule, Nilay Shah, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Draft, NYG Exclusive, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Minicamp, NYG Preseason, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Schedule, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Roger Goodell, Steve Tisch, Timex Performance Center, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

The 2011 NFL Lockout Ends After 136 Days of Stress

July 25, 2011

NEW YORK – The 2011 NFL lockout has finally come to an end today on the 136th day of the lockout (I do not subtract the 4 days a judge ordered the lockout stoppage in April). Thanks for the ulcer and 4 1/2 months of worrying. Maybe next year you can finish me off by telling me the Giants will be relocating to Oklahoma City or something like that. After all of the bickering and posturing, both sides have finally agreed to a deal and saved the 2011 season. I know that I am supposed to be overwhelmed with joy and excited but strangely I’m not. I feel like someone who went through a draining court process for half a year. I really thought I would feel excited but this sense of relief is still dominating my mind. I’m sure this feeling will change in the next day or two once the fire returns in my belly. I won’t have time to digest everything that has happened because football business will explode at a rapid pace now.

NFL teams can sign their free agents and begin negotiating with unrestricted free agents tomorrow. They can also start talking about trades with other teams and start talking with undrafted free agents as well. Let’s not forget all of the rookies from the 2011 NFL draft class, they need to be addressed too. The new rules on the 10 year deal are still very foggy but I expect team lawyers to pull an all-nighter to get themselves up to speed. We’ve got training camp starting in 4 days (reportedly this Friday) for Big Blue and the preseason starting in about two weeks. The NFL cancelled the Hall of Fame game and all signs point to preseason games beginning on August 11, 2011. This is going to be a very turbulent few weeks for Giants fans because there are going to be some players that leave the team. These are players that will make your heart break. There will also be some excitement for the new players the team brings in but it always hurts when you lose an old friend.

Be sure to check back with us a few times per day because the articles will be pouring out now to keep up with the news. There isn’t much to report yet except to say that things are about to get stupid, silly crazy! I’m actually starting to get excited now and should be on red alert by the time I’m finished writing this article. I would like to say good luck to all of the Giants free agents, I hope you can all come back. I would also like to say farewell to any players who might leave the team and I want to let you know that once you’re a Giant, you’re always a Giant to New York and the fans! Best wishes and good luck to you guys. And to the fans I ask, are you ready for some football?

What have you learned from the 2011 NFL lockout and how has it affected you as a fan?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please Support The Wounded Warrior Project by Clicking Here, You Are Not Forgotten!!

Leave a Comment » | 2011 Fantasy Football, 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Lockout, 2011 NFL Minicamp, 2011 NFL Preseason, 2011 NFL Regular Season, 2011 NFL Training Camp, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Front Office, Giants Injuries, Giants Mini Camp, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Giants Training Camp, Giants Transactions, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL Lockout, NFL New York Giants, NFL Schedule, Nilay Shah, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Draft, NYG Exclusive, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Minicamp, NYG Preseason, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Schedule, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Roger Goodell, Steve Tisch, Timex Performance Center, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn, Wounded Warrior Project | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

Bizarre Week in the NFL Ends Today With Possible Vote

July 22, 2011

NEW YORK – Things have really started to heat up with the lockout situation (currently 133 days). I haven’t seen this much hype since the presidential elections. We’ve got information coming in from all over the country, both from the owner negotiations and also from players hometowns and such. It is absolute madness and it might not be over today as some expect. The NFL owners approved a deal yesterday (meaning the owners agreed with each other on a deal to show players) and handed it over to the players. This means if the players accept the proposal, teams will go back to work as early as tomorrow when they open the team facilities. Sounds great right? The only problem is that players have come out saying the NFL owners sneaked in some new stuff before handing the deal to the players. Shame on the owners for playing dirty and being sneaky porkers.

After a night in which twitter exploded with theories and speculation from the sports community, we rise to a new day. So what happens now? It is hard to say but the owners have waited so long to introduce this proposal that it really puts everyone in a bad situation. The players will not accept something they think is unfair and there simply isn’t enough time to start this whole process over again without canceling games. Just like they did last night when they cancelled the Hall of Fame game which was to be played on August 7, 2011. Roger Goodell has said that if a deal isn’t reached by this Wednesday (7/27/11), more games will have to be cancelled in the preseason and it could seriously jeopardize the regular season beginning on time. My question to the NFL owners is simple, why the heck did you wait so long to hand over a proposal which has directly put everyone in this time crunch situation? Was there no sense of urgency to get this done? The only way a vote gets done today is if the NFL owners alter the current deal they gave to the players.

Meanwhile, we have Giants RB Ahmad Bradshaw talking in the news about going to the Miami Dolphins. That is not encouraging news at all. Reports say the G-Men will be about $11 million dollars over the salary cap once the lockout ends and that they will need to make some tough decisions. The Giants are simply going to have to trim the roster and everyone knows it. What we don’t know is who is going to be let go or traded. Some of the more prominent names who could become salary cap casualties are DT Barry Cofield, DE Osi Umenyiora, RB Ahmad Bradshaw, WR Steve Smith, RB Brandon Jacobs and DE Mathias Kiwanuka. There are more players at risk but these six scare me the most. I do not want to lose any of these guys but the reality is that at least one of these players will not be with the team in 2011, maybe even two or more. Following the madness of keeping star players on the team, the G-Men will then have to focus on signing the rookies, who they haven’t seen play on the field yet.

Giants owner John Mara has said that he hopes to have the naming rights to New Meadowlands stadium sold before the season starts. Most reports think the new name will be the MetLife stadium, which I absolutely hate. I have not heard one Giants fan mention how they liked that name. In the age of corporations, it was nice that fans still had Giants stadium and Yankee stadium out there. It gave fans the feeling that their teams were above selling out to the corporate animals. I understand the situation is different with the leech Jets sharing the stadium but we can dream, right? It will always be Giants stadium to me.

What are your thoughts on how the 2011 NFL lockout is being handled?

RD – nygreporter.com

Please visit www.hampscamp.com and donate/contribute to Rodney Hampton’s charity for the kids!

2 Comments | 2011 Fantasy Football, 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Lockout, 2011 NFL Minicamp, 2011 NFL Preseason, 2011 NFL Regular Season, 2011 NFL Training Camp, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Front Office, Giants Mini Camp, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Giants Training Camp, Hamps Camp, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL Lockout, NFL New York Giants, NFL Schedule, Nilay Shah, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Draft, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Minicamp, NYG Preseason, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Schedule, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Roger Goodell, Steve Tisch, Timex Performance Center, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

Brutal 2011 NFL Schedule Will Force G-Men to Dig Deep

July 20, 2011

NEW YORK – If the New York Giants are going to make it back to the playoffs in 2011, they are certainly going to have to earn it. The G-Men have a tough overall regular season schedule this year but the second half of that schedule following the bye week is absolutely brutal. The Giants will need to be at full health and clicking in every area of their game to seriously compete with the elite of the NFL. I believe the Giants belong in that elite grouping as well but after two seasons in which they failed to make the playoffs, speculation swirls among even the most die hard fan. I know the Giants are capable of running the table when fully healthy but trying to convince others of this fact is almost impossible.

Starting in week nine, the level of competition goes through the roof. I know the Giants would not want it any other way but even the players must have been shaking their heads and saying “Are you kidding me?” Between weeks nine and seventeen the Giants will play the New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and the Dallas Cowboys twice. You can also add the Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers to that list which rounds out the final nine games (five of those games are on the road). The rule is that any team can beat any team on any given Sunday. Having a week seven “bye week” is favorable to most teams in the NFL and the G-Men are really going to need that break before basically facing a playoff caliber team each and every week to finish out the year. This is about as tough a schedule as I can remember in recent history.

As I mentioned, if the Giants are healthy, they can beat any team in the NFL. Without having all of their weapons on the field, the odds go down considerably. Throw in the fact that the NFL has been messing around with this lockout for 131 days now and you have to wonder if the players are going suffer on the field from a lack of true conditioning. Only time will tell. The first step is to end this silly lockout which appears to be happening as I write this. Most expect a deal to be done within the next 72 hours. Let’s hope these “insiders” and “experts” are correct.

Are you concerned about the tough schedule the Giants face this season?

RD – nygreporter.com

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6 Comments | 2011 Fantasy Football, 2011 New York Giants, 2011 NFL Draft, 2011 NFL Lockout, 2011 NFL Minicamp, 2011 NFL Preseason, 2011 NFL Regular Season, 2011 NFL Training Camp, Big Blue, Chris Mara, East Rutherford, Eli Manning, G-Men, Giants, Giants Coaches, Giants Draft, Giants Front Office, Giants Mini Camp, Giants Roster, Giants Stadium, Giants Training Camp, Giants Transactions, Jerry Reese, John Mara, Jonathan Tisch, Justin Tuck, Kevin Gilbride, New Jersey, New Meadowlands Stadium, New York, New York Football Giants, New York Giants, NFC East, NFL, NFL Draft, NFL Lockout, NFL New York Giants, NFL Schedule, Nilay Shah, NY Giants, NYG, NYG Blog, NYG Draft, NYG Fantasy Football, NYG Minicamp, NYG Preseason, NYG Regular Season, NYG Reporter, NYG Schedule, NYG Story, NYG Training Camp, NYG Website, nygreporter, Pat Hanlon, Perry Fewell, Roger Goodell, Steve Tisch, Timex Performance Center, Tom Coughlin, Tom Quinn, Wounded Warrior Project | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by robdomaine

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