Former Giants MLB Antonio Pierce Officially Retires

July 8, 2010

Former New York Giants MLB, Antonio Pierce, has officially retired from the NFL today. Pierce was the defensive general of Big Blue for a number of years. He has apparently joined the ESPN crew and will do an episode of NFL LIVE tonight on ESPN at 4:00 PM EST. Some Giants fans, fell out of love with AP during the end of his days with New York. I for one, have always liked and respected Pierce. I wish him nothing but the best in his future ventures. You can say what you want about AP but he is a Super Bowl Champion and pro bowl football player. Nothing can ever change those facts or make his ring shine less.

Antonio Pierce played nine years in the NFL and had his season end mid-stream last year due to a neck injury. I’m thankful that he joins Michael Strahan, as a pair of former Giants defensive players who will now be on TV. Most Giants fans are sick of hearing Troy Aikman or Moose Johnston call their Giants games, so this will at least alleviate some of the pain from the LIVE game calling.

AP will go down in Giants history as a tremendous leader on the field and true student of the game. He was a terrific team mate and someone the players could trust. Things start to break down when you get older and such is the case with Pierce in my opinion. The heart and mind are willing and able but the body just can’t take anymore. It’s a shame that we all have to get old someday but father time catches up to all of us sooner or later. Give a shout out to the Giants Nation when you’re on the tube tonight AP.

How do you think Antonio Pierce will be remembered in New York? Who do you think will become his successor in 2010?

RD – nygreporter.com

SUPPORT THE WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT!!


Michael Strahan Dr. Pepper Commercial is Hysterical

June 13, 2010

There is a fairly new commercial out these days for Dr. Pepper. Some of you already know what I am talking about and others have not seen it yet. Be warned there will be spoilers discussed here. This is one of the funniest commercials I have ever seen and it seems to be tailored to the New York Giants fan directly. I am going to leave a link to the commercial in the bottom below. The commercial is basically about Michael Strahan, showing up at Donovan McNabb’s house with a pizza. He hands a confused McNabb the pizza, then proceeds to pile drive tackle McNabb through a hallway table. Strahan jumps up and flexes his muscles with a yell. McNabb steals the show by saying the words “Come on, Mike man”.

As I said before, most of you have probably already seen it but I had to write this story about it. McNabb is now a Washington Redskin and Michael Strahan is a TV star. Giants fans had to watch McNabb scramble and make the Giants defense look stupid on way too many plays. One of the finest days in history for Giants fans, was the game where Big Blue recorded 12 sacks in a single game against the Eagles. Seeing Strahan in that commercial with a very cool McNabb was funny as hell. I give Donovan a lot of credit for doing this commercial. Check it out and see for yourself.

Have you seen the Michael Strahan Dr. Pepper commercial yet? If you have seen it, tell us what you think of it in the comment area.

RD – nygreporter.com


Easy Eli Manning is Going to Make the 2010 Pro Bowl

June 3, 2010

What do you think about the title of this article? Do you think QB Eli Manning will make the 2010 NFL Pro Bowl roster for the NFC? If you agree, tell us why. If you disagree, tell us why. New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning (6-4 225 pounds) is a Super Bowl MVP & Super Bowl Champion. Eli Manning has already been to a Pro Bowl in 2008 and has made the playoffs for four of his five years as the leader. We have seen him make incredible comebacks and we’ve seen him win 11 straight on the road. Why people still doubt Manning is beyond me. He improved again in 2009, cracking the 4,000 yard passing yard mark with 4,021 yards. He also threw a very good TD to INT ratio of 27 to 14. It must also be noted that Manning was sacked 30 times in 2009, the most of any year in his career.

He had a solid year in 2009 but the team still finished with a disappointing 8-8 record to close out the season. Injuries can be written in history as the reason why they had a poor season in 2009. 2010 will be a whole other story. Eli Manning has some dangerous receivers and tight ends in his arsenal. It’s clear that the team has the offensive lines future in mind with youngsters William Beatty, Adam Koets and Mitch Petrus in the mix. Protecting Eli will become the theme for next years 2011 NFL draft. I would bet they choose at least two offensive linemen within the first four rounds of the draft.

How would you grade the 29 year old Manning at this point in his career? Personally, I give him an “A” and could not see anyone giving him less then a “B” from everything he has accomplished since being drafted in 2004 in the first round. The crazy trade with San Diego during the 2004 NFL Draft to get him. Ernie Accorsi doing his thing and making things happen. Eli Manning is ready to take things to the next level and I expect him to do so with the arsenal of talented wide receivers he is throwing to. Steve Smith, Hakeem Nicks, Mario Manningham, Ramses Barden, Kevin Boss, Travis Beckum, Derek Hagan and Sinorice Moss are a lot to deal with. Eli Manning is going to go on a three or four year tear beginning this season. He will become the Derek Jeter of New York football by the end of his career. This includes at least one more Super Bowl ring either this year or next year. Next year makes the most sense logically given the team needs some time to mesh with each other. They had some things to work out but I’m confident Eli will lead this team to the next level.

My official prediction for QB Eli Manning during the 2010 NFL regular season is: 4,347 passing yards and 36 TD’s 18 INT’s.

Eli Manning’s official career numbers are: 18,644 passing yards, 125 TD’s 88 INT’s.

RD – NYGReporter.com

SUPPORT THE WOUNDED WARRIOR PROJECT!!


Super Bowl XLVIII in the Year 2014 Exclusive

May 27, 2010

I’m so excited about the Super Bowl coming to the New York/New Jersey area that I had to write a story myself on this topic. One of our writers, Josh Berman, broke the news when it hit the wire and reading his article was the first I heard of it. We have to try and get tickets somehow (see the events tab up top for Super Bowl ticket lottery info). The Giants begin their 2010 season in their new stadium, which is tremendous from what I have heard about it. Josh Berman has been there and confirms that the place is awesome. The New York City and Hudson County, New Jersey areas will be rocking. Wouldn’t this be a great story if the New York Giants find themselves playing at home for the Super Bowl in 2014? I truly believe that Giants GM Jerry Reese has already decided to get the team there by any means necessary and if the Jets make it too, I will have to find a way to get to the game. A subway series in football would be historical (with the Giants winning of course).

I can tell you right now that Hoboken, New Jersey (check W Hotel in Hoboken for booking info soon) will be a hot spot during the 2014 Super Bowl. There will be some other areas such as Atlantic City which is a few hours away and all of Manhattan that will surely be celebrating. Actually, all five boroughs in New York will be celebrating I’m sure and upstate too. Grandfathers who haven’t left the house in three years will be on line for tickets to this Super Bowl. I can only pray that the true fans have an equal opportunity to get some tickets and they aren’t all given to the corporate world. This should be a game for the fans who have waited a lifetime for this chance to see a LIVE Super Bowl. Remember that subway service will be available and should be considered in traveling plans. I would hope that the Giants and Jets ownership take heed to my call. Put this one aside for the true fans and your rewards will be endless. If this is made up to be a bling event then it will be doomed, if it returns to good old hometown football then it will succeed, this advice is free.

Here is another part to that question, what if it does snow during Super Bowl XLVIII? What happens next? How do they prepare for it? Let me ask you something, what happens if this turns out to be the worst Super Bowl in history? How much of that blame would be placed on the location? What if the weather is clear but there is still a poor game played? Is that the location’s fault as well? Do you see what I’m getting at here? Personally, I think it will be a great game. The fans will energize both teams like never before in this area. Will there be jet packs for fans to get to the stadium in time for tailgating, in the year 2014? I guess we will have the wait and see Giants fans.

What do you think bout the New York/New Jersey area getting Super Bowl XLVIII in 2014? Are you concerned about the possibility of snow?

RD – NYGReporter.com


New Meadowlands Stadium Wins Bowl Bid

May 25, 2010

The NFL, in the annual owners meetings; this year being held in Dallas, voted today between Miami, Tampa, and New York as the host cities for the 2014 Super Bowl. As I mentioned yesterday, all indications pointed to the New Meadowlands Stadium as the victor and indeed it was. Reports indicate that Miami was eliminated for the discussion first and after four ballots New York came out on top. The real significance is that it will be the first outdoor cold weather Super Bowl and for that many doubters are upset. They do have a fair point, I mean could you really see David Tyree making the catch if the field was covered in snow? But, the game was designed outdoors in the bitter cold and for football purists everywhere this is indeed a victory.

There is no way to tell if this ruling will have any implication on the  future of the game as far as Super Bowl locations. Who knows maybe 2015 goes to Green Bay. My gut tells me this was a call made by the owners in an effort to show of the fruit of the stadiums owners Woody Johnson, John Mara, and Steve Tisch labor. It seems as though the league really wants to show off the brand new stadiums teams are building, and it could go along way to attracting bidders for the stadiums still not purchased naming rights. Either way, this is very exciting news for all three owners and nothing but good things can come of this.

Josh Berman- NYGReporter.com


Josh Berman’s Giants Update: Edition 3

May 25, 2010

Well for this week Giants fans, I thought I’d show off a little of my hometown roots. By that I actually mean I’m going to show my disgust with the fact that the Philadelphia Flyers actually made it into the Stanley Cup. We don’t usually discus other sports here at NYGReporter.com but if you’re curious I am a Giants fan (duh), a Nets fan (unfortunately), a Devils fan, and a Yankees fan. To see the Flyers crush my guys in the beginning was hard enough, but there are so many band wagon fans down here that it is almost unbearable. To make matters worse, I have heard on several accounts how “similar” the Giants run to Super Bowl XLII was in 2007 to the Flyers run this year. I mean it is a little, the Flyers have key injuries the Giants had key injuries, blah blah blah. I don’t want to hear Philly fans compare themselves to Big Blue, unless of course they have a no-name guy head out on the ice and bounce the puck of his head and into the goal. Until that happens, the Giants will always be first and best.

In other more important news, reports are coming in that Justin Tuck, the Giants all-star defensive end, who was recently referred  to as the Giants best defensive play (commence arguing among yourselves) is doing great and the shoulder is feeling better by the day. Tuck suffered a torn labarum from an intentional trip by former Cowboy Flozzel Adams, and depending on who you ask, Tuck was playing at about 60% all season long in 2009.

Continuing with Tuck, the defensive end was somewhat vocal in questioning the Giants early picks in Jason Pierre-Paul and Linval Joseph, fellow defensive linemen. Since then Tuck has had a chance to see them do drills and really work out and he has changed his mind. He indicated that he was biased in his early opinions, but now acknowledges their incredible athleticism and welcomes them with open arms to the Giants family.

And now the news you’ve all been waiting for, the league will vote tomorrow as to whether or not New Meadowlands will host a Bowl in 2014, and looks as though chances are better than good. John Clayton of ESPN is even calling them 100%. Although it won’t be the first time in recent memory that a Super Bowl will be played in a cold weather city, it will be the fist time in a long time that it will be played outside. The game would be very beneficial to paying off some of the leftover financial obligations the stadium brings, and even maybe bring in some naming rights competitors. Overall I think it will be great for the city and really open up the game to any climate, as it should be. What do you think the back lash will be if it snows during the game in 2014 when being held at the New Meadowlands Stadium? Should be interesting!

Josh Berman- NYGReporter.com


NY Giants Top Ten: Single Season Record, Receiving Yards

May 23, 2010

Here is a new segment that we will be doing here on the NYG Reporter, we will call them the unoriginal name of the “top ten” lists. Yes, we understand the cliche but it is still an effective means for communicating pertinent information about the team. The previous article we wrote before this, where we took a look at the fantasy football possibilities got me thinking. I mentioned that I thought WR Hakeem Nicks would break the single season Giants record for receiving yards in 2010. The current all-time record is 1,343 receiving yards, in a single season, set by WR Amani Toomer in 2002. During Hakeem Nicks’ rookie season in 2009, he had 790 receiving yards and six touchdowns, even though he only started in six games.

It will be interesting to see how the Smith/Nicks WR duo compliment each other. We could be on the verge of something big here in 2010. Let’s not forget about WR Mario Manningham, WR Ramses Barden, WR Derek Hagan, WR Domenik Hixon, WR Sinorice Moss and the rookie WR Tim Brown that Coughlin has mentioned during interviews. They will be competing with each other during the current OTA’s going on and even more so, come training camp in Albany this summer.

We will be doing the running backs and quarterbacks records during this week as well, so be sure to come back and check them out.

Let’s take a look at the top ten all-time receiving yards records for the New York Giants.

New York Giants all-time receiving yards, per single season, record standings.

1. WR Amani Toomer, 1,343 receiving yards in 2002.

2. WR Steve Smith, 1,220 receiving yards in 2009.

3. WR Plaxico Burress, 1,214 receiving yards in 2005.

4. WR Homer Jones, 1,209 receiving yards in 1967.

5. WR Amani Toomer, 1,183 receiving yards in 1999.

6. WR Del Shofner, 1,181 receiving yards in 1963.

7. WR Earnest Gray, 1,139 receiving yards in 1983.

8. WR Del Shofner, 1,133 receiving yards in 1962.

9. WR Del Shofner, 1,125 receiving yards in 1961.

10. WR Amani Toomer, 1,094 receiving yards in 2000.

Are you surprised by the amount of wide receivers on this list that have played  in the 1960’s? Do you think that WR Hakeem Nicks can re-write the record books in 2010?

RD – NYGReporter.com


Tom Coughlin’s Head Coaching Job is in Jeopardy? Really?

May 14, 2010

The haters have already started their assault on New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin. After a brief two year hiatus (2007 and 2008) from the negative talk about Tom Coughlin being on the “hot seat”, it seems that following a disappointing 2009 campaign (injury plagued season), the boo birds have picked up where they left off. I’m amazed at all of the negative chatter across the world wide web on this subject. Not only that but I’m shocked at how quickly some fair weather Giants fans can throw their team leader under the bus. Where is the loyalty and respect from these people I wonder? If Coughlin wins the Super Bowl again this year and proves these haters wrong, they will simply apologize and wait for another poor season before crying again. This is a disgusting cycle that some have become eerily accustomed to. To all of you haters I say, let it go.

Tom Coughlin (Giants head coach since 2004) will go down in history as one of the best New York Giants coaches in history. In fact, he might find himself directly behind Bill Parcells at some point, sitting comfortably in the number two spot. Everyone would love nothing more then to win a Super Bowl every single year. Get over it, it can never happen.  The NFL is far too competitive and father time takes his toll on all of us. Some make the argument that Coughlin had his success in 2007 and 2008 simply because of defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo. I can see why they would think that since the G-Men had two outstanding seasons while he was a part of the team. Some might forget that the Giants went to the playoffs for two years straight before Coach Spags arrived. There is no question that Spags had a lot to do with the success but it was more then that. It was a team effort as it always must be in order to be successful.

I hope that all of the haters will remain silent and let the team do their job. I think the Giants will be back in the playoffs in 2010 and I believe they may have found a solid replacement for Coach Spags in Perry Fewell, after a dismal year under former DC Bill Sheridan. Let’s give these guys some time to show what they can do before throwing them under the bus.

Tom Coughin’s career record with the New York Giants.

2004 – 6-10 – 2nd place in NFC East

2005 – 11-5 – 1st place in NFC East – Playoffs

2006 – 8-8 – 3rd place in NFC East – Playoffs

2007 – 10-6 – 2nd place in NFC East – Playoffs – Super Bowl Champs

2008 – 12-4 – 1st place in NFC East – Playoffs

2009 – 8-8 – 3rd place in NFC East

What do you think about the negative talk about Tom Coughlin’s job being in jeapordy? Do you agree with all of the hype or do you think the man deserves a break for everything he has accomplished with the team?

RD – NYGReporter.com


New York Giants Legend George Martin Becomes CEO

May 7, 2010

George Martin is one of my favorite all-time New York Giants. He was a terrific athlete on the field and when his football career ended, he continued to be a leader in the community. George Martin has done extensive charity work in the tri-state area and has recently been named CEO of the NFL Alumni Inc. Martin will be in charge of looking out for all former NFL players and making sure that they are being taken care of. I can’t think of a better man for the job. George Martin is also the former president of the NFL Players Association. The 57-year old former defensive end has not slowed down one bit. He has been one of the most dedicated leaders in getting the 9/11 first responders to the front of Americans minds. Martin walked across the entire United States (New York to San Diego) raising millions of dollars for medical care, for the brave men and women who risked their lives to save others during the 9/11 tragedy. I have tremendous respect for Mr. Martin and the NYG Reporter gives him our full support.

There seems to be a renaissance of awesome 1980’s Giants players in the news this past week. Leonard Marshall was also in the papers for taking a job as the head coach of Hudson Catholic high school in Jersey City. Marshall was a part of the Big Blue Wrecking Crew of the 1980’s, just like Martin. Mr. Marshall is going to improve that team and instill some valuable football knowledge in those kids. We wish him the best of luck in his new venture.

They say that things usually happen in 3’s. The third installment of the 80’s flashback occurring recently is not a good tale at all. All world defensive star Lawrence Taylor was arrested yesterday for allegedly raping a minor in a New York hotel room. I want to be clear that this is an ongoing case and nothing has been confirmed and he has not been convicted yet. It is an ongoing investigation and will take months to gain some closure. Taylor was released on $75,000 bail today and is due back in court on June 10, 2010. Taylor is no stranger to having issues with the law. I think I can speak for most Giants fans when I say that he is making it very difficult to stick up for him, due to all of the problems surrounding his life. If the allegations are true, then it will be a very sad day for myself and many Giants fans because we can no longer praise a man who has raped a women. I truly hope that Taylor will be proved innocent and allow the fans to continue to enjoy his memory, as the greatest defensive player in the history of the NFL.

If there are any kids reading this story, I would encourage you to look at role models such as George Martin and Leonard Marshall, athletes who give back to the community and keep God very close to their hearts. There comes a time when you have to look at man’s life in it’s totality and not just what they do on the field, ice, ring or court. Their career’s will certainly end one day but the men and women will continue their lives in the world. Hopefully, the kids will realize that you will always be held accountable for your actions, no matter how talented you are or how high your star rises.

RD – NYGReporter.com


Former Giants Star Leonard Marshall to Coach Kids

May 3, 2010

For some football players, even retirement can’t get the game out of their blood. Such is the case with former New York Giants legend, Leonard Marshall. Reports have confirmed that Marshall has accepted the head coaching position at a New Jersey high school. Mr. Marshall, who has no previous coaching experience, will take over as head coach for Hudson Catholic high school in Jersey City. Can you imagine coming home from school as a 16-year old kid and telling your Dad that Leonard Marshall will be your football coach? I would love to see the expression on some of these parents faces when they find out.

Hudson Catholic has had their football program go downhill in recent years. The addition of Marshall should make a significant difference in getting kids interested in playing and boost ticket sales to the games. It’s nice to see this humble man with nothing left to prove give back to the kids and bless them with his valuable football knowledge.

I can’t think of a better time to take the opportunity to reminisce on Mr. Marshall and what he means to the history of the New York Giants. Leonard Marshall was an outstanding defensive end for the G-men who won two Super Bowl rings in 1986 and 1990. He also went to the Pro Bowl on three occasions when he was a part of the famous Big Blue Wrecking Crew. Marshall spent ten years with Big Blue after they drafted him in the second round of the 1983 NFL Draft. When he retired at the age of 33, he was playing for the Washington Redskins. In 1996, he signed a contract with the Giants so that he could officially retire a New York Giant. He will forever be a true blue New York Giant. He has also done extensive charity work since leaving the game.

Do you remember the days when Marshall would harass opposing QB’s? If you are too young to remember that and your a Giants fan, I strongly suggest doing a search for some video of this man, he was one of the greats in Giants history. Good Luck at Hudson Catholic Mr. Marshall!

RD – NYGReporter.com

The NYG Reporter supports the American Red Cross!