Reports have just come out from the New York Post saying that safety Kenny Phillips will not be able to participate in full at the Giants first training camp practice on Sunday. I’m not sure how fans should take this news.
On one hand it could be no big deal and Phillips’ could return to practice in full on Monday. On the other hand, he may not be fully recovered from his injury. A micro-fracture that some have said will never be fully repaired, others say that his knee condition will digress. Others disagree with those opinions and think Phillips’ will be 100% at some point during the 2010 NFL season.
I am going to be cautious with my thoughts on this. I do not want to cross the line and make a rush judgement. Obviously, we hope that Kenny is able to play in 2010 but all of this recent news is making my stomach turn. The thought of having both Phillips and Rolle patrolling the backfield would be a dream come true. Get the highlight reels ready boys, you are going to be very busy in 2010, is what I would say. But the truth is that Kenny Phillips’ status is still uncertain and rookie safety Chad Jones is out for the year. The backfield will have some question marks during training camp. CB Aaron Ross will have to prove he can play this year too. He was also battling injuries for most of the 2009 season.
Do you think that Kenny Phillips will return this season?
Can you feel the electricity in the air Giants fans? The 2010 New York Giants training camp begins this Sunday!
It is now only four days away or roughly 95 hours away, whichever you prefer to use as a measurement of time. The point is that it is close and the players have begun preparing their minds to play football. Like Rocky Balboa, looking into the mirror in Rocky III, the players are searching their souls and asking if they have done all that they can do to be ready. If not, they can always put in the extra work at camp to get ready.
This is not a test, I repeat this is not a test. LIVE DRILLS will be held and players will be putting the pads back on in a matter of days. After, a light run through without pads the first couple of days (helmets only), the guys will be eager to hit something. Sort of like holding a pit bull back with a chain, waiting to be released. I normally do not write about the team in this manner but they have convinced me that they are not playing around this year. They are dead serious about making it back to the playoffs in 2010 and the journey begins this Sunday at training camp.
The Giants were embarrassed by what happened last season and when Mr. Mara became vocal, the message was clear. Changes were about to be made and people would lose their jobs. Not because Mr. Mara is a mean guy but because it was so painfully obvious where the problems existed and nothing could be done about it. It was best to severe ties with those individuals and move in another direction. The defense and special teams are the two areas with the most questions. There are some starting jobs still available and those jobs will be won through competition at camp. Writers are so focused on those two areas, that it might be easy to forget that the Giants have a very good offense.
QB Eli Manning didn’t get many new weapons this year and I doubt if he would even need another WR for 2010. In the 2011 NFL draft, sure I can see them grabbing another WR with in the first four rounds but not this year. Eli Manning had a career year in 2009 despite the poor overall outcome of the season. He will be even better this year. They are still trying to figure out the TE scenario. They have some quality TE’s in Kevin Boss and Travis Beckum and need to work them into the offense a bit more. This could be the area where Easy Eli creates the largest spike in production. The running backs will have their own mini battle for the third string slot. That would be RB’s Andre Brown and DJ Ware competing for that role, Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad Bradshaw have the number one and two spots locked down for now. RB Gartrell Johnson will also be in the mix but I expect Andre Brown to outperform them both for the third string spot. Johnson did show flashes of his ability in 2009 but will have a tough fight on is hands this season.
Be sure to check out our previous article on the 2010 New York Giants training camp for specific camp info. A must read if you are planning on attending one of the practices in Albany.
The New York Giants had a couple of players hit the newswire today. Rookie safety Chad Jones has finally left the hospital after weeks of painful surgeries and rehabilitation. Jones will not be able to play during the 2010 NFL Season and was placed on the IR list.
Jones’ situation (not you Jersey Shore Mike) reminds me of RB Andre Brown and what he had to endure his rookie season. Brown is healthy this year and eager to do his thing on the field. Do not sleep on Andre in 2010, he can still prove to be the steal of the 2009 NFL Draft, like some experts have predicted. Jones will also miss his entire rookie year and have to concentrate on a long rehab process. Get well soon Chad.
Going to the defensive side of the ball now, DE Osi Umenyiora was told by doctors that they recommend hip surgery. Osi took the recommendation and discussed things with the team but has decided to wait for the surgery. The doctor (Marc Philippon) is well known in the sports world and recently did A-Rod’s hip surgery, among other stars. This could explain why the front office drafted DE Jason Pierre-Paul in round one of the 2010 draft. That is a move that had some fans scratching their heads. Once again, there are things going on that we might not be aware of, so it’s best to trust the opinions of those who have the entire story. Have faith in the coaches and staff. I’m sure that all of the Giants fans are behind you Osi and want you to get healthy.
The Giants still have to concern themselves with the status of star safety Kenny Phillips. Kenny was quoted as saying he felt great and ready to hit the field during training camp. Big Blue will have an extremely dangerous tandem with Phillips and Rolle, proceed with caution NFL receivers.
– In other NFL news, WR Terrell Owens has signed a one year deal with the Cincinnati Bengals.
It didn’t take long for the New York Giants to get back into the free agent game. The Giants have signed a significant veteran over the weekend in LB Keith Bulluck. Bullock (6’3″ – 235 pounds) grew up in New City, New York and told his agent Gary Wichard, “I’m straight New York, let’s do the deal” according to NFL.com. The G-Men signed the 33 year old LB Keith Bulluck to a one year deal worth $2.5 million dollars.
Linebackers Michael Boley and Clint Sintim are set to take over the outside positions but the Giants have yet to hint towards a starter at the middle linebacker position. Since Antonio Pierce has officially retired, the Giants decided to do the smart thing by dipping into free agency one more time for a veteran linebacker to contribute to the training camp competition for a starting role. Even though LB Jonathan Goff and rookie LB Philip Dillard had been competing for the starting spot, Jerry Reese would not be caught with his pants down at an important position. I like this signing by the team and saw this happening a long time ago.
The Giants continue to improve on defense after giving up 427 points during the 2009 season. That is in the past and this is not the same team or coaching staff assembled for 2010. Giants fans can rest assured that this will be a far more aggressive team and that they have learned from an embarrassing 2009 NFL season. I know there are a lot of reporters who will not let the team forget about that fact but I say to them, let it go. Bulluck has spent his entire ten year career with the Tennessee Titans. Welcome to New York Keith.
Do you think that LB Keith Bulluck can contribute immediately as a middle linebacker for the New York Giants?
I can hear you thinking out there. The number 23? Do you mean the Jim Carrey movie where he plays a crazy person obsessed with the number 23? The answer is no. The significance of the number 23 here (about three weeks) is the amount of days until the first New York Giants preseason game. Which in a weird way, still contributes to the fictional star’s theory of the number 23. Jim Carrey was right about the movie because we are in fact, 23 days away. Hmmmm (scratches head) very interesting indeed.
I cannot believe we are this close to the start of a new season. It has been a long stretch for Giants fans who have become accustomed to seeing Big Blue in the playoffs. The players and coaches seem ready to get back to work after an extended off season. That is a good start and changing some of the bad habits in the locker room will help. I believe this will happen not only by the reality of a poor 2009 season still lingering but a genuine desire to return to the playoffs and make another Super Bowl run. The Giants are a very talented team and have only improved during the off season. I believe the Giants will return to the playoffs in 2010.
If we are now only 23 days away from the first preseason game, which is against the Jets in a Monday Night Football matchup, then how close are we to training camp? The Giants will begin training camp a week from Monday on August 1. July, was almost as slow as June was for news about the G-Men. Fans can expect things to happen more rapidly now that we are so close to training camp. I know that some will say preseason games don’t mean anything but I do not agree with those opinions. I enjoy watching the rookies and third stringers play the game. There is no greater measurement of a player, then to see them perform on the field and preseason games might be the only opportunity for them to do that all year.
I am particularly curious to see how backup QB’s Jim Sorgi and Rhett Bomar perform this preseason. The departure of David Carr has truly left a question mark at an important position. Hopefully, fans will never see the backup QB’s play during the regular season as QB Eli manning keeps his Iron Man streak going in 2010.
Who do you think will win the preseason Monday Night Football game between the Giants and Jets?
I’m sure the comparison has been done before but guess what? We are going to do it again. I want to take a look at the New York Giants leading WR Steve Smith and compare him with the Carolina Panthers WR Steve Smith. In case you haven’t noticed they share the same name and some might say the same game. Why do I hear a collective groan emerging from my computer, yes I know it is not the most interesting news to those outside of the Giants or Panthers community but some find it interesting.
The two star WR pro bowlers, league leaders, game breakers will meet in New Meadowlands stadium on September 12, 2010 (1:00 PM EST) to do battle. This is going to be a game that Giants fans will be calling for some blood. Without question, the Carolina Panthers have become hated by Giants fans. Almost as much as the teams in their own division. The Panthers seemed to have the Giants number every time they’ve met over the past five or six years. They beat the G-men particularly bad during the end of the 2009 season at the last home game at the old Giants stadium. That one hurt. That one still hurts. The Panthers also crushed the Giants in the 2006 playoffs adding another notch on the rivalry stick. The Giants fans would love nothing more, then to see the Panthers get thoroughly beat, during the New York Giants first home game/opener in the new stadium.
“There will be blood” will not be just a Daniel Day Lewis film come September 12th. The Giants fans will be fit to be tied and the Big Blue player pride will be riding high. I expect the G-men to crush the Panthers by twenty points. The players need to win this one to get that chip off their shoulders. I believe they will christen the new stadium the right way with a victory over John Fox and his boys.
Let’s take a look at the player statistic comparison for the two Steve Smiths.
1. WR Steve Smith – New York Giants – 25 years old – 5’11” 195 pounds – 2009 stats: 107 receptions 1220 yards 7 TD’s – 4 years NFL experience – 2009 Pro Bowl player
2. WR Steve Smith – Carolina Panthers – 31 years old – 5’9″ 185 pounds – 2009 stats: 65 receptions 982 yards 7 TD’s – 10 years NFL experience
Things have been extremely quiet in the football world lately, not including the usual Brett Favre chatter of course. I took a little mini-break during this quiet time and figured I’d enjoy the peace while it lasts. We haven’t heard any New York Giants news in a week but I anticipate this week to heat up by Friday. The Giants first round pick, DE Jason Pierre-Paul, still hasn’t signed with the team and that is something that can happen at any moment. Their second round pick, Linval Joseph has yet to sign also. The team is now only 10 days away from the beginning of training camp in Albany, New York.
Kenny, Kenny, Kenny. What is going on with Giants star safety Kenny Phillips? This is a question that has been lingering, like a thorn in my mind. I cannot overemphasize how important having Kenny Phillips on the field would be for Big Blue. He is a game changer and a very good athlete. If the front office has been coy about his status and he returns full boar, then the Giants have quietly put together the best safety tandem in the NFL.
Time heals all wounds they say, so I’m anxious to see how pro bowl DE Osi Umenyiora performs in 2010. The front office has clearly made a statement by drafting rookie DE Jason Pierre-Paul. I’m not sure why Giants writers feel the need to include this fact when Osi’s name is brought up. I think I understand why. Osi if you’re reading this, tell me if it makes sense to you. Giants fans still have Osi ranked the number one DE in their minds. Not everyone feels this way but a good portion of them do. The writers and fans haven’t given DE Justin Tuck the reigns completely yet and still know what you’re capable of. Osi is young and has had ample time to recover from his injury a couple of years ago.
I’m extremely curious to learn what defense new DC Perry Fewell intends to use. I found it promising that he was experimenting during minicamp this year. Some have mentioned a tampa 2 defense and others have said he will switch to a 3-4 defense. I’m not sure about those drastic changes but I would anticipate those scenarios to all be a part of the arsenal Fewell intends to employ. This guy looks like he mixes it up and keeps opposing offenses guessing. I do however expect him to be more aggressive then former DC Sheridan was. You cannot blame a guy for attacking when his back is against the wall and I think if Sheridan had done that a few times, he might still have his job. Probably not but you never know.
What I’m about to tell you is extremely disturbing, parental discretion is advised. Former Giants safety CC “Can’t Cover” Brown has come out in the news and said that the New York media controls the New York Giants. Really CC? Why would you want to go there? We understand your fighting to put food on the table in Detroit but let’s be honest, you had a poor year in 2009. In fact, the entire team has a poor year and yes, you were a part of that team. The New York Giants are one of the classiest organizations in all of sports with a deep history and tradition. You owe the team, front office, owners and the coaches an apology. I could have taken a very mean angle on this topic but I want to give CC the benefit of the doubt, because a lot of what happened last season was not his fault.
That’s all for now, let us know what you think in the comment area below. Be sure to check out the NYG Reporter “LIVE FROM NYG TRAINING CAMP” special in the near future.
The New York Giants continued to work on their roster today by making a couple of moves. The Giants cut WR Domenik Hixon and have signed WR Adam Jennings. Domenik Hixon would have missed the entire 2010 NFL season with a torn ACL injury he suffered during this years minicamp. Hixon was used primarily for special teams and served as a backup WR with the team. He ranked among the best in the NFL in 2009 for punt returns. Getting cut is not exactly a motivator to endure the painful rehab process but I’m sure he will be ok. I doubt that this is the last we will see of Domenik Hixon.
The entire Giants nation wishes Hixon a speedy recovery and best wishes in all of his future ventures. Hixon spent four years with the New York Giants and has a Super Bowl ring as a nice parting gift from Big Blue.
There isn’t much news on new WR Adam Jennings (5’9″ 176 pounds), except to say that he was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2006 and has not seen much NFL action. He played college ball at Fresno State and was drafted in the sixth round. He was particularly good as a kick returner and signed with the Detroit Lions in 2008. With the loss of Chad Jones, Domenik Hixon and Chris Davis it’s nice to see the team getting some muscle added to the special teams. Welcome to New York Adam.
Training camp begins in two weeks and you can be sure that the special teams will be under the proverbial microscope the entire time.
What do you think about the G-Men cutting WR Domenik Hixon? Do you know anything about new WR Adam Jennings?
This warm July night brings baseball fans the Major League Baseball all-star game. In fact, that game will be played tonight in Anaheim, California with a handful of Yankee players on the roster, including SS Derek Jeter. It seems fitting that Yankees owner George Steinbrenner would pass away on a date, that had historical meaning to the game of baseball. The Boss passed away this morning from a heart attack, he was 80 years old and had lived one of the fullest lives of any man on earth. Can you imagine waking up every morning and saying “I own the New York Yankees”. Can you imagine doing that since the seventies?
If you had to sum up George Steinbrenner in one word, it would have to be “Winner” because it was all he ever talked about. The Boss loved Championship rings and trophies more then anything else, other then his family of course and some might even question that.
I can’t stand to hear the haters saying, “The Yankees buy their championships” to which I always reply, “Excuse me but you do know that every single team owner is a billionaire right? You do understand that an owner who has made their money through selling toothbrushes or making condiments has a primary job? Every MLB team could do what the Yankees do financially but they don’t because they choose not to. The Yankees are in the business of the Yankees and not in the business of real estate conglomerates or dot com companies. The profits that the Yankees make go back into the Yankee system. The money other teams make could possibly go towards their primary non-baseball business. Steinbrenner was passionate about baseball and that’s a big difference, so get it right. He was also stubborn. Which is why he eventually told Cablevision to go to hell and created his own TV channel called “The YES Network” when he didn’t approve of how the Yankees were being handled. Let’s be honest, Steinbrenner got things done and who can hate a guy for doing his job well? The competition.
There will no doubt be a tribute to “The Boss” tonight at the all-star game and could there ultimately be a tribute song to “The Boss” by “The Boss”? Creative minds keep working through grief and sadness.
A spike was driven into the earth in 1925, creating a wide hole in order to place a pillar. The Mara family planted that pillar when they purchased the New York Giants for $500 dollars. Talk about pure “big blue” blood. For 85 years, the Mara family has been a light to the Tri-State area and the Giants have a reputation as one of the classiest organizations in sports. There are too many charities to list here and too many acts of kindness to mention. Some things go beyond sports and Wellington Mara was a larger then life man. “The Duke” passed away five years ago in October 2005, he was 89 years old God bless him and his legacy continues and has remained strong. The world needs more old school men like Mr. Mara is this era of being PC. With each passing year we can pick out one or two game changers or stand outs. In the football world, the Mara family is held in extremely high regard. Wellington “The Duke” Mara was born in New York and went to school in New York all the way through college. He was also enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997.
There is something to be said for family and fans will still be able to hold on to the familiar names of those who own the teams they cheer for. Both the Mara family and Steinbrenner family have blood running things. You have Hank and Hal in the Bronx and you have John and Tim in East Rutherford. Those are the more public names that people know of but trust me there are many more and why shouldn’t there be? Any one of us would be doing the same thing for family and friends if we were in that position. Nepotism sucks only for those outside of the circle right? The words nepotism and loyalty can become confused when applied to the same subject, such as who should be running these teams. Personally, I give both the Mara boys and Steinbrenner boys my full support. They own and operate the teams I have loved all of my life. Disagreements will happen but fans need to stand behind these men and give them a chance to show what they can do.
The passing of legendary announcer Bob Sheppard yesterday, who was the stadium announcer for both the Giants and Yankees for over 50 years, seems to add insult to injury. He takes with him the “voice of God” moniker that was bestowed upon him and a generations worth of loyalty and love from the fans. Even I cannot deny the chills I felt standing in a silent stadium, filled with tens of thousands of people listening to Sheppard speak. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family.
The reader must understand that none of the men mentioned in this article can ever be replaced within the New York community. They have become that which all else is compared to and will forever hold a special meaning in the lives of fans around the globe. They are the benchmark, to which everyone must refer, in order to learn how to do things the right way.
While I wrote a previous article today on current events surrounding Big Blue, I began to think about two players that recently retired today. Both are former Giants players, MLB Antonio Pierce and P Jeff Feagles. There has been some mention by Giants fans of the team asking Jeff feagles to coach the punters. I cannot think of a better punting coach in the entire NFL, except maybe the coach that worked with Feagles himself.
Wouldn’t it be nice if Feagles were to take a year off, then come back as a Giants coach next season. It would probably sound something like this, assistant special teams coach. Feagles has played in 352 NFL games during his hall of fame career and punted the ball over 72,000 yards. He retired after 20 years in the NFL following the 2009 season. He spent seven of those years with the New York Giants.
No offense to current linebackers coach Jim Herrmann but Antonio Pierce would make a good coach someday himself. I’ve even heard some scuttlebutt about Pierce making a fine defensive coordinator one day. How much of this is true is up for debate but the man certainly knew the game of football. There isn’t a hater out there that can deny AP that respect. I’m not sure if he is ready to be a DC just yet, let the man get his feet wet first. I can absolutely see him as the Giants linebackers coach right away though, helping this young group of LB’s take their game to the next level. AP is a natural leader and I hope his TV career is short lived so he can return to New York as a coach next season.
Who knows if any of this will ever happen but it was worth checking out the possibility. I doubt if Pierce would give up good money on TV, to making less as a coach but you never know what can happen. I do believe that coaching will be in AP’s future no matter how the next couple of years turn out to be.
How would you feel about getting Antonio Pierce and Jeff Feagles back with the New York Giants as coaches? If you could chose only one coach between the two, who would you pick?
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THE 2011 NFL LOCKOUT IS OVER AS OF 7/25/11. The lockout lasted (136 days). **A judge ordered the end of the NFL lockout for 4 days on 4/25/11 but I do not subtract those 4 days from the total.
Hello Giants Fans,
Posted by robdomaine 
nygreporter.com 