Morning Notes
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- August
- 22
Just a jog-through, with some light scout team work, so no plays to speak of.
But there were some issues that were discussed, tops among them the status of Michael Strahan. Nobody really knows when, or if, he’s coming in. But his final “decision” should be made in the next couple of days. Assuming he does come back—does anybody really believe this is about retirement?—then Tom Coughlin would prefer he arrive sooner than later. Figure any later than next Monday, when the Giants resume work for the preseason finale next Thursday against New England, and Strahan would put himself in danger of missing Game 1 in Dallas.
Coughlin would like to see him take some snaps against the Patriots. But if he doesn’t, he’ll have to make a judgment call on the first game.
“He certainly has to spend time in camp if he’s going to come back,” Coughlin said. “If and when he comes in, we’ll deal with that. To sit here at this point in time and speculate on what he needs now doesn’t make sense for me.
“The longer he goes, when he comes into camp the decision will have to be made on what it’s going to take to get him ready to play.”
Coughlin said he and GM Jerry Reese haven’t talked about any deadline for Strahan. That’s understandable, since few can argue that the defense isn’t a stronger unit with Strahan holding down the left side.
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Eli Manning attempted to put an end to the back-and-forth he started yesterday with Tiki Barber over Barber’s criticisms of his leadership.
“Nothing’s really changed,” Manning said today. “No one’s had a falling out or questioned anything. What I said, it’s a dead issue for me now. It’s over. I don’t want to make it into a bigger deal, so I’ll end it here.”
He did clarify his statement about hearing that his running back had lost his heart for the game early last year. Barber, in his satellite radio show “The Barber Shop,” blasted Manning for the reference, saying he hadn’t played without heart.
“I was just saying what I read in some articles,” Manning said. “That his heart wasn’t in it.”
Stay tuned tomorrow for another installment in “As the Tiki Turns.”
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Coughlin said Jeremy Shockey’s tight hamstring is still sore. But he’s hoping the tight end can get back for Saturday’s Jets game.
Workload isn’t the issue, though.
“He’s had plenty of work,” Coughlin said. “It’s a medical call. If he can go, he’ll go. If it’s a limited number of plays, it’s a limited number of plays. Now that Plaxico’s out there, you’d like to have everybody out there. But we’ll see.”
Coughlin also said he expects to get WR Sinorice Moss (ankle) back for tomorrow’s morning practice before the players head home from Albany.
Back at you after the evening practice.
Ciao for now.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, August 22nd, 2007 at 12:47 pm by Ernie Palladino.
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Ernie Palladino
The Tiki-Eli debacle must have the network scratching their head since Tiki has disspated his audience of loyal Giant fans. Certainly this fan thinks he has stooped as low as can be expected.
Who’d have thunk it? Tiki Barber has shown a side of himself that I would have never thought existed. His comments about his former coach and, now, his former QB appear petty, ill willed and severely lacking in the class department. This is not the person we came to revere as one of the greatest Giants of all time. It almost seems as though he is listening to his publicist, trying to create a buzz which in turn will elevate his career. It is worth noting that his “celebrity” status has waned sinced he retired. There is nobody singing his praise for on field heroics and there appears to be alot less,if any, in the way of commercial endorsements as well as TV commercials featuring Benedict, oops, I mean, Barber.
Let us all remember what kind of player Tiki was before Coughlin. His level of play was elevating from his early years but he was a fumble happy, smallish back who would never have earned the accolades to which he must have become accustomed to if TC hadn’t taught him how to secure the rock. How about a smidge of gratitude or maybe a hint of loyalty. It would appear that without Coughlin, Tiki would have never made the Pro Bowl and his current career wouldn’t have materialized. It is apparent to me that at this point Barber will stoop to any depth to promote his own career at the expense of anyone who has helped him develop into the star he became, including his former team mates, coaches and even his integrity as a human being. What a dissappointment, our former, favorite son has become. Shame on him.
Eli, should drop it. “Tiki Barber” should never leave his lips again. Psychologically that would set him up as a leader in the locker room and on the field. It would also eat Tiki up. He is media material now which means he lives and breathes drama. All aboard the Tiki Train…next stop co-hosting “The View!”
My disgust for Tiki just keeps on growing. He should never be allowed to step foot in the Meadowlands again. He shit on the organization and the fans and I hope John Mara has the sack to keep him out!!! What a disgrace….I dont care if Eli ends up being Dave Brown and Coughlin is gone next year, tiki has no respect for the GIANTS and is a greedy little retired never-was braodcaster..
A few of you (not all) disagreed last season when I said I was sure Tiki was a disruptive force in the locker room, despite his good play on the field.
He and he alone turned his retirement into a half-season distraction.
He also was the prime “anonymous source” whispering bad things about Coughlin and the team to the press last year.
True, as said above: Coughlin and his staff made Tiki’s career. He was a big fumbler before that. And then Tiki says “thanks” by knifing TC in the back. Says a lot about Tiki.
The good news is that because the Fox and CBS games always run long, NBC’s “Football Night” on Sundays sometimes is only about 20 minutes long. That cuts down Tiki’s hot air time.
Clarification: What I meant is that people stay with the late Fox or CBS games, and don’t tune into the NBC’s pre-game hour until it’s about 2/3 over.