Giants didn’t pull off a bad deal for the sponsorship to their field house and overall training facility. It’s a 15-year deal worth almost $45 million, and Timex will work with the Giants’ training staff in monitoring and timing the players through equipment and various methods.

The deal took less than four months to do and represented a thaw of sorts in the financial freeze that has kept the Giants and Jets from selling the naming rights to the new stadium.

“I wouldn’t say we’re close, but we’ve had several discussions with other companies,” Giants co-owner John Mara said. “At least we’re seeing interest out there again.”

Mara said the Giants and Jets may have to wait until after the new stadium opens—an NCAA lacrosse game is scheduled there in April of 2010, and concerts will be held throughout the spring and summer—before they lock down a naming rights deal. The object is to get their desired price, even if they have to wait a while longer.

The recession hasn’t reduced Mara’s expectations of a naming price, even though potential sponsors have been hard to come by.

“We still think this building has a certain value,” he said. “Whether we get that number now or later, we’ll be willing to wait.”

Meanwhile, the Timex sponsorship will include such things as naming each timeout as a Timex Timeout, and fans will have a Countdown to Kickoff clock for their tailgating convenience outside the stadium. What fans won’t see are some of the innovations the clock company will bring into the training room, such as a player body monitor that will allow the training staff to input workout data from afar to make sure the player is doing his rehab work properly when he’s away from the New Jersey area. They’ll also have other monitors to measure heart rate and hydration while the player is working out, the better to avoid cramps.

In return, the team’s practice jerseys at training camp will bear the Timex logo thanks to a league-wide rule change that now allows teams to wear names of more than the equipment sponsor’s name.

EP

Never fails. Sinorice Moss works hard, has a great spring, and then—PING!!!!

Moss didn’t make it to practice this morning and won’t practice again this minicamp because of a hamstring strain he suffered on the last segment of yesterday’s final practice. He instead joined 10 other players in the rehab circle.

Now, it’s a question of severity. He’ll have until Aug. 2 to heal. But if the hamstring persists, as they tend to do, his training camp availability will come into question.

“He’s not gonna make it back for this camp,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “It’s too bad. He was getting a lot of reps and doing a good job.”

EP

Back at minicamp for Day 2. We’ll have more stuff for you, and they’re going to announce the naming rights people for the field house. Just to let you in on it, it’s going to be called the Timex Performance Center. Guess now we’ll really see if the Giants can take a licking and keep on ticking.

Practice starts at 9:20. Be back after that with a report on whether Sinorice Moss works after yanking his hamstring on the last drill of yesterday’s afternoon practice.

EP

The sun dried off the outdoor practice field enough so the Giants could use it for the afternoon practice. If the morning belonged to Sinorice Moss, this session was Derek Hagan’s.

Who’s he? Hagan’s a fourth-year pro, a free agent pickup this year. He did a nice job, first getting open to let a scrambling David Carr find him in the medium zone, and later reaching behind him to grab an errant pass from rookie Rhett Bomar. He also appeared in the two-minute drill, getting the team inside the 5 before Carr clocked it to set up a field goal.

Second-year quarterback Andre Woodson found mixed results, fumbling a snap from Adam Koets, but also making a great throw to Hakeem Nicks over Kevin Dockery. Just before that, though. Dockery had made a leaping breakup of Woodson’s toss to Sinorice Moss.

Moss gave the coaches a scare at the end of practice when he went down awkwardly on a knee and got up slowly. But he walked off the field with no problem. We’ll have to see if he works tomorrow.

Lawrence Tynes was 3-for-4 on field goals, missing wide right from 28 yards.

Bomar showed good mobility and field sense when he pulled the ball down and ran when he found everyone covered.

Ahmad Bradshaw, Dockery, and Moss worked the kickoff drill.

Bradshaw had a nice run on a first-team counter up the middle.

EP

Since we’re talking a lot about Sinorice Moss, anyway, here’s a few tidbits from him.

He’s looking great—for now—running loads of deep routes. That’s only logical since he’s one of the fastest guys on the team. But his inability to be consistent has held him back since an injury-filled rookie season.

He believes he can overcome that this year to become a functional and vital part of a young, fast receiving corps.

“I see every year as an opportunity to go out there and make plays,” Moss said. “This year, without Plaxico and Amani there, it’s wide open for anybody to step up and really make some plays and contribute to this team. I feel like that is why we’re here on this team, to contribute. This is our time to step up and win some games.”

Moss has been running many, many more deep routes than in the past. He’s going with the second team primarily, as Domenik Hixon and Steve Smith run first team.

“I feel like I’m doing pretty well right now,” Moss said. “Every day I step out on the field I feel I’m progressing. I work on different things and try to become better for myself, not only for the coaches but for myself so I go home and have a good chance at laying my head down and go to sleep.

“It has been a big boost to my  confidence, but I feel like I’ve approached this spring like I have approached every spring—just trying to come out here and progress every week and every day and do what I have to do to show these coaches that I’m on this team for a reason.”

But whether or not this is a make-or-break year for him remains to be seen. He doesn’t see it as that, though many fans and undoubtedly some of the coaches do. They, after all, have been waiting three years to fulfill the promises his raw speed offered when the Giants drafted him in the second round of ‘06.

“I don’t look  at it like that,” Moss said. “It’s another year to go out here and show myself, show my teammates, and show the world what I can do. I have a lot of naysayers—people say I can’t do this I can’t do that. I’ve been hearing that stuff all my life.

“I can’t worry about what those guys say, but it does bother you when people tellme what you can’t do. So that’s why I step out on this field every day and have the attitude of going out there and just making plays and helping this team, so my coaches can know hey, when it’s time to play, give this guy the ball.”

EP

Out of mind, for the most part.

That’s how many of the Giants regarded Plaxico Burress’ legal issues. He’s not part of the team anymore, so they’re his problems. The Giants have enough of a handful getting their minds right for another playoff run, one they hope will end far beyond the conference semifinal.

“That train pulled out of the station,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “I’m not thinking about that stuff. I’m thinking about this group of guys that’s here right now.”

Shaun O’Hara said he’s sent his best wishes to his gun-toting friend, whose hearing on illegal weapons possession charges has been pushed back to Sept. 23.

“We’re focusing on this team,” O’Hara said. “He has no relevance to us now. We’re focusing on what can we do to help us win. I’m sure we’ll learn all about it—from (the media)—and that’s it.”

EP

Dodge ball, anybody?

Apparently, the quarterbacks said, “Count us in.” That’s what was happening on the sideline during the morning practice when Eli Manning, David Carr, Andre Woodson and Rhett Bomar took turns manning big, green exercise balls for a slide-in-the-pocket drill. The idea was that three of them would line up on one side, while one with football in hand stood on the other.

At the signal, one random person from the three with the green balls threw it and played “Hit the quarterback.” The quarterback’s job was to slide out of the way, much as one would slide in the pocket to elude a defender.”

Manning was first up, and he got hit on the legs a couple of times before he got the hang of it. Woodson and Bomar did okay. But the most impressive was the mobile Carr. At one point, all three attackers threw their balls and Carr bent this way and that, while sliding, so that all the balls missed.

Ultimately, though, nobody got it right. Maybe they all grew up in grammar schools that don’t play dodge ball because teachers think it’s violent. But had they attended my grade school, they’d all have know that if you just dropped the football and caught the ball on the fly, the attacker would have been out.

Duh!

EP

Just got back from the locker room. Giants had a good morning practice, with plays made on both sides of the ball. While reading these, don’t be surprised to see a lot of the name Sinorice Moss, as he continues to have an outstanding spring. He’s caught just about everything thrown his way, and if you add the lengths of each of his routes together, they would stretch across the world three times over.

In other words, the Giants are running him deep after using him his first three years as a possession-type receiver.

Moss got the media crowd buzzing early with an over-the-shoulder catch from David Carr, leaving Terrell Thomas in his wake. That was the second time in two open-media sessions that he’s made a catch like that. The best part about this one was his in-flight adjustment as he looked over one shoulder, then the other.

Moss made another catch later on on a slightly shorter route.

This is the perfect spot for a customer warning. For all these brilliant images of Moss and others to come, let’s remember that this is minicamp. No pads, no contact. Nothing has gone snap, crackle, or pop yet. And 31 other teams are looking exactly like a Super Bowl contender now. So, until some real, intense practices begin, don’t get too excited over this crew of young receivers. Not yet.

But the fact that they’re flying people like Moss and Manningham deep, along with Hixon, is encouraging. If they can stay healthy and continue to catch the ball, we may be seeing a more open Giants offense this year.

Manningham made a great play on a sideline route, turning away from free agent cornerback C.C. Brown to catch Carr’s pass.

Kevin Dockery did a good job knocking down Eli Manning’s pass to Domenik Dixon, and safety Michael Johnson forced a fumble on a completion to first-year player Micah Rucker.

Carr later dropped a nice pass in to first-round rookie Hakeem Nicks as Rashad Barksdale defended closely. And Nicks mad a nice catch on an Andre Woodson pass as he leaped behind drafted cornerback DeAndre Wright.

Third-string running back Danny Ware had a nice run around left guard for a touchdown during Red Zone drills, and tight end Kevin Boss caught a deflected pass earlier that same session for a score.

Absent from drills were David Tyree, who strained a hamstring during Friday’s OTA and aggravated it after the first individual session today, second-round tackle Will Beatty, out with a hamstring, and DT Rocky Bernard, who was battling a shoulder injury. DTs Fred Robbins and Barry Cofield continued to rehab from knee surgery.

CB Corey Webster was also out, nursing a shoulder injury.

EP

And here we are for the first day of minicamp. We’re all set, and it’s a pretty nice day. They’ll go into the field house for the morning session and then, after the sun dries off the field for a few hours, they’ll go outside for afternoon practice.

I’ll be back after practice with some notes and stories, so stick around.

EP

The three-day minicamp starts tomorrow. But Eli Manning took time out to chat with the press as he participated in the Guiding Eyes for the Blind golf tournament today in Westchester. He was pretty straight-forward in his answers.

Here’s a sampling of them, courtesy of my own set of eyes and ears on the golf course, Harold Gutmann.

Asked about the potential he sees in the young wide receivers, he said: “We have a lot of speed, and that’s good. They’re getting down the field, we’re hitting some more deep balls, so that will be good for our passing attack, and with our running we’ll be able to play-action and get the ball down the field, so I look forward to the season and just getting more work with a few guys.

“Hakeem (Nicks) is doing well. He catches everything, that’s the first thing I’ve noticed. He has big hands, you get the ball near him, he’s going to make the catch. He’s learning everything, he’s asking questions, which I like, and there’s always going to be a learning curve for that rookie coming in. It’s always a struggle to get everything down, but he’s doing a good job and he’s asking the right questions and he’s working hard, and that’s what you like to see from rookies.”

Manning said he has spoken to former teammate Plaxico Burress, who had his illegal weapons charges adjourned for a second time today, this time until Sept. 23. He’s still holding out hope he can play this year, even though commissioner Roger Goodell can step in and suspend him without a convictions or a guilty plea.

“I hope for the best for Plaxico,” Manning said. “He was a great teammate for me, helped us win a championship, so I’ll never forget that and I hope he gets everything back in order in his life and he can move on.

“Talked to him month or two ago, just saying I’m thinking about him and hoping for the best.”

Apparently, so is agent Drew Rosenhaus. He wrote on Twitter that he expects “to have a new deal in place for Plex before training camp starts.” Also, that a new team called with interest. It’s already been suggested the Bears, Jets, and Bucs are interested. Could be just Rosenhaus trying to drum up business for a steady client, especially considering some of his other guys have flown the coup on him.

At any rate, minicamp tomorrow. I’ll be there, and I’ll have some stories and tidbits to share. See ya then.

EP