May 2012 - New York Giants Wiretap
Strahan: Umenyiora Was Robbed By Giants
Michael Strahan believes Osi Umenyiora allowed the Giants to walk all over him when he signed a one-year, $6 million deal earlier this month.
"To be honest with you, it's flat-out robbery," Strahan told the New York Post.
"If it were me, I would have sat at home and I wouldn't have played. That's just me. I've threatened to do that in my time and I ended up getting what I wanted. Osi's a different mind-set than me. I'm probably a little more, 'I don't care what people think.'"
Thomas Sees Himself As Starter For Giants
Terrell Thomas plans to start at cornerback for the defending Super Bowl champion Giants this coming season.
"I've said I'm the starter, and they brought me back to be the starter, and that is the mindset I have," Thomas said. "I'm not going to go in saying, 'Oh, I want to compete for a job.' No, I'm the starter."
Thomas missed the entire 2011 season after he suffered an anterior cruciate ligament tear during the preseason.
"It was rough," he said.
"It was a big-time situation for me. I had contract talks on the horizon, I was picked to really break out that year, so it was tough. A lot of hard work went in throughout the lockout. It was a time to get ahead, but you take everything as a lesson, and that is what I did. I feel I'm a lot stronger as an individual, as a man."
Rivers Looking For Revival With Giants
After four injury-plagued seasons with the Bengals, Keith Rivers to hoping for a revival in New York.
"It's exciting being with a team that is contending every year," said the Giants linebacker. "It's been a great experience (and) they got some great guys in the locker room. It's been a great experience thus far."
Cincinnati drafted Rivers with the ninth overall pick in 2008.
Tuck: Eli's Ranking On Top 100 Is 'A Joke'
Giants quarterback Eli Manning was ranked No. 31 by The NFL Network in their annual "Top 100" survey.
"That's a joke," teammate Justin Tuck said of Manning's ranking. "No question. He is top five, hands down. Top five."
Tuck's reasoning for putting Manning in the so high?
"You win the Super Bowl, you have the season he had, you are automatically top 10," the All-Pro defensive end said.
"But it's how he did it, as far as the fourth-quarter comebacks, leading a team that really didn't have a super, super star wide receiver at the beginning of the year. He made two guys in Hakeem (Nicks) and Victor (Cruz), he made those guys what they are now. I really feel as though he should have been a lot higher than he was."
Report: Giants, Jets Sue Meadowlands Developer
The Giants and Jets are seeking an injuction that would prevent the Triple Five Group from rehabilitating the American Dream retail and entertainment venue at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, according to a report Friday on NorthJersey.com.
Panthers Have No Interest In Burress
Plaxico Burress said again Thursday that he would like to sign with the Panthers, but according to a published report the pairing is highly unlikely to happen.
An unnamed team official told the Charlotte Observer that the Panthers aren't interested in signing the former Jets, Giants and Steelers receiver.
Jacobs Bonds With 6-Year-Old Fan
Brandon Jacobs made good on a promise to repay a young fan who emptied out his piggy bank in an effort to keep the running back with the Giants.
According to The Sacramento Bee, Jacobs, a free-agent signee of the 49ers, took 6-year-old Joseph Armento and his 4-year-old brother to Jump On In bounce house in Boonton, N.J., on Wednesday as a gesture of gratitude for Armento's desire to keep the running back.
Giants Wearing GPS During Workouts
Before last season, the Giants started using heart-rate monitors to assess which drills pushed players to maximum exertion.
Now they're strapping GPS devices on everyone from Eli Manning to Osi Umenyiora, according to the New York Times.
Employing GPS technology allows the Giants to track distances run by players during workouts.
"I'm looking into the future," Ronnie Barnes, the team's vice president for medical services, said. "We've known we need to do this, and I feel like we've begun to pioneer a little bit with our players and within the league."
Eli Has Winning Advice For LeBron James
Eli Manning, while making appearances on "SportsCenter" and "Mike and Mike in the Morning" gave some free advice to LeBron James about winning a championship.
"You can see that with LeBron and what's going on in the NBA Finals, [when] you lose one game they are all over [him], they win the second game, everybody loves him," Manning said. "Each week, depending [on] every game, you are either the best or you are terrible. It is so extreme.
"The most important thing you can do is concentrate on being prepared for each game, being mentally strong, having the confidence in yourself that you are going to go out there and make all the plays, and when you are put in that position, you try to do it."
McCarthy Still Upset Over Loss To Giants
Mike McCarthy is still struggling to deal with Green Bay's playoff loss to the Giants this past winter.
"It'll always bother me," McCarthy said, before talking about the respect he has for Tom Coughlin: "I think he's one of the top coaches in the league. I just really like the way he goes about it, always have." But then it was right back to describing how he felt, and still feels, about the 37-20 beatdown on the Packers' home turf.
"I felt in '07, we were beaten in the overtime game, they made one more big play than we did," McCarthy said, referencing that season's Packers-Giants NFC title game.
"And for them to go on the road, I don't want this to come out the wrong way, because that win is special, that's a great win for their football team. The margin of victory they won with, too, is definitely to their credit. But I feel like we beat ourselves in this playoff game. Or better yet, we didn't give ourselves a chance to win the game.
"The '07 game was a heck of a football game and they made one more play than we did. We didn't give ourselves a chance to win this one. You'd rather someone beat you."
Rivers Feels He Was A Steal For Giants
Keith Rivers believes the Giants will have robbed the Bengals if he plays to the level in which he was drafted.
Coughlin Upset Patriots Claimed Ballard
Tom Coughlin has expressed disappointment and frustration after losing Jake Ballard to the Patriots.
Jake Ballard Claimed By Patriots
Jake Ballard, who was waived by the Giants on Monday, has been claimed by the Patriots.
Tuck Now Calling Coughlin 'Cheese'
The Giants rewarded Tom Coughlin with a lucrative contract extension this week, leading to a new nickname.
Giants To Be Honored At White House
The Giants will make the final stop on their Super Bowl victory tour on Friday afternoon when they are honored on the South Lawn at the White House.
Jacobs Gets $3.36 In Mail From Six-Year Old Fan
A young fan convinced his mother to send Brandon Jacobs a letter that included $3.36 in hopes of somehow getting him back to the Giants.
Giants Reward Coughlin With Two-Year Extension
The Giants have signed Tom Coughlin to a two-year extension that will keep the coach under contract through 2014.
Umenyiora's Contract Worth $6 Million
Under his new contract with the Giants, Osi Umenyiora will make $1.3 million more for the 2012 season.
Giants Rookie Kuhn Dealing With Visa Problems
New York's seventh-round pick is with his new team, but he's not allowed to practice.
Umenyiora: Giants Didn't Increase Offer, But It Was Time To Sign
Osi Umenyiora agreed to a restructured deal with the Giants last week.
Umenyiora Agrees To Restructured Contract With Giants
Osi Umenyiora was unhappy with his contract last off-season and did not report to training camp on time.