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Tag: New York Giants

  • MRSA Infection Threatens Daniel Fells’ Foot, Giants Dedicate Win to Hospitalized TE

    MRSA Infection Threatens Daniel Fells’ Foot, Giants Dedicate Win to Hospitalized TE

    An NFL player is battling a Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection, and reports indicate that there is a possibility that he may lose his foot.

    Daniel Fells, who plays tight end for the New York Giants, has been in the hospital for over a week. According to NFL.com, Fells has had five surgeries and he’s facing even more.

    From NFL.com:

    The situation arose, the source said, when Fells suffered a toe injury, then an ankle injury. To treat it, Fells was given a cortisone shot. After a week of ankle and foot pain, Fells’ wife took him to the emergency room on Oct. 2 with a 104-degree temperature. There, they found his ankle was infected with MRSA, a dangerous staph infection that is resistant to many antibiotics.

    With doctors hoping to avoid amputating his foot, the more urgent fear is that the MRSA has gotten into the bone and that it could travel into his blood. That could have the gravest of consequences.

    The Giants dedicated Sunday night’s game to Fells

    And Fells was watching from the hospital.

    “My heart is with my brothers tonight. Get that W G-men. I love every one of you #thiswillnotdefeatme” Fells posted on Instagram Sunday afternoon.

    My heart is with my brothers tonight. Get that W G-men. I love every one of you #thiswillnotdefeatme

    A photo posted by Daniel Fells (@danielfells85) on

    The Giants did get the win, in dramatic fashion.

  • Ann Mara, NY Giants Co-Owner, Dies After Suffering Head Injury

    Ann Mara, the fiery co-owner of the New York Giants, passed away on Sunday morning from complications resulting from a head injury she sustained in a fall in January. She was 85 years old.

    “I am sad to say that our mother has passed away. She has been the leader of our family in every way, and we will miss her dearly,” her son, John Mara, wrote in a statement. “She loved her family, and all of us were able to spend time with her in these final days. All 11 of her children and our spouses and numerous grandchildren were with her when she passed away.”

    Ann Mara reportedly suffered a fall at her home on January 18 when she slipped on an icy path, and though her family was looking for a speedy recovery, there were complications stemming from an injury to her head.

    Speedy recoveries were not foreign country to Mara, who slipped and fell in 2011 as she was leaving church and broke her shoulder. The injury came just one day after the NFC Championship game, and her family didn’t know if she would be able to attend the Super Bowl that year with her team.

    “Sure enough as we board the plane to Indy, I look to the left and who do I see dressed in all black looking as good as she wants to look WITH AN ARM SLING!? I knew then that we had all our troops aboard and ready for this battle that we were facing,” Giants team member Antrel Rolle said on Instagram over the weekend.

    After her husband, Wellington, died nearly a decade ago, Ann Mara became a well-known and beloved figure in the world of football and was highly regarded by her team, which she defended to Terry Bradshaw in the famous clip seen above. When they played well, she was ecstatic, but when times were tough, she let them know it. Her son John said in December that she was pretty unhappy with their season and that, even as CEO, his job wasn’t necessarily safe.

    “She is not very happy with me right now, believe me. She suffers through this probably even more so than I do. I am on notice as well,” Mara said.

    NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell released a statement regarding Mara’s passing, saying, “Mrs. Mara was a tower of strength, dignity and inspiration for her family and all of us in the NFL. Her family and the Giants organization have always reflected Mrs. Mara’s competitive spirit, integrity, and wonderful sense of humor. Our thoughts and prayers are with John Mara and the entire Mara family.”

    Ann Mara was the matriarch of a large family, which included seven daughters, four sons, 43 grandchildren–including actresses Kate and Rooney Mara–and 16 great-grandchildren.

  • Jon Gruden Talks New York Giants Personnel Problems

    In a conference call with reporters this past Tuesday to promote ESPN’s Monday Night Football opener, Jon Gruden talked at length about the Giants woes on offense, and in his mind, it’s about the personnel rather than the system.

    “I’m more concerned with the personnel right now and the question marks that they have on the offensive side of the ball than I am with the system,’’ Gruden said, according to the New York Post.

    Gruden noted that he had been “studying the Giants carefully for the last couple weeks” and said his view on their offense is that “it’s been up and down throughout the preseason.” He also noted the challenge Eli Manning faces as he adjusts to an offense with brand new personnel at many of the positions.

    “Eli Manning has changed his fundamentals — he even stands differently in the shotgun,’’ Gruden said. “There are a lot of different receivers, there are new linemen, there are new running backs. So not only is he learning a new system and learning new coaches, he’s had to react to a lot of new players everywhere. It’s going to be, I think, a process throughout the season.”

    In the preseason, Eli Manning has managed to complete just three touchdown drives out of 17 series with the starters and completed less than half his overall pass attempts.

    “Eli Manning has to stay committed to it. He has to continue to keep an open mind, and hopefully they get Odell Beckham back, because they don’t appear to have the firepower at wide receiver or tight end that Giant teams have had in the past, and the offensive line is still a big question mark from the personnel standpoint regardless of the system.’’

    The New York Giants play at Detroit in their regular season opener, on Monday night.

  • Michael Strahan Delivers Powerful Speech At Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction

    Michael Strahan Delivers Powerful Speech At Pro Football Hall of Fame Induction

    Michael Strahan is pressing forward despite his highly-publicized break-up from his fiancée Nicole Murphy.

    Last week, the two, who dated since 2007, reportedly called off their engagement. However, it didn’t stop him from reaping the benefits of his hard work this weekend.

    According to E! News, the 42-year old former New York Giants defensive end attended the Pro Football Hall of Fame induction in Canton, Ohio on Sunday, August 4.

    Strahan reportedly gave a powerful 34-minute speech. He spoke candidly about his “improbable” journey to the NFL and the success he garnered during his 14-year career with the Giants.

    “I am an absolutely improbable Hall of Famer. … I am an improbable football player,” Strahan said. The Live! with Kelly and Michael co-host concluded with expressions of gratitude toward those who have been instrumental in his life and career.

    He proudly thanked his mother, Louise, and had no reservations about letting the world know that he’s a devout “mama’s boy.” He also thanked his father, Gene, along with his older siblings and his four children, Tanita, Michael Jr., Isabella and Sophia. Strahan also spoke fondly of the New York Giants, his former teammates and the coaching staff. He even thanked his “TV wife” and co-host, Kelly Ripa.

    Strahan’s big weekend follows the announcement of his big breakup from the Hollywood Exes reality TV star. After People Magazine broke the story, his representative released a brief statement about their decision. The rep revealed their split was reportedly due to their hectic work schedules.

    “They love each other very much, but with the distance and work schedule it has been hard to maintain the relationship,” Strahan’s rep explained.

    Although Strahan suffered a loss in one area of his life, his monumental achievement was definitely a silver lining. “This has been the best weekend of my life,” Strahan said.

    Image via Michael Strahan, Facebook

  • Miranda Cosgrove and Jordin Sparks Promote NFL Women’s Apparel

    Miranda Cosgrove and Jordin Sparks are just two of the famous faces signed on to promote the NFL’s women’s apparel line.

    They’re joining Erin Heatherton, China Anne McClain, Dania Ramirez, and Jessica Szohr to show off the line of fan wear geared toward younger women.

    The first glimpse of the new ads shows Cosgrove wearing a black, grey, and gold New Orleans Saints tee from the youth clothing line. She’s glammed it up with glittery gold pants.

    Cosgrove, who became famous on Nickelodeon’s iCarly series opposite Jennette McCurdy, also voiced a character in 2010’s animated hit Despicable Me and its 2013 sequel.

    She recently finished filming the thriller The Intruders.

    Post by The Intruders 3D – 2014.

    Phoenix native Sparks stayed true to her home team in an Arizona Cardinals jersey. The shirt is emblazened with Larry Fitzgerald’s number 11 and also bears the Nike logo.

    Sparks’ father, retired professional football player Phillippi Sparks, played for the New York Giants for eight seasons from 1992 to 1999. But Sparks defended her team choice:

    “I was born and raised in Arizona. Although I have an allegiance to the Giants because of my daddy, I bleed Cardinal Red.”

    Sparks jumpstarted her singing-songwriting career by winning the sixth season of American Idol in 2007. She released her first studio album in November of that year. “No Air,” her duet with Chris Brown, was nominated for a Grammy Award in 2009.

    Since then Sparks has tried her hand at acting – she’ll appear in Left Behind with Nicolas Cage, Chad Michael Murray, and Lea Thompson on October 3 – and attempted to get a third studio album released.

    Gossip Girl star Jessica Szohr is a native of Menomonee Falls, WI so it’s no surprise that in the first round of ads she’s wearing a vintage-look Green Bay Packers sweater.

    “It’s very fitting and it looks vintage,” Szohr said of the ’47 Brand Passblock sweater. “It’s different and cool, which is what I really liked about it.”

    Szohr, who has dated Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the past, said it “was awesome to me that you could wear this line and be fashion-forward and comfortable and feel feminine and sexy while you’re just sitting and watching a football game … It reaches all ages and all different types of sports fans.”

    Heatherton, McClain, and Ramirez will most likely be stepping out in team attire in the coming weeks since, as the official NFL Shop has already reminded fans, the season starts in just 50 days.

    Image via Instagram, Miranda Cosgrove

  • Michael Strahan to Join ‘Good Morning America’

    Michael Strahan may soon be joining the cast of Good Morning America according to unnamed sources with knowledge of ABC’s plans for the flagship morning show.

    Strahan currently co-hosts the network’s Live with Kelly and Michael, which runs right after GMA.

    On Wednesday, Strahan assured Live viewers that he wouldn’t be leaving cohost Kelly Rippa’s side anytime soon: “I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here on Live, okay?”

    He did, however, confirm he’s been talking with network executives about joining GMA, adding that “I don’t think I could do an everyday thing.”

    Strahan, who played for the New York Giants from 1993-2007, would appear during the first hour of GMA, an arrangement that would afford him plenty of time to make it to the Live studio. GMA airs from 7:00 am and Live at 9:00 am.

    GMA is currently coanchored by Robin Roberts and George Stephanopoulos. Amy Robach is news anchor, Lara Spencer is lifestyle anchor, and Ginger Zee is weather forecaster.

    The addition of Strahan to the GMA cast would balance out the male-female ratio.

    Josh Elliott left his role as news anchor for NBC Sports just last week and Sam Champion left for The Weather Channel in December after seven years as GMA’s weather anchor.

    In a staff memo regarding Robach’s succession of Elliott as news anchor, ABC News president Ben Sherwood wrote “In the days ahead, there will be more good news on the show, so stay tuned.”

    The network announced on March 24 that Sherwood would replace Anne Sweeney as Co-Chairman, Disney Media Networks and President, Disney/ABC Television Group effective February 2015.

    In the press release, Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger cited Sherwood’s success with GMA:

    “Ben is one of those unique executives who combine rich creative experience with great business acumen. He’s also focused, strategic, and competitive, as evidenced by the success of GMA, the Yahoo deal that delivered ABC News online dominance, and his vision behind our new cable and digital joint venture, Fusion. These reasons, and many others, make Ben the ideal candidate to oversee the future of the Disney/ABC Television Group.”

    As of the end of March, industry sources ranked GMA as the number one morning news program for the second straight year in both total viewers and adult viewers age 25-54.

    Image via YouTube

  • Victor Cruz, Of NY Giants, Talks Old Beef With Jay Z

    New York Giants’ wide receiver Victor Cruz may be flying high now since he signed with Jay Z’s Roc Nations Sports, the sports management company that was started by the rapper in 2013, but before putting his pen to paper and making everything official, Cruz says he and Jay had a little beef.

    Here’s what happened:

    After the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2012 against the New England Patriots, somebody from Jay Z’s camp reached out to a representative of Cruz’s and wanted him to attend a celebration party at 40/40–the Manhattan night club owned by Jay Z.

    But the person representing Cruz didn’t speak for him anymore, and on his own, that person told Jay’s rep that Cruz would only show up to the party if he was paid $30,000, and once the rapper heard that he stopped speaking to Cruz completely.

    “Before I had a conversation with Jay about this sports thing, we had like legitimate, light-weight beef,” said Cruz in a radio interview.

    “It was kinda weird. He threw a party at 40/40 after we won the Super Bowl. I had no clue about it. I guess someone from the Roc camp reached out to somebody that I was or was not working with at the time…and clearly it wasn’t my people or who I thought was my people, and they called him or her, whoever it was, and was like ‘Yo, we’re trying to get Vic to this party.’ And they was like, ‘Nah, Vic’s not showing up unless he gets 30K.’”

    But the wide receiver didn’t know anything about the conversation, so when he saw Jay Z at a local basketball game, the rapper gave him the cold shoulder.

    “So I had no idea,” said Cruz. “I saw Jay and [Shawn] Pecas at a game and I ended up bum-rushing this back room that they were all in at half-time and nobody said a word to me….I was like, ‘Damn, no love?’ And I had no idea why.”

    Luckily for Cruz the two cleared up the misunderstanding, which led to the football player signing with Roc Nation Sports a little while after.

    Image via YouTube

  • Mario Manningham Signs One-Year Contract With The New York Giants

    In the time of free agency, the NFL has seen a number of players moving from team to team in the past week. After struggling last season, the New York Giants needed to do something to improve.

    Mario Manningham is the latest player to be placed on a new team, and will be returning to the place where he spent much of his career.

    He just signed a one-year contract with the New York Giants, a team that he played with for four years, before leaving for the San Francisco 49ers.

    Manningham was plagued with an injury throughout the 2013 season, which caused him to only have nine receptions for 85 yards in six games. He had great success with the Giants, and in his first season with the 49ers, following his recovery, he could be a top receiver again.

    After last year, the Giants clearly need to get better somehow, and in addition to their new receiver, they have already acquired defensive backs Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, Walter Thurmond and Quintin Demps, running back Rashad Jennings, offensive lineman Geoff Schwartz and kick returner Trindon Holliday in free agency.

    Despite rejoining a New York Giants team that has been struggling for the past year, Mario Manningham is excited to return to the team that drafted him. The 27-year-old receiver said “I’m real excited. It’s just great to see everybody, be around familiar faces, knowing everybody in the past and just being comfortable around everybody. Once a Giant, always a Giant. That’s how I feel. This is a very special place. I wanted to come back.”

    He was an important receiver with the Giants during their run for the Super Bowl in 2012, and could be a helpful addition to their roster. He caught touchdown passes in each of the Giants’ three NFC playoff victories, and made a key fourth-quarter reception along the sideline in the Super Bowl against the New England Patriots.

    Throughout his six-season career in the NFL, Manningham has 211 catches for 2,849 yards and 19 touchdowns. He helped the Giants win the Super Bowl in 2012, and was a part of the San Francisco 49ers team that lost to the Ravens in 2013, a team that almost made it back to the Super Bowl again this year.

    The Giants started the 2013 season as one of the worst teams in the league, and eventually were able to improve, but not enough. Can Mario Manningham help his old team get back to the way they used to be?

    Image via Facebook

  • Eli Manning Sued over Bogus Memorabilia

    It’s a tough week for Eli Manning. Not only does he have to watch America swoon over his older brother as Peyton takes his Denver Broncos to the Super Bowl, now he’s being sued for allegedly passing off bogus memorabilia.

    A lawsuit filed in New Jersey on Wednesday claims that several New York Giants players have routinely passed off new jerseys and helmets to collectors and dealers, fronting them as authentic “game worn” items. The complaint even alleges that the Manning helmet from Eli’s 2008 Super Bowl win currently on display at the Pro Football Hall of Fame is bogus.

    Named in the filing are are Manning, the Giants, Inc., CEO John Mara, team lawyer William Heller, CFO Christine Procops, locker room manager Ed Wagner Jr., and equipment managers Joe and Ed Skiba, and the team’s dry cleaner. Yes, the dry cleaner, Barry Barone, who has worked for the team since 1982. Barone is alleged to have used his dry cleaning equipment to age jerseys and other items of clothing, going so far as cutting them with scissors and repairing them to heighten the illusion of authenticity.

    The suit even has a smoking gun. In an exchange between memorabilia dealer Eric Inselberg and Joe Skiba, Inselberg asks, “Hey Joe, my buddy was offered an eli game used helmet and jersey. Are these the bs ones eli asked you to make up because he didnt want to give up the real stuff?” Skiba, replying from his official Giants email address, responded, “BS ones, you are correct.” Maybe that was Skiba being sarcastic—he may certainly claim so in court—but someone should remind him that sarcasm doesn’t always come across in an email.

    Other alleged forgeries include several Manning jerseys, two 2012 Super Bowl helmets, and a 2004 rookie season Manning helmet. Manning himself allegedly conspired in the scam so that he could hang on to his personal items.

    Earlier today, a Giants spokesperson attacked the filing, saying, “this suit is completely without any merit whatsoever and we will defend it vigorously. We will not otherwise comment on pending litigation.” Eli Manning has so far declined to make any comment.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Jim Schwartz May Lose His Job After An Awful Season For The Detroit Lions

    Well, the post-season for the Detroit Lions is officially out of the picture after their embarrassing overtime loss to the New York Giants.

    Jim Schwartz has had his ups and downs as a coach, and the Lions have experienced the definition of an up and down season, bringing his future in the city of Detroit into question.

    Whether Jim Schwartz has lost his job as the Lions’ head coach will be determined in the coming weeks, but as a team that was set to win the division with a commanding lead earlier in the season, they have now been knocked out of the playoffs.

    In an almost impossible scenario, the Lions went from 6-3 to 7-8, making fans of the Detroit Lions wonder what could have possibly happened in the second half of the season. Then again, most Lions fans have become used to failure, after experiencing all their defeats of the past.

    Speaking on his possible departure, and the future of the Detroit Lions, Jim Scwartz said “Speculation is not my business.My business is coaching the team and trying to keep it focused. That’s job enough without worrying about all the other stuff.”

    They lost an ugly game to the Eagles in Philadelphia, during a major snowstorm, in a game that also saw running back LeSean McCoy set the rushing record for most yards in a game as a player for the Eagles, which escalated their downward spiral.

    The Lions were able to hit the final nail on the coffin when Jim Schwartz’s team was unable to defeat the Giants, a team that had struggled all season long, and had no reason to win the game, other than to embarrass the Lions even further.

    With the Bears and Packers playing without their starting quarterbacks and struggling for most of the season, it gave the Lions the opportunity to take control of a struggling NFC North division, but the Lions simply continued to beat themselves on every occasion they got.

    Matthew Stafford has thrown interceptions at all the wrong times throughout the season, including two last night, and one that helped the Giants get back in the game. After the game was sent to overtime, the Lions managed to lose on a long field goal for the second week in a row.

    With a record of 7-8, Jim Schwartz and the Detroit Lions have no chance of making the playoffs, even during a year with all sorts of possible playoff scenarios, and only two teams that have clinched a spot after week 16.

    With an unknown future going into the post-season, Jim Schwartz and the Lions have some serious decisions to make during the off-season. Should the Lions fire Jim Schwartz? Who should replace him?

    Earlier in the year, the Lions were considered one of the most dangerous teams in the NFL, and now they will not be in the playoffs.

    Image via Facebook

  • Eli Manning: Should the Lesser Manning be “Sacked?”

    In 2010, Eli Manning finished the season with 25 interceptions, prompting the one-time elite quarterback to state, “I’m not a 25-interception quarterback.”

    Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks proved Manning to be a liar. In a paltry offensive attempt, Eli Manning threw 5 interceptions in one game, equaling his career high of 25 interceptions in one season and making everyone wonder what has happened to the two-time Super Bowl winner.

    “I didn’t play well,” stated Manning in a post-game interview. “I didn’t play as well as I needed to. Some of the throws that were intercepted could have been better. They could have been better throws. You hope some of them aren’t intercepted. … I think probably every position got outplayed and beaten on a number of instances, which led to that performance.”

    Manning’s quotation essentially sums up every analysis of the Giants this season. Eli Manning has not played well, and the numbers back it up. So far this season, Manning has passed for 3,410 yards with 16 touchdowns and 25 interceptions, leading to a quarterback rating of 69.7 – Manning’s lowest quarterback rating since his rookie season.

    Not only has Manning’s performance suffered, but so has his supporting crew. Hakeem Nick’s, Manning’s primary target at wide-receiver over the past several years, has only caught 50 passes for a total of 794 yards and ZERO touchdowns. To compound the offensive issues, the Giants’s running game averages an abysmal 83.5 yards per game and the offensive line has given up 36 sacks.

    Despite all of these issues, the Giants still have faith that Manning is the guy to turn things around. Manning himself has confidence in his abilities, stating, “I feel I can go out there and play well, and still throw the ball well and move this offense.” To Coughlin, the head coach of the Giants, backed up Manning’s sentiments by answering “…He’s our guy,” when asked if he contemplated benching Manning earlier during the Seahawks game.

    Even Giants’s defensive end Justin Tuck made a case for Manning, stating:

    “It’s tough. I know he’s a guy that’s here before the sun comes up and doesn’t leave until after it goes down. I know he puts in the work. It just hasn’t really come to fruition for him this season. … I have no doubt in my mind that he’s going to bounce out of this and be the Eli of old heading into next year. You can’t keep a guy like E down for long. This season, you scratch your head and wonder why.”

    Unfortunately for the Giants, scratching their heads is going to be the only physical activity for the team during this postseason. The Giants currently boast a record of 5-9 and have no chance at making the playoffs. Fortunately, on the other-hand, the last time Manning threw 25 interceptions in one season, he followed it up by winning the Super Bowl the next year. Only time will tell if Manning will be able to produce such results once again, seeing as he is most likely not going anywhere anytime soon.

    Image via YouTube

  • Eli Manning Throws Multiple Interceptions, Embarrassed By Seattle’s Defense

    NFL fans have probably been scratching their head and wondering what on Earth happened to Eli Manning over the 2013 season.

    He seems to be having one of the worst seasons imaginable, and after starting the season 0-6, the Giants finally got a win, and started to turn their season around a bit.

    Of course, it is not simply one player’s fault when a team loses, but Eli Manning had a series of terrible performances to start the 2013 season. After a horrid start, the Giants improved to 5-8, before losing to the Seattle Seahawks today.

    While it seemed impossible to regain composure after such a disappointing season, the Giants are in the worst division in the league, which has helped them look better than they are, and are not even the worst in the division anymore.

    In the Giants’ game this afternoon, they had a chance to prove themselves against the Seattle Seahawks, the best team in the league. The Giants were unable to do anything against the Seahawks’ defense, and were held scoreless in a game that ended 23-0. Eli Manning also achieved a career high, and threw an embarrassing number of interceptions in the game, a total of five.

    Russell Wilson, Marshawn Lynch and the Seahawks had another good day, but did not have to do too much in order to beat a lackluster Giants team. While the Seahawks were clearly the favorite to win the game, and are likely to clinch home field advantage throughout the playoffs soon, the extra help from Eli Manning’s five interceptions certainly sealed the deal for the Seahawks.

    As Mannning and the Giants were shutout at home, it becomes the first time that the Giants have been shutout at home since 1996. After today’s interceptions, Eli Manning has taken the lead as the league’s interception leader, passing Geno Smith of the New York Jets, losing today to the Carolina Panthers.

    Manning has 25 interceptions on the season, which is the most since his 2010 season, with still two more games to go. He also passed Charlie Conerly for the most interceptions by a Giants quarterback.

    After yet another loss for Eli Manning and the New York Giants, the team falls to 5-9, and is in third place in the lackluster NFC East, where the last place Redskins are only 3-11. The Giants face the Redskins in their final game of the season, and play the Lions next week, who are trying to take control of the NFC North.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • New York Giants Get Their First Win

    New York Giants Get Their First Win

    After an embarrassing start to the season, the New York Giants have finally found a way to get their first win of the season. The Giants defeated a Vikings team that is also struggling. Eli Manning, the quarterback for the Giants, has had trouble finding the end-zone all year, and also has the most interceptions of any quarterback in the league. They finished the game with a final score of 23-7.

    After starting the season 0-6, many people were wondering if the Giants would get a single win all season. They have finally done that with a win on Monday night, a team they were most likely to beat. While this does not say a lot for the Giants since the Vikings have also had troubling winning this season, it is a good first step. The Vikings lack almost all offense other than their all-star Adrian Peterson, and just recently signed quarterback Josh Freeman with the hopes of fixing their problem.

    The Giants were efficient in their win, and did what they needed to do in order to beat a Vikings team that had only won one game all season. The defense stepped up, which really helped, holding Adrian Peterson to only 28 yards, just days after his son was tragically killed. After giving up a league high number of 209 points in the season, the Giants were able to force a defensive shutout and not allowing any offensive points in the game.

    While some players could be completely drained based on a poor performance that they have given so far in the season, Manning has stayed strong and said after the win, “We just had to keep going, get rid of some of the mistakes and play the way we need to play.”

    Manning, who leads the league in interceptions, did not throw an interception all game. He finished the game 23 of 39 for 200 yards. The New York Giants had 3 takeaways to just one lost fumble in the game. The only points the Vikings were able to put up throughout the game were on a 86-yard punt return, which came late in the first quarter. The touchdown gave them the lead at the time.

    Next week, the Giants play against the Eagles in a NFC East division match-up.

    Image via Facebook

  • Eli Manning And Giants Fall To Embarrassing 0-6

    Eli Manning, the quarterback of the New York Giants, just does not seem to be able to do anything right in the 2013 season. The team, who has struggled greatly in recent weeks and most of last season, but won the Super Bowl in 2011, have not been able to win a game all year. People continue to speculate about how their awful season is going, wondering if they will be able to win at all this season, after starting 0-6, with a difficult schedule that still remains.

    The Giants most recently fell victim to the Chicago Bears, who are currently leading the NFC North division. The final score was 27-21 in favor of the Bears. This game was much closer than the others that they have lost this season, and they even had a chance to win at the end, but of course that failed. This was the first time that they lost by less than a touchdown since their week 1 loss against the Dallas Cowboys, and the Giants were able to hold their opponent under 30 points for the first time all season. They also got their first 100-yard rushing performance from their veteran Brandon Jacobs, but despite these positive statistics, Manning still threw for three interceptions, making sure that they would lose again and increasing his total to 15, which leads the league, according to Sports Illustrated.

    In contrast with Eli’s terrible performances in the first 6 weeks, his brother Peyton Manning, is setting records and destroying his opponents. The Denver offense continues to pick apart defenses all around the league, and Peyton has just experienced the best first month to a season as a quarterback in the history of the NFL.

    Well, this is certainly an embarrassing meme…

    He threw his final pick with 2:02 left in the game, as the Giants were driving down the field to win the game, but he threw a deep ball that was overthrown and intercepted by Tim Jennings, who had already returned an interception for a touchdown earlier in the game. The New York Post mentions that they are the worst team in football because they never play four quarters, always find a way to lose, and they have stopped making the types of plays that winning teams make. What will it take to get the Giants back to acting like the team that they were just a few years ago?

    The Giants are in a division that seems to be struggling as a whole, and after 6 weeks into the season, none of them have a record above .500, which is a total embarrassment for the NFC East division. Coach Tom Coughlin expressed his frustration when saying, “We’re all sick of it. We’re all sick of losing, but we put ourselves in this position. There is only one way to get out of it.”

    Next week, the Giants play the Vikings who are also struggling. Does anyone think they have a chance to win in week 7?

    Image via Youtube

  • Michael Vick Injures Hamstring in Second Quarter

    NFC East rivals the New York Giants and the Philadelphia Eagles both came into Sunday’s early afternoon game desperately needing a win. The Giants were a 0 – 4 and the Eagles were 1 – 3. The game was close and the oft-injured quarterback Michael Vick was playing adequately with 79 rushing yards but only completing six passes for 105 yards. However, Vick suffered a hamstring injury in the second quarter while running out of bounds after a short run.

    Vick was replaced by backup quarterback Nick Foles who was able to complete Vick’s drive with a 21 yard pass to wide receiver DeSean Jackson. The Birds capped that drive with a field goal to end the first half of play. Vick will not return to game action this afternoon.

    Michael was able to make it through the first four games of the season relatively unscathed. However, due to Vick’s age and desire to still run the football, he is a constant injury-risk waiting to happen. The Twitter world reacts:

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  • Bill Parcells Honored with Hall of Fame Ring

    Yesterday’s New York Giants game in East Rutherford wasn’t just ‘any given Sunday’ for former NFL coach, Bill Parcells. It was a day of commemoration. The former Giants’ head coach received his Pro Football Hall of Fame ring in an honorary ceremony during halftime at the Giants-Broncos’ game. Parcells took the field along with five other Giants’ legends to stand before a sold-out crowd of onlookers basking in their success.

    According to NJ.com, Parcells simply described the auspicious occasion as, “special.” He was honored on his own stomping ground in a stadium where so many of his memorable football moments where forged. “At my age, I have a little more sensitivity and appreciation for the history of the game,” admitted Parcells. He reminisced about his tenure with the Giants stating that the best thing about working for the team was the ability to work in ‘his own backyard with the team he grew up rooting for.’

    As a dominant figure in some of the most compelling victories in Giants’ history, Parcells’ legendary stature comes from years of hard work and persistence. In 1979, he made his NFL debut with the Giants’ in the capacity of defensive coordinator. The New York native was ‘excited’ about starting his professional football career. “This is where it started for me in terms of opportunity. Someone took a chance on me as an assistant coach. So I’ll always be grateful to the Giants because of that.” Gradually working his way up the coaching totem pole, Parcels became the Giants’ head coach from 1983 to 1990. Throughout his 7-season tenure with the Giants, Parcells clenched two Super Bowl championships. (Super Bowls XXI and XXV.)

    Parcells, now 72, held a head coaching position in the NFL for 22 consecutive seasons. In addition to coaching the Giants’, Parcells was also head coach for the New England Patriots, New York Jets, and the Dallas Cowboys during the 22-year span. Parcells overall coach record was 172 – 130 during the regular seasons, and 11 – 8 in the postseasons.

     

    Image via New York Daily News

  • Dallas Cowboys Top List Of Most Valuable Teams

    While the National Football League may not have the worldwide following that is so coveted in sports, it does continue to be far and away the most lucrative league in the world. NFL franchises, including the really bad ones, are cash factories that allow owners to basically print their own money.

    So while the Dallas Cowboys haven’t had great success on the field as of late, they continue to make a killing at the bank. The franchise posted $539 million in revenue last year, which is a double digit gain from the previous year. Dallas obviously cashes in on the moniker of “America’s Team”, and this year marks the seventh consecutive year that they have topped the list.

    Forbes, which compiled the list, also reported that the 32 NFL franchises are worth around $1.17 billion on average, which is a 5% increase from last year. Major League Baseball only boasts an average worth of $744 million per team, and the NBA pales in comparison at $509 million per team.

    The top five is rounded out by the Tom Brady lead New England Patriots, the rejuvenated Washington Redskins, the New York Giants, and the other team from the Lone Star State, the Houston Texans.

    Having a profitable stadium and being located in a large metro area undoubtedly helped those teams in the top 5, but the numbers can still be mind-boggling to those working for minimum wage.

  • John Mara Arrested Over New Year’s Brawl

    John Mara–the 22-year old nephew of the Giants owner with the same name–was arrested and formally charged last week after the investigation of a New Year’s Eve brawl in which a man was hit over the head with a bottle and suffered serious injuries.

    Mara was released on Friday on $150,000 bond but is due in court in Westchester County, New York on March 8th, where he is expected to plead not guilty. The victim allegedly required surgery and sustained “life-threatening” injuries after the fight, which occurred at a party near Fairfield University campus.

    “He intends to address the charges in court,” Mara’s attorney, William Dow, said. “We’re confident that a jury will find him not guilty.”

    If, however, Mara is found guilty of a first degree assault charge, he could face up to twenty years in prison. At the very least, he will likely suffer disciplinary action by the school, where he is currently a student.

    “In a situation like this, not only is a student subject to any civil action but there would be an investigation from the standpoint of the school and, pending the outcome, the student would be subject to the disciplinary code of the university,” school spokesperson Martha Milcarek said.

  • Super Bowl Parade Fight! Giants Fans Come To Blows

    What is it about smartphones, YouTube, and social media in general that turns normal people into a useless crowd of video “auteurs” who’re more concerned with getting a video up instead of preventing others from needlessly hurting each other?

    Granted, Internet videos of people fighting are as old as the invention of online video, but after seeing these pop up over and over again after any sporting event of note, it’s becoming clear that the downfall of society will not be a nuclear war or a zombie apocalypse.

    It will be because people were too concerned with getting good video of the world crumbling around them instead of trying to do something about it.

    Perhaps I’m overreacting, but after watching the upcoming video of Giants fans fighting at the Super Bowl parade — female fans, no less — the fact people are more concerned with letting the fight happen, all so they can film it is disheartening.

    Or maybe I’m just getting old. Here’s the video in question:

    Cat fight! Cat fight!

    Let me guess. The first girl slept with the other girl’s boyfriend while Eli Manning was doing his MVP thing at the Super Bowl and got caught. Now, they’re playing the feud while a bunch of useless bystanders sit, watch, and video. Naturally, additional fights break out — again with females — as they, I don’t know, try to defend their “girl’s” honor?

    Or maybe they just wanted to be on YouTube with they hair flying hither, dither and yon.

    While the fighting itself is pretty standard for an Internet video, I’m still drawn to the crowd, one that’s more concerned with getting good video instead of putting a stop to the needless fracas. Is this what we’ve become? A society of attention whores who care more about being popular on the Internet than acting in a somewhat civilized manner?

    Like I said, maybe I’m just getting old.

  • Super Bowl Stuff: Indy For Eli Goes Viral

    Well, the concept went viral on a local level, anyway. What we have here is a city, Indianapolis, rooting for the brother of their team’s franchise quarterback, Peyton Manning. Peyton’s brother, Eli, is the starting quarterback for the New York Giants

    When the Giants take the field on Sunday, it appears as if the city of Indianapolis, or at least pockets of it, will be rooting for Peyton’s brother. Part of the brief switch in allegiance (going from the Colts to Team Eli) has to do with the fact that Indianapolis Colts fans don’t like Tom Brady or the New England Patriots. The other reason has to do, no doubt, with the fact that Eli is Peyton’s brother.

    Sporting a “Not in our town, Tom” graphic, the “Indy for Eli” site is clear where its owners will be rooting. The (brief) movement has seen a jump in its viral popularity, thanks to the local news outlets latching on to the movement, giving it a life of its own, at least on a local level:

    Indy For Eli

    Indy for Eli


    The first image is a screenshot of Indianapolis local news station, WISHTV Channel 8 and the second is courtesy of a tweet from Jason Spells, a sportscaster for WRTV, also an Indianapolis affiliate.

    There’s also a Facebook fan page for the “Indy for Eli” movement, and while it is pretty active, there aren’t many fans. Considering the Super Bowl is this Sunday, it’s doubtful the shift will be that dramatic, but then again, you never know. Perhaps some bored Colts fans get wind of the movement and decide to join in. With the amount of local exposure “Indy for Eli” is getting, this is entirely possible.

    Not every successful viral venture has to be on a national scale. If a few thousand Colts fans join the movement, then the mission has to be considered successful.

  • NY Giants To Host Google+ Hangout

    NY Giants To Host Google+ Hangout

    Are you a New York Giants fan? Do you have a question that you’d like to ask Victor Cruz or Corey Webster? Are you a devious Patriot fans who wants a chance to taunt your opponents? Then head on over to Google+ and tell the NY Giants why they should choose you for their special Hangout.

    On Thursday, February 2nd at 6:30 EST, four members of the NFC Champion NY Giants will host their first-ever Google+ Hangout. The participating players will be Victor Cruz, Mark Herzlich, Henry Hynoski, and Corey Webster.

    Fans who wish to participate in the Hangout are being asked to leave a comment on the Google+ post announcing the Hangout. “Tell us why you deserve to hangout with Big Blue on Thursday night,” they say. According to a post on the NYG official site, they will be selecting 20 fans based on these responses to chat live with the players.

    Here’s the kind of thing you’ll be up against, so act fast!

    I absolutely LOVE the Giants, I’m obsessed. My dad, grandfather, and great-grandfather are all Giants fans, so, naturally, I am too and I have been since I was about 7. Living in the Philadelphia area, I get picked on all the time about being a big blue fan, but I show my NY pride loud and proud. It would make my entire year if i had the chance to talk to talk with Victor Cruz, Corey Webster, Mark Herzlich, and Henry Hynoski! I’m #ALLIN ; my cat and dog both have jerseys, there is a huge flag hanging on our house, stickers all over our cars, and I wear my NY gear as often as I can. PLEASE pick me!!! And, most importantly, GO G-MEN!

    The Google+ Hangout is actually part of a larger initiative – Giants “social media night.” There will be a webcast available via Giants.com featuring players Jake Ballard, Steve Weatherford, Tyler Sash, and Prince Amukamara. They will answer questions that fans submit via Twitter, Facebook and Google+ using the hashtags #askBallard, #askSteve #askSash, and #askPrince.

    The Giants will let the lucky fans know on Thursday morning if they are going to get to Hangout live with Cruz and the gang.