Before the Giants fire Tom Coughlin...

Freak

I have to agree with this. It's a pattern that's shown itself increasingly in the NFL, where players are being seen (and see themselves) as more and more important than their coaches. Coughlin came in and knocked some guys around and worked the Giants into a disciplined, good football team. But when a team like that isn't winning, the players wonder what the hard discipline is accomplishing, and why players on 31 of the other teams are having a lot more fun. It happened for Coughlin in Jacksonville, and it's clearly happened in New York.

I also agree with Invictus, in that, if nothing else, the Tennessee game should have mailed it in for Coughlin in New York. Watching the guy on the sidelines made me think one thing: that he'd completely lost control of his football team.

And Jayman, two things: first of all, coaches and MUCH more disposable than GMs, and secondly, you're right, Matt Millen hanging on to that job can only be defined as a sign of the apocalypse.

Dr. Giganto

How am I being a homer? By saying the Giants should actually take the time to assess the situation in full, instead of caving to media and fan pressure.

We all know the reasons why they should fire Coughline, I don't have to list those. However, there are some reasons to keep him, and I wanted to present those. Obviously, I can't present them to the Mara and Tisch families, but I can present them to you guys.

And, I honestly think it's perfectly reasonable if the Giants say "Look, you had a very good year and a half (17-7), followed by an atrocious second half of this season. You're in the last year of your contract. We have to pay you regardless, so you should coach the team. You have one last chance to right the ship. If you improve the team, you stay. If not, you're gone."

Is that unreasonable? I say no

As for the Tennessee game, I'm not going to make excuses, but I think we can all agree Kiwanuka's boneheaded play was a result of the ridiculous overprotection of QBs by NFL officials. The Giants should not have even been in that position (and thats Coughlin's fault), but if kiwanuka wasn;t afraid of getting a ticky-tack foul, he makes that sack and ends the game.

Oh, and I just want to comment about Shockey. He played that game in so much pain, you have to be impressed. Especially that play when his helmet got knocked off and he kept fighting for extra yards. He's a lot of things, most notably an ignorant redneck, but he's definitely as tough as they come.

As for Tiki's comments about Coughlin: He was 100% right, and what he said wasn't even that bad. He said "We got away from the running game too early." WHAT THE FUCK IS SO BAD ABOUT THAT?!?!?!?! We're so trained by the media to magnify every single fucking thing a person says.

Tiki Barber, who ran for 1800 yards a year ago, carried the ball 10 fucking times in a game that was close throughout. Eli threw the ball 41 times. What do you expect him to say?

Would the Chargers ever give Tomlinson only 10 carries? Of the Chiefs with LJ? No, they wouldn't, and Tiki was 100% correct in saying that that was why the Giants lost. They are, first and foremost, a running team, and Tiki knows that. So he commented on it. Does it reflect poory on Coughlin? Yes, but only indirectly. He din't call him out.

Also, why is it ok for a player to say "We got outplayed" but not to say "We got outplayed and outcoached". There are two things that go into a football game: playing and coaching. Why is it so taboo to say you were inferior in both. Nobody ever said "Well, we played really well, but the coaching was terrible." It was always "we got outplayed AND outcoached"

Win or lose as a team. That includes the coaching staff.

You guys need to stop sopping up the drivel the media feeds you and start thinking for yourselves.

[/rant]

Suntan Superman

WC's Resident Samoan

i love the media... but Tom I agree with you 100% on the Kiwanuka issue it is getting ridicolous how they protect qb's next year they'll all be wearing red jerseys for god sakes

Freak

(Johnson only carried it 13 times last weekend.)

Dr. Giganto

but they only ran 45 offensive plays, and they were down 3 scores in the last quarter and a half of game time.

In the Giants-Jacksonville game, the Giants ran 56 offensive plays, and were within one score entering the fourth quarter.

Poor, poor play-calling. Poor coaching. And I made an entire post about it the week that the game happened.

Dr. Giganto

oh, and before Indy scored to make it 16-0, the Chiefs had run 21 plays, including 10 LJ rushes and a pass to LJ.

Slimdust

ohh wow, umm i was just kidding around with the homer thing.. i didnt mean any harm... and also, the ''media'' thing, i have been saying the same thing to all of yall with T.O...

Dr. Giganto

yeah, i know the homer thing was a joke Slim, I didnt take it personally, even though it came across like that.

Basically, I was writing the post, and as I was writing it I started thinking about all the stupid stupid stuff I've read in the New York Post and New York Daily News the last three months, and it just started making me more and more angry. lol.

As for Owens, I do agree that the media overstates everything he says and does, but he did bring it upon himself with his actions in SF and Philly.

Also, I never mentioned this before, but I noticed something interesting when I went to the Giants-Dallas game. after a Giants kickoff, there was a long t.v. timeout before the Cowboys started their drive. So, all the players are on the field, and 10 of the 11 Dallas players are standing in kind of a semi-huddle, talking, doing whatever to prepare for the ensuing drive. However, there was one player standing by himself, about 10 yards behind the rest of the team. Owens. I don't want to speculate or whatever, but I did find it pretty interesting to see him so "detached" from his teammates

Slimdust

yeah, i do think he does have some serious problems, and he needs to get help. I do think though, that even all of the media bs that went on with him this year, he behaved himself and maybe even grew up a little bit this season. did you see the press he did after the playoff game, he was ok, he wasnt mad saying he didnt get the ball, and he stood up for romo and was there for him, idk but i just hope he does get some help. wouldnt hurt.

Dr. Giganto

yeah, i did see his remarks after the game, and I did think that he handled himself very well. Hopefully, for his sake and the Cowboys sake, this is a long-lasting kind of thing.

Although, as a Giants fan, I'd love to see Owens pull a repeat of what he did in Philly and tear the team apart...