Giants Daily Blitz Blog

Strahan and Coughlin reunite on “LIVE”

Whether or not you think three minutes early is two minutes late, under Coughlin Time, the coach is always right. And it’s going to cost you.

Michael Strahan learned that the hard way with Tom Coughlin, and while the former Giants defensive end and current head coach’s relationship overcame its rocky start, there was still a matter of that 500-dollar fine. Coughlin rectified that Wednesday morning.

Appearing on “LIVE with Kelly and Michael” — which Strahan has co-hosted since September – to promote his new book, Coughlin reunited with the Giants great, and at the end of the segment handed him a crisp 500 dollar bill – in Monopoly money.

“One of the greatest things this guy has said to me was,” Coughlin recalled, pointing at Strahan, “‘Coach, out of respect for you, I set my watch 10 minutes ahead.’”

Strahan, who wrote the foreword to Coughlin’s new book, confirmed it is still true and laughed: “I’m 500 dollars richer, yeah.”

Strahan introduced his former coach to begin the clip before co-host Kelly Ripa asked how two such likable people could not initially get along.

The answer: they are two very strong-willed people, Coughlin explained.

“I’ll never forget the first time he came in my office. Here he sits in front of me and he’s doing all the talking. I’m the head coach. I just got hired as the head coach, and here comes a guy into my office to tell me exactly what he thought and how we’re going to do things. He was representing his teammates, which he does very, very well. [He’s] a natural-born leader, all of the above, has a magnetic personality, but we didn’t hit it off too good at first. He didn’t like the rules, he didn’t like the rules.”

>>WATCH GIANTS CHRONICLES: MICHAEL STRAHAN

Strahan eventually understood the method to his rules, which underscored Coughlin’s themes in “Earn the Right to Win.”

“What was important to me was I wanted everybody to come to work with passion,” Coughlin continued. “With eagerness, with a desire to learn, anxious to come into the building and be prepared to compete and have a great day and help the New York Giants win.”

Tom Coughlin launches book tour

Coach Tom Coughlin’s “Earn the Right to Win: How Success in Any Field Starts with Superior Preparation” is now available in bookstores.

Such a nice reunion!!! Tom Coughlin & @MichaelStrahan! #KellyandMichael #Giants @Giants #EarnTheRightToWin lockerz.com/s/286169596—
LIVEKellyandMichael (@KellyandMichael) March 06, 2013

Two stars, TC and @michaelstrahan … Warming up for today's @KellyandMichael … NOW!!! lockerz.com/s/286165369 #EarnTheRightToWin—
pat hanlon (@giantspathanlon) March 06, 2013

That's the back of @BobPapa_NFL's head as he chats with TC this AM on #SiriusNFL lockerz.com/s/286165751—
pat hanlon (@giantspathanlon) March 06, 2013

Coach Coughlin in studio @ESPNNY98_7FM w @RealMichaelKay & @DonLagreca to discuss his book "Earn the Right to Win" http://t.co/w9gQEc3kgx—
Ryan T. Hurley (@ryanthurley) March 06, 2013

Check out Coach Coughlin’s new book EARN THE RIGHT TO WIN, out today: tinyurl.com/c5tllmp Congrats Coach!—
Victor Cruz (@TeamVic) March 05, 2013

TC is up and running at Barnes & Noble, 46th and 5th! #EarnTheRightToWin lockerz.com/s/286078102—
pat hanlon (@giantspathanlon) March 05, 2013

NFL Coach Coughlin’s tip for success on & off the field…"you’ve got to be prepared when you do have that opportunity" #giants—
TODAY (@todayshow) March 05, 2013

TC taping an interview w/ @DukeCastiglione for #GoodDayNY. Earn the Right to Win. lockerz.com/s/286064472—
pat hanlon (@giantspathanlon) March 05, 2013

"Preparation is the key to success" NFL veteran coach (and author) Tom Coughlin #EarntheRighttoWin—
Piers Morgan Tonight (@PiersTonight) March 06, 2013

Beadle & Briggs sit down w/ @Giants HC Tom Coughlin … They were late.. Was he mad? Find out 6pm on @NBCSN http://t.co/gnPbJt7Bwq—
The Crossover (@crossover) March 06, 2013

NY @Giants head coach Tom Coughlin is in studio! http://t.co/uGpFWMukdg—
Chris Mad Dog Russo (@MadDogUnleashed) March 06, 2013

Strahan talks upcoming HOF vote

Should Michael Strahan be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame this year, he’ll be the latest player to win a Super Bowl in his final game and move on to Canton. Former Broncos quarterback John Elway is the most recent player to ride off into the sunset with the Lombardi Trophy before getting a nod on his first ballot in 2004. Strahan will find out on Feb. 2 if he’s next in the exclusive line.

Five years ago Strahan was in the same position heading into the NFL’s premier game.

“I think for Ray, just as for me, I just kind of soaked up the entire situation,” Strahan told ESPN’s “Mike and Mike” Thursday morning. “I didn’t look at the magnitude of the game or anything like that. I just looked at it as, ‘I better just enjoy the experience’ because this is the last time he’ll experience that in a uniform. So I think that’s the way that he’s looking at it, and he’s fortunate enough to announce that he was going to retire weeks ago and still be in the hunt in the biggest game of the year.”

On Feb. 2, the 44-member Selection Committee will hold its annual meeting at the site of the Super Bowl and the Class of 2013 will be announced during a live, nationally-televised show from media headquarters in New Orleans.

“I’d be happy,” Strahan responded simply. “When you talk to guys who are in the Hall of Fame and who have Super Bowl rings, and you ask them which one would they choose, and everyone chooses the Hall of Fame. And I think that’s for a reason. I never played thinking I’m going to make it to the Hall of Fame. I played because I loved the competition, I just wanted to be the best at it, and I wanted to be respected. And this is the ultimate sign of respect for playing professional football. It would be overwhelming, to be honest with you,because it’s just kind of one of those things that creeps up on you. It’s still hard to believe I’ve been gone for five years, anyway.”

QUICK HITS

» Veteran teammate inspired Antrel Rolle

» LB Spencer Paysinger’s top 2012 moments

» MetLife Moment: QB Eli Manning leads the Giants to a comeback win over the Broncos in 2005

» Giants Insider: Safety Stevie Brown chats with Giants.com in this exclusive Insider interview

Daily Blitz: Giants to wear special HOF patches

If you watched Thursday Night Football, you may have noticed the Pro Football Hall of Fame patches that the Broncos and Raiders were wearing. The Giants and the rest of the NFL will be wearing the same ones for the next two weeks, commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Hall, which opened on September 7, 1963 in Canton, Ohio.

#nfl #hof patches for #nyg @Giants players the next two games. @giantspathanlon http://t.co/YwnOFTSy—
Joseph Skiba (@blancoshadow) December 06, 2012

All clubs with home games during Weeks 14 and 15 will also feature in-stadium banners, while there will be moments during broadcasts recognizing and honoring Hall of Famers who are present at the game.

“We are pleased to celebrate the great men who built this game as well as 50 years of the Hall where they are enshrined and honored,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said earlier this week.  “The Pro Football Hall of Fame preserves the history of our game and is an important resource for educating generations of fans.”

Speaking of Canton, three Giants greats are up for enshrinement in the 2013 class: defensive end Michael Strahan, coach Bill Parcells and the late general manager George Young.

QUICK HITS

» Giants vs. Saints Scouting Report

» The Giants defense will look to better in their 2012 matchup with the Saints

» RB David Wilson still seeing limited time

» Matchup vs. Saints’ versatile TE Graham

» WATCH: Big Blue Hits with Corey Webster

Top 10 Tuesday: Most Games in a Giants Uniform

In this week’s edition, Giants.com takes a look at the longest-tenured players to have ever worn the Giants uniform in terms of games played for the organization.

CLICK TO VIEW PHOTO GALLERY

1) DE Michael Strahan — 216 games played (1993-07)
2) TE Howard Cross — 207 (1989-01)
3) DE George Martin — 201 (1975-88)
4) WR Amani Toomer — 190 (1996-08)
5t) LB Lawrence Taylor — 184 (1981-93)
5t) RB/WR Joe Morrison — 184 (1959-72)
7) C Greg Larson — 179 (1961-73)
8t) DT Keith Hamilton — 173 (1992-03)
8t) LB Harry Carson — 173 (1976-88)
10) C Mel Hein — 170 (1931-45)

*Active Giants: OT David Diehl (143), G Chris Snee (128), QB Eli Manning (127), DE Osi Umenyiora (119), CB Corey Webster (107), LB Chase Blackburn (104), DE Justin Tuck (102)

Top 10 Tuesday: Sack Leaders

With defensive captain Justin Tuck one rush away from moving into sixth place on the Giants’ all-time sack list, we take a look at the top 10 pass rushers in franchise history.

CLICK TO VIEW GALLERY OF TOP 10 PASS RUSHERS

*Taylor had 9.5 sacks as a rookie in 1981, the  year before they became an official statistic.
**Mathias Kiwanuka is currently 11th (27), and Jason Pierre-Paul has climbed to 14th (22.5) in his third season.

Daily Blitz: Coughlin profiled in ‘A Football Life’

If you’ve ever seen or heard a Tom Coughlin press conference, you know he doesn’t reveal much. That’s why A Football Life is must-see TV this week as the Emmy-nominated series profiles the Giants’ two-time Super Bowl champion head coach. The Coughlin episode premiers on Wednesday, September 26 at 8 PM ET on NFL Network.

While the one-hour show does chronicle Coughlin’s football career, it also captures a rare glimpse of his off-field life, highlighting his wife, Judy, and his devotion to his charity, The Jay Fund.

Aside from Coughlin’s, here is a list of some of the voices included in the episode:

Judy Coughlin – Tom’s wife

Kate Snee – Tom’s daughter

Bill Parcells – Former New York Giants head coach

Michael Strahan – Former New York Giants defensive end

Jim Boeheim – Syracuse University men’s basketball coach

Larry Csonka – Hall of Fame running back

Fred Taylor – Former Jacksonville Jaguars running back

Ernie Accorsi – Former New York Giants general manager

Doug Flutie – Played for Tom Coughlin at Boston College, 1981-83

CLICK HERE TO VIEW TRAILER

Following are select quotes from Tom Coughlin: A Football Life:

- “When people are sick or in need, that’s when his emotions, his faith, his strength shows the most.” – Judy Coughlin

- “I’ve gone from a guy who wouldn’t play for him for one year, to a guy who wouldn’t play for anybody else if I had to go back and play football. He wants to win. That’s his bottom line, and he’s had to change his methods to get there. I’m glad he changed it, that we were able to get to the mountaintop with him.” – Michael Strahan

- “When you win in New York, it’s something special and the people never forget you.” – Bill Parcells

- “At Syracuse, he kept notes on everything. [He is the] first person I ever saw in athletics that kept notes on everything. A few years later after I left Tommy’s presence, I met a guy that was just like that. His name was [Don] Shula.” – Larry Csonka

- “I could be rude [with the media]. I could pull some of the [Bill] Parcells stuff, but I couldn’t get away with it. I wasn’t Parcells. They make light of it, but they’re not making light of it with me.” – Tom Coughlin on his relationship with the New York media early in his Giants head coaching tenure

- “When John Madden calls you, it brings it right to mind again that that’s really what football is: it’s sport. What is sport all about? We’re trying to win. That’s what this league is about, is competitive greatness and always putting your best foot forward.” – Coughlin

QUICK HITS

» Thursday Night Football’s Giants-Panthers most watched game on cable TV; fifth highest-rated game ever on NFL Network.

» Marvin Austin: ‘I’m an NFL player now‘ [Matt Ehalt, ESPNNewYork.com]

» Buy ‘A Hero Remembered‘

Steve Sabol’s life’s work changed the way that we watched football forever. Honor him, and help aid brain tumor research, by purchasing the single “A Hero Remembered” on iTunes.

Daily Blitz: First look at Tampa

Because they participated in the Wednesday kickoff game, the Giants players and coaches had a rare Sunday open to watch a full slate of NFL action, including their upcoming opponent, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

What they saw was the team that finished last in the NFC South a year ago win their first game over the Carolina Panthers, picking off Cam Newton twice while holding him to four yards rushing. Meanwhile, Tampa quarterback Josh Freeman was 16 of 24 passing for 138 yards, one touchdown and no interceptions, and Doug Martin led all rushers with 95 yards on 24 attempts. In their debut under head coach Greg Schiano, the new-look Bucs held the Panthers to 10 yards rushing on 13 attempts.

Here’s a look at the Buccaneers’ 2011 statistical rankings:

PTS/G: 17.9 (27^th)

Passing yards: 228.1 (16^th)

Rushing yards: 91.1 (30^th)

Opponent PTS/G: 30.9 (32^nd)

Opponent passing yards: 238.4 (21^st)

Opponent rushing yards: 156.1 (32^nd)

QUICK HITS

>> Q & A with Giants GM Jerry Reese on the new season

>> VIEW: Michael Strahan, from the NFL to ‘Live!’ co-host [The Washington Post]

NFL Kickoff: Pregame Ceremony with Giants Legends

CLICK HERE TO VIEW SLIDESHOW

Daily Blitz: HOF Weekend signals start of preseason

Ready or not, the 2012 NFL preseason is officially underway.

With yesterday’s Hall of Fame game in Canton, Ohio — where New Orleans beat Arizona, 17-10 – all 32 teams are on the clock and a month away from making it count.

That means the Giants are in game mode this week, having three practices until Friday’s preseason opener in Jacksonville. Kicked off by the induction ceremony on Saturday, it also means former Giants great Michael Strahan is a year away from possible enshrinement.

The NFL’s single-season sack record holder and 2001 Defensive Player of the Year will join the likely pool of candidates along with defensive tackle Warren Sapp, offensive tackle Jonathan Ogden, and guard Larry Allen. That’s not to mention past nominees, including coach Bill Parcells and wide receiver Cris Carter.

While teams open their gates to the 2012 season and all that unfolds, we’ll wait to see whose busts are unveiled in a year’s time.

Congratulations to all the NFL Hall of Fame inductees. Played against most of you and I respect you and honor you!!!!—
Michael Strahan (@michaelstrahan) August 05, 2012

UPDATE:

It was a proud weekend for University of Pittsburgh football fans and alumni, including Giants fullback Henry Hynoski.

Two of his fellow Panthers – running back Curtis Martin and defensive end Chris Doleman – were enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame on Saturday, bringing the school’s total up to eight players (tied for third among NCAA programs).

“They’re two great players that really exemplify what it takes to be a Pitt Panther,” Hynoski said before Monday’s practice. “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication and we’re just happy they’re on our side.”

After their respective college careers, Martin (drafted out of Pitt in 1995) became the NFL’s fourth all-time leading rusher at the time of retirement, while Doleman (1985) finished his pro career fourth on the career sack list.

“I never met them personally, but I just heard stories about how great of guys they are and how unbelievable they were when they were there as players – and as people, too,” said Hynoski, whose father, Henry Sr., was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 and was drafted as a running back by the Cleveland Browns.

The Hynocerous was a prolific runner himself, finishing sixth in Pennsylvania history with 7,165 career rushing yards in high school.

QUICK HITS

>> Photo Essay: NFL training camp drills as Olympic events. [NFL.com]

>> Giants’ defense doing its best to shut down Victor Cruz. [Mike Garafolo, The Star-Ledger]

>> NY Giants’ Jason Pierre-Paul is adding mental game to absurd physical gifts. [Ralph Vacchiano, New York Daily News]