I suppose this will be a story line for the 2008 season, or at least until the Cowboys inevitably lose their first-round playoff game. In the meantime, the Giants, defending Super Bowl champions, are already tired of hearing about all preseason hype surrounding their NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys.
As a general rule, it's a bad idea to put any stock in preseason media predictions, but the Giants seemed pretty worked up about being slighted less than six months after cementing the Patriots' legacy as the only NFL team to go undefeated in the regular season only to lose in the Super Bowl.
And now, as training camps open across the league, the Giants are voicing their displeasure over the peculiar idea that the team is somehow underdogs in the division heading into 2008.
The Giants are a bit perturbed, not only that nobody is picking them to repeat as Super Bowl winners or even get back to the Super Bowl, but that every time they look up, somebody else is calling for the Cowboys to win the NFC East even though the Giants went into Texas Stadium in January and eliminated Dallas from the playoffs.Well, that certainly won't keep Cowboys owner Jerry Jones from trying. Then there's Wade Phillips' claim that the team is getting its collective ring finger ready, which is one way to manufacture a pretend-war of words between division rivals.
"Maybe it's because Dallas tried to buy a Super Bowl this year," Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said right after reporting to camp Thursday. Can you buy the Super Bowl?
"I don't think so," Tuck said.
Ultimately, all the yakking doesn't mean much, especially in July, but maybe it'll lead to something more awesomer than this when the two teams meet in Week 9.
ADVERTISEMENT
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
7-25-2008 @ 1:41PM
rwalb334785@aol.com said...
C'mon Jerry! Are you ready for some football? I just know you are! So how 'bout we play like we mean it? K?
Reply
7-25-2008 @ 1:41PM
Di said...
C'mon Jerry...are you ready for some football? Let's get it on. You got the team. You got offense. You got defense. You got to stay off the sidelines. Dude, you know I love from a long time back BUT let the coaches and the team do their jobs AND you'll get the RING! I PROMISE.
Reply
7-25-2008 @ 5:19PM
jraintdead said...
As a general rule, it's a bad idea to put any stock in preseason media predictions,
=================================================
I suppose that includes your prediction of an "inevitable first-round playoff loss", eh Mr. Wilson?
Reply
7-25-2008 @ 5:21PM
ryan said...
Obviously.
7-25-2008 @ 9:49PM
Sports Fan said...
Parcells left Handley and Parcells left Phillips. He's just too funny!!
Reply
7-25-2008 @ 9:54PM
Big T said...
Who the hell is Justin Tuck? Uh, I believe the NFL has a salary cap which means all teams have the same amount of money to work with. The Giants will not repeat!
Reply
7-26-2008 @ 2:20PM
hootie_69 said...
Uh, I believe there are these things called signing bonuses. It takes lots of money up front to sign high profile players and some owners (I'm looking at you Dan Snyder) are more willing to take the risk involved with throwing this money around because their teams are flush with cash. A teams payroll can actually be much higher than the salary cap in a given year because these bonuses get prorated.
7-26-2008 @ 2:37AM
jeff said...
The Cowboys resigned their players and got Pac Man Jones for minimum wage. How is this "buying a SB" ??
What an idiot.
And who the hell is Justin Tuck? A situational DT.
Reply
7-26-2008 @ 12:00PM
10 to 17 said...
hey jeff...justin tuck is the starting left end for the world champion new york giants. your boyfriend romo will be getting to know him very well. second of all, the cowboys have a great hype machine but little else. how can you be not be embarrassed by a team that for the last 2 (now 3) seasons is stacked with talent at every position (except safety) and still come up short every year. last year you had a week off were at home, no injuries and you still couldnt get a win. too bad the playoffs are going to an "on paper" format. then you guys would do great.
Reply
7-26-2008 @ 12:12PM
Robert said...
This Justin Tuck needs a lesson in common sense. How can an NFL team buy a championship when the same salary cap applies to all the teams in the league? Sounds like he is already making excuses for this year. One very lucky pass play in the Super Bowl, I guess allows him to mouth off. This year will prove Tuck and the Giants were one year wonders.
Reply
7-26-2008 @ 3:07PM
hootie_69 said...
1 How can an NFL team buy a superbowl you ask? Did you already forget about the Ravens winning it all and then having to slash their roster to almost nothing because the prorated signing bonuses of the players on that SB team destroyed their cap a couple years later. You can try to make a run at a championship by paying big bucks up front.
2. That one play did not win the SB all by its lonesome. That play scored 0 points, it didn't sack Tom Brady 5 times and it didn't keep the most potent offense ever under 300 total yards.
7-26-2008 @ 12:16PM
MLJ said...
Sorry Jeff, Justin Tuck is not a situational DT. He is the Super Bowl Champion Giants starting defensive end and an emerging star. He will be a force this year. As far as the Cowboys go, they are very talented but they have issues; Forrest Gump is the head coach (w/ Jason Garrett looking over his shoulder ready to take the job away), they lost a lot of quality coaches to Parcells in Miami and their receivers are ancient.
The Giants will own the division!
http://www.myteamrivals.typepad.com/newyorkgiants
Reply
7-26-2008 @ 1:23PM
PHIL MASTELLONE said...
I LIVE IN NEW JERSEY AND NOBODY KNOWS WHO JUSTIN TUCK IS NEVER MIND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.....GO DALLAS GO
Reply
7-26-2008 @ 3:45PM
Rick said...
I love it. It's finally time for football. Can't you just smell the venom in the air?? Maybe this will be the year Dallas delivers on all that hype.
Reply
7-26-2008 @ 5:03PM
JEFF said...
Hey 10 to 17, with the Dallas offensive line in play, the only way he will get to know Romo is if Justin is lucky enough to make the pro bowl.
Reply
7-27-2008 @ 12:41PM
matt said...
Justin Tuck is the starting DE for the Super bowl Champions. He had 65 tackles and 10 sacks as the back up last year. Imagine what he will do this year as the starter. He will take the football world by storm and everyone will know his name. All the ESPN experts will be talking about where this guy came from, forgeting about the amazing season he had last year. Every true Giants fan knows who Justin Tuck is, and soon every true NFL fan will know who he is.
Reply
7-27-2008 @ 12:52PM
turp63 said...
Crybaby.... If I didn't know any better I would've thought he was on the Pat's squad. The guy's an idiot. He acts like it's the Cowboys making these predictions. Jerry Jones even talks around it these days.
Make no mistake though, nobody spends that kind of money and expects to be fighting for a playoff spot. He expects to win big this year.
Reply
7-27-2008 @ 3:00PM
tobrien28 said...
Uhhhh Tuck had 10 sacks last year as a backup. This year he will be starting and replacing Strahan.
To the idiot that said that Tuck wouldn't be able to get past "the Cowboys great O-line" I would kindly direct him to the Giants-Dallas playoff game last year.
Reply
7-28-2008 @ 8:15PM
Jeff said...
Hey tobrien28 the 28 must be your football I.Q.. Tuck had ZERO sacks in that play off game. So who is the idiot???don't even know your own team...if you have one...so cry with Tuck-suck
Reply
7-28-2008 @ 10:55PM
You are stupid said...
PHIL MASTELLONE said...
I LIVE IN NEW JERSEY AND NOBODY KNOWS WHO JUSTIN TUCK IS NEVER MIND THE REST OF THE COUNTRY.....GO DALLAS GO
Reply
_________________________________________________
As a Jets fan, a cowboys admirer and someone who hates the giants so much they would root for the patriots in the SB.. I will defend Tuck. HE proved himself and his worth as the whole roster did. What they did by being the underdog and taking the SB from the patriots is commendable. Its football and you gotta love it!!!!
BTW, He is known in NJ and NY... You got him confused with yourself.
Reply