Mayor Bloomberg: We already have a Manning in New York

Mayor Mike Bloomberg showed his love for New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez after a caller pleaded with hizzoner to to help recruit free agent Peyton Manning to Gang Green on the mayor's weekly radio show today.

"We have a Manning playing for the Giants," said Bloomberg, referring to Peyton's younger brother, Eli, who plays for the other New York football team.

The mayor— who has dictated how New Yorkers should live by banning trans fats, salt and once set his sights on curbing liquor outlets to keep us healthy— continues his assault on the things that make life more enjoyable.

Now, the second-richest New Yorker's crusade to make NYC thinner has pulled a Snickers bar from his pocket and wants to keep the Jets looking like big, fat losers.

"I think it's be a great story for the press— Manning vs. Manning, both playing in New York," he said.  "But keep in mind the Jets have a young quarterback in Mark Sanchez and he nearly led his team to the Super Bowl twice.  So let's not dismiss.  He's sitting there."

Don't underestimate how much the Massachusetts-raised Bloomberg influence has.  He got the city to allow him to run for a third term.  Look how good of an idea that was and now he goes from being a nutritionist to NFL general manager.

Bloomberg said he met both Manning brothers when they were playing golf with their father Archie on the same course as the mayor.

"I was very impressed that I shook their hands," said Bloomberg.

Jim Irsay says 'um' 127 times during six minute 'Peyton' speech

From the time Indianapolis Colts president Jim Irsay began today's Peyton Manning press conference by saying," We're here to announce the conclusion of Peyton's playing career with the Colts and honor all the incredible memories..." and finished by handing over the podium to the departing Colts quarterback "for a few more words," he uttered the sound "um" or "uh" 127 times during his 5 minute and 57 second speech.

Not to be hatin' on the Colts boss— it was an emotional moment for both him and Manning— but by the time he got through saying "The No. 18 jersey will never be worn again by a Colt on the field" and Manning "will always be part of the  horseshoe," I was "ummed" out.

It was a classy press conference with no drum rolls or brass bands and the perfect way for a big-time NFL star to leave a small-market city.

When Manning addressed the Colts fans and said, "Thank you very much from the bottom of my heart, I truly have enjoyed being your quarterback," it was hard not to see through the toughness of a grateful man.

The New York Giants would love to have Peyton but we already have little brother Eli.

Plaxico: Giants are 'always a great possibility'

Another off-season and another possible Plaxico Burress return to the New York Giants.  Haven't we gone through this routine before?

It's that time of year when Burress— the former Giants receiver who caught the game-winning touchdown in Super Bowl XLII, shot himself in the leg, spent 20 months in jail then signed with the New York Jets— tells everyone about the prospect of his return to the Giants.

He's at it once again.  Burress, in an interview on SiriusXM NFL Radio, today with Rich Gannon and Adam Shein, said he wouldn't mind re-signing with the Giants next week when free-agency begins.


"It's always a great possibility," Burress told the hosts.

Too bad the optimistic wide-out has probably used up his three wishes with the Big Blue genie.

Last summer— after his release from prison for weapons charges— Burress spurned the Giants after a much-ballyhooed free-agent visit to the Timex performance Center in the Meadowlands for dinner with the owners and Tom Coughlin.

The Giants offered him an incentive-based contract which Burress turned down; then promptly grabbed a guaranteed deal with the Jets.

Afterwards,  he said he never wanted to play for the Giants and had nothing but distain for head coach Tom Coughlin.

Now it sounds like the 34-year-old Burress has changed his tune... again.  The Lomabrdi Trophy can do that to a person.

"Playing in Kevin Gilbride's system is definitely one of the best," said Burress.  "You see the production those guys are having at wide receiver position.  Victor Cruz obviously with the year he had, Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham.  You just look at some of the plays that those guys are making out there on the edge.  And Eli [Manning] has really just become a man of his position, leading those guys the last few games of the season, the last five or six winning, and obviously the Super Bowl."

Is there a spot for Burress on the Giants?  Probably not.

The Giants are preparing themselves for the loss of free-agent Mario Manningham but still have Cruz, Hicks and a re-signed Domenic Hixon.  There are high hopes for Jerrel Jernigan and Ramses Barden and Burress didn't exactly do anything with the Jets.

The free-agent has bandied about the names of the Giants, Jets, Pittsburgh Steelers and Philadelphia Eagles as teams he would like to join.

Burress told a Philadelphia radio station that "Nothing would make me happier" than playing for the  Eagles, but he said that last summer too.

The Giants got over the loss of Steve Smith to the Eagles without any complications.  Burress would be a no brainer.

"I haven't been able to talk to any teams as of yet obviously because it's not free-agency time," Burress said today.  "But I'm looking at all offers , I'm just looking for an opportunity to go into an offense, have fun, make some plays these last few years and the goal is always to win a championship."

Too bad he gave up that chance last season.

Eli Manning rips Saints over Bounty-gate

Eli Manning has become the first prominent NFL player to publicly speak out against the Bounty-gate scandal threatening to take down his hometown team— the New Orleans Saints.

The New York Giants quarterback is no stranger when it comes to the violence in the NFL— he has memories of his father Archie get knocked around for 11 seasons in New Orleans and has taken his share of licks himself— but from the sounds of it, Manning is sickened by the suggestion of placing bounties on NFL player's heads and ripped into the Saints if they did it.

"Obviously, it's a big deal, what's going on," said Manning before the premiere screening of the Giants official championship video, "Super Bowl XLVI Champions: New York Giants" at a Times Square theater last night. "It's not good for football and can't be a part of football.  I know [commissioner] Roger Goodell will do a good job of figuring all this out and making sure this doesn't happen again."

The two time Super Bowl MVP— who grew up in New Orleans— went on to say he has heard his own head coach Tom Coughlin instruct the Giants defense to go after opposing quarterbacks in team meetings.

"I'm kind of sitting there and I say, 'I know the opposing teams are saying the same thing about me,'" said Manning.  But when you start talking about injuring a guy and carting him off and trying to end his season or career, that's not what the game is about.  I think we should have more respect for the game than that.  It can't be a part of football."

The Giants were hammered by the Saints, 49-24, on Nov. 28 in New Orleans but Manning said he can't recall any specific foul hits on himself, so he can't say if their defensive coordinator Gregg Williams actually put a bounty on him.

Williams has been accused of collecting money to be awarded to players able to get opposing players carted off the field with injuries.

There was one vicious hit by safety Isa Abdul-Quddus in the third quarter that knocked Hakeem Nicks out of the game with a rib contusion.  Abdul-Quddus got a 15-yard penalty for hitting a defenseless player.  Nicks returned to game but looks at the hit differently now.

"It's just part of the game,' said Nicks at the screening.  "He got a good shot on me.  It wasn't the last time I got hit that hard.  I took one in the Super Bowl too.  You can't be too scared to get hit."

Asked if he thought it was a cheap attempt to injure him Nicks responded," The way he was celebrating you would probably think that regardless."

Giants safety Antrel Rolle echoed his teammate's sentiments but insisted the Giants have no bounty system and said if the accusations against the Saints are true, the tactics are "not good character."

New York Giants to get "blue carpet" treatment at film screening

Super Bowl winners Eli Manning, Jason Pierre-Paul, Antrel Rolle, Mario Manningham and Hakeem Nicks will be strutting down the "blue carpet' at tonight's screening of a new DVD that captures the New York Giants season leading up to their upset victory over the New England Patriots in  Super Bowl XLVI.

Some might even call the DVD a remake of the Giants Super Bowl XLII win because there are so many similarities between the two championship runs.

In both scenarios, the Giants' season seemed to be over before the underdog squad gets hot down the stretch and defies all odds by making the playoffs.  Combine that with freakish last minute catches and comeback wins— over the Patriots— in both Super Bowls and you can see how the two championship runs look alike.

The two-time Super Bowl MVP Manning and the other players will be getting front-row seats for tonight's event at the Regal Theater in Times Square for the V.I.P. showing of NFL Films and Vivendi Entertainment's "Super Bowl XLVI Champions: New York Giants" which will be released today.

According to a sneak peak by The New York Post, the DVD begins with clips of the Giants' stunning upset of the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII then fast-forwards to to reveal how "eerily similar" the first championship was to the second.

The game by game account of the season highlights themes like Manning's ascension to "elite" status, the emergence of Victor Cruz and the steady hand of head coach Tom Coughlin.

After the comeback win over the Dallas Cowboys, Coughlin exclaims to his jubilant players in the locker room, "Take the star down off the mountain, put the NYG on top."

There is a slo-mo replay of Cruz's game-breaking 99-yard TD catch and run against the New York Jets and, of course, Manningham's unbelievable catch in the big game.

If those scenes don't get tonight's crowd cheering, nothing will.

Sprinkle those season-turning plays in with poignant sideline shots like Brandon Jacobs, sitting next to Manning, saying, "You're a beast, man, I can't say that enough" and there won't be a dry eye in the house.

Especially Patriots fans who will give it two thumbs down.

Even Bill Belichick gets a supporting role.  The Pats' coach commands his defense to concentrate on Cruz and Nicks before Manning lands the perfect pass to Manningham on the winning drive.

The only problem with this movie is everyone knows the ending but— as the credits roll over shots of the Giants parading up Broadway with ticker-tape raining down— Big Blue fans will already be waiting for a third installment in the series.

Cruz and Strahan salsa together at ceremony honoring NY Giants

This morning, an estimated 1 million fans lined the sidewalks of lower Broadway during a ticker tape parade honoring the New York Giants come-from-behind Super Bowl victory over the New England Patriots.

Afterwards, at the Key to the City ceremony on the steps of City Hall, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former Giants player Michael Strahan stood at a podium and honored all of the Giants players and staff by handing them each a ceremonial key to the city.

One of the highlights of the fete was when wide receiver and favorite target of Eli Manning, Victor Cruz, stepped to the front of the stage with the crowd's cheers of "Cruuuz" filling the air and performed some of his patented salsa dance moves with Strahan.

Cruz made the hip-shaking dance popular by doing it every time he scored a touchdown this season.

Strahan may not have had as much practice as Cruz has shaking his booty lately— he did have a sack dance years ago— but did hold his own alongside the smiling Cruz under the bright blue skies.

The confident Strahan— wearing a "GMEN" sweatshirt— actually nudged Cruz and coaxed him into dancing.

Something tells me that it won't be the last time we'll see someone grab Cruz to do the Latin dance in New York this winter.

Eli Manning on Tom Brady: "I don't know if he likes me"

Eli Manning has been racking up a lot of quotes to go with his frequent flier miles since leading his New York Giants team over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday.

After post-game celebrations in Indianapolis, the Giants quarterback flew down to Disney World Monday morning and later up to the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City where the Super Bowl MVP appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman.

The normally uncontroversial Manning was asked by the host about his relationship with his Patriots counterpart Tom Brady.

"I don't know if he likes me," Manning said with a smirk to the supportive audience..

Manning showed up about an hour late for the taping but it was excusable since it was only a few hours before that he was riding in a parade in the Orlando, Florida theme park.

Manning walked onto the theater's stage to a standing ovation while band leader Paul Shaffer and the CBS orchestra played "We Are The Champions."

The normally quiet and reserved quarterback joked about going right to bed after the game after Letterman opened the interview by asking if it was "lights out" after the victory.

"10:30, yeah, I had a big morning," he joked.  "I had to get ready for this, so I had to get my full sleep.  I've been preparing and practicing for this."

Letterman asked Manning if his receivers ever disobeyed any of the plays he calls in the huddle.

"No.  They're trained," he laughed.  "It's like a dog."

The relaxed and confident Manning touched on everything from how happy he was for his teammates that didn't already have a Super Bowl ring to head coach Tom Coughlin's philosophies.

"It was their first Super Bowl," he said. "When you have one you have to really do it for the other guys who never had that experience."

Letterman reminded Manning about Coughlin's "frozen face" in Green Bay four years ago and asked if he was a good motivator.

"He has settled down because he has confidence in his players," he replied.  "He's big on preparation and effort and studying.  Now he knows we'll be ready."

Manning quoted the softer side of the coach's pre-game speech: " The most important thing is love.  Love of teammates is the most important thing."

The host told his guest that Eli was his favorite Manning.

"I know.  I get a Christmas gift from you every year.  I got a jacket," joked the younger Manning.  "Peyton doesn't get a jacket."

Letterman asked Manning if he is going to tease his older brother by shoving the two rings on his fingers in Peyton's face.

"No," he plainly said.

The younger Manning said he expects Peyton to play again but had no idea where it would be.

 Eli even touched on the label of "elite" that he imposed on himself during the pre-season.

"I got set up a little bit," he claimed by answering the question "Do you think you are an elite quarterback?" on a radio show.

When Letterman commented that Manning looked a lot younger than four years ago— when the Giants last won the Super Bowl— the guest out-zinged the host.

"I started shaving this past year," he joked.

Shaving or not— Eli Manning is definitely all grown up.

Gisele goes off on hecklers and Tommy's teammates

Tom Brady's supermodel wife Gisele Bundchen defended her husband after she was heckled by Giants fans right after the New England Patriots 21-17 Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants.  Too bad she also threw some of Brady's teammates under the bus as well.

After a  Giants fan shouted "Eli owns your husband" outside Lucas Oil Stadium, the Brazilian stunner shot back, "My husband cannot f---ing throw the ball and catch the ball at the same time.  I can't believe they dropped the ball so many times."

The slinky model was criticizing Patriots receivers who dropped a couple of key throws from Brady during critical times during the game.

Bundchen— who sent a new-age sounding email to "My sweet friends and family" pleading with them to pray for her "Tommy" to win before the game on Sunday— just made that mailing list a lot shorter.

According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the high-paid model has never endeared herself to Patriots players wives either.

A veteran team staffer said: "She may have had a point, but she should have left it to the sportswriters and other Monday morning quarterbacks... she is already not liked by many players and their wives due to her arrogant attitude... This sure won't help improve things."

According to the newspaper, Brady's wife has very few friends among his teammate's better halves.

Another source— close to the Patriots players' wives told the Sun Times, "Gisele is... so stuck up and treats them all like yahoos... In many cases, the other wives are not all that sophisticated , but Gisele has been openly snotty to all of them— making cracks about how they dress and use to much makeup.  Stuff like that."

Bundchen may be elegant on the runways but the cover girl doesn't seem to be as graceful after Tommy loses.

It sounds like the Almighty didn't see her email.

Giants Get NY Pizzas Flown To Indianapolis For Good Luck

The New York Giants had 16 New York pizza pies flown to Indianapolis so the superstitious players wouldn't jinx their tradition of downing the Italian treat every Friday after practice.

Players personally asked that the pies— from Umberto's in New Hyde Park, Long Island— be delivered because some of them thought that there was a chance they could break their five-game winning streak leading into the Super Bowl if they didn't get their weekly dose of the cheesy snack.

After a 700-mile trip that began with a early morning escort by the Nassau County Police Department to LaGuardia Airport; the pizzas arrived safely in Indy and made it to the Giants dining tables after the Friday afternoon practice.

Defensive end Justin Tuck and guard David Diehl called in the order last weekend said the restaurant's manager Gaetano Corteo.

"They were gone in less than ten minutes," said Corteo.  "They destroyed all of the pies.  There was nothing left."

Corteo and his staff personally handed out the slices to the Giants players inside the temporary practice facilities at the University of Indiana.  Maybe he should have brought more than Kobayashi could down in 10 minutes by himself

"If there had been ten more pies, they would have destroyed those too," said one of the pizza servers.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning said the pizza was "excellent."

No cold pizza for the G-Men either.

The pies— which lifted off from New York with helicopters hovering above and a police escort fit for a king— were packed in heat-retaining bags, searched by security and whisked onto a waiting Delta MD-88 jet with a flight crew adorned in Giants jerseys.

All the TSA agents reportedly found were four kinds of pizzas with light tomato sauces, mozzarella and home-made sausage on oven-baked thin crusts.

"It's all about consistency," said Corteo.  "They come in the locker room every Friday and know the pies are there.  It's part of their everyday lives, and it's such an honor for me and my family back home— it's awesome."

Everyone knows nothing beats New York pizza (except New Jersey) and it sounds like Big Blue didn't mind going the extra miles for their lucky snack.

Since it took more than 30 minutes for the delivery, I guess the pies were free.

Giants Super Bowl XLII Ring On Sale For $47,995

A diamond-studded Tiffany ring presented to one of the New York Giants players after the team upset the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII is up for sale.

All it takes to get one of the historic ring is a deep-burning love of Big Blue and $47,995.

Tiki Barber, are you listening? 

"For whatever reason, back in 2008, we received eight players selling their rings within six months after they received them," Tim Robbins of Champions-Rings.net.  "The majority of them were still playing for the team, which is rather unusual."

According to the New York Daily News, one of Robbins clients bought the  ring back then, but last November, looking to turn a profit, decided to sell the ring back.  It now sits on a shelf among 1,200 or so championship rings that range from NCAA Championships to the Super Bowl.

Robbins said the rings are also awarded to team staff members— which are different from the ones the players recieve— and he was kind of surprised by the number of Giants that season who were looking hock their bling.

If you are a fan of TV's Pawn Stars, you already know that the players' rings are more valuable than the staff's.

The white gold and diamond rings are manufactured by the same famous silversmith that also makes the Lombardi Trophy every year.

"The Giants rings, being made by Tiffany, it was a little surprising to see that many," said Robbins.  "But there are so many die-hard New York Giants fans that it didn't take that much time to sell them at all."

"And if you wear this out," Robbins said.  "It's the best icebreaker in the world."

But this is a special ring— nicknamed a "10-table ring" by former Giants player Michael Strahan because he wanted people ten tables away to see his pride and joy.

Robbins said the ring has been on the market for over three months and blames the slow economy for it sitting on the shelf so long.  Normally, Giants rings "don't have a tendency to last that long," he said.

In 2008, when the rings were presented to the Giants players, they had a value of over $25,000.  The face of the ring features three Super Bowl trophies— one for each of the team's titles.  One side is engraved with the score of the game (Giants 17, Patriots 14) and the other side says "Eleven Straight on the Road" in reference to the NFL record set by the team in 2007.

 Strahan, Eli Manning, Amani Toomer and Shaun O'Hara were all consultants on the design of the ring.

Players sell their rings for a variety of reasons claims Robbins and it's not always financial hardship.

"You have players where their religion prohibits them from wearing jewelery," he said.  "So they just don't need the ring."

Robbins stands by his firm's privacy policy and won't disclose the name of the player who came in and unloaded his ring.  He just said the unnamed player wasn't a starter in the Super Bowl.

One person we can definitely leave out of that discussion is good ol' Tiki.

Married Women Would Rather Have An Affair With Eli Than Brady: Poll

Married women around the country would prefer to cheat with Eli Manning than Tom Brady according to a poll conducted by AshleyMadison.com.

Brady may have more Super Bowl rings, career yards and TD passes than the New York Giants quarterback, but— in fact— 54% of the married women polled said they'd rather have an affair with Manning because of his "boy-next-door" looks, claims the adultery-promoting website.

It sounds like the New England Patriots quarterback might be a little too metro-sexual for most of the women, according to the online poll.

They seem to think Manning would be "less of a hothead" than Brady and easier to relate to.

Apparently the lure of getting a free pair of Uggs isn't as great as Manning's 'Aw shucks' grin.

 Both players will meet in the Super Bowl on Feb. 5.

Manning, 31, is married to Abby McGrew, his college sweetheart from his football playing days at Mississippi while Brady is married to Brazilian super-model and former jet-setter Giselle Bundchen.

You don't need a poll to figure out which wife most married men would prefer to hit the No-Tell Motel with.

It wasn't much of a surprise that 86% of philandering New York women would have a dalliance with their home town quarterback and 97% of Boston cheaters would choose Brady.

Things get a little weirder when the home-wrecking women of Indianapolis— where Eli's older brother Peyton is the quarterback of the Colts— were polled.

According to the poll,  70% of the married Indy women said they would prefer a romp in the hay with the home town hero's younger brother over Brady.

Maybe Eli has caught up to Peyton in more ways than one.

Victor Cruz Teaches NYC Kids How To Salsa

New York Giants wide-out Victor Cruz showed some his post-touchdown salsa moves that he hopes to bust out at the Super bowl to a group of fans inside a Times Square sporting goods store.

Yesterday, the game-breaking Cruz showed dozens of children how to gyrate their hips just like he does after scoring a touchdown.

Cruz— and his famous touchdown dance called the "Silk City" salsa— has his own T-shirt with simple dance instructions printed on the back.

A representative of the sporting store chain said the new Victor Cruz T-shirt has become wildly popular is the fastest selling shirt ever.

The record-breaking receiver from Paterson, N.J. said he "never took salsa lessons or a class" and credits the Puerto Rican side of his family for showing him how to shake it.

"My grandmother showed me the step," said Cruz, "and I pay her homage every time I get in the end zone."

The speedy 25-year old debuted his dance on Sept. 25 after catching a 74-yard touchdown from Eli Manning in a 29-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Cruz went on to catch eight more TD's, set a Giants single-season record of 1,536 yards receiving and become a huge fan favorite.

Everytime he catches a ball, cheers of "Cruuuuz!" ring out inside MetLife Stadium and— sometimes— even on the road.

"It started as a joke," he said,  "I wanted to do something for me and the team."

Stricter rules against over-celebrating in high school and college kept Cruz's moves limited to his living room before he could actually cut a rug in the pros.

"I knew I could not do it in high school," he said.  "[So] I started doing it in the NFL."

Cruz recently turned down a chance to appear on TV's "Dancing with the Stars" but left open the possibility of appearing down the road.

"My first career is doing pretty well," he joked.

For now Cruz is concentrating on the Feb. 5 game against the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl.

"As a kid, you dream about it.  Watching Super Bowls and game-winning kicks," Cruz said.  "Just to be a part of it this year has been amazing."

If the Giants win the Lombardi Trophy, expect to see a lot of shaking hips under a ticker-tape shower.

Peyton To Eli: 'It's All About The Giants Now'

Peyton Manning was understandably proud of his younger brother Eli after the NewYork Giants 20-17 overtime victory over the San Francisco 49ers for the NFC title.

The Indianapolis quarterback had a a quick chat and embraced Eli before he  headed to the team bus for the flight back to New York and ultimately a trip to Indy for a Super Bowl rematch with the New England Patriots on Feb. 5..

"Go Giants," said Peyton.  "It's all about the Giants now,"

If the two siblings never get a chance to share the stage at MetLife Stadium— as Giants and Jets quarterbacks respectively— this might be the closest scenario.

And it sounds like big bro is more than happy to let Eli get the spotlight in Peyton's adopted hometown of Indianapolis.

Peyton had a lot to puff out his chest about.

This season, Eli stepped out of the shadow of his big brother— who was sidelined after neck surgery—in a big way.  The younger Manning will actually have as many Super Bowl appearances under his belt as the "elite" Peyton and is one win away from having one more championship ring.

"I'm just proud as a quarterback to watch him compete," Peyton said after watching his brother get battered by the fierce Niners defense and still win.  "And the way he's played, I'm even more proud of him as a brother."

While Eli's game yesterday wasn't a thing of beauty, it was a testament to his toughness.

Eli threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns with out any turnovers against a swarming San Francisco defense.  There didn't seem to be an easy throw for Eli all day and he was hit 20 times.  It seemed like he had a 49ers player draped on him during every play.

"It's what I expected him to do," said Peyton.  "I'm just proud of Eli and how well he's played this year.  He's been awesome.  he's been clutch."

It's twice as ironic that Eli could win his second Super Bowl title in  Peyton's adopted hometown— where fans have waited and hoped for four years to see their own Manning win in their home stadium—and against Peyton's arch-nemesis Tom Brady.

"Yeah, it's my home town," said Peyton. "I've just been proud of all year.  I've really gotten to see a lot more of his games since I've been injured.  It's fun to watch him play.  he's been clutch all season long.  Fourth quarter comebacks.  when they needed him, he was always there."

Peyton had little to say about the prognosis for his injury or where he'll be playing.  When asked about the possibility of playing for the Jets, he laughed, "Nahh.  Giants, man. Go  Giants."

For now, he's seems happy that in Super Bowl XLVI, at least one Manning is playing in front of the  Lucas Oil Stadium crowd.

Niners Player Takes Out Own Teammate in Collision

A vicious collision between San Francisco 49ers safety Dashon Goldson and fellow defensive back Tarell Brown during the NFC Championship game against the New York Giants left Brown sprawled out in the middle of the field before he was assisted off the field.

Giants quarterback Eli Manning threw the ball in the direction of his wide-out Hakeem Nicks when the two 49ers players both dove towards the errant pass and met each other helmet-to-chest.

Goldson rolled over the prone Brown— who was lying on his back motionless on the ground.

A medical team surrounded Brown as Goldson nervously watched his teammate from the sidelines.  Brown sat up after a few minutes, refused the services of a stretcher and was assisted off the field by two men.  He later walked unassisted to the locker room for observation.

The Giants should consider themselves lucky because it looked like an easy INT if the two players didn't crash into each other.

The nasty smash-up occurred with a minute left in the 3rd quarter with the 49ers leading, 14-10, in the defensive tug-of-war.

Tiki Barber Gets NFL Job... Sort Of

Tiki Barber is ready to talk about the New York Giants once again.  The outspoken former Giants running back has signed with SportsNet New York to work on a special postgame show after Sunday's NFC Championship game.

The controversial Barber— who was dumped as a reporter by NBC in 2010 and was last seen trying to make an NFL comeback with no suitors at the beginning of the 2011 season— will be in a studio commenting on the Giants play.

"I am looking forward to providing my insights," Barber.  "Hopefully, it will be after a Giants win."

Barber came under fire by Giants fans for criticizing his former teammates and head coach during and after his playing days with the franchise.

The former player called head coach Tom Coughlin's coaching style "demeaning" and said the coach was "always trying to vilify me."

What's ironic though, is that Barber's two of his most prominent targets— quarterback Eli Manning and Coughlin— are still on the team and one win away from making their second Super Bowl appearances.

Barber, the Giants all-time leading rusher, retired following the 2006 season— right before the Giants won the Super Bowl in 2008.  Barber, himself, never even made it to the big game as a player.

Following his retirement, Barber joined NBC Sports as reporter on its "Football Night in America" show— where he criticized Manning's leadership skills— and worked as a reporter on the "Today" morning show and was maligned for his awkward, uninteresting journalistic style.

He was dumped by NBC in 2010 after he admitted to an affair with an intern while his wife was pregnant with twins.

While Barber has made amends with Manning— by calling the quarterback a leader who " always does something to help the team win"— don't expect a one-on-one with Coughlin.

Just this week, the head coach refused to meet face-to-face with Barber who was reaching out to bury the hatchet with his former coach.

I think Coughlin had more important things on his mind.

The thought of Barber's insights on a team still remembers his big grin and even bigger whines might make Giants fans throw up a little; but they can take solace in the fact that he is 3,000 miles away from the action.

Eli Manning Leaves Practice Early With "Illness"

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning left Wednesday's practice early because of symptoms that head coach Tom Coughlin called "a stomach bug, hopefully a 24-hour deal."

The Giants have weathered a battery of player's injuries and sicknesses all season but, as the team gets ready to face the San Francisco 49ers in Sunday's NFC Championship game, Manning is the one player they can't do without.

Manning was put on the injury report for the first time this season after he missed the majority of today's practice.

The Giants QB started practice but couldn't finish and didn't hang around the locker room to talk.

The Giants officially listed Manning as limited due to "illness."  Coughlin said he had  a "stomach flu."

Manning may have left practice prematurely but few— if any—of his teammates expect him to miss Sunday's game.

"If there is one guy who can miss a practice Wednesday mentally, it's No. 10," said guard Chris Snee.  He was probably here on Monday and Tuesday looking at game film."

"He's probably going to spend the rest of the day doing that," agreed tight end Jake  Ballard.

Backup quarterback David Carr took over for Manning— who the Giants hope will return on Thursday.

The team noticed Manning looked a little queasy from the start of today's practice session.

"You could tell he was hurting bad," said Ballard.  "He usually toughs things out like that.  You could tell he was dragging, and you don't like seeing your Pro-Bowl quarterback throwing up or feeling like that.  Hopefully, he'll be better tomorrow."

Also limited on Wednesday were defensive ends Osi Umenyiora (ankle, knee), Justin Tuck (shoulder), cornerback Corey Webster (hamstring) and linebacker Mark Herzlich (ankle).

Another concern is Ahmad Bradshaw who completely missed practice with a foot problem.  The running back has been frequently sitting out practices while nursing the injury over the past few weeks.

While all the talk in the locker room centered around Manning, his teammates claimed that it will take more than a bug to keep their battle-tested leader out of this weekend's game.

"There's no way," said fullback Henry Hisnoski.  "I think he'll play no matter what."

Eli Thinks Sharing MetLife Stadium with Peyton Would be "Fun" and "Unique"

Who said New York City ain't big enough for two Mannings?  It could be if you believe Eli Manning, the younger brother of Peyton.

The New York Giants quarterback said if all the talk of Peyton joining same-stadium rivals the New York Jets came true it wouldn't bother him much at all.

"I'm not saying it's not going to happen, or I'd want it to happen, but having your brother that close to you and playing in New York would be very unique," Eli said in an interview with ESPN Radio this morning.

After standing in the shadow of Peyton for his whole career, Eli is finally stepping out from behind it and has become his own man.

Eli is one win from from leading his team to another Super Bowl and the second of the Giants quarterback's career after being the first half of "The Helmet Catch" in 2008.

Big brother Peyton is not far ahead with a Super Bowl win to go with one loss.

While Peyton's future is up in the air and will be the biggest NFL story of the off-season, Eli's future with the Giants is set in stone.

Peyton missed the entire 2011 season following neck surgery.  The Indianapolis Colts became a rudderless ship that went 2-14 on the season earning them the first pick in the NFL draft.

Odds are the Colts go with every one's pick— Stanford QB Andrew Luck.

If Indy decides to go with Luck, the Colts may consider trading Peyton or not picking up his $28 million option.  The team has until March 8 to decide.

The Jets meanwhile, are coming off a disappointing 8-8 season and unnamed teammates and organization members have put most of the the blame on the youthful shoulders of QB Mark Sanchez.

While this week, head coach Rex Ryan and GM Mike Tannenbaum said they fully support Sanchez,  it is no secret Ryan adores the Colts QB and has Peyton's former-offensive coordinator and mentor as a Jets consultant.

Peyton's dad, Archie, also said this week that his son wants to stay in Indianapolis and enjoys the life he has there.

"I don't know what's going to happen in that situation," Eli told ESPN Radio.  "I think it would be interesting to have your brother in the same city playing football together."

"Would it be fun?  I think, yeah," he said.

Eli has had to live up to Peyton his whole career and said he felt the pressure even more after being the Giants first draft pick in 2004.  He was labelled a brat for refusing to go to the San Diego Chargers.

The younger Manning was asked if the stigma of following Peyton affected his play.

"Maybe just a little bit because Peyton had a six year head start on me," he explained.  "In his second year he [Peyton] was  playing at a high level and they were playing great football, going to the playoffs... All of a sudden, people expect the little brother and the same things to happen, to have immediate success and he's going to be in the playoffs every year."

And it's not like there weren't more than a few times the comparisons and expectations had fans ready to run Eli out of town.  Even this summer— after he used the word "elite" to compare himself to Tom Brady— the laughs could be heard from Rockaway Beach to Rockaway N.J..

Now that Eli has become an NFL star in his own right, he said that both brothers sharing the biggest bedroom in the world (MetLife Stadium) could benefit each other.

"It'd be fun," he joked.  "We'd probably commute to work [together], maybe eat our lunch together... share notes on opponents, watch some film together..."

Sounds like he forgot building pillow forts in the living room.

Right now, Eli is the Manning in New York and two wins from surpassing his big brother in Super Bowl victories.

Hakeem Nicks' Helmet Catch Has A David Tyree Super Bowl Look

Hakeem Nicks incredible catch off the front of his helmet gave the New York Giants a 20-10 halftime lead over the Green Bay Packers and brought back memories of the Eli Manning to David Tyree catch that led to a Giants Super Bowl championship four years ago.

While not as dramatic as Tyree's legendary catch against the New England Patriots, Hicks'  37-yard touchdown catch was sensational because it came as time expired in the half and it looked like the Giants blundered management of the clock and a chance to put at least three more points on the scoreboard.

Instead, Manning's desperate heave-ho gave them seven more points leading the way to a resounding 37-20 win over the Packers in this NFC Divisional playoff game.

Ahmad Bradshaw got the the Giants into field goal range with a 23-yard run out-of-bounds at the 37-yard line to stop the clock with :06 left in the second quarter.  With no timeouts left, Manning went back to pass but was chased out of the pocket as the seconds ticked by.

Then with one second left— and no time left for a field goal attempt— Manning heaved the Hail Mary pass to the back of the Packers end zone.

Hicks leaped between two Packers defenders, pressed the ball to his face mask and tumbled to the ground for the score.  Time remaining on the clock— :00.

Comparisons to the Giants 2007-08 playoff run to this season have been the topic of conversation for weeks and Hicks' grab could be taken as an omen of things to come. 

Like in 2008, the Giants had to roll through frozen Lambeau Field.

The first half of this playoff battle was a back and forth affair— not unlike their Dec. 4 meeting at MetLife Stadium.

The Giants were the beneficiaries of a couple of Green Bay fumbles and had the misfortune of having one taken away on a bad call by the officials.

As the first quarter was winding down, Giants defensive back Kenny Phillips recovered what looked like a fumble after a Greg Jennings catch but it was ruled that the receiver was down.  Giants head coach Tom Coughlin challenged the ruling on the field but the call wasn't overturned. Every camera angle showed that Jennings' knee never hit the ground before the ball came loose.

The Packers continued their drive and tied the game at 10-10 on a Aaron Rodgers TD pass.

The Giants failed to score on a first-and-goal from the five yard line and kicked a field goal to make it 13-10.

The Packers hit the field to start the second half with gusto while the Giants looked flat.

A field goal at 3:50 cut New York's lead to seven, 20-13.

The Packers blew a big chance in the fourth quarter when Rodgers under-threw to a wide open Michael Finley on third down at the Giants 40-yard line, then decided to go for it on the fourth.

Rodgers was sacked and the Giants took over.

The Giants didn't get a first down in the second half until almost four minutes elapsed in the fourth quarter when Mario Manningham caught a pass and the team started to move the ball once again.

The drive stalled and Lawrence Tynes narrowly put the ball inside the uprights on a 35-yard field goal to increase the lead to 23-13 with 7:48 left.

A third Packers fumble by Ryan Grant was picked up and returned by Chase Blackburn to the Green Bay 4-yard line.  On the next play Manning threw his third TD pass of the day— hitting Manningham crossing the back of the end zone.

Giants lead 30-13 with 6:48 to go in the game.

Rodgers couldn't complete a crucial third down play but a phantom "blow to the head" personal foul was called on the Giants Matthias Kiwanuka for knocking the Packers QB down.  The call gave Green Bay new life but the clock was slowing ticking down.

The second bogus call of the day against the Giants would lead to another Green bay touchdown.

Rodgers hit Donald Driver with a 16-yard TD pass with 4:46 on the clock to narrow the Packers deficit to ten, 30-20.

A second failed Packers onside kick was pounced on by Victor Cruz and left the Giants at mid-field.

Manning hit Cruz on a critical third-and-long to essentially lay the Packers to rest followed by a big run by Bradshaw to the Green Bay 10-yard line which closed the lid on the Packers coffin.

Brandon Jacobs rumbled into the end zone to make it 37-20 and put the final nail in the Packers season.
 
Next week, the Giants go to San Francisco to face the 49ers in the NFC Championship game.  The last time the two teams played each other in the playoffs was 2003.  The Giants lost, 39-38, on a botched Giants play that will forever be remembered as "The Snap."


If the Giants keep rolling along like they have, maybe the Hicks catch is a sign of things to come.

Right now, Giants fans would rather be reminded of "The Catch."

Jets Players' Calls For Peyton To Replace Sanchez Getting Louder

The end of a disappointing season for the New York Jets has led players to point their fingers at one player for the epic fail— Mark Sanchez— and started  a rallying call inviting the services of a veteran quarterback to take the reins— namely Peyton Manning.

The consensus among unnamed players, according to a story in the New York Daily News, has been that if  Manning gets a clean bill of health, he would be the ideal solution to the inept Sanchez.

Those calls are getting real loud.

Key members of the Jets organization said Sanchez is a "polarizing" figure in the clubhouse and there are serious doubts he can lead the team to the Super Bowl.

The consensus among players, according to the Daily News, is that— at the least— the team must sign a legitimate veteran backup to push their young quarterback.


"We have to bring in another quarterback that will make him work at practice," said one unnamed player.  "He's lazy and content because he knows he's not going to be benched."

Sanchez has been inconsistent for three seasons and his deficiencies came to a head during the 19-17 loss against the Miami Dolphins. In the final game of the 2011 season, Sanchez's lackluster play helped put the kibosh on any playoff chances and was the final sour note on a season where head coach Rex Ryan was singing the Jets praises.

The inconsistent play of Sanchez over the final three games started his teammates dreaming about another Manning in MetLife Stadium.

The Indianapolis Colts are expected to take Stanford QB Andrew Luck with the first pick of the draft and there is speculation that the team will let Manning go.

The future Hall-of-Famer is still recovering from a pre-season surgery to his neck, is 35 years old and still waiting to be medically cleared before he can even suit up again.  That's a lot of ifs.

Whether it's in blue and white or green and white is any one's guess.

Asked if the Jets should make a move for the veteran Indianapolis Colts QB if he becomes available, several players told the Daily News they would welcome him with open arms.

"Come on.  That's a no-brainer," a Jets source said.  "If you have a chance to get a 36-year old Peyton Manning and you don't do it, then you're stupid.  If you get a healthy 36-year old Peyton Manning, then, hell yeah, I would trade Sanchez."

The chances Manning would make the switch from the Colts to the Jets are pretty good.

For one thing, at the core, the Jets are a good team and— if they keep Santonio Holmes— have plenty of targets for Manning to throw to.

Secondly, Ryan adores Manning and with all the problems with play calling from the sidelines, Ryan would relish having a real leader on the field to lead the team.

The trifecta payoff is the presence of Jets consultant Tom Moore who was Manning's offensive coordinator and mentor for over ten years in Indy.

"We already have his coach— Tom Moore," one well-respected player told the News.  "Plus, he's a field general and will get everyone lined up.  He will get his playmakers the ball.  We can win a Super Bowl with Peyton."

Manning already has a Lombardi trophy and the Jets are wondering if they can do it with Sanchez?


"How can we when he's not improving at all?" a Jets player said.  "He thinks he is, but he's not.  He has shown us what he's capable of."

Sanchez is only 25-years old and has two years left on his contract.

Some Jets players still think he needs another shot— god knows he's taken enough both on the field and off.

"When you get hit the way he got hit," another team source said, "there were some quarterbacks that wouldn't have made it through the season."

But others think their QB is being coddled by the organization.

"They see the organization babying him," said the source.  "They see him with a sense of entitlement.  He's been given all this and hasn't done anything.  They call him 'San-chise.'  They make him the face of the organization.  They gave him the captain tag.  He's not a captain.  He should have never been a captain."

Sanchez denies he is a victim being held accountable for failure after going to two AFC Championships and losing both.

"We hold ourselves to a high standard," he said.  "I don't want to feel like I'm a victim or anything like that.  We expect to win... I don't feel like we set the bar too high.  There is no way.  I don't feel like that."

"You go to back-to-back AFC Championship Games, and everyone thinks , 'OK, we'll get a little bit better and you are winning the Super Bowl," he told ESPN Radio.  "I don't want to make excuses at all.  That's not my style.  But we've been a victim of our success."

It all boils down to a lot of circumstances fro the Jets to land Manning.

Do the Colts draft Luck, does Manning heal, retire or does he even want to come to New York?

"I don't think he'll come here," a Jets source told the News.  "We have to change the perception of the Jets organization.  We're not the organization that players said they wanted to play for a year or two ago.  We're starting to come across a little flaky. We talk the talk.  We don't back it up. We're out of control.  There's no discipline.  It's a mess right now."

The NFL's biggest off-season story will be the Peyton Manning saga.

Just imagine though, Peyton and his little brother Eli sharing the biggest bedroom in the world— MetLife Stadium.

Who gets the top bunk?

Coughlin Is "Optimistic Right Now" That Nicks and Manningham Will Play

The New York Giants passing game may have to Cruz alone this Sunday night if injuries to Hakeem Nicks and Mario Manningham keep two-thirds of their three-headed monster sidelined.

But not if Tom Coughlin's outlook is as rosy as his cheeks.

The head coach said he was "optimistic right now"  that both players could take the field in the do-or-die game against the Dallas Cowboys and join Eli Manning's latest favorite target Victor Cruz on the field.

Nicks—who re-injured his hamstring in the first quarter Saturday against the New York Jets—expects to be ready when the Giants meet the Cowboys for the NFC East title at MetLife Stadium.

The receiver sat out yesterday's practice but is feeling Coughlin's optimism.

"I don't see myself missing this game," said Nicks.

Giants fans shouldn't take that remark to heart— just yet.

"If I'm out there, I'd like to say I'd be myself, but you never know," he said.  "These things are tricky.  I'm gonna go ahead and claim I'll be myself out there.  I always got to think positive."

D'oh!  That's a big IF.

Manning will need all the help he can get in Sunday night's big game if Cruz is the only deep threat in his repertoire.

A wobbly Manningham returned to practice on Wednesday on a limited basis after resting his knee against the Jets.  He had been nagged by the swollen joint for weeks and spent most of his game time on the sidelines.

Nicks could be the key to unleashing Cruz once again if  Manning gets into a shootout with the Cowboys Tony Romo.

Cruz won't catch an opposing team by surprise any more.  After all, he leads the Giants with 76 receptions for a Giants season-high record 1,358 yards.  You can bet the Dallas D will be keying on the speedy wide-out.

As for Nicks (71 rec., 1116 yards, 6 TD's), who had only one catch for 20 yards while being blanketed by the Jets All-World DB Darrelle Revis, it sometimes comes down to a case of the dropsies.  He's dropped a couple of crucial passes over the past two games but said the weather was a factor.

"I can go a stretch where I won't drop a ball for five, six weeks," said Nicks.  "I don't normally have drop after drop after drop after drop.  It's normally... I go a whole season without drops, then I have a period where I might fit some in there, but that's me because I'm starting to lack concentration or something like that."

Concentration is one thing, injuries are another.

Asked about how far along the hamstring was Nicks said, " I notice it, I can't really dig like I want to right now."

He then put it in perspective.

"[I'm] close to 100 percent as I can get.  I don't think nobody's gonna be 100 percent playing football this time of year.  Something's gonna be hurting, but come game time, you know how to put all that stuff behind you."

How important are Nicks and Manningham in this game?

Nicks had eight catches for a season-high 163 yards and Manningham had a 47-yard TD in the Giants 37-34 win against Dallas on Dec. 11 at Cowboys Stadium.

"I ain't the type of guy that looks for no excuses," said Nicks.  "If I am out there, I've got to be ready to go."