The New York Times-20080125-Keeping Things Normal For an Abnormal Event

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Keeping Things Normal For an Abnormal Event

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When Eli Manning changed his cellphone number about a month ago, he had no idea how helpful it would be. He appreciated the benefits only after the Giants beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday to earn a trip to Super Bowl XLII. The new number prevented an avalanche of ticket requests and congratulatory calls from those outside his inner circle.

I wasn't doing it on purpose, Manning said Thursday as the Giants returned to practice after a two-day break. It's just kind of what happened.

Manning had maintained a sense of normalcy since returning from Green Bay. He even described his days off as low key. But Thursday was no ordinary day for the Giants or Manning, and their routines will only get more hectic as their final game of the season, against the New England Patriots on Feb. 3, draws closer.

As Manning spoke in the media room at Giants Stadium, his view from the podium was overwhelming. Staring back at him were 20 video cameras and nearly 100 members of the news media, some of them with digital cameras that never stopped clicking. The Giants kept everyone in a good mood by ordering 15 large pizzas and then 10 more.

Manning, Coach Tom Coughlin, defensive end Justin Tuck, running back Brandon Jacobs and wide receivers Plaxico Burress and Amani Toomer spoke at the podium. The rest of the team answered questions in a less formal setting in the locker room.

Some topics were expected, like the lessons the Giants learned from their 38-35 loss to the Patriots in the last week of the regular season. Others were not. Burress was asked about playing against Tom Brady in 1999 when Brady was at Michigan and Burress was at Michigan State. He declined to answer. Coughlin was asked if guard Chris Snee, who is married to Coughlin's daughter, was a good son-in-law. The best, Coughlin said.

If those questions seemed obscure, just wait until media day on Tuesday, when, according to the N.F.L., more than 3,000 members of the news media are expected to converge on the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., where the Super Bowl will be played.

For many Giants players, the circus-like atmosphere began days ago. Gibril Wilson and Geoff Pope rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. Lawrence Tynes appeared Wednesday on Late Show With David Letterman.

But the Giants will strive for normalcy during the next 10 days. Coughlin said they were successful doing that Thursday, having team meetings and practice sessions as they usually would. He acknowledged the throng of reporters, however.

Yeah, but this is not in the meeting rooms, and this is not in the practice rooms, Coughlin said of the media when asked by a reporter how close he thought he could get to a normal day of practice. I'm sure you will have an opportunity to be with the players. But that's what I say, as much as we can here at home, we can control our session just as we do a normal day. And that's what we're going to try to do.

But the Giants' schedule is anything but normal. On Saturday, they will practice instead of having a day off. On Sunday, they will have a day off instead of playing a game. When they arrive in Phoenix on Monday, the distractions will mount.

Each player has sought ways of maintaining a regular pattern. Manning received advice from his older brother Peyton, who led the Indianapolis Colts to a Super Bowl victory over the Chicago Bears a year ago.

He just said try to keep a normal routine, a regular routine, Manning said. If you lift weights on Tuesday and Thursday, when you're down there, lift weights on Tuesday and Thursday.

Peyton also suggested not watching television for two weeks. Eli planned on following the advice, with the exception, of course, being his favorite show, Seinfeld. But how normal is it to watch nothing more than a television show about nothing?

Then again, the Giants have already experienced something almost as abnormal as a Super Bowl. They played the Miami Dolphins in London on Oct. 28, the first regular-season N.F.L. game played in Europe. Toomer said that experience was great preparation for all the changes that awaited the team. In London, the crowd was neutral and the Giants played as the road team. Those conditions will be duplicated against the Patriots.

We're used to a crazy kind of schedule and coming in and performing well, Toomer said.

But Toomer has already been to one Super Bowl, with the Giants seven years ago. He knows how crazy it can be.

EXTRA POINTS

Guard Rich Seubert, who injured his right knee during the National Football Conference championship game at Green Bay, and cornerback Kevin Dockery (hip) did not practice Thursday. Tom Coughlin said Dockery ran Thursday and that, if all went as expected, Seubert would practice next week.

[Illustration]PHOTO: Coughlin said he planned to keep the Giants players on a regular schedule in their meeting rooms and at their practices.