The New York Times-20080129-Giants Tell Story Behind Their Smiles
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Giants Tell Story Behind Their Smiles
Full Text (754 words)Giants defensive end Michael Strahan arrived at the first of many Super Bowl news conferences dressed in all black. Five teammates and his coach appropriately followed suit.
Linebacker Antonio Pierce said none other than Coach Tom Coughlin put him in charge of the team attire for the Giants' first public appearance after arriving in Arizona on Monday. Pierce told all participants to wear black suits as a sign of unity.
The fact that Coughlin allowed Pierce to make that decision fit perfectly with the Super Bowl theme of the kinder, gentler Giants coach. That sure-to-be-told story line, along with a few others, kicked off Monday, as the Giants met the national news media here for the first time at their team hotel.
He opened up to everybody, Pierce said of Coughlin this season. He's showing us his teeth. He's letting us know he has cheekbones and everything.
The kinder Coughlin emerged as a favorite topic Monday. Pierce and his teammates described bowling nights and casino nights introduced this season by Coughlin. They spoke of the leadership council he formed.
Pierce said players who rarely dealt with Coughlin did not know who their coach really was. That changed this season, according to the Giants.
The new Coughlin stood at the podium Monday, wearing the requisite dark suit and a red tie, hair parted just so underneath two bright lights pointing toward his head. The new Coughlin turned his opening news conference into a stand-up comedy routine, cracking a couple jokes.
Of the crowd of reporters gathered around him, along with dozens of TV cameras lining the back wall, Coughlin quipped, This is like a normal day in New York, media-wise.
Of the Giants' 10 victories on the road this season, Coughlin joked, We have a lot of secrets we can't share with you.
The Monday session was basically a preview of what this week will be like for the Giants. Surrounded by a small army of reporters, cameramen and radio hosts, they answered the same questions dozens of times, even in this first setting. There was no trash talk, at least not Monday.
The Patriots arrived in Arizona on Sunday night, but the Giants elected to land Monday afternoon. Most players described a subdued flight. Several Giants even slept. Others watched the movie Michael Clayton. The buzz picked up as the plane neared landing, with Coughlin describing the feeling of anticipation and excitement.
The Giants went straight to the team hotel, the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass. If they were looking for seclusion, the hotel provided it. Located outside of Phoenix, the hotel sits in the Sonoran Desert, surrounded by mountains and cactuses, instead of fans and bars. The hotel complex includes two 18-hole golf courses and a spa that measures 17,500 square feet.
The six Giants selected to participate in the news conference talked of savoring the experience of the week. Strahan and receiver Amani Toomer recalled what it felt like to lose a Super Bowl, the fireworks exploding for the team that beat them, the newspaper the next morning announcing their loss.
If you lose, Strahan said. What is there to remember?
As if playing the undefeated Patriots did not serve as enough of a challenge, the Giants also came down with a flu bug this week. Coughlin said the bug surfaced in the past day or two, and that three players missed practices with high temperatures. Coughlin said he hoped the sickness will not be an issue.
And with that, attention turned back to the story lines sure to dominate the week. Coughlin said the Giants were familiar with the underdog role. He repeated that he never considered not playing his full roster when the Giants faced the Patriots in the regular-season finale.
Across the ballroom, punter Jeff Feagles talked of remembering the experience. A 20-year veteran, Feagles has never been in a Super Bowl before, same as Coughlin, his kinder, gentler head coach. Feagles talked of how fast the plane ride went by, of how giddy his teammates were.
At the airport, he pulled out a camera and started taking pictures. And with that, Super Bowl week was under way for the Giants.
This is special, Feagles said. I've been to that airport I can't tell you how many times. But this felt different. This felt good.
[Illustration]PHOTOS: Michael Strahan at a news conference. Players talked of getting to know Coach Tom Coughlin.; Coughlin told reporters, This is like a normal day in New York, media-wise.(PHOTOGRAPHS BY BARTON SILVERMAN/THE NEW YORK TIMES)