Grown men, especially those with crazy salaries and a sense of entitlement instilled since Junior High, generally like being treated like grown men. Hence, you can file today’s story by the New York Post’s Ken Palmer under “It Was Only A Matter Of Time”.
Several Giants have told The Post that they “hate” playing for Coughlin and that the club will never be successful as long as he is in charge.
“Guys absolutely hate Tom Coughlin,” one Giant said. “He’s not the type of coach we’re going to go and put everything on the line for. Guys don’t play for him; we play because we have to play and you’re not going to win that way.
“Arguments go on every day in that building, cursing out between the players and the coaches.”
“We will not win here when he’s the coach,” another veteran added. “It’s coaches against the players. It’s Coughlin against the coaches. There’s no team atmosphere or camaraderie.”
Even Coughlin’s coaches apparently can’t stand him. Most coaches have privately expressed displeasure with how they’re overworked by Coughlin. “These coaches can’t wait to get out of here just like all of us,” one veteran said.
It’s no secret that the organization wasn’t thrilled with Coughlin’s inability to assemble the coaching staff that he had promised. As for his mistreatment of the players, The Post has learned of several examples.
A few weeks back, Coughlin referred to a starting player as “a loser” because he sat out practice with multiple injuries.
Even after hearing from head trainer Ronnie Barnes that the player was to sit out practice, Coughlin asked that player if he planned to go that day.
“[Coughlin] very well already knew [he] wasn’t practicing,” one player said. “When [the player] said he wasn’t going to go [and told Coughlin why], Coughlin said, ‘That’s what happens when the season gets tough. Guys don’t want to practice or do anything. I see the losers coming out right now. I see the losers.’ ”
Earlier in the year, Coughlin told Barrett Green that he had brought him in because he was a tough guy, but that he wasn’t impressed with his toughness in the least.
Speaking of Green, it was Coughlin’s overreaction to Green oversleeping during the bye week that really turned the whole team against him.
Coughlin fined Green the absolute maximum – $17,000 – when he showed up 90 minutes late for a bye-week meeting.
“That’s when he really started to lose guys,” one Giant said.
Coughlin also recently berated one of his offensive linemen for a penalty that squelched a potential scoring drive. He told the lineman, “You cost me a touchdown.” Coughlin didn’t refer to the team, but himself instead.
“He might be preaching ‘team,’ but it’s all about Coughlin,” one player said. “Honestly, everyone thinks the guy’s crazy.”
Several Giants believe the damage is already done and that Coughlin’s already lost control of the team – and has no hope of recovering it.
“Honestly, they might as well fire him now,” one player said of Coughlin, who has three years and $9 million left on his contract. “The players on this team have quit on him. That’s a very strong word, but mark it down: this team has quit on him and quit really caring and quit listening to what Tom Coughlin has to say.”
“Most guys are just hoping that either they’ll be gone or he’ll be gone after this season,” another Giant said. “Guys just tune him out, ignore him and don’t care what he says. They just want to play the season out and get it over with.”
Writes Jon Heyman in today’s Newsday,
Now that the Giants have turned this season into an extension of 2003, it’s time to review Tom Coughlin’s opening remarks. He ridiculed the previous regime for presiding over an undisciplined team that had too many penalties and injuries. Not to mention quit on its coach.
I hope you enjoyed “Groundhog Day,” Tommy Boy, because you’re living it.