Uptick

1) Good news yesterday from Tom Coughlin.

a) Nicks is going to have a very big role in the WR rotation

b) Hixon, Smith and Manningham will be the other 3 that are used actively in the WR rotation.

c) Hixon is expected to return kickoffs.

Sounds logical. Sounds good. Sounds GREAT.

2) What do the following players all have in common???
Clint Sintim (minicamp)
Sinorice Moss (minicamp)
Travis Beckum (minicamp)
William Beatty (minicamp)
Chris Canty (training camp)
Rocky Bernard (training camp)
Aaron Ross (training camp)
Kevin Dockery (post training camp)

THEY ALL HAD OR HAVE HAMSTRING INJURIES. Coughlin called injuries a cancer. Well, Tom, if injuries are a cancer, what do you call strength and conditioning coach Jerry Palmieri?

We spoke with our Doctor friend, you know, the one who alerted us to the seriousness of the Alford injury by politely saying that you better wait until Sunday or Monday for confirmation that it was just a sprain. When we asked Ultimatenyg Doctor about the rash of hamstring injuries, whether it could be the staff not giving the players proper instruction, the answer was "VERY POSSIBLE, TOTALLY POSSIBLE." So we have no evidence, other than 8 players (did I miss any?.. ya have to know we needed an abacus to keep track of them) who all mysteriously have the same problem. Add that guys like Canty have never missed a game (before putting on a Giants uniform), add that three rookies all got it very early, and it sounds like poor professional supervision. We were not the first ones to suggest this. We first read about the notion on the nj.com blog from a commenter. It has been there in the open. Coughlin better take care of this 'cancer,' because it is man-made.

3) 1 or 2 months ago, a friend (one of the original Giants email group which predates this blog) gets informed by his wife that they will be going out to San Diego on Sept 10-14 to visit her mother. He told his wife, no, that he will not be going out that weekend to San Diego. The wife replies with a look.. Why Not? The husband matter-of-factly explains that the Giants are opening the season that Sunday and that he'll be watching the game. The wife went to San Diego without him. The husband is distraught (wink ; ) about missing an opportunity to be with his mother-in-law...!! Talk about hitting the exacta.

4) Assuming Phil Simms has signed on for another year of the NFL Now, we'll be bringing you a recap of his commentary as often during the season as we can. Phil Simms is an unofficial guru of the Ultimatenyg NY Giants Blog for a very good reason- he knows football and shares his insights with a frankness that respects us as listeners. The guru likes the Giants over the Skins tomorrow.

5) Vacchianno (yesterday): I get the sense from the defensive players that they don’t know yet what their identity is, and that it may take a few weeks to establish it.

6) Jeter