Burress stays mum as Giants open minicamp

[Deadskins]

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Eli Manning says he has a good relationship with Plaxico Burress. His No. 1 receiver wasn't talking about it on Wednesday, turning down pleas from the Giants' public relations staff to talk to the media on the opening day of minicamp.


Burress

Burress hasn't said anything since the Giants were beaten 23-0 by the Carolina Panthers in the opening round of the playoffs.

Held without a catch, Burress waved his hands in frustration several times during the game when he felt he was open and Manning didn't get him the ball. The receiver, who was signed as a free agent last year, didn't report to the stadium the following day for a season-ending team meeting.

Burress also did not participate in voluntary workouts in the offseason, opting to train in Florida with tight end Jeremy Shockey.

"You don't have to be best friends with everybody," Manning said after a morning workout Wednesday. "As long as everybody is on the same page and has the same goal of working hard and getting better and winning games, then I think that is fine. We're lockermates. We see each other daily. We have a good relationship."

Manning said he has spoken with Burress a few times in recent weeks, addressing nothing specific. He downplayed Burress' onfield antics in the playoff game.

"He was upset. We didn't have a good game," said Manning, who was 10-for-18 for 113 yards and four interceptions against the Panthers. "Everybody on this team is competitive and wants to win and do well. A lot of people were frustrated and that's how he expressed it."

Coach Tom Coughlin said he spoke with Burress about missing the team meeting after the season ended. Coughlin would not comment on what was said.

During the morning workout on Wednesday, Manning found Burress with a pass on a slant route, and he hooked up with Shockey on a couple of plays.

Shockey showed up for the minicamp sporting a black eye. He blamed it on a training accident in Florida last week.

He also said he thought there was plenty of leadership on the team.

"The older people, like Tiki Barber and Michael Strahan, when those guys talk, those are the guys I listen to, the guys who have been here eight, nine, 10, 11 or 12 years," he said. "Those are the leaders on this team."

Center Shaun O'Hara felt too much was being made of Burress.

"We have a lot of things going on," O'Hara said. "No way on the first day of minicamp are we worried about team chemistry."

He also downplayed the absence of Burress and Shockey from the voluntary workouts, saying no one wants to work out with somebody who doesn't want to be there.

O'Hara said the players were more interested in Shockey's black eye.

"I think we were all wondering whether coach gave it to him," O'Hara said.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=2484339

Anyone have a picture of Shockey with the black eye?

[tcwest10]

It's good that Plaxico has decided to remain silent...
(insert famous Abe Lincoln quote here about remaining silent.)

[Primetime42]

Now you see why the Steelers opted not to bring him back to a team that eventually won the Super Bowl.

[Fios]

This is also where Tom Coughlin's heavy-handed coaching style becomes problematic, his ability to mend any rifts is complicated by his ego

[Justice Hog]

This is also where Tom Coughlin's heavy-handed coaching style becomes problematic, his ability to mend any rifts is complicated by his ego

I think you have two egos battling it out here, not just one....which makes it even more problematic.

[Primetime42]

Saw this coming the minute that Carolina was done handing them their you-know-what.

I remember the post-game show I worked afterward in which the anchor played a clip of Jeremey Shockey actually saying the game was fun.

The thing he said afterwards was actually pretty hilarious.

Fun? FUN?!! Y'know, Shockey is like the kid who is sick and gets his temperature taken, and then loses the thermometer. "Mom, mom! The thermometer dissappeared, but don't worry about it, it was fun".

I'm over here stabbing myself in the eye with a pen, but it's okay, because Jeremey Shockey and the Giants were having fun

I guess you had to be there.

Anyway, this is why I chuckled under my breath when anybody calls the Giants a Super Bowl contender. They are falling on their face this year. Hard. Not because of talent, but because of egos and chemistry.

6-10.

[Justice Hog]

Anyway, this is why I chuckled under my breath when anybody calls the Giants a Super Bowl contender. They are falling on their face this year. Hard. Not because of talent, but because of egos and chemistry.

What? You mean that bringing Lavar in won't bring that team together as one cohesive unit? I can't believe that!! :-"

Seriously, that is the one thing the Skins have done well in the past two years. Last year, I saw team Chemistry building. This year, I think it's gonna be awesome because we actually have most of the players we did last year and, because we went into the playoffs, I expect our players will actually be more cohesive this year.

If you have a solid team that also has solid team chemistry, watch out. The Skins have it, the Giants don't. With T.O., the Cowboys eventually won't either.

[tcwest10]

Sometimes I completely forget that the Giants signed Burress. He's been that quiet around us.
Not for nothing, but I'll betcha ARE has a thing or two that we can use to contain Burress, if he ever gets out of hand against us.
Boy, is that a big "if"!!