Since when have the New York Giants become so obsessed with how the New York Jets operate on the football field?
Just a day after linebacker Jihad Ward explained that he felt the Jets’ levity on a controversial play in their preseason finale was the cause for some after-play pushing and shoving, one of their offensive players has also chimed in with a completely different issue in regards to Gang Green’s quarterback.
On HBO’s latest episode of “Hard Knocks,” Aaron Rodgers can be heard calling the joint home of the Jets and Giants “Jet-Life Stadium.” The longest-tenured member of the Giants wasn’t too thrilled with the quarterback’s humor though.
“That’s what he called it? Jet Life Stadium? If that’s how he feels then that’s cool. I don’t feel that way. Obviously. I feel like when we step on the turf that’s our home, we want to protect it,” Sterling Shepard told the New York Daily News during practice Thursday.
Jokes on the sideline are not new for NFL teams. Nor is the nickname “Jet-Life Stadium” as some fans and players have playfully used the phrase to describe when the Jets play at home.
Big Blue’s reaction to that though is certainly surprising. With four Super Bowl championships and seen as a model franchise over the century of NFL history, the New York Football Giants weren’t seen as a team that worried about what other players said or acted like to them.
It’s also not like the organization hasn’t had its issues with on-field conduct in the last year. In their playoff-clinching win last season over the Colts, then-rookie Kayvon Thibodeaux was seen celebrating a sack even though Indianapolis’ quarterback Nick Foles was clearly hurt on the play. The Giants defended the rookie’s actions then, and it’s not like the Jets were celebrating Cobb’s big hit on Bobby McCain either. Why is one ok but not the other?
Even Rodgers spoke on Thursday explaining that the levity the Jets appeared to show while McCain was down was not what Ward had perceived.
“I think he’s making shit up,” Rodgers said.
Since when have the Giants been so sensitive about the Jets in general?
Are they concerned that their top-dog status in New York City is in danger now that Aaron Rodgers and the Jets are media darlings across the NFL? Is their goal to not be in the Super Bowl this year? Why are they focused on what a team is doing that they don’t play until halfway into the season?
The New York Giants of old were a team focused on pride and championships. They were seen lightyears ahead of where the Jets were for the better part of the last five decades. That makes comments made by Shepard and Ward over the last 48 hours so odd. The Giants are the team that won a playoff game last year, not the Jets. So why is Big Blue acting like their the ones with the chip on their shoulder ahead of the regular season? Rodgers and the Jets did not ask or want to be on “Hard Knocks” so why are they being penalized for having regular conversations on the football field?
Speaking of, who cares what Rodgers and the Jets say on a television program? Why does it even matter? The fact the Jets have clearly gotten under Big Blue’s skin is a sign that they might not be thinking of the right things heading into their Week 1 contest against Dallas.
And if the Giants are more concerned about what their cross-town rivals are doing, the rest of the NFC East will certainly take advantage of them.
