Strahan Gives Giants and Coughlin a Plug

**Nick** · #1 (**permalink**) -12-12-2004

Strahan Gives Giants and Coughlin a Plug
By THE NEW YORK TIMES
Published: December 11, 2004

Michael Strahan spent Thursday as he has too many weekdays this season, dressed in a suit instead of the practice blue and white. Though Strahan, the Giants' All-Pro defensive end, is recovering from season-ending surgery last month for a torn pectoral muscle, he had no trouble keeping his sunny side up regarding his team, which stands at 5-7 after getting off to a 5-2 start.

Speaking at Mickey Mantle's restaurant in Midtown, where he received the Mickey Mantle Community Service Award for his work with charitable causes, Strahan insisted that the Giants were "still in the playoff hunt" and that the players were not quitting on Coach Tom Coughlin.

"He's a new coach," Strahan said. "It's always hard when you get a new coach and a new system."

Strahan supported the quarterback switch from Kurt Warner to the rookie Eli Manning, saying of Manning, "What you don't want to do is come back next year with a stronger team and he doesn't have any experience."

Strahan hopes to come back strong next season. The hardest part of recuperating, he said, might be having only one arm fit enough to help around the house in Montclair, N.J., where the family now includes twin daughters, who were born Oct. 28.

"My rehab is going good." he said. "Basically I walk around with my arm in a sling and do nothing. It's very hard to mess that up. I have to lift the babies with the other arm."

*r8rh8rmike* · #2 (**permalink**) -12-12-2004

Wow, what a turn around for Strahan who almost started a mutiny over Coughlin's meeting time policy in pre-season. As for his stance on the Giants still being in the playoff hunt, let's see what he says after Eli's meeting with Ray Lewis.

**Nick** · #3 (**permalink**) -12-12-2004

Well, he doesn't have to worry about those meetings now, so perhaps he's a bit more cheerful because of it.