Giants GM Jerry Reese Backtracks on Playoff Guarantee
On paper the New York Giants have had a horrendous offseason. They have a disgruntled Osi Umenyiora who wanted to be traded returning to the team. They let arguably their best receiver,Steve Smith, walk in free agency and join a division rival. In a competitive division like the NFC East, if you aren’t getting better you’re getting worse.
Still, Giants GM Jerry Reese remained confident. In fact he took the Rex Ryan approach last week and basically guaranteed his team will make the playoffs. Reese knows what he has in New York and he likes what he sees. Or does he? Reese did some serious backtracking during an ESPN Radio appearance on Tuesday.
“First of all, I never said ‘guarantee’ and I never said ‘promise,’” Reese told The Michael Kay Show. “That’s the way they spin it in this neighborhood. I was giving our team a vote of confidence that I have in them. I said, ‘Last year if we had made some plays down the stretch here and there we would have been in the playoffs and this time we’ll make the plays. We will get in the playoffs. We’ll make a run.’”
Confidence, guarantee — what’s the difference? There’s nothing wrong with backing your team, but someone has to be wrong this season in the NFC East after all the public gloating. The Cowboys are going to “beat the ass” of the hyped up Eagles and the Redskins are going to win the division, while in the meantime the Giants get into the playoffs and make a run. Someone’s going to be wrong, so why not just shut up and let the play do the talking?
