Headline Envy? New Yorkers Know Who Won Title, Giants' Coughlin Says
PALM BEACH, Fla. (WFAN/AP) — Giants coach Tom Coughlin doesn't appear to be bothered by the lack of attention.
He prefers to stay under the radar. Until it counts, at least.
Asked at the NFC coaches breakfast about all the attention the Jets have been getting with their trade for Tim Tebow and contract extension for Mark Sanchez — in other words, their budding quarterback controversy — Coughlin simply smiled and said:
"You know who won the Super Bowl even if we're not on front page. New Yorkers know."
Coughlin also doesn't believe in rotating quarterbacks. Jets coach Rex Ryan plans to use his ultra-popular backup in Tony Sparano's wildcat offense.
"I don't have a lot of experience with that," Coughlin said, again smiling at the thought he has Eli Manning, a two-time Super Bowl winner. "Once you start to develop your guy, you like him to have the ball in his hand."
Coughlin seemed aghast when asked if he would take the ball out of his starting QB's hands for, say, 20 snaps a game.
"With our guy?" he said. "I don't do hypotheticals."
Not so theoretical is the coach getting a contract extension. Giants owner John Mara said the team expects to work out an extension for the 65-year-old Coughlin very soon, probably within a month or so. It likely will be the final contract for Coughlin, who last year received an extension through 2012.
"We've had a lot of good discussions since the Super Bowl, and I have no doubt it's going to get done very soon," Mara told the New York Post on Tuesday. "As I've said, Tom is our guy, and we think we have the best coach in the league."
"There's talk," Coughlin said, "and quite frankly, it will get done."
He indicated it will be for several years.
Coughlin also said he wouldn't discount Bill Parcells, his former boss and longtime confidant, considering the interim coach's role with the New Orleans Saints. The Saints spoke with Parcells about the job on Tuesday; coach Sean Payton is suspended for the 2012 season for his part in the team's bounty system that targeted opponents for hits that could injure them.
"I had one conversation (after the Super Bowl) with Bill and it was as if he had the league and all the key situations in your games and the other games on the tip of his tongue," Coughlin said. "He knew the ins and out of our season. It seemed like he knew the ins and outs of every teams' seasons."
Giants fans, are you bothered by all the attention toward the Jets? Sound off below...
(TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2011 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
