Addition By Subtraction?

I hoped that it would never get to this point, although I think I knew all along that it would. I still wasn't totally convinced that the relationship between Jeremy Shockey and the Giants was completely irreconcilable. However, if the Giants had allowed these circumstances to reach that level, there's no telling what damage may have been done to this team and their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champions.

I can't say enough about what Jeremy Shockey has done on the field for the Giants. He is one of the most dangerous pass-catching tight ends in the NFL, and an even more effective run blocker. A four-time pro bowler, Shockey has perennially been considered among the elite class of professional tight ends. His accomplishments speak for themselves. But what I will miss most about this player, and what I believe will make it difficult for many Giants fans to accept this move, is the emotion that he brought to the field every Sunday.

It's hard not to like Jeremy Shockey when you watch him play. The image of him fighting for yards against the Eagles in Philadelphia after losing his helmet is one that will stay with Giants fans forever. This image really sums up the way Shockey played on gameday. He is an extremely tough competitor that always fought for every yard. There is no denying this, despite everything that has happened that may sour the way he is remembered in New York.




Unfortunately, in the National Football League, it takes more than just playing hard on Sundays. Everybody does that. In order to be successful, it takes somebody who puts winning and the good of their team ahead of themselves. It sounds corny and it sounds cliche, but it holds up. Just think about Terrell Owens.

In thinking about the Shockey situation, Owens kept popping into my mind. I think there are some clear parallels between these two players. Regardless of how you may feel about TO, there are two truths that you cannot deny: 1) he's an incredibly gifted football player and 2) He competes hard whenever he takes the field. The list of receivers with the ability to impact a game the way that he can is virtually nonexistent. Think about his catch in the final seconds to give the 49ers a three point victory over Green Bay. Remember the tears that came after. Remember him suiting up for Philadelphia in the Super Bowl on a broken ankle, and what it must have taken for him to perform the way he did in that game. You can't question how much this guy cares. That someone with his talent and drive would be run out of two different cities would seem very unlikely. And yet, as we all know, it has happened. Teams have cast TO out, and never seem to have regretted that decision for one day.

As I said at the start, what makes this tough to take is that things never got as bad in New York as they did with TO in San Francisco or Philadelphia. As far as I know, there is no video footage of Jeremy Shockey doing crunches on the news. We haven't hit rock bottom. However, in reviewing the way this thing has gone, I have little doubt that it was only a matter of time (of course, the details may have been different).

Let's review some reasons why I believe this was the right move for the G-Men:


- Behind the images of Jeremy Shockey as the valiant warrior who leaves it all on the field is the man who "accidentally" hit fans in San Francisco with ice in 2002, and gave us this quote in 2006: "we were outplayed, and out coached. Write that down." Outbursts and the deflecting of blame were staples of his time in New York.

- Throughout the 2006 season, there were rumors swirling about the negative affect that Jeremy Shockey was having on Eli Manning's psyche. He was allegedly berating him quite frequently during the second half of the season (probably the worst stretch of Manning's career). Many predicted that the offense would run more smoothly in week 17 against the Redskins because Shockey was not playing. These predictions were correct. The Giants won handily, in what was probably their most impressive performance of the season.

- 2007, week 15, Shockey breaks his leg in a Sunday night loss to Washington. I go to bed devastated. This had been a piss poor performance, and I thought that the Giants are doomed without Shockey. And yet, from this point on, they begin to play their best football of the year. They lost only one game during this stretch. In that loss, they came as close as anybody had to knocking off the undefeated New England Patriots, a feat they would accomplish 5 weeks later.

- After watching his team find their rhythm and win the Super Bowl without him, Shockey begins to demand that his role in the offense be changed. Logically, he was also suggesting that the offense itself be changed. He was calling for the Super Bowl champs to change their system to fit his needs. He wanted the ball more. Sound like anybody else you know?

- The Giants felt that Shockey was most valuable when he was used primarily as a blocker. He was unwilling to fill this role. More of the balls were instead going to Plaxico Burress, who had spent the off-season in New York working out and establishing a strong connection with Eli Manning. This connection paid huge dividends on the field (it has been reported that Steve Smith has also been working out with Manning this off-season, which is good news given Shockey's departure). Manning extended this same invitation to Shockey last off-season and the off-season before that. He refused both times, opting instead to stay down in Florida. This certainly did not help his case to get the ball more, and yet his demands were stronger now than they had every been.

- Despite all of this, players like Manning and Burress have reportedly gone to management to give Shockey their endorsement. Like me, it was hard for them to accept that this player, who adds so much on the field, wasn't right for this team. Management made a very tough decision, but it was for the best.



I don't mean to bash Shockey here. I think that he will be a star in New Orleans, where he will be reunited with Sean Payton. As he did in New York, Payton will no doubt line Shockey up in many different places on the field, and he will get him the ball often. Shockey will add another legitimite downfield threat to an offense that was already extremely wide open. On top of that, his blocking will help to improve the Saints' running game. I think he will be happy about having a fresh start. But, regardless of how well he performs and how happy he seems, I don't think we would have seen the same results from him in New York. The Giants were handcuffed here. And, as much as it hurts me to say it, I think this was the right move.