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Bits and Bytes, 07/31/2015, "Quest Infirmary Blues" Edition

JohnF : 7/31/2015 10:48 pm


Folks, I'm goin' down to Quest Infirmary,
See ol' JPP there;
his finger stretched out on a long, white table,
So sweet, so cold, so fair.

Let it go, let it go, God bless him,
Wherever he may be,
He can search this whole wide world over,
But he'll never find another fan like me.

When I die, bury me in my straight-leg Zubaz,
Put on a box-blue coat and a New Era hat,
Put a twenty-dollar gold piece on my watch chain,
So you can let all the boys know I died standing pat.

An' give me six crap shooting pall bearers,
Let a chorus girl sing me a song.
Put a red hot jazz band at the top of my head
So we can raise Hallelujah as we go along.

Folks, now that you have heard my story,
Say boy, hand me another shot of that booze;
If anyone should ask you,
Just tell 'em I've got those Quest Infirmary blues.



Well, "Hi-De-Ho" Boys and Girls! Welcome to Bits and Bytes Opening Day Camp Edition, where today we mix in old time Jazz, spice it up with humor, and get things moving with our own "Lindy Hop" over to the timex Quest!

Oh, you were looking for camp news? Sure, we do that too!

Ok, time to load up the Honda...but we're bringing the lovely Mrs. JohnF down to see friends in Jersey, so we're not using the old Accord (yep, it's still around!), but the Civic (better on gas, newer, and with working AC!).

Like last time, I pack the usual gear.....Small Giants Cooler, backpack, notebook, umbrella, 1967 copy of “Run to Daylight!” by Vince Lombardi (it's always five minutes early!), gum, old smelly towel, stale jokes, phone and phone charger, batteries, etc.

Naturally, I check the time. And it's 544 days, 1 hour, 48 minutes since SB XLVIII!!! That Countdown clock is counting up now, I see.

While I'm driving down, I'm checking the news. Looks like TMZ has another JPP exclusive! It seems that the explosion that injured him was much worst than we thought...and explains why he hasn't let anyone see him. TMZ has a new picture of JPP and his agent:


"Look, there are no good "talk to the hand" jokes!!"

Not to be outdone, ESPN has their own commentary on the subject by insider Adam Schefter



Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do
I have another puzzle for you
Oompa Loompa doom-pa-da-dee
If you are wise, you'll listen to me
Shooting off fireworks looks like its fun
But they are dangerous to fingers and thumb
Light up M80's, what do you get?
Weeks in the hospital you'll always regret!

And a hand that looks like Swiss Cheese!

Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-da
Stay away from Fireworks, you will go far
You will live in happiness too
Like the Oompa Loompa doom-pa-dee-do


That's it for the news, now onto Camp

I arrived later than I wanted to (again...the traffice on 17 around Paramus is horrible), so the prime spots (the two stands on my left) were full. I went over to the third stand on the what I call "Field 3".

In effect, from my view there are three fields, and a small annex field that goes around the right side of the Quest Diagnostic Indoor Field. Last time I was there, Timex, was in printed all over the roof, but that's gone no1! I'll call the fields in front of me F1, F2, F3 (one being next to the VIP tables/administrative building.), and the annex field continuing for about 30 yards from the end of field 1 I'll label F4.

I've mentioned this before, but you really want to be near the field being covered by the camera towers, which are crancked up just before practice. The real action is being filmed by those.

It's HOT today (real humid, and temps near or at 90 degrees!). Let's go!

I thought I'd go on Coughlin time, so I arrived at 2:00pm. When I got there, Lot K was nearly full, and there were two large lines, but I will give compliments to the screeners, as they got people through fast. I even got complimented ("Finally someone did what they were supposed to do, open the bags before they get there!").

Got to the Third Stand, in front of Field 3, and got my Binoculars out. Now, I won't have all the action (I missed about 20% of it...I'm just too far away, no closer than 50-100 yards from Fields 1-2, where the real action was). And...of course, Tom was smarter than me again, it looks like the team is out there and doing stuff before 2:30, the official start time! Foiled again!

Ok, so the Horn sounds. For those of you who have been to camp, a loud air horn announces a change for the whole team, so they start doing other activites.

Warm up starts. The ususal gymnastics follows, with Hop skips, leg stretches, short sprints, etc.

Horn!

F3 Eli, Nassib and Stanzi (the three QB's) wander over there and start doing footwork drills with Coach McAdoo.

F1 The Punt team is out there, along with some punt receivers (they're using the ball machine to launch the punts). Parker, Beckham, Randle and Hosely are back there. Cruz is as well, but his hat isn't on (he'd doing some pitch and catch with Beckam).

F4 Spags!! And he has his trademark "No Hat" look! (dangerous on a day like today!). He's back there with 2 DLinemen, working on what looks like zone drops, and he's in full "teach mode".

F4 The OLinemen are working on high stepping across pylons flat on the ground.
F2 The DLinemen are working on gap drills

I look at McAdoo again. He looks a bit thinner than the last time I saw him on TV, though TV does make you look bigger. He's not small, though.

Hey, the "Ball on the Stick" is out!



No, not that! I mean the real ball on the stick!

F4 The OLinemen are now using plastic blockers (think small plastic shields). One Lineman will hold the blocker, the one against him explodes into it from a three point stance.

Horn!

F3 The QB's and the OLinemen start running out and running plays (without WR's or RB's). First one out is Eli, and this is his line (from left to right); Donnell, Flowers, Pugh, Richburg, Schwartz and Newhouse. Then Nassib with what looks like the second line, and Stanzi with the third.

After a while, the WR's come along, and they do the "Gauntlet Drill" with the QB's. That's where a QB will toss the ball to a WR, then he has to pass a gauntlet of the other receivers, with plastic blockers on his right and left hitting him as he goes by. Sort of like this:


Everyone stops for water (this is happening constantly, as you might think!)

F2 It's the DLinemen turn to high step over flat pylons. At another section of F3, other Defensive players are hitting the Sled.

F2 The LB's are taking 2 steps back, then attacking forward. Early Bliz training?

F2 Now the D linemen are going sideways across the pylon, first going to one end, then high steping back.

F3 The OLinemen are doing the "Cage" drill. Here, you have a metal cage that forces them to stay in their stance as they go into their blocks; this is to maximise their forward thrust, as it puts the legs in the best possible position. Or, as my old coach used to say "If you lift your ass up, you can't block worth a damn, you worm!"

Ah, those were the days....

F4 The QB's are doing short passes from the shotgun to receivers over the middle. Now, somewhat longer wheel passes.

F2 Ah, the old "Use Trash Barrels upside down to simulate OLinemen Gaps" for DLinemen.

F4 WR's doing short 10 yard sprints. I took a long look at Cruz.

He's doing ok, but it's not the explosion I remember in Albany. He does seem to be able to make lateral cuts. I'd put him closer to 80% than the 90% he's claiming...but for this stage in his recovery, he's doing amazing stuff. The key would be tomorrow, to see how well he does after a full day in practice. His body language is still not what I would like to see...if you look at Beckham (or Randel), you see a tightness and spring to their steps. Victor isn't there yet, and one symptom is how often he had his hat (helmet) off...he's not in football shape yet.

F4 QB's are doing quick 3 drop steps and dumps to recievers. The interesting thing is that there are 5 strips on the ground, and McAdoo is making the WR's take precise routes right between certain strips. This reminds me of some of the stuff I saw in Arena, where you have recievers in tight situations being trained by having to run to exact spots, marked by cones (Coach Hohensee in Albany).

Oh, and speaking of Beckham...he's season ready now. Seriously, I don't care if they double or triple the guy. He's off the charts, and easily the best WR I've seen in any Giants Camp (and I've been to most of them since 1996).

Victor makes a beautiful fingertip grab of a ball right before it hits the ground... and then

Horn!

Eleven (offense) on Eleven (defense)...always a crowd favorite!)

F1
Eli to Jennings, Off Tackle Right (OTR)
Shotgun Eli to Jennings Off Tackle Left (OTL)
Shotgun Eli short pass to Jennings on left side.

Nassib OTL Jennings
Nassib to Geremy Davis, nice catch!
Nassib gets run out of pocket, whistle to stop play
Nassib to Andre Williams OTL
Nassib to Andre Williams Dive Left

Eli to Andre Williams OTR
Eli short pass to Dwayne Harris Left (Dwayne had a nice practice).



(Old joke, Horn...you get it...)

F1
Nassib, long pass to G. Davis on right
Nassib to Williams, Dive Right
Nassib to Williams, Dive Left
Nassib long pass to no one (Dwayne Harris was the closest WR)

Eli to Jennings, OTL
Eli Touch Pass!!!!! to Vereen in Left Flat!
(I'm flabbergasted...normally, Eli throws hard on his short passes as well as his longer ones. This time, it's a definite flip of the wrist, SOFT touch pass, first I can remember from him!!!!)

Eli to Jennings OTL

Stanzi with a fumbling attempt at a pass (no butt, though)
Stanzi to Akeem Hunt, Dive Left
Stanzi to Hunt, a nice short pass to his left!
Stanzi to Hunt, OTR

Horn!

Water Break, then Punt Drills on F2. Over on F3, Spags is in teach mode again with Beason and Hankins, taking them off to the side.

Dwayne Harris with a nice Punt return. Then Hoseley. Then Parker.

I look off to the right, and see Sean Donnelly getting a wrap on his leg. Cramp?

F4 Spags again working with Beason and now Damontre Moore. He's tossing high, then low balls to them, making them catch them as if they were deflected.

On the sideline, I see McAdoo shooting the breese with Eli, who's holding a cup in his hands. I'm presuming it's water, not a Mint Julep...

Horn!

F4 The OLinemen have a new drill. There are 5-6 black medicine balls on the ground. Two linemen take a ball, then toss them at a third lineman, who has to block the ball back to them. Then, a third lineman with a ball is added.

F2 has a bunch of sub groups. What I don't like is all the players on one knee. I know it's hotter than Hades, but I would never, ever, admit to being tired that way on the field. You need to build mental toughness as well, or so I was taught.

F1 Now we have 7 Defensive cover guys vs 7 Offensive (one QB and 6 receivers).

Eli to Hynoski
Eli intercepted by Matt LaCosse, who is very agressive on coverage today.
Eli pass right to Randle, nice catch!
Eli pass right to Beckham

F2 DLinemen and LB's are doing hand battle drills (agressive hand/arm motions to stop holding).

F2 Deossi, Weatherford and Brown are working on their tans.

F2 Back to 7 on 7

Nassib center dump pass to Adrien Robinson
Nassib to Dwayne harris, who makes a nice fingertip catch on a very high pass.
Nassib short pass left to Juron Criner, despite a hold by Hosely
Nassib short left pass to Kenneth Harper
Nassib short pass to Juron Criner
Nassib to Vereen Dive Left

Eli medium long pass to Randle
Eli to Vereen Dive Left

Nassib to A. Williams OTL
Nassib nice long pass to Jerome Cunningham
Nassib pitch toss left to Vereen
Nassib..too much time to pass, whistle.
Nassib short pass right to Parker, who makes an excellent leaping catch!

F2 Brown working on Field Goal practice.

Horn!

The Rubber Bands come out. After a period of stretching, you hear a whistle, and everyone circles around Coach Coughlin, shouts, and practice is officially over (early, I guess because of the heat).

The players now gather in smaller groups. Some around their coaches, some in prayer circles. They then break up.


What you didn't see after practice

JPP!

Some of the players go back to doing extended leg stretches.

Over on F3, the LB's are tossing footballs to each other.

On F2, some linemen are doing stance work.

There are players signing autographs by the VIP area next to the Giants Executive Office Building (to the left of the Quest Diagnostic Indoor Field). Reminds me (sigh) of the old "Autograph Alley" in Albany, but there aren't any trees around.

On F4, Kenrick Ellis is by himself, doing short wind sprints.

Over by the Quest Diagnostic Indoor Field, outside the Press Conference starts. Unlike Albany, the press is in the shade!

I'm hearing a drum beat start. It's from the "official G-Men DrumLine", right behind the stands. That's why I didn't see it (yep, didn't see it after practice...have to beat that to death!)

Jennings is talking and working with Kenneth Harper and Akeem Hunt off to the side.

The players are finished streching, and now circle around Eli, and repeat the hands to the center of the circle. Nice leadership touch by Eli and Rashad!

The Official Pat Hanlon Dress Report

Didn't see Pat last time at the Quest, but I did today.

He's wearing NO hat, dark gray shorts, and a Blue LONG SLEEVES shirt, with red trim on the bottom. Our Pat scoffs at the Heat! Way to go, Pat!

Epilogue

Sigh, I had a nice one, too. That was, until I heard about What Happened at the Autograph Session at Camp Today?

Ok, this is my opinion, and does not reflect BBI or Eric in any way.

This is serious trouble. Fans should never, ever be at risk at a practice or game. I know autographs have been trouble, and I don't like the way they're managed at the Quest, with the organized table business.

Autographs should ONLY be for children. And children shouldn't be used by greedy adults who sell memorabilia on Ebay or shows. I don't know if there is a good way to deal with this, and perhaps we need to ban autographs at the Quest, starting now. And that has consequences, too.

We, the fans, are responsible for our behavior. This was a bad day for Giants fans, all of us. I didn't see it, since I don't get autographs for myself anymore, or if I do, it's with minor leaguers or retired players. And I don't sell them.

I guess I'm old fashioned that way. We need to care for each other. That's something that was missing today.

Think about it.

-30-
and with that folks  
WeatherMan : 7/31/2015 11:06 pm : link
it's officially football season. Thanks John!
Thanks John...  
okiegiant : 8/1/2015 12:32 am : link
Loved the Oompa Loompa song!
Well done Sir!  
lono801 : 8/1/2015 7:09 am : link
Love the JohnF...

Thank You
Are you sure you got this right?  
Klaatu : 8/1/2015 7:18 am : link
Quote:
Eli intercepted by Matt LaCosse, who is very agressive on coverage today.
Awesome  
Eric from BBI : Admin : 8/1/2015 8:09 am : link
work John!
Are you sure you got this right?  
JohnF : 8/1/2015 8:32 am : link
No, I'm wrong, I marked the wrong player down. It was probably DRC or Fenner. Thanks for pointing that out!

There were also more plays than I'm showing (I'm just trying to give a flavor of what's happening). The Quest has really horrible sight lines, and you can't move around like Marty and I were able to do in Albany. No excuses, it's just a harder environment to do a report from unless you have VIP seats inside. or are in the inner two stands.

Thanks John, for the information and entertainment!  
SwirlingEddie : 8/1/2015 8:34 am : link
A great way to enjoy the start to my day. It's camp time and hope springs eternal once again.
Thanks for the compliments, guys!  
JohnF : 8/1/2015 8:42 am : link
Hopefully, some of the other BBI family in the area will take a stab at reporting, as I really can't come down to the Quest all that often. It's about a 5 plus hour round trip (through some VERY nasty traffic snarls), and then 2-2.5 hours retyping my notes, and doing a quick proof. That's a long day.

In these days of the internet, info from the official sources and the news reporters is almost instantaneous, so you can't really compete against that . What you can do is look for the things they don't cover, and throw in your impressions as a fan.
Fantastic report John!  
UberAlias : 8/1/2015 8:56 am : link
Love the personal touches --great detail and entertaining.
NiCE!!!  
gidiefor : Mod : 8/1/2015 9:27 am : link
That was Jazzy John!
Love these reports  
dpinzow : 8/1/2015 9:50 am : link
Interesting firsthand thoughts on Vic's progress. Also noticed Geremy Davis in the Giants.com highlight packages making a nice catch. He looks like a pretty big target for a WR. Not as big as Corey Washington but plenty of size
That shot of Worf running the gauntlet...  
Model4001 : 8/1/2015 10:05 am : link
Perfect! Fuckin' cracking up over here...great write-up, John!
Nice work,  
Randy in CT : 8/1/2015 10:33 am : link
John.

I can see how some adults actually want autographed stuff for themselves, but yeah, if it is the only way to keep everyone safe then make it just for kids.
Thanks  
aquidneck : 8/1/2015 10:41 am : link
Appreciate the write-up. That's a lot of work!
Can someone refresh my memory  
UberAlias : 8/1/2015 10:51 am : link
Can you bring a small portable cooler in? I oplan on bringing the kids today and would like to bring a couple drinks if possible but I can't recall the policy. I know they have a refreshment stand but eould bring my own if possible. Thanks
Priceless  
nygirlie : 8/1/2015 11:10 am : link
Worth every line.
uber, here's the link  
JohnF : 8/1/2015 11:35 am : link
I think plastic bottles are ok, don't know if they have an issue with cans, and I'm pretty sure you can't bring in glass. If you do bring a cooler, it will be checked, so it will take somewhat longer. A small fabric cooler with blue ice is probably a good idea...

http://www.giants.com/news-and-blogs/article-1/Giants-Training-Camp-FAQ/ae7bc30f-95ec-4271-9063-fa5b5eb9dd9a


Can I bring a cooler?
Yes, but will be checked by security

Can I bring food and drinks?
Yes. There are also limited concession stands throughout the University at Albany practice fields.
Yeah, I know it says Albany  
JohnF : 8/1/2015 11:47 am : link
but they let my small cooler in (I only had a bottle of frozen water in it) It sort of looked like this:



You may want to add some quick snack stuff like twizzlers for the kids, as the lines to the concession stands can be long, depending on the crowd. Also, make sure to bring sunscreen for you and the kids...there is very little shade on the stands, and it gets real hot if there is no breeze. As I mentioned above, you're going to have to wait in line to be inspected, so get there REAL early (earlier than they mention, as TC may start early again).

They have kids playgrounds, but there is NO shade there, and I have no idea why they think kids would play on hot cement and sit on hot plastic, with no view of the field.
Much appreciated John  
UberAlias : 8/1/2015 12:11 pm : link
Thanks!
superb  
ColHowPepper : 8/1/2015 1:06 pm : link
dunno how you were able to cover multiple fields during each session and keep you impressions straight...a lot of work and creativity and summertime-perfect humor went into that and superb quality came out. Thank you
Thank  
Toth029 : 8/1/2015 1:07 pm : link
You.
I love this!  
GiantBlue : 8/1/2015 1:59 pm : link
Thanks, John, for making my day!
I feel like I just took a massive dose of peyote  
Moondawg : 8/1/2015 2:08 pm : link
and tried to read SI.
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