New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll is open to joint training camp practices this year but on Thursday, stopped short of saying anything had been finalized.
“Yeah, we’re working on that. Maybe, maybe not. That’s the best answer I can give you. I don’t have anything concrete,” Daboll told reporters.
Although it’s still not concrete, joint practices do appear likely. And ESPN’s Jordan Raanan reports that Big Blue’s 2022 counterpart will be the New York Jets.
As Raanan notes, the Giants and Jets stopped conducting joint practices after 2005 despite being annual preseason opponents. The reason, of course, was because of the massive brawl that ensued that preseason.
On the second day of joint practices, Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey exchanged words with Jets defensive backs Erik Coleman and Oliver Celestin. In the blink of an eye, an all-out brawl erupted with Shockey taking on the two Jets himself.
“I was blocking somebody and I got shoved in the back, and the next thing I know, everybody’s fighting,” Shockey told reporters at the time. “There’s no bad blood. That’s how football is. You might as well do it now, when you don’t get fined and Paul Tagliabue can’t take any money out of your pocket. Do it now, get it over with. I’m sure it happens at every other camp.”
Elsewhere, Giants running back Brandon Jacobs leveled Jets cornerback Pete Hunter, while Jets safety Kerry Rhodes unleased a cheap shot on Giants wide receiver Willie Ponder, injuring him in the process. Even Giants head coach Tom Coughlin and Jets defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson got into a heated verbal exchange.
Tempers between the Jets and Giants always seem to flare and there is no shortage of examples from over the years. Hopefully Dabes & Co. can keep things cool, calm and collected but we’re not going to hold our breath.
