Starting Over- A New Owner in Town

[Jefferson2Lafell]

A GIANT MISTAKE- NEW YORK SHUT DOWN BY GOODELL

NEW YORK, NY- In one of the most shocking announcements in sports history, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell announced today, less than a month before the NFL Pre-season begins, that New York Giants organization has been shut down indefinitely.

Giants Owner John Mara had a psychotic break, the source of which is unknown, and closed the organization down. The NFL stepped in and took over the organization, but it was too late. Due to complex league bylaws, the contracts of every player on the team was terminated when Mara closed up shop.

Goodell has stated that due to these rules, the players are now all considered Free Agents. The league plans to allow these players to sign new contracts beginning tomorrow.

According to Goodell, "Right now, we're planning to have 31 teams this season. We will have the Giants organization in a sort of suspended mode until a new owner is found. Right now, there is a lot to figure out. I don't know that there's anyone out there crazy enough to take over the organization in this state."

Goodell went on to say that again, according to a complex league rule, the rights to the players Giants rookie class would not be released into Free Agency until the third week of the pre-season.

It's been a wild couple of days for the Giants organization. The entire football world will wait with bated breath to see what happens with the team in limbo.

Will a new owner emerge? Will the NFL actually go an entire season with 31 teams? Where will Eli Manning, Victor Cruz, Hakeem Nicks and Jason Pierre-Paul end up? Stay tuned for the answers to these question and more.

[Jefferson2Lafell]

Well this is my first franchise on here in years. Randomly got the itch to start a new one, had this idea while watching the Book of Manning the other night. I'm not great with the cool formatting stuff, so all that will be pretty basic. Hope y'all like it!

[Jefferson2Lafell]

Manning to Wait, Recruits Some Friends

New York, NY-- Many teams were interested in Eli Manning, but Eli Manning was not interested in a lot of teams. Manning decided to wait it out for the Giants to find a new owner out of loyalty to the team and it's fans.

"This is the only place I've played pro ball, and its the only place I want to play pro ball," said Manning.

And he convinced some teammates to join him. Most notably, Receiver Hakeem Nicks and Safeties Antrel Rolle and Stevie Brown. Also deciding to stick it out were Receiver Rueben Randle, Linebacker Mark Herzlich, and Corner Jayron Hosley.

This welcome news came with a dark, but expected, side: many other Giants signed with new teams today. Here's a list of the notable signings:

WR Victor Cruz- Detroit Lions
RB David Wilson- Baltimore Ravens
OL Chris Snee- Tennessee Titans
OL David Diehl- Baltimore Ravens
OL Will Beatty- San Fransisco 49ers
DE Justin Tuck- Buffalo Bills
DE Jason Pierre-Paul- New York Jets

Pierre-Paul was a particularly tough blow for fans, as he jumped to the "other" team in New York. However, Manning's announcement softened the blow for a fanbase that didn't expect to see any of its favorite players return. Now, all the Giants need is a new owner. Will one emerge in the coming weeks?

[Jefferson2Lafell]

BREAKING NEWS- GIANTS FIND NEW OWNER

New York, NY-- In a stunning move that is sure to bring a smile to the face of many Giants fans, there is a new owner in New York. Barry Owens the new head man of the G-Men. He vowed to keep the coaching staff intact, saying, "we believe we have one of the top 5 staffs in the NFL. Why ruin a good thing?"

Owens was backed in his purchase by whiz-kid billionaire Robert Pera, the 36-year-old owner of the software company Ubiquiti Networks, who bought the NBAs Memphis Grizzlies in October of last year. The two purchased the team in a 60/40 split, with Owens taking the majority share. This is a concern for several fans, and rumors of an impending move to Memphis began to fly on the internet and in sports bars all over New York.

When asked about a potential move of the team, Owens was very short saying only, "We're in New York. That's where we plan to be. Next question."

The next concern on everyone's mind: who the heck is this guy? There isn't much information out there, but we've gathered as much information as we can.

Barry Owens was born in Shreveport, Louisiana on August 21, 1958. He was the son of Jonathan Owens, a Southern Baptist Minister who was a close friend of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. As a matter of fact, five-year-old Barry Owens was present during the famed March on Washington in 1963 and was present when Dr. King delivered his famous "I Have a Dream" speech.

Owens grew up in Shreveport, an athletic young man who played as many sports as possible. He was a star as a scrambling quarterback at Booker T. Washington High School in the mid-1970's. He didn't get any offers from Division-1 universities, so he took his talents to play under legendary Grambling State University coach Eddie Robinson. Owens earned a starting job his junior year and started for two seasons, passing for 2,947 yards and rushing for 1,513 yards and scoring 22 touchdowns in his career. He was succeeded at Grambling State by legendary Redskins quarterback Doug Williams, the first african-american QB to win a Super Bowl.

Owens then began his career as a high school football coach in the Shreveport area, bouncing around different schools for about a decade. Then, in the late 1980's, Owens took the ideas from some of the makeshift equipment he had designed at the low-budget high schools and put them on the market. His business exploded, and Owens became a millionaire in 1992. He continued to expand on the business, and now Owens Sports Equipment is one of the most successful sports equipment companies in the world. Forbes estimates Owens' net worth in the area of $60 billion.

Not much is known of Owens' life from the time his company started to now, as Owens does not generally enjoy the limelight. All that is known about the past 20-or-so years of his life is that he relocated his company to Memphis, expanded his sales to equipment for all sports, and was married to Jeanne Jackson.

Owens was excited and engaging during his press conference and handled the tough New York media well. The most pressing questions were concerning the roster, with great players such as Jason Pierre-Paul, Victor Cruz, and Justin Tuck on new teams.

"Right when I made the purchase, we got the Giants staff back into the office and have been working the phones since last night around 7 P.M. We've been calling around to various free agents that are still on the market to see who is interested in joining the team. I talked to Eli, and he is still 100% on board with us, as are the other players that came out with him last week in support of the team," Owens said.

The new owner also revealed that the team was not planning to reach out to players such as Corey Webster and Linval Joseph, who are still on the market but haven't expressed interest in returning to the Giants.

"They didn't want to be here last week, they don't get to be here this week."

We'll bring you the details of the 2013 New York Giants roster as soon as they come in. For now, let the speculation begin!

[Jefferson2Lafell]

Giants Announce New Roster

New York, NY-- The Giants announced their roster today, and have been granted a training camp extension by the NFL. The team will meet today, July 31, at the team's training center, Quest Diagnostic Training Center, and will continue in camp for one month, finishing on August 31. The team was granted these extra practices in order for the essential brand new roster to learn the team's systems.

The team was also granted an exception by the league for its salary cap, as league rules made the Giants liable for their former players' contract bonuses as well as the new players.

The new group of Giants is full of players looking for another shot in the NFL. Headlined by 15-year-pro LB Takeo Spikes and 7-year-pro DE Mark Anderson, the team is full of undrafted rookies, cast-off veterans, and several young players who weren't able to catch on with another team. Many of these players are recognizable as either recent first round "busts" or former college stars.

The Giants only signed enough players to bring their roster up to 53 players, all of whom agreed to guaranteed contracts for at least two years. These players make up the new roster along with veterans Eli Manning, Hakeem Nicks, Reuben Randle, Antrel Rolle, Jayron Hosely, Mark Herzlich, and the Giants draft class.

We're starting our reveal today with the backfield.

The "New" York Giants:

Quarterbacks

Eli Manning- 6'4", 218, University of Mississippi, 9 years pro
Contract: 3 years, $85M

Ryan Nassib- 6'2", 227, Syracuse, Rookie

Greg McElroy- 6'2", 220, University of Alabama, 2 years pro

Overview: Manning is the obvious starter, while Nassib will likely back him up. The signing of McElroy wasa surprise after his recent release from the Jets, but Tom Coughlin was excited about his tape and brought him in immediately.

Tailbacks

Beanie Wells- 6'2", 229, Ohio State University, 4 years pro

David Blumberg- 6'3", 220, University of Alabama, Rookie

Chris Rainey- 5'9", 180, University of Florida, 1 year pro

Overview: A couple of notable names, but not a lot of NFL success here. Wells was a very good player at Ohio State, but couldn't stay healthy in Arizona and was let go earlier this offseason. Rainey has blazing speed and is a very good returner, but the Giants also would like to see him develop pass-catching ability and work him in as a change-of-pace back for the bruising Wells and Blumburg/

Fullback

Jacob Hester- 5'11", 235, LSU, 5 years pro

Overview: Hester was a very good back at LSU, and has been a decent player in the NFL. He should do very well out of the backfield for New York, but there are some questions about his lead-blocking abilities.

Next Up: The Receiving Corps (WR/TE)

[Jefferson2Lafell]

The Receiving Corps

East Rutherford, NJ-- For our next installment of our reveal of the "New" York Giants roster, we examine the Wide Receivers and Tight Ends.

Receivers

Hakeem Nicks- 6'1", 208, University of North Carolina, 4 years pro

Brandon Lloyd- 6'0", 188, University of Illinois, 10 years pro

Rueben Randle- 6'3", 208, LSU, 1 year pro

Devery Henderson- 5'11", 200, LSU, 9 years pro

Mohamed Massaquoi- 6'2", 207, University of Georgia, 4 years pro

Overview: Nicks and Randle will most likely be the main targets for Manning, as they already have a rapport with him and have been the only receivers working with him for the past few weeks. Lloyd is coming off an okay season last year with New England, and the Giants for a few more productive seasons from him. Henderson should be able to stretch the field well with his blazing speed. All in all, this is likely the strongest position on the team.

Tight Ends

Visanthe Shiancoe- 6'4", 240, Morgan State, 10 years pro

Todd Heap- 6'5", 252, Arizona State, 12 years pro

Evan Moore- 6'6", 250, Stanford University, 5 years pro

Overview: Shiancoe hasn't been heard from much since 2009 and 2010, when he and Brett Favre developed a good connection in Minnesota. It's tough to tell how much he and Heap, both 33, have left in the tank. Moore, on the other hand, is an intriguing player. Due to his size and athleticism, he was expected to be a strong contributor to the Browns when Pat Shurmur took over the team in 2011, but he never emerged and only recorded one catch for 6 yards last season.

[Jefferson2Lafell]

The Offensive Line

East Rutherford, New Jersey-- For our final offensive installment of the series, we will look at the new Giants Offensive Line, which will be tasked with protecting QB Eli Manning and opening holes for RB Beanie Wells.

Tackles

Jared Gaither- 6'9", 340, University of Maryland, 6 years pro

Demetress Bell- 6'5", 311, Northwestern State University, 5 years pro

Jason Smith- 6'5", 308, Baylor, 4 years pro

Justin Pugh- 6'4", 307, Syracuse, Rookie

Guards

Rex Hadnot- 6'2", 310, University of Houston, 9 years pro

Jason Spitz- 6'3", 305, University of Louisville, 7 years pro

Troy Kropog- 6'6", 308, Tulane, 4 years pro

Eric Herman- 6'4", 320, University of Ohio, Rookie

Robert Griffin- 6'6", 335, Baylor, 1 year pro

Centers

Eugene Amano- 6'3", 300, Southeast Missouri State, 9 years pro

Nick McDonald- 6'4", 305, Grand Valley State, 3 years pro

Overview: The strength, if one can call it that, is at the tackle positions. Gaither and Bell are expected to start, and both are decidedly average players, but both Smith and Pugh present viable backup options and little drop-off. The interior of the line is simply weak. Hadnot, Amano, and Spitz are all below-average starters. Both guards struggle in pass protection, and Amano struggles to get off double-teams to block linebackers on the second level. Don't expect the interior guys to be starting next year.

[Jefferson2Lafell]

Meet the Defensive Line

East Rutherford, NJ-- On to the defensive, line, which is turning out to be a potential strength on this team. The coaching staff was very pleased with the group they were able to put together on such short notice. They believe that they can put good pressure on opposing quarterbacks and take help out their secondary, which is likely to have its struggles.

Defensive Ends

Mark Anderson (Pictured)- 6'4", 255, University of Alabama, 7 years pro

Ray Edwards- 6'5", 268, Purdue University, 7 years pro

Lawrence Jackson- 6'4", 271, USC, 5 years pro

Damontre Moore- 6'4", 250, Texas A&M, Rookie

Defensive tackles

Johnathan Hankins- 6'2", 320, Ohio State University, Rookie

Sean Cody- 6'4", 301, USC, 8 years pro

Jamaal Anderson- 6'6", 289, University of Arkansas, 6 years pro

Amobi Okoye- 6'2", 292, University of Louisville, 6 years pro

Overview: The end spots will likely be the strength of this defense. Anderson is a very good pass-rusher (and who recorded 1.5 sacks of Eli Manning in Super Bowl XLVI), and the rotation of Edwards and Jackson on the other side should work well for this team. Hankins performed well in offseason activities to make himself a likely starter, and Coach Tom Coughlin loves his potential. Cody, a former starter in Detriot, should be a serviceable starter. Anderson is an intriguing player. He was drafted 8th overall in the 2007 as a defensive end out of Arkansas but was switched around between end and tackle in previous years. The Giants love his size in the middle, and think that he can be a disruptive interior pass-rusher with his lanky build and long arms. Okoye, drafted later in the first round of that same 2007 draft by the Texans, was mostly signed for depth and is not expected to make much of an impact.