Getty Giants HC Joe Judge (L) & Patriots HC Bill Belichick (R)
You’ve likely caught wind of the recent backlash surrounding New York Giants‘ new head coach Joe Judge and his recent tactics in practice. Penalizing miscues with laps (for players and coaches), revitalizing the Vince Lombardi favorite “nutcrackers” drills and removing names from players’ jerseys have stirred some great debate amongst the media, with most denouncing its effectiveness.
Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe took to Twitter on Monday proclaiming “this isn’t going to end well” in response to Judge’s methods. Now numerous ex-Giants players have followed suit in voicing their displeasure with the first-year head coach.
Follow the Heavy on Giants Facebook page for all the latest stories, rumors and viral content!
Ex-Giant to Fans: ‘I Apologize For Your 2-14 Record This Season’
Former Giants linebacker Emmanuel Acho, now the co-host of FS1’s Speak For Yourself, took a slightly different approach with his dig towards Judge. The former five-year NFL veteran took time to apologize to Big Blue fans for a forthcoming season in which he predicts the worst win total for a Giants football team since 1974.
“Giants fans, on behalf of everyone intelligent everywhere, I apologize for your 2-14 record this season.”
@EmmanuelAcho reacts to NYG HC Joe Judge making players & coaches run laps for mistakes
“Giants fans, on behalf of everyone intelligent everywhere, I apologize for your 2-14 record this season,” Acho said. “And it’s not your fault, Giants fans. It’s not your fault that you have dedicated yourselves to an organization that is hiring a coach that is instilling imbecilic practices.”
Acho then went on to admit “I’m not sure if ‘imbecilic’ is a word but the practices that Joe Judge are instilling are so dumb that ‘imbecilic’ is the only word that will fit the crime.”
More Former Giants Players Pile On
Geoff Schwartz spent two seasons on the Giants roster from 2014 through 2015 under Tom Coughlin, one of the more stringent head coaches in league history, yet even he is not a fan of what’s currently going down in New York.
The ESPN radio host called out Judge for his acting skills, stating the coach is trying to portray himself as “Bill Belichick on steroids,” the coach in which Judge served under for the previous eight seasons. Schwartz added that in the past, that approach “hasn’t worked for other coaches.”
Robert Ayers, a former teammate of Schwartz’s during his time in New York also decided to chime in, although with a far less fierce approach. The Giants’ sack leader from the 2015 season simply asked “when will they learn” before pointing towards personal experiences with coaches in which Acho would likely deem “imbecilic.”
Judge isn’t numb to the recent negative reviews he’s received. Yet, at the same time, the Giants’ head coach appears somewhat unfazed, as he focuses his energies into getting his team ready for Week 1.
“We can’t get the guys ready to drive on I-95 by riding back roads,” Judge told the media. “If we think the Pittsburgh Steelers (their Kickoff Weekend opponents) are coming in here to hug us, we’re all sadly mistaken. We have to train these guys in a physical manner to make it safe for them to play the game the way the game is played.”
– For More Giants Related News Follow @VinnySomma on Twitter.