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It’s hard to blame New York Giants center Shaun O’Hara for being stunned by his team’s offseason free-fall. Only three-and-a-half months ago in Super Bowl XVII, the Giants knocked off a New England Patriots team that was regarded by some as the greatest of all time.
But in the all-important ESPN.com spring Power Rankings, the Giants are clinging to No. 6, and at least one voter had them at No. 10. This outpouring of apathy toward a world title wasn’t lost on O’Hara, who sits on coach Tom Coughlin’s leadership council.
“I don’t study all the rankings, but I’m aware of what’s going on,” he said. “We were a week or two removed from the Super Bowl and everyone starts predicting the Cowboys to win the NFC East. You almost have to laugh. You just won a Super Bowl, and it’s like, ‘Hey, what do we have to do to get that respect?’ “
After spending a couple of months on the banquet circuit, O’Hara and his teammates officially will reunite at a ring ceremony May 29. Several players skipped the club’s voluntary workouts this offseason and a subsequent trip to the White House, but it’s unlikely they’ll forget to pick up their jewelry.
For the players who’ve been working out, Coughlin already has passed out this season’s first inspirational T-shirt. In 2007, Coughlin began the season with the T-shirt slogan “Talk is Cheap, Play The Game” and then followed it up with a new one every four games. Borrowing from his mentor Bill Parcells’ long list of hokey motivational ploys, Coughlin came up with “Mental Toughness,” “Prove it” and “Together We Are One.” Rumors that he used puff paint on the shirts were later proven false.
Two weeks ago, he handed out a batch of XXLs that read: “It’s a Whole New Season.” Don’t you love it when Coughlin gets crazy like that. He almost seems like a “whole new man,” but I think we wrote that story like 437 times during Super Bowl week.

sports.espn.go.com