New York Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora is expected to end his one day holdout and report to the team's training camp Saturday night, a development first reported by Mike Garafolo of the Star-Ledger. Umenyiora is unhappy with hsi contract, wanting the Giants to re-negotiate a deal that has two years remaining.
Question is, will Umenyiora be arriving at the Timex Performance Center as a happy camper, or as a player who will create a scene the way former Giants tight end Jeremy Shockey did before the 2008 season, basically forcing his way out of town?
If you believe what Ralph Vacchiano of the Daily News tweeted, it would be the latter. Here is what Vacchiano said:
Source says he [Umenyiora] has no plans to speak to GM Jerry Reese "ever again" and still wants a new contract or a trade.
Ouch! That does not sound like a player who will show up happy to be a Giant. Umenyiora, of course, filed a sworn affadavit as part of the Brady anti-trust lawsuit claiming that Reese had lied to him about his contract status.
Giants defensive captain Justin Tuck said he spoke to Umenyiora Saturday morning and that "he's doing what's best for him." Tuck said he did not believe the relationship between Umenyiora and the Giants was fractured beyond repair.
"We've all seen worse, worse than this situation between Osi and the New York Giants. A couple years ago Michael Strahan was in a similar situation. He might've had a little bit more (leverage?) being a future hall-of-famer," said Tuck. "You've got to understand, we just got out of a tremendous business deal with just being able to come out here and play this game again. It is a business. I think a lot of people get caught up in the loyalty to the game and things of that nature like the Giants in this situation. We're definitely loyal to the team. But, in Osi's situation, he feels as though he needs to do this. Who am I to say he's wrong for doing it?"
Stay tuned to this one. Might be some fireworks in store.