Despite all of the success Tom Coughlin has had during his coaching career his job status with the New York Giants seems to be a topic of discussion every season. Every time the Giants struggle the fan base starts screaming for the league's oldest coach to be fired, and the media starts to speculate how much longer the Giants Super Bowl title of four years ago will be enough to keep him on the Giants sidelines.
Well, now that the Giants are back in the NFC Championship Game that conversation has shifted from whether or not his job is secure to his place in history -- and his chance to be a Hall of Fame coach.
Coughlin, 65, was asked Thursday how he deals with the constant chatter. The coach said that he simply ignores it.
"I just keep the blinders on and go straight ahead. I don't have anything to do with what is being said on the outside," Coughlin said. "The priority and what I think about it, I don't let it affect me in any way. I do believe in the John Wooden statement: We like praise, we don't like criticism but if you let either one affect your preparation, you have a problem."
That attitude has carried over to a Giants team that has been constantly criticized the past couple of seasons, but has continued to believe in itself and has finally played in recent weeks the way it expected to all season.