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Newsweek
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
ESPN's quarter century all-star team has a giant-sized mystery.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. No two NFL stars are the same though many share recognizable qualities and common ideas. It doesn't matter if they play for the New York Giants or someone else. All want to get paid. All hope they'll one day be remembered among the greats when their playing days are over. The 'alphas' often think about their legacy. How will they be remembered? Have they set their family up for financial success? How many more years of pain can they squeeze out of those weary and battered bodies? Michael Strahan, New York Giants (Photo by) Michael Strahan, New York Giants (Photo by) Photo byThose are the questions they ask themselves. That being said, you know what? Come to think of it, these guys may be more alike in their makeup than most may have thought. Must read: Abdul Carter Headlines a List of Giants Postseason Award Contenders They won't admit it, but they seek the approval and respect of their peers. And, they work their hind parts off for that respect because if their peers, opponents, and teammates respect them that's truly all that matters. All of that has been said to say this. It's easy to wonder what some of the Giants greats of the past quarter century think about this ESPN all-star team. The Giants are snubbed from ESPN's All Quarter Century Team (minus a practice team addition) It's hard to argue with the brilliance and creativity. ESPN dropped some quality content as Aaron Schatz and Seth Wilder cooked up one heck of a write-up in their NFL All Quarter Century team. There's only one problem. There are no New York Giants on the roster! That is, unless you include Michael Strahan's mention as a practice squad member. Okay, so it's been a rough go these past few seasons with Brian Daboll at the helm despite the postseason appearance his team produced in his first season as head coach. Truth be told, we can probably chalk that up to some bad moves by Joe Schoen and the front office. Must read: Kayvon Thibodeaux's Long-Held Promise Haunts in a Crucial Year The Giants can't get one guy on the list though? Not one? Sure, this team has been bad or mediocre more often than they have impressed us over the past quarter century, but this team has had some talent. What about Michael Strahan? Can we at least bump him up to the active roster? What about Eli Manning? He's 2-0 vs. the QB1, Tom Brady, on the Super Bowl stage. No one wants Eli on the squad, huh? Well, goodness gracious. You guys are a tough crowd and tough to please. Must read: A Giants Backup Role Might Not Fit Jaxson Dart's Grand Vision Here's something of note. Bill Belichick was named the team's head coach. Do we give the G-Men a nod because he was once Big Blue's defensive coordinator? No? You guys aren't rolling with that either, huh? Oh well... Maybe Abdul Carter and Malik Nabers can fight their way onto the 2025 all-star team. It will take another 25 years to get there, but at this point, Giants fans and the media have to hope for something.
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Giants' Thibodeaux Chasing T.J. Watt
Giants' Thibodeaux Chasing T.J. Watt originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt might not be the best edge rusher in football, but his consistent presence among the top defensive players in football earns him a spot in that conversation. He may not finish his career with the most sacks or Defensive Player of the Year Awards. He might not remain in the pantheon of the elite as long as some others. Advertisement But until somebody earns 23 sacks in a season, Watt will have an accomplishment separating him from the pack. Watt is tied with New York Giants legend Michael Strahan for the most sacks in a single season, posting 22.5 in 2021. Now another New York edge rusher is gunning for his title. Kayvon Thibodeaux, the Giants' 2022 first-round pick, is chasing down the Steelers star, setting the bar extraordinarily high for his 2025 performance. 'More [sacks] than I ever had,' Thibodeaux told reporters on Tuesday. 'Every time I come out on the field, I want to have more sacks than I ever had, more tackles than I ever had and whatever I got to do to help the team. So yeah. I'm still going for the record, I'm going to go for the record every year.' Advertisement Granted, Thibodeaux's career-best sack total is 11.5, set in 2023. That was largely the result of exceeding his pass-rushing peripherals, although he improved upon those marks in 2024 while injuries limited him to 5.5 sacks. A jump could be in store for Thibodeaux, and he's looking to prove himself after an underwhelming third season. Making good on his draft capital after his fifth-year option was accepted will certainly get him paid like a star, even if he hasn't ascended just yet. 'I've always been hungry,' he added. 'I grew up poor and this is an opportunity to make more money than you'll ever make in your life. So, there's no added pressure, there's no added motivation. I think the motivation is not only to get here, but to stay here and then once you're here, you're in a land full of lions, you got to come out on top. So, for me, I just want to be the best now. That's kind of what my motivation is and that's what I'm here to do.' Thibodeaux breaking Watt's record would be as unforeseen of a breakout as any in recent memory. Further, his job got harder in 2025, at least in terms of raw production. The Giants drafted edge rusher Abdul Carter with the No. 3 pick. When on the field together, Carter stands to alleviate pressure from Thibodeaux (much like edge rusher Brian Burns and defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence). With fewer playing time comes fewer opportunities to impact the box score, rendering Thibodeaux with little chance at a sack title, much less the record. Advertisement He isn't in line for hardware, but both Thibodeaux and Watt have something to prove in 2025. The former has his eyes on being the best in the sport. The latter wants to hold onto that status for as long as possible. Related: AFC North Rival Sets Bar for Watt Extension Related: Steelers Legend Chimes in on T.J. Watt's Absence This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
Associated Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Giants' Thibodeaux aiming to bounce back, get double-digit sacks every year and chase the NFL record
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Kayvon Thibodeaux expects a lot more from himself this season. Especially sacks. The New York Giants edge rusher had just 5 1/2 of them last season after setting a career best with 11 1/2 in 2023. Thibodeaux, who missed five games with a broken bone in his left wrist, has clear — and what he believes are realistic — goals heading into this season. 'I think I'm a consistent double-digit sack guy and I've got to do that, you know?' Thibodeaux said Tuesday after the first practice of the Giants' three-day mandatory minicamp. 'It's been three years, going on four now, and it's been a lot of ups and downs in my career and as a team. 'But I think this is a team that can win and I can help that.' The fifth overall pick in the 2022 NFL draft out of Oregon had four sacks as a rookie after being rated among the top edge rushers coming out of college that year. Thibodeaux showed impressive progress in 2023 and further raised expectations for last season when he made headlines by saying he was aiming for the NFL's single-season sacks record of 22 1/2, held by former Giants star Michael Strahan and current Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt. And the 24-year-old Thibodeaux isn't backing off that lofty aspiration. 'Every time I come out on the field, I want to have more sacks than I ever had, more tackles than I ever had, and whatever I've got to do to help the team,' he said. 'Yeah, I'm still going for the record. I'm going to go for the record every year.' But after last year's disappointing showing, Thibodeaux spent a chunk of the offseason watching his performance snap by snap while critically assessing his play. 'I didn't finish,' Thibodeaux said. 'I think I had like five half-sacks, which should've been whole sacks. I had probably like four or five missed tackles at the sack point, so just finishing my plays and just being able to come out on top in every situation.' Thibodeaux enters this season feeling great — 'I'm healthy, I'm fast, I'm strong, I'm excited' — and is part of a Giants pass rush that includes Brian Burns, Dexter Lawrence and rookie Abdul Carter, the third overall pick this year. 'He gives us another guy up front to rush,' Thibodeaux said of Carter. 'He's been taking his roles really strongly and he's been doing his thing in the inside, on the outside. So, excited to have another guy to add to the gauntlet.' But the addition of Carter, in particular, prompted some speculation that New York could look to deal Thibodeaux, even though the team insisted it was happy with him and not shopping him. The Giants mostly quelled that talk in April when they picked up the fifth-year option on his rookie deal, keeping him under contract through the 2026 season. 'I don't really think about too far ahead,' he said. 'I think for me, I can only control the now, and the now, I've got to get better pass rushing, I've got to get better at stopping the run. And that's what I'm focused on. I think the more I can do for the team, the better off I'll be. So just hone in on that.' Thibodeaux knows he has his doubters — he hears the outside noise whether it's comments on sports radio or on social media. But he also knows how to handle it better, focusing on what got him to this point. So, his inspiration doesn't come from those critics. Or even from the adversity he has faced. 'I've always been hungry,' said Thibodeaux, a Los Angeles area native. 'I grew up poor and this is an opportunity to make more money than you'll ever make in your life. So, there's no added pressure, there's no added motivation. I think the motivation is not only to get here, but to stay here and then once you're here, you're in a land full of lions, you've got to come out on top. 'So, for me, I just want to be the best now. That's kind of what my motivation is and that's what I'm here to do.' ___ AP NFL:
Newsweek
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
'Good Morning America' Shakeup: Show's Last Times Square Episode Set to Air
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Good Morning America is moving from their longtime home at Times Square Studios in New York City to its new location in downtown Manhattan. Their last Times Square Studios episode is set to air on Friday. Newsweek reached out to a Good Morning America spokesperson for comment via email outside regular working hours. The Context Good Morning America (GMA) began broadcasting from the Times Square Studios on September 13, 1999, with Serena Williams as its first guest. What To Know Good Morning America's co-anchors—Michael Strahan, George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, Ginger Zee and Lara Spencer—as well as the GMA crew, are relocating to the Walt Disney Company's new headquarters 2.6 miles away at 7 Hudson Square, per its website. The new space, called the Robert A. Iger building, is described as "a collaborative town square in the bustling city" that will be "home to news, editorial, live productions, streaming, technology, advertising, corporate, business support functions, and more," a December 2024 news release read. The cast of "Good Morning America" at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards Nominations Announcement at the "GMA" Studios on April 10, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. The cast of "Good Morning America" at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards Nominations Announcement at the "GMA" Studios on April 10, 2017 in Los Angeles, Billboard Music Awards News of the chat show's relocation was first revealed in 2023. "Good Morning America is defined by the strength of our team in front of and behind the camera, quality of our reporting, and the long, trusted relationship with our viewers," a Good Morning America spokesperson said at the time, per Deadline. "Moving all ABC News teams to our new state-of-the-art building was a strategic decision that will allow for more collaboration and innovation." What People Are Saying Strahan spoke out about his first days on the GMA set in video posted to Instagram this week: "It felt overwhelming. Those are the first thoughts. How overwhelming is this that I'm a part of this?" Stephanopoulos also reflected on the beginning of his GMA career in an Instagram video: "It was so long ago that I can't even imagine what it must have been." Roberts revealed some of her favorite musical moments in Times Square on Instagram: "As we embark on our final week broadcasting from Times Square Studios … I thought it was only fitting to look back at some of my favorite musical memories in our Times Square neighborhood. Will never forget in 2014 when @taylorswift joined us for one of our largest concerts ever! The unstoppable Queen Bey took over Times Square in 2006 and it was so much fun! And we always love having @aliciakeys on our show and her 2011 performance was special. I can't wait to have Alicia join us again this Friday as we say our final farewell before moving to our new studio downtown. #GMA50 #MemorableMoments." Zee gave a tour of her dressing room in a clip shared via Instagram: "We're moving! Look at my dressing room. Kind of sad, nearly empty. The packing boxes are all ready for us all the way down the hall. It's our last week here. 26 years of stuff we have to pack up." Spencer shared a video to her Instagram Stories on Thursday: "Well, this is it. Our last two days here at Times Square Studios. You can see all of the moving containers. Come on into my dressing room, it looks a little bit different. Look at this—the racks are empty, everything is making its way to the new studio, and [it's] very sentimental. 25 years this has been home, but as we say goodbye, we also say hello to a brand new studio and a whole new era." What Happens Next GMA will begin broadcasting from 7 Hudson Square on Monday, June 16, at 7 a.m. ET.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Good Morning America' leaving Times Square studio after 25-plus years
NEW YORK — Viewers of 'Good Morning America: GMA' will be waking up to something new as early as next week, with the long-running morning show starting to wrap up its 25-year-plus run in Times Square on Monday. While the co-anchors kicked off their final week in the studio by reflecting on their first days on set, the decision to move from the 'crossroads of the world' was first announced in October 2023 as part of ABC News' 'strategic' plans to centralize the operation. 'Good Morning America is defined by the strength of our team in front of and behind the camera, quality of our reporting, and the long, trusted relationship with our viewers,' a spokesperson said at the time, Deadline reported. 'Moving all ABC News teams to our new state-of-the-art building was a strategic decision that will allow for more collaboration and innovation.' The talk show is moving to the new Walt Disney Company's 22-story New York City headquarters, located at 7 Hudson Square — also known as the Robert A. Iger Building — in lower Manhattan near the West Side Highway. Co-anchor Michael Strahan revealed live on Monday that 'GMA' will begin broadcasting from the new space during the week of June 16. The former NFL star and bestselling author reflected how 'overwhelming' it was when he first began inhabiting the Times Square studios when he joined the team full-time in 2016. 'The bright lights, the personality, the energy, how intimidated I was when I walked through the door. A lot of thoughts were going through my mind,' he said. Robin Roberts, who's been a 'GMA' anchor since 2005, also shared that 'I remember thinking, I'm a little girl from Mississippi and I'm working at Times Square,' recalling spending her first day in the new digs in 1999 interviewing tennis star Serena Williams after she won her first U.S. Open and Grand Slam title. 'Our studio is brand-spanking-new, and she comes in, and she talks with us,' she recalled. 'She had a little dog. I think her dog's name was Jackie. Jackie's all up in my face. But I just remember the energy and just looking around, going, 'This is our home?' All these years later, it still feels that way.' Before moving to Times Square, across the street from MTV studios, 'Good Morning America' was broadcast from the ABC News headquarters in Lincoln Square on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Despite the move, the show will go on for GMA's summer concert series. New Kids on the Block will kick off the star-studded line-up playing the final show in Times Square. After a few concerts in different cities, Colombian singer Manuel Turizo will become the first artist to perform at the new studio on Aug. 1. Punk-rock band Good Charlotte, trailblazing Latin pop singer Gloria Estefan, country music crooner Dierks Bentley and R&B artist Teyana Taylor are also scheduled for the new digs.
