Gunzlingr
08-05-2004, 08:46 AM
ALBANY — Play the kid. That's the advice of a pretty fair former quarterback, Terry Bradshaw, to Giant coach Tom Coughlin.
"Whether it's New York or Tacoma, load up the wagon and let him play," said Bradshaw, the Fox announcer who paid a visit yesterday to training camp. "He's a smart kid, got a lot of talent. Unless the other guy is clearly that much better."
"The kid," of course, is Eli Manning and the "the other guy" is Kurt Warner.
The Giants would like to ease Manning's transition as a rookie by initially giving the ball to Warner, allowing Manning to watch and learn. Bradshaw, like Manning, was the first overall pick in the NFL Draft (in 1970), and as a rookie with the Steelers played in 13 games. He sees nothing good coming from sitting on the bench.
"I wasn't as emotionally developed as [Manning] is — it probably put me back, but I'm glad I played, because I did have some good games and I had some bad games," Bradshaw said. "I never have been a believer that you learn by watching.
"If Kurt is that far along, and they got a lot of new bodies around here, they've got an offensive-line issue, I can understand not wanting to beat [Manning] up and have him lose his confidence, but he's got a father that played, a brother that's a star. He'll have his bad games, he'll have his good games."
more (http://www.nypost.com/sports/giants/26293.htm)
"Whether it's New York or Tacoma, load up the wagon and let him play," said Bradshaw, the Fox announcer who paid a visit yesterday to training camp. "He's a smart kid, got a lot of talent. Unless the other guy is clearly that much better."
"The kid," of course, is Eli Manning and the "the other guy" is Kurt Warner.
The Giants would like to ease Manning's transition as a rookie by initially giving the ball to Warner, allowing Manning to watch and learn. Bradshaw, like Manning, was the first overall pick in the NFL Draft (in 1970), and as a rookie with the Steelers played in 13 games. He sees nothing good coming from sitting on the bench.
"I wasn't as emotionally developed as [Manning] is — it probably put me back, but I'm glad I played, because I did have some good games and I had some bad games," Bradshaw said. "I never have been a believer that you learn by watching.
"If Kurt is that far along, and they got a lot of new bodies around here, they've got an offensive-line issue, I can understand not wanting to beat [Manning] up and have him lose his confidence, but he's got a father that played, a brother that's a star. He'll have his bad games, he'll have his good games."
more (http://www.nypost.com/sports/giants/26293.htm)