Giants stay quiet after Jones' jab

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ALBANY, N.Y. -- The New York Giants heard what Jerry Jones said to fans the other day about kicking the Giants' rear ends.

But they barely wasted their breath talking about it Wednesday. As if they all got the same memo, the team's players refused to engage in a war of words with the Cowboys' owner.

"Because talk is cheap," defensive end Justin Tuck said. "Play the game."

Of course, that is coach Tom Coughlin's infamous motto from years ago. But make no mistake, the Giants heard how Jones told Cowboys fans at Dallas' training camp in Oxnard, Calif., on Monday, "y'all should come to that (Cowboys) stadium and watch us beat the Giants' ass."

The closest thing to a response was made in jest by owner John Mara, who pointed to a bandage on his forehead and said to a couple of reporters, "you should see what Jerry Jones looks like" with a chuckle.

Later, Mara appeared on "The Mike Lupica Show" on ESPN New York 98.7 and heard the sound of Jones' comment. Then he made a crack at the Jets' expense rather than the Cowboys.

"We'll show up," Mara said. "But that is actually the first time I've heard that comment. I have been so caught up in the (Tim) Tebow coverage that I haven't had time for anything else."

Jones, in a radio interview Wednesday on "The Dan Patrick Show," explained why he wanted his team's focus on the Giants.

"I want everyone on our team with their mind on the Giants because that's who we open up with, that's our first real deal, and that's why they're getting my attention," Jones, also the Cowboys' general manager, said.

The defending world champions are pretty much shying away from trash-talking with anybody at the moment otherwise. The juiciest thing said so far in camp was tight end Martellus Bennett saying on the first day of camp that he had ill will toward his former team, Dallas, and every other team in the NFL. Bennett also said he wanted to kick the Cowboys' rear ends.

But on Wednesday, the outspoken Bennett didn't have much to say about Jones, his former boss.

"I have nothing to say about that," Bennett said. "Everybody has their point of view. That's just one game of the year. Right now we're just trying to get better here at Giants camp."

"I wasn't there so I don't know what he was doing," Bennett added. "But yeah, Jerry's a good guy. He does a good job. He was just doing his job."

The Giants and Cowboys open the season on Sept. 5. Perhaps the trash talking will increase the week before. Until then, the Giants are going to just store everything in their memory banks and use it as motivation.

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Ohm Youngmisuk

ESPNNewYork.com

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Ohm Youngmisuk has covered the Giants, Jets and the NFL since 2006. Prior to that, he covered the Nets, Knicks and the NBA for nearly a decade. He joined ESPNNewYork.com after working at the New York Daily News for almost 12 years and is a graduate of Michigan State University.
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