Coughlin turns to music to start and end practice

TOM CANAVAN
AP Sports Writer

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — It seems Tom Coughlin is willing to try anything to change the New York Giants’ fortunes.

With the team off to another bad start, the 68-year-old two-time winning Super Bowl coach let his players listen to music at the start and end of practice on Friday.

Coughlin made the move after talking with his players’ council two days before the Giants (0-2) met the Houston Texans (2-0) at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

Needless to say, the music was something the players might enjoy. It certainly wasn’t Sinatra, Bennett or Crosby, or others associated with Coughlin’s formative years.

“The players wanted that,” Coughlin said. “We’ve done that before, we did it years ago. Just a little bit of noise in the air like a stadium pregame is the way they put it.”

Coughlin smiled and laughed when asked if he had a problem sharing his tapes with the players.

“You know, that’s what they wanted me to tell you, that they took the music off of my. I don’t even know what they’re talking about,” Coughlin said, searching for the right word.

When team spokesman Pat Hanlon told him the players wanted him to say the music came off his iPod, Coughlin didn’t skip a beat.

“What’s an iPod? I see everybody with these things sticking out of their ears all the time,” he said. ‘What the heck? What? You need music to run? You can’t exercise without that stuff? What the heck?”

Coughlin’s goal is to get the players to balance the need to win without putting too much pressure on the team.

“You’ve got to go play the game,’ Coughlin said. “No matter what they come at you with, you have to react and adjust and put yourself in a position to win a game.”

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