BREAKING NEWS

Yankees ready...maybe

Joe Girardi recently made a smart move (if not an entirely original one) in trying to improve his relationship with players by canceling a workout and taking them to a pool hall.

Of course, the true test will come as the season goes on and the tension rises, as it inevitably will. But it was a good first step.

Girardi, taking a page from New York Giants coach Tom Coughlin, opted for a little less work and more bonding when he told his team that a spring training morning workout was off and that buses were waiting to take them to a pool hall for a team tournament.

Coughlin, who nearly lost his job as the Giants' head coach, did a similar thing in training camp the year his team defeated the undefeated Patriots to win a Super Bowl, instead opting for a bowling alley.

The move went a long way in showing the Giants their curmudgeon of a coach cared about more than what they could do for him, but he also continued to build that relationship as the year went on-while also maintaining the team-first mentality in which he'd always believed.

 

Giants stock up on defense

The New York Giants gave new defensive coordinator Bill Sheridan some reinforcements along the line, signing free agents DT Rocky Bernard, LB Michael Boley and DE Chris Canty.

Bernard started 55 of 103 regular-season games with Seattle in his seven-year career. He had 282 tackles, 29 sacks and seven fumble recoveries.

The 26-year-old Boley is excellent in pass coverage and he is expected to be given a shot at winning the weakside job. He played the strongside for Atlanta.

The 6-foot-7, 305-pound Canty comes to New York from NFC East rival Dallas. In 2008, he started every game at defensive end for the Cowboys and finished with 37 tackles, three sacks and five passes batted down. He has played both end and tackle in his career.


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