Coughlin to Giants: Why Can't We Be Friends?

As bad as internal strife sometimes seemed to get last season, Giants coach Tom Coughlin is using the bitter memory of it all as a blueprint for building his team this season.

Issues ranging from communications to locker room morale will be largely overseen by a 10-player Leadership Council handpicked by Coughlin to help facilitate ongoing dialogue between players and coaches.

The New Post reports that Jeff Feagles, Mathias Kiwanuka, Amani Toomer, Eli Manning, Jeremy Shockey, Michael Strahan, Antonio Pierce, David Diehi, Qsi Umenyiora and Shaun O'Hara have all been pressed into service as tribunal members.

"The only way we succeed is if we function as one and we can't function as one unless we're on the same page," explained Coughlin. "This council is another tool that we - the players and me - can use to make sure we are communicating efficiently and that the proper information is being communicated. In both directions. It's a two-way street."

Far too many times during last year's 8-8 wreck-of-a-season, players seemed to be free-wheeling at speeds and to destinations all of their own. Capsulizing it all were constant clashes between since retired star running back Tiki Barber and the coach, himself.

Entering his twelfth season of head coaching and fourth with the Giants, the move marks the first of its kind by Coughlin, who nonetheless seems quite committed to it.

“It's a good cross-section of the team in terms of experience, position and personality,” he said.

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