New York Giants/Jets Pathetic New Stadium....

[S4L]

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- New York Giants wide receiver and return specialist Domenik Hixon is out for the year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, the team announced Wednesday.
Hixoninjured his knee when he tried to make a cut and collapsed untouched ona punt return during the team's first practice at the new Meadowlandsstadium on Tuesday. Initially the Giants believed Hixon hadhyperextended the knee when his foot caught in the new FieldTurf. Laterin the day, Hixon underwent an exam and MRI that revealed the torn ACL.

According to the team, Hixon will undergo surgery in two to three weeks.

Bothhead coach Tom Coughlin and general manager Jerry Reese backed away onWednesday from comments Coughlin had made, implying that the turf hadcaused the injury.

"It just happened, just a freak thing thathappens sometimes in sports and we have to deal with it," Reese saidduring an afternoon practice at the Giants' training facility. "I waslooking right at him, and it didn't look like his foot got caught. Itlooked like he was kind of

Defensive end Justin Tucksaid the turf was soft and the players had to get accustomed to it.Coughlin also said on Wednesday, before he learned of the severity ofHixon's injury, that the team had questions about the turf.

It's safe to say that a major injury in the Giants' first practice at the new stadium was enough to cause additional concern.

"Listen,you got to go over there and go on it before you can make somejudgments about it," Coughlin said after the morning practice onWednesday.

"We will be better served now because of the shoesthat we recommend. I said he got his foot stuck in there. [But] you cansee on tape he is turning a little bit and he does have a littlehyperextended kind of thing. We are aware of it [the softness of theturf] and we are continuing to work with it and are asking the turfpeople to take another look at the field and some of the thoughts wehad about shoes and stuff."

When asked if the turf conditions are such because it is new, Coughlin answered, "Yeah, just because it's new."

ChipNamias, a spokesman for FieldTurf, said workers were on the field onWednesday fixing seams. Namias said that job will be completed byThursday, and that FieldTurf had been told by the Giants that Hixon'sinjury was not related to the surface. Reese also told reporters Hixonwas nowhere near the seams when he was hurt.

Namias said itusually takes a few weeks for a field to mold. "When first installed,if it is not actively used, it can be soft," he said.

The New York Jetsheld their first practice on the turf on Wednesday, and while no onewas injured, players said it felt softer than the surface in the oldGiants Stadium.

"It's new turf -- it takes awhile for this stuff to harden up and mat down," linebacker Bart Scotttold ESPNNewYork.com's Jane McManus. "There's always going to be looserubber until you run over it a couple times, have some soccer games inhere, some high school games to help mat this thing down. But you justhave to make the adjustment. Early on you may have to go with shorterspikes and then as it hardens up you can go with longer spikes.

"But I think it's still top-notch; it's soft, it's level, there's no divots, there's no seams -- you just have to break it in."

Coughlin said Hixon was wearing shoes that had been recommended for use on FieldTurf.

Hixon, a fifth-year pro, was the Giants' return specialist. Reese mentioned Mario Manningham and Aaron Ross as potential replacements for Hixon on punts. The general manager also said he would consider trade possibilities.

The Giants have used the likes of Sinorice Moss and Antrel Rolle during offseason workouts on punt returns. And they have rookie safety Chad Jones as an option as well.

"Injuriesare part of the game," Reese said. "Somebody gets injured, we expectsomeone to step up. We have some guys who can step up in that spot. Aguy who comes to mind right away is Manningham. He has been doing somereturns for us. We have kick returners. My concern is at punt returnerright now. Aaron Ross was a punt returner in college."

And with Hixon out, another receiver such as second-year pro Ramses Barden will have a chance to climb the depth chart.

"Itcould have happened anywhere," Reese said of Hixon's injury. "I justwent over there [to the stadium] and looked at the field again and wetalked about some things that maybe need to be changed in respect tothe field. We are working on that. We hope to have all the kinks outbefore we get on it again ... I am sure it has to settle, like all newfields have to settle, but those are things that we think will getworked out."


Jerryland>*

 

[j steezzz]

 

[finnns2003]

Not surprised at anything associated with the Jets...

 

[j steezzz]

^ This guy... starting early ehh Finny?

 

[true 3 blue]

Bad news, WAY too early... Goodness