Thanks to my brothers and sisters: Sandra Strahan, Debra Strahan, Gene Jr., Chris Strahan and Victor Strahan. Thanks to my agents Tony Agnone, Rich Rosa and Eddie Johnson. Thanks to my brothers-from-another-mother Ian and Dana Smith. Thanks to Rich Salgado and John Laffel for helping make this happen. Thanks to Gene Wolfson, Harvey Sanders, Kenneth Cole and Peter Hochfelder and to all my friends that have inspired me to be my best on and off the field.
—Michael Strahan
I’d love to acknowledge a small special group. I’ve got a horrible case of ADD, in fact I’ve already forgotten what I’m doing…. Oh yeah, thanking people. My mom Irene, Dad Ed, and brother Tg and his lovely wife and kids Julie, Max and Nathan for always reminding me of something that I forgot because of the ADD. To Michelle and Samuel for laughing at Michael and me fighting worse than most enemies and appreciating the entertainment value of two idiots and the things they say. To my friends who let me bounce all my ideas off of them, such as Rick Jaffe, George Greenberg, Alex Marvez, John Mullin, Scott Smith, and of course my most trusted advisor, agent and friend, Maury Gostfrand. To my main man at Fox Sports Radio Andrew Ashwood, who while I was worrying about titles for chapters was trying to kick the living crap out of cancer. “Yeah, babe!” To all the people at Gotham and Byrd and Scott who helped from the start. To all my friends in the NFL who provided stories for this book and confirmed some of the funnier ones that make this book what it is. Finally, to my big gap-toothed friend Michael who I’ve lived through so much with.
I want to thank my loving and wonderful wife Michelle, and my son Samuel, the best son in the world. I want to thank my best friend Adonai for never letting me feel alone. Jay Leno said it best: “With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?” Thank you God for making me feel like you created the world just for me, yet at the same time granting me the wisdom to appreciate I am nothing more than dust and bones.
—Jay Glazer
Index
Note: Search for team names under their cities or states.
Abraham, John
Accorsi, Ernie
Achilles tendon
AC joints
Adams, Flozell
ADD drugs
agents
aggression
Aikman, Troy
alcohol
Alexander, Shaun
Allen, Larry
American Bowl
ammonia caps (smelling salts)
amphetamines
Anderson, O. J.
Andrews, Shane
anger
ankle injuries
anthem
anti-inflammatories
Armstead, Jessie
anticipatory skills of
and fighting
on Fox
and introductions
on pain management
and practical jokes
at Super Bowl
tells of
army-brat background of Strahan
Arrington, LaVar
autographs
back injuries
bad days in professional football
Bailey, Champ
Baltimore Ravens
Banks, Carl
Barber, Ronde
Barber, Tiki
Barber Bowl
and Collins
and Coughlin
and hazing
Barber, Tiki
and playbook
and press
retirement
and steroids
Strahan’s relationship with
style of
and trash talk
Barnes, Pat
Barrow, Micheal
baseball
Becht, Anthony
Belichick, Bill
The Best Damn Sports Show Period
Bettis, Jerome
bicep muscles
birthday party of Strahan
blackballing players
black players
Bledsoe, Drew
blitzes
blowouts
body language
Bolden, Juran
Bonds, Barry
bones, injuries to
Brady, Tom
Brees, Drew
Briggs, Lance
Brooks, Derrick
brotherhood
Brown, Courtney
Brown, Dave
Brown, Derek
Brown, Lomas
Brown, Sheldon
Brunell, Mark
Buckley, Marcus
Buffalo Bills
bull rushing
Burress, Plaxico
bursa sacs
Bush, Reggie
caffeine
calcium deposits
calls, plays, and tactics
adaptations in
anticipating opponents
chessboard analogy
of coaches
fake calls and plays
intimidation tactics
language of
penalties for aggressive plays
and playbook
players who excel at
and positions
tells for
camaraderie, See also brotherhood
Campbell, Earl
career management
Carr, David
Carter, Cris
Carter, Ki-Jana
cell phones
centers
Charles, Ray
cheap-shotters
cheaters, See also drugs, performance enhancing checks
cheerleaders
chess game of football, See also calls, plays, and tactics chest injuries
Chicago Bears
chop-blocking
Cincinnati Bengals
Cleeland, Cam
Cloud, Mike
coaches
and behavior of players
communication with
departures of
and fighting
and film work
in free-agency era
and game analysis
and general managers
intent to inflict injuries
and losing games
management of players
and playbook
players’ relationships with
plays of
postgame analysis
and practical jokes
and practices
pregame speeches
pressure on
replacing coaches
reputations of
and rookies
sleeping through meetings
and trash talk
See also specific coaches, including Coughlin, Tom
coffee
coin toss
Coles, Laveranues
Collins, Kerry
Collins, Mark
comebacks
communication
with coaches
Eagles game
in piles
See also trash talk
compound fractures
consistency
contracts
Couch, Tim
Coughlin, Tom
and Barber
career of
and cell phones
coaching style
confrontations with players
dress code
and Eagles game
game preparations
and Kiwanuka
and meetings
off-season program
pregame speeches
reactions to
regard for players
reputation of
schedule of
and Shockey
Strahan’s relationship with
on timeliness
and trash talk
Cousins, Terry
creatine
Cross, Howard
crotch grab
bing
Culpepper, Daunte
cursing
cut-blocks
Dallas Cowboys
Davis, Scott
Davis, Stephen
Dawkins, Brian
decoys
defensive backs
Denver Broncos
deodorant, practical jokes involving
DeOssie, Steve
Diem, Ryan
diet pills
Dilfer, Trent
distractions
diversity in football
divorce of Strahan
Dorsey, Eric
doughnuts and juice
dress codes
drills
drugs, performance enhancing
ammonia caps (smelling salts)
amphetamines
caffeine
creatine
diet pills
ephedra
HGH (human growth hormone)
steroids
supplements
drugs, recreational
Dungy, Tony
Dunn, Warrick
DWs (dick watchers)
Ed Bloch Courage Award
Edwards, Herm
egos
elbow injuries
Elliott, John “Jumbo”
as cheap-shotter
and fighting
and hazing
lining up against
playing style
and Saturday morning breakfasts
Elway, John
embarrassing experiences
Emmons, Carlos
emotions
and fans
on the field
in locker room
and monotony
postgame emotions
pregame emotions
and salaries
and trash talk
ephedra
equipment managers
eye gouging
fairness
families
fans
and autographs
and calls and plays
challenges from
criticisms from
expectations of
fights among
motivation of
noise from
respectful fans
and trash talk
Farleigh-Dickinson University
Fassel, Jim
fat players
Faulk, Marshall
Favre, Brett
fear
Feely, Jay
feet injuries
Field-Turf surface
fighting
Barber/Strahan argument
and brotherhood
and coaches
on the field
Gragg/Strahan fight
inevitability of
in locker room
in meetings
“other guy” inside players
at practice
protocols regarding
purpose of
Rice’s challenge
of rookies
on sidelines
in the stands
verbal sparing
film work
postgame analysis
of practice sessions
pregame preparations
sleeping through
fines
and Bengals
for cell phones
for tardiness
for travel-rule violations
for unsportsmanlike conduct
for weight
finger injuries
firefighters
Fisher, Jeff
Flutie, Doug
Fox, John
Fox, Mike
free agency
front office
fumbles
Galloway, Joey
game day
coaches’ speeches
communication
distractions
emotions
halftime
highlights
huddles
inability to play
intimidation tactics
night before
noise on field
photographs of plays (see also film work) postgame analysis
preparations
rituals
team introductions
telephones on sidelines
tickets to games
transformation of players
See also Super Bowl
game programs
Gannon, Rich
the “gap,”
Garcia, Jeff
Garner, Charlie
Gastineau, Mark
Geathers, Robert
general managers
George, Eddie
Giambi, Jason
Gibbs, Joe
Gilbride, Kevin
girlfriends of players
Glanville, Jerry
Glazer, Jay
Gogan, Kevin
golf lessons
Gonzalez, Tony
Gorman, John
Gostfrand, Maury
Gragg, Scott
Grbac, Elvis
Green, Barrett
Green, Trent
grief, stages of
Groh, Al
Gurode, Andre
halftimes
Halloween party
Hamilton, Keith “Hammer,”
Hampton, Rodney
hand injuries
Handley, Ray
Harrison, Marvin
Haynesworth, Albert
Hazen, Sam
hazing
helmets
Henderson, John
HGH (human growth hormone)
highlights
high-low attack
high school football players
Hilliard, Ike
holding
Holmgren, Mike
hot calls
Houston Texans
Howard, Erik
Huard, Damon
huddles
Hufnagel, John
humiliation
Hunt, Lamar
ice tub
Icy Hot
Indianapolis Colts
Indocin
injuries
impact on team
intent to inflict
Lisfranc injuries
and losing games
memories of
playing on
and reputations of players
risk of
treatment of
variety of (see also specific body parts)
See also pain
intelligence of players
intensity
Irvin, Mike
Jack
Jacksonville Jaguars
Jacobs, Brandon
James, Edgerrin
James, William
Jansen, Jon
jockstraps, practical jokes involving
Johnson, Chad
Johnson, Keyshawn
Johnson, Pepper
joints
Jones, Adam “Pacman,”
Jones, Cedric
Jones, Dhani
Jones, Walter
Joseph, William
JumboTron Stealth bomber
Kansas City Chiefs
Kennelly, Steve
kickoff
kidney stones
kill calls
Kiwanuka, Mathias
knee injuries
Kucher, Ashton
Landry, Tom
Lawson, Dougie
Leggett, Earl
Lewis, Jamal
Lewis, Marvin
Lewis, Ray
Lewis, Thomas “T-Lew,”
Lewis, Tim
lidocaine
Lincoln Tunnel
linebackers
Lineman Challenge trophy
linemen
Lisfranc injuries
Lloyd, Greg
locker room
banter in
camaraderie in
emotions in
fighting in
halftimes
&n
bsp; and losing games
practical jokes in
pregame preparations
prison mentality of
sociology of
Lombardi, Vince
Lombardi Trophy
Long, Howie
losing games
coaches’ reactions to
players’ reactions to
postgame analysis
and press
and tactics on the field
Lynch, John
Madison, Sam
Mangini, Eric
Manning, Eli
Eagles game
game of
Halloween party
leadership from
Manning Bowl
as object of practical joke
and Peyton
pressure on
as rookie
Manning, Peyton
anticipation of plays
Manning Bowl
and plays
practical jokes of
respect for
as rookie
sacks on
at Super Bowl
Manusky, Greg
Mara, Wellington
marijuana
Marino, Dan
market value of players
Maumalanga, Chris
McAllister, Deuce
McCardell, Keenan
McGahee, Willis
McNabb, Donovan
McQuarters, R. W.
meetings
after losing games
fighting in
and on-time arrivals
preparations for Sunday
sleeping through
and Super Bowl
toll taken by
Meggett, Dave
Merriman, Shawne
Middle East
Minnesota Vikings
money
and contracts
and divorce
and expectations for performance
financial management
influence of
and injuries of players
as motivation
pressure of
of rookies
salary caps
salary negotiations
salary sheets
and scams
and team rules
wealth
monotony
Moore, Bob
Mora, Jim, Jr.
Moss, Santana
mouthpieces
nandrolone
Naprosyn
neck injuries
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
games against
hazing incident
playbook on
talking smack
Newton, Nate
New York Daily News
New York Jets
New York Post
Nolan, Mike
North Dallas Forty
Norton, Ken, Jr.
Oakland Raiders
Oates, Bart
offensive formations
offensive linemen
officials
off-season program
Ogden, Jonathan
O’Hara, Shaun
opponents
adapting to
anticipating strategies of
communication with
Inside the Helmet Page 26