The First Smart Thing Jason Pierre-Paul Has Done This Summer Is Avoided The Giants At All Costs

NY Times- “I don’t know how many fingers he has,” Mara said, addressing reporters as the Giants welcomed players for the start of the preseason. “We have no idea what type of condition he is in and that gives us no comfort. We don’t know any more than you know.”

Asked if he had any idea when Pierre-Paul planned to report to training camp, Mara answered, “None.”

“We have to plan on moving forward without him,” Mara said. “I don’t see how we can count on him, certainly not for the opening of the season.”

“I don’t think we’re going to do anything until we actually see where he’s at,” Mara said. “He’s a rare athlete who has played at a very high level before. He is a great kid and we’ve loved having him around here. He fits in well.

“I can only surmise that he’s not receiving very good advice.”

“All of that is negotiable,” Mara said with a small smile. “But nothing is on the table until we see him and can assess the damage caused by the accident.”

“He told me that this was a little bump in the road and that he would be back as good as ever,” Mara said. “I’m disappointed he’s not here because this is the best place for him. We have the best training staff in the league and have access to some of the best doctors in the world.”

Asked what his primary message is to Pierre-Paul, Mara responded, “Come home.”



Jason Pierre-Paul may be pretty high up there on the list of athletes that have compromised their athletic future by doing something completely stupid and unnecessary. However, don't you dare sit there and tell me he hasn't handled this absolutely perfectly since. Going into the offseason the Giants would have considered it a complete tragedy had JPP showed up to camp missing a finger. At this point? If he comes back with both arms they'll consider it a minor miracle. John Mara is right. he's not getting good advice, he's getting GREAT advice. Everyone knows that when you have bad news for someone you avoid them at all costs for as long as possible. Pretty simple concept actually. 

Get into a fight with your needy girlfriend? Avoid her for a week. When you tell her you just needed your space she'll be ecstatic that the relationship isn't over. Owe your bookie some money? Go off the grid for a couple of days. Show up with half the cash and he'll just be glad you aren't dead and he isn't out the whole sum of money. Have you ever ignored your mother's phone calls for a day or two? She's not mad that you hit ignore because you were too busy watching the same SportsCenter for the third time. When you finally call her back she'll be crying tears of joy that you aren't in a ditch somewhere. The Giants organization is made up of a bunch of human beings and just like the rest of us, they have a natural inclination to assume the worst possible outcome. With the uncertainty surrounding JPP since he decided to light a firework and, I can only assume, forget what a firework does, who knows what the Giants are thinking. I can tell you this much. Whatever they think is wrong with JPP is way worse than what is actually wrong with him. I got to 'hand' it to him, he's really got his 'finger' on the pulse of his employer's expectations. He may be a bad teammate for not showing up to camp, but relative to the imagination of the Giants brain trust, he'll be a much healthier player when he does. For the sake of JJP's ability to multitask, I really wish this level of self awareness kicked in before he decided to treat his hand like a launching pad.