Big Blue, Big '09 Season

Memorial Day weekend means many things—sunny skies, crowded highways, barbeques, and the preview of the summer ahead. It also means that the start of the football season is that much closer.

As the Yankees and Mets continue to figure out ways to sell their astronomically priced tickets, across the river the Giants are preparing for the 2009 season. Two years ago the Giants were the Cinderella story of the league with their improbable playoff run. In 2008 their Cinderella story finally struck midnight as their season took a shot in the leg. Literally.

Most of the Giants' offseason focused on controversial wide receiver Plaxico Burress after his suspension at the end of last year for shooting himself in the leg at a New York night club. Finally in March, the Giants decided to release the receiver leaving a big hole in their wide receiver core.

After the selection of wide receiver Hakeem Nicks in the first round of the draft, big blue hopes they have the man to replace Burress.

Eli Manning certainly hopes so after his dreadful performance in last year's home playoff loss to that team from down the turnpike. The backfield also took a little hit after New York let running back Derrick Ward ship out to Tampa.

How about the pass rush which ended Tom Brady's hopes of being the leagues only perfect quarterback? The same pass rush that ran out of gas last season now gets all pro Osi Umenyiora back after missing all of last season. Most importantly, though, the Giants toughest task remains surviving the brutal NFC East.