Once upon a time, we referred to Giants coach Tom Coughlin from time to time as the Soup Nazi. He now has a much more flattering food-based nickname.
“I asked him if I can get a loan,” Tuck said at the White House on Friday, via Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPNNewYork.com. “That’s one of the reasons he was giddy all week. I told him I’m going to start calling him ‘Cheese’ now, first of all, because he has a lot of it and second because he keeps smiling.”
Coughlin reportedly will get $20 million over the next three years, which puts him close to the top of the NFL pecking order. Tuck thinks he should be even higher.
“He deserves to be the number-one paid head coach in this league,” Tuck said. “I’ve had an opportunity to play for only him in my NFL career and hopefully that stays the same.”
Coughlin, 65, has shown no signs of slowing down. It sounds like few if any of the players want him to, which reflects perhaps the most remarkable change in attitude that any locker room has ever had for its coach.
Then again, a couple of Super Bowl wins in five years plus a team that has the talent to contend for more will have that effect.