Giants, Eagles engage in trash-talking

It happens in the locker room. It happens on the radio. It happens on Twitter. And you bet it will happen a lot Sunday on the football field in Philadelphia.

We're talking trash-talking, specifically the entertaining and vitriolic sort produced by the intense rivalry between the Giants and Eagles.

It's no secret to anyone that these teams don't like each other. Maybe it has something to do with the teams' odd proximity: They don't share a city or a fan base, but they share a turnpike.

The latest verbal volley between the teams was served when the Giants' Antrel Rolle, in his weekly segment on WFAN on Tuesday, said he has covered DeSean Jackson one-on-one in the past and sees no reason he wouldn't be able to do it again. He also said he hoped that Michael Vick plays Sunday so the Eagles will have no excuse when the Giants "go down to Philly and put it to 'em."

Jackson chose not to respond the next day, but teammate Jeremy Macklin couldn't resist. Said Macklin: "A lot of times when people talk, they're either insecure or scared. You choose."

Is Macklin on to something? Why do athletes engage in trash-talking before or during a big game?

There can be several reasons, according Dr. Jonathan F. Katz, a sports performance psychologist. Katz said some of the most effective trash-talkers, such as Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Kobe Bryant, engaged in it to help motivate themselves.

"You see that Kobe Bryant will try to create some sort of conflict buildup to create an interest for himself and motivation to get him to play at a certain level that makes him great," he said.

Another obvious reason that trash-talking occurs -- especially between opponents who come into direct contact with one another, such as a cornerback and a receiver -- is that players try to get into one another's head and get them thinking.

Katz is not sure how effective that is.

"It helps some players," he said, "but generally people are better served by spending their time and energy on what they need to do on the field or court."

That is a message that some Eagles and Giants seemed to be getting toward the end of the week. After the back-and-forth between Rolle and Macklin made headlines in both cities, things seemed to calm down.

Said Rolle: "The game's played on the field. It's not played with words. It's not played in the media. The game's played on the field. That's something we have to make our focus point and understand."