The crowd brings the noise during Fan Fest at MetLife Stadium, and Giants love it
Giants fans cheer in the stands during Giants Training Camp and Fan Fest at MetLife Stadium on Wednesday. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
Joe Judge stood next to former Giant Shaun O’Hara in the middle of the field at MetLife Stadium following Wednesday night’s Fan Fest practice for an interview shown on the video boards. He was asked for his take on the offense scoring touchdowns in red zone drills.
"What?" Judge said, looking a bit confused for maybe the first time in his tenure as head coach of the Giants. "I can’t hear you."
O’Hara leaned in and spoke directly into Judge’s ear, repeating his query.
And that was the difference. That was what Judge said the Giants — the entire NFL, really — were missing last season. The noise. The excitement. Even the boos that cascaded from the 20,000 or so at this event whenever a Cowboys fan stood up, an Eagles fan caught a pass from a player, or when Evan Engram dropped a pass and Devontae Booker fumbled.
"Last year we came out here and we had that Blue & White game trying to simulate everything we could," Judge said a few moments after his encounter with O’Hara, this time yelling at reporters above the din of a fireworks show. "One night of something like this just completely brings it full circle."
Judge reiterated that the best part of the night from a football standpoint was the chance for the players and coaches to work on communication amid the noise. And the fans delivered, especially when Logan Ryan or Leonard Williams was waving to rev them up, or when the entire team capped the event by tossing T-shirts into the stands.
The team was just as excited.
"Today definitely had a different feeling in the building getting ready for this," Judge said. "It felt much more like a game type of day getting ready."
Judge noted that the team traveled from their practice facility across the parking lot to the stadium via two buses, one the "early" bus and one the "late" bus.
"I got on the late bus and it was me, one coach and one player," Judge said. "Everyone else was already over here. They couldn’t wait to get over here."
The practice ended about 20 minutes earlier than normal. With lightning in the area, Judge said they wanted to safely clear the stadium before the storm arrived. Normally missing periods in his practices would drive him bonkers.
On Wednesday, he allowed himself to enjoy it.
Notes & quotes: WR Kadarius Toney worked on the side during practice. Judge said the first-round pick was just having his reps controlled . . . Judge said RB Saquon Barkley had a pre-scheduled "pull back" day that prevented him from practicing after two previous days in pads upon his return from PUP … S Jabrill Peppers left the field late in practice to receive fluids . . . The Giants were so short-handed at guard at one point that assistant position coach Ben Wilkerson had to step in and take some reps with the second team in a walk-through . . . T Nate Solder who seemed to injure his arm on Tuesday had it examined by doctors on Wednesday and then participated in individual drills during the practice.
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
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