Tag: Carl Banks

Giants great Carl Banks explains WFAN departure: ‘Not a platform I want to be on’

New York Giants legend Carl Banks explains his departure from WFAN earlier this month, saying it’s not a platform he wants to be on.

New York Giants Ring of Honor member Carl Banks resigned from his weekly spot on WFAN earlier this month after getting into a heated debate with hosts Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata.

Banks was staunchly defending second-year edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux to a fault (according to the hosts) and was hung up on. He decided to take his talents elsewhere.

“My father was a great debater. I’ve got no problem with debating,” Banks said on “The Michael Kay Show” on Wednesday, via NJ Advance Media. “I have a problem with debating someone who will not acknowledge facts. It’s a waste of time at that point.”

Banks, a two-time Super Bowl champion with the Giants who serves as an on-air game analyst on the team’s radio broadcasts, explained what happened that day on the air.

“I’ve got nothing but love for Brandon. I don’t know Sal, but I respect his fandom, I respect his enthusiasm,” Banks said. “Yes, it’s disrespectful to be hung up on. We had that conversation. But the realization to me is that that’s not a platform I want to be on.

“I think they speak facts a lot, but when you want to have a position on someone and you want to ask me about it, and you tell me you haven’t seen that person or you don’t watch that person. I’m like, ‘Well, what are we talking about?’ ‘Cause I’m going to tell you what he’s doing, and if you can only tell me what he’s not doing, then you’re not paying attention to what he’s doing.”

Talk radio isn’t for everyone, and Banks feels he just might not be suited for the aural clickbait universe.

“It just wasn’t for me,” Banks said. “I won’t say I’m bigger than them, but I’m bigger than arguing back and forth with people … going back and forth when a fact is sitting right here as plain as this cup.”

Perhaps somewhat fittingly, Thibodeaux is among the league leaders in sacks (11.0) and is headed for a possible Pro Bowl nod.

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Giants’ Deonte Banks called out Commanders after Week 11 win

Following a Week 11 victory, New York Giants rookie CB Deonte Banks went on a wild NSFW rant about the Commanders and WR Terry McLaurin.

Following a 31-19 upset victory over the Washington Commanders in Week 11, New York Giants rookie cornerback Deonte Banks, who gave up a late touchdown, posted an NSFW rant on his social media accounts.

In it, Banks lashes out against the Commanders while taking aim at wide receiver Terry McLaurin, who was limited to five receptions for just 43 yards in the game.

“Coulda came and got me at 16, and they didn’t. Now I’m 2-0 against you bum (expletive) boys,” Banks said in the video. “(Expletive) the Commanders. They think they slick. They finna see me two times a year until the end of my career. Two times a year. Shoulda came and got me.

“I’m just tryna figure out, though, did 17 play today? That’s all I want to know. Did he play today? I just wanna know if he played.”

Banks, who was born and raised in Baltimore before playing college ball at Maryland, is still clearly sour that his hometown team passed him up in favor of Emmanuel Forbes.

Giants legend Carl Banks, who fully supports the rookie’s swag, says Banks needs to love the team he’s with and keep the rest off of social media.

“Love the one you with,” Banks wrote on X. “Be Giant. Save that (expletive) for Thanksgiving dinner with the fam, not the social media.”

Banks, who recorded his first career interception in Week 7 against the Commanders, has outplayed Forbes so far this season but has fallen off a bit in recent weeks.

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Giants legend Carl Banks resigns from weekly spot on WFAN

Giants legend Carl Banks has resigned from his spot on WFAN’s midday show after an ugly clash with hosts Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata.

New York Giants legend Carl Banks has resigned from his role on WFAN’s midday show after clashing with Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata last week.

The standoff arose after the co-hosts heavily criticized Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux, slamming him for anything from his motor to the way his body looks to how he dresses.

“He stinks, dude. There’s nothing about his game that jumps out to me,” Licata said. “His body looks awkward (and) he’s not fast.”

Banks called into the show the following day, which was his usual spot, and the trio talked for roughly 20 minutes. The conversation became increasingly heated before Licata finally instructed his producers to hang up on Banks.

“I can’t take it anymore. Pull him down, seriously. We have to have a voice here and I appreciate the time Carl, thank you,” Licata said as the call ended.

It was a stunning moment in New York sports talk radio history and it did not go without consequences. Although WFAN attempted to smooth things over with Banks, he ultimately felt too disrespected to return and terminated his role.

During their Wednesday show, Licata and Tierney addressed Banks’ resignation.

“Usually in this spot, we have Carl Banks on. Last week we had a testy debate with Carl. Right on the air afterwards, I came on and apologized for the way that it ended, kind of cutting the call short there after 20 minutes,” Licata said, via the New York Post. “I also called him during the week, and also apologized. He said all was good. But Carl just doesn’t want to do the spot anymore, so we move on.”

“Yeah, we move on,” Tierney added.

Tierney says he spoke to Banks on Tuesday and they had a “great talk” but, ultimately, the two-time Super Bowl champion would not be returning to their show.

“Listen, things are gonna happen in this medium, when you bring a lot of passion to a topic, as certainly we did that day, and hopefully every day. And Carl did that day. When things go awry, as they sometimes do, you gotta own it. And I think we did. And I think Carl did as well,” Tierney said.

Maybe next time they won’t pull the plug on a New York Giants legend who has probably forgotten more about football than others will ever know.

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WFAN hosts hang up on Carl Banks amid Kayvon Thibodeaux debate

In the middle of a debate about New York Giants LB Kayvon Thibodeaux, WFAN hosts Brandon Tierney and Sal Licata hung up on Carl Banks.

New York sports talk radio is a bit of a circus. It always has been and that’s part of the allure.

People in New York, whether they are fans or analysts, are passionate about sports and especially passionate about their New York Giants in recent years. Fiery debate is a staple of everyday life but things took an ugly and unexpected turn this week.

On Tuesday, WFAN host Sal Licata took aim at Giants linebacker Kayvon Thibodeaux but did it in a rather odd way.

“He stinks, dude. There’s nothing about his game that jumps out to me,” Licata said. “His body looks awkward (and) he’s not fast.”

Licata then transitioned from criticizing Thibodeaux’s physique to offering commentary on his fashion sense.

“What does he do? He runs his mouth and he dresses nicely,” Licata added.

Retired Giants legend Carl Banks took exception to Licata’s commentary and join he and co-host Brandon Tierney during their show on Wednesday. To say things did not go smoothly would be an understatement.

“This unhealthy obsession for finding what is wrong with Kayvon Thibodeaux is bordering weird,” Banks told the WFAN duo. “You talk about you don’t like a guy’s body? The guy just had a game that would put him in the running for Defensive Player of the Week. He had seven or eight pressures. Go look at Khalil Mack and see if he even had five pressures

“You don’t have to like him. You don’t even have to like his body. But tell me you watched the game before you say he just stands there and you don’t like his body. He had a monster game. What are we talking about?”

Things became increasingly volatile as Banks and Licata began talking over each other. And when Banks would not back down, Licata instructed the producers to end the call. And they did. Abruptly.

“I can’t take it anymore. Pull him down, seriously. We have to have a voice here and I appreciate the time Carl, thank you,” Licata said as the call ended.

“I hate that that comes across as disrespectful ’cause I really do love Carl,” Tierney said a bit later. “And he loves us, but after a while, it’s too much. You can’t tell us how to do a show.”

Banks later took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share his thoughts on the show and how it ended.

Whatever your opinion on Thibodeaux, it’s not a good look for WFAN, the Giants’ flagship station, to cut the line on Banks. He’s one of the greatest players in franchise history, belongs in the Hall of Fame, and currently serves as an on-air analyst alongside Bob Papa.

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Giants legends chime in on Saquon Barkley situation

Giants legends Ottis Anderson and Carl Banks shared their thoughts on the Saquon Barkley situation.

New York Giants fans want the Saquon Barkley situation to end amicably and equitably for all parties — and it still may.

The star running back will stage his holdout and then likely report to the team in time for the 2023 regular season. He won’t, however, be any wealthier than he was when it began. Whether or not he will harbor any ill feelings towards the Giants going forward remains to be seen.

Two Giants Ring of Honorees — two-time Super Bowl champions Ottis Anderson and Carl Banks — both weighed-in on the Barkley affair this week and added some level-headed perspectives to the situation.

Anderson told the New York Post that Barkley only has himself to blame for how things unfolded. He said that Barkley should have pulled the trigger on the offer the Giants made him last fall (approximately $12-14 million per annum) instead of trying to squeeze more out of them.

Instead, he’ll be forced to play on the franchise-tag tender price of $10.1 million this year.

“I get where Barkley feels he’s at the point in his career where he wants that one big check, that one big contract, because everybody wants that, because you’re not sure you’re gonna get another one,’’ Anderson said. “Two years from now, he’ll be in his seventh year, and that’s when most teams let go of running backs. I wish him luck, but management is looking at it totally differently than how Barkley is looking at it.

“Management is saying you were great your rookie year, then you had two years or three years in between where you were injured and then you had a great year last year,” he continued. “So they’re looking at it out of five years you only had three good years.’’

Banks, speaking on his podcast with radio partner, Bob Papa, advised the Giants running back to take his medicine and make the best of it, even telling him to hire a branding expert to seek opportunities outside of football in the New York market to make the lost revenue he “left on the table.”

“Don’t be a principled fool,” Banks tweeted.

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5 reasons Giants legend Carl Banks is deserving of Hall of Fame

Retired New York Giants linebacker Carl Banks is deserving of the Pro Football Hall of Fame and here are five reasons why.

This week is was announced that former New York Giants linebacker Carl Banks was named a semifinalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Banks was one of eight individuals with ties to the Giants on the list of 31 ‘senior’ players and 29 coach/contributors advancing to the semifinal round for possible induction.

Quarterback Charlie Conerly, running back Ottis Anderson, defensive back Everson Walls and former head coaches Tom Coughlin and Dan Reeves also made the cut.

Here are five reasons why Banks should receive further consideration for Canton.

Former Washington stars Larry Brown, Joe Jacoby are Hall of Fame semifinalists

Could this be the year for Joe Jacoby and Larry Brown?

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Joe Jacoby has again made the semifinalist list for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On Wednesday, the Hall announced 60 candidates in the seniors and coaches/contributors categories for the class of 2024, and Jacoby and Larry Brown are the headliners for the Washington Commanders franchise.

Each of those categories has a committee of 12 members. They will now vote to select 12 seniors and 12 coaches/contributors for the next round of the process. On July 27, the committee will reveal those 24 names.

One of the original “Hogs,” Jacoby (1981-93) was voted to the 1980s All-Decade team and was an All-Pro twice. He was selected for four Pro Bowls and started for Washington’s three Super Bowl championship teams. The counter trey or counter gap was a tremendously effective play when left tackle Jacoby and left guard Russ Grimm would pull to the right side of the line and the running back would follow behind the powerful duo.

Brown (1969-76) was one of the tougher runners of his era. He rushed for more than 5,000 yards in his first five seasons. He was a four-time Pro Bowler, two-time All-Pro and the 1972 AP Most Valuable Player, leading the Redskins to Super Bowl VII.

Others with Washington ties who made the semifinalist lists are Henry Ellard, Marty Schottenheimer, Mike Shanahan, Carl Banks and Clark Shaughnessy. However, each of these players and coaches made their most significant contributions as part of other NFL franchises.

  • Ellard spent his first 11 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams before coming to Washington for his next five seasons.
  • Schottenheimer coached the Browns to two consecutive AFC championship games and the Chiefs to a 101-58-1 record in 10 seasons before coming to Washington for an 8-8 season in 2001.
  • Shanahan was 138-86 in his 14 seasons with the Broncos, which included two Super Bowl championships. He went 24-40 in his four seasons as Washington head coach.
  • Banks, in his nine seasons with the New York Giants, was a starter on two Super Bowl championship teams. He was also voted to the 1980s All-Decade team, and was a Pro Bowler once and All-Pro once. He played for Washington during the 1993 season.
  • Shaughnessy was with Washington as an offensive consultant in 1947. He then was the Rams head coach for two seasons and spent 12 seasons (1951-62) on the Bears defensive staff.

Tom Coughlin heads list of 8 Giants semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame

Eight former members of the New York Giants, including head coach Tom Coughlin, are among the semifinalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame.

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Four former New York Giants players, one former coach, and former head coach Tom Coughlin have been included on a list of 60 semifinalists who will advance to the next round of consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Class of 2024.

Running back Ottis ‘O.J.’ Anderson, quarterback Charlie Conerly, linebacker Carl Banks, and defensive back Everson Walls will be among a group considered to be among 12 Seniors and 12 Coach/Contributors advancing to the final stage.

Late Giants head coach Dan Reeves, a two-time AP NFL Coach of the Year, is also a semifinalist.

The results will be announced on July 27.

Coughlin coached the Giants for 12 seasons (2004-15) and was a two-time Super Bowl winner(XLII, XLVI). He also was the first head coach of the expansion Jacksonville Jaguars in 1995, taking the team to two AFC Championship Games. He had an overall NFL record of 182-157 over 20 seasons.

Anderson split 14 seasons between the St. Louis Cardinals (1979-1986) and Giants (1986-1992). He is a two-time Super Bowl champion and six-time 1,000-yard rusher. He was also named MVP of Super Bowl XXV.

Conerly played all 14 of his NFL seasons (1948-61) with the Giants. He won the NFL title in 1956 and passed for 19,488 yards and 173 touchdowns.

Banks was the third overall selection in the 1984 NFL draft out of Michigan State. He was a two-time Super Bowl champion during his time with the Giants (1984-1992). Banks also played one season in Washington (1993) and two in Cleveland (1994-95).

Walls played most of his NFL career (1981-93) with the Dallas Cowboys, where he was named to three first-team All-Pro teams, four Pro Bowls and led the NFL in interceptions three times while in Dallas. He finished his career with the Giants and Cleveland Browns and helped Big Blue to victory in Super Bowl XXV.

Also on the coach/contributor list is former Giants assistant/defensive coordinator Marty Schottenheimer and head coach John McVay.

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Carl Banks: Giants finally have an infrastructure capable of success

After years of underwhelming coaches and GMs, Carl Banks believes the New York Giants finally have an infrastructure capable of success.

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Former New York Giants Ring of Honor linebacker and two-time Super Bowl champion, Carl Banks, is more than just a football legend.

He is a successful entrepreneur and also serves as the game analyst on Giants radio broadcasts. He is well known to Giant fans of all generations.

In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, Banks was asked how the modern-day versions of the Giants compare to the teams he played on in the 1980s and 90s.

“Well, I can tell you point blank, they lack talent. They’re getting better at that now. For years I don’t think they had the right coaching chemistry, and now they do,” Banks said. “I think they have a very good coaching staff, very smart management making good decisions. Now they just need to pick up great talent.

“I think the mentality is there. I think last season should be the beginning of their road to success. I had something similar to that in my rookie year with the Giants, where they had just come off a 3-12-1 season, and then we went to the playoffs for nine or 10 straight years and won two Super Bowls.

“I think that’s the type of infrastructure that they have in place now with (general manager) Joe Schoen and (head coach) Brian Daboll. Owners of teams can get frustrated, but you don’t have answers because you don’t coach. You’re part of the process, and you hope it turns out, but I think (the Giants’ ownership) sees that the biggest difference is in the coaches that they’ve had before and how the players have responded to those coaches.”

Banks had the fortune to play under Hall of Fame head coach Bill Parcells and defensive coordinator Bill Belichick and alongside two Hall of Fame linebackers — Lawrence Taylor and Harry Carson.

He spoke about the team having a full social calendar but never did it interfere with team business.

“Parcells really hated people being late for the plane, and he laid down a hammer. Everybody would pack their bags as soon as they got home for practice,” Banks said. “If we had a road trip, you’d pack your bag for the trip, put it in the trunk of your car. Wherever you are, you can just go straight to the stadium and not have to worry about going home, falling asleep, and then trying to rush back. If you’re out past midnight, don’t worry about going home, just sleep in the parking lot and have a ball boy knock on your window so you’re not late for a meeting.”

That behavior, of course, is less common these days — anywhere in sports. Social media and the 24-hour news cycle have forced public figures to mind their Ps and Qs, but the 80s were party time.

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Julian Love names his top 5 Giants defenders of all time

Julian Love lists his top 5 New York Giants defenders of all time which is highlighted, of course, by the legend himself, Lawrence Taylor.

New York Giants safety Julian Love has made a huge impact on defense over the past few seasons. He is a Notre Dame guy who is a student of the game.

In a recent piece on the website The 33rd Team. Love listed his top five all-time Giants defenders.

As a person who has covered this team for the past quarter century and has been an ardent fan and follower for more than 55 years, I find this list to be dead-on.

Lawrence Taylor, Michael Strahan, and Harry Carson are Hall of Famers in the Super Bowl era, which is a special accomplishment so they all belong on the list. Carl Banks and Jessie Armstead were among the best at their positions while they played, so I have no issue with them being on this list as well.

Some honorable mentions in my book from the Super Bowl era: Brad Van Pelt, Leonard Marshall, Mark Haynes, John Mendenhall, Spider Lockhart, Osi Umenyiora, and Justin Tuck.

It’s difficult to compare eras and for someone to be listed from the ’round ball’ era would be a tough call.

That being said, here is a quick list of some players from the previous era that deserve mentioning: Sam Huff, Emlen Tunnell, Andy Robustelli, Jimmy Patton, and Erich Barnes.

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