Bill Williamson

The Michael Strahan situation in New York is a reminder to all of us: This is the NFL. It’s not about one player. Teams win battles, players move on.

If Strahan is not happy, Strahan doesn’t have to be a Giant.

That is the way it goes in the NFL.

This isn’t the NBA. Players don’t run the asylum. Even T.O. learned that.

Strahan has been a great Giant but if he doesn’t return, the hallowed franchise won’t close shop. Yes, Michael, the Giants will line up this season without you. The team moved on after Y.A. Tittle, Frank Gifford, even after Lawrence Taylor, all departed. And the Giants will move on without Strahan.

What’s most incredible about the biggest NFL story outside of Atlanta is that Strahan feels like this is an unusual situation. He feels alone. Didn’t Strahan pay attention to what was happening around the NFL the past 14 years? Stars get cut unceremoniously all the time.

It’s nothing personal, it’s just business. And it’s business as usual in the NFL.

The way contracts are designed, with most players getting signing bonuses in lieu of guaranteed contracts, teams cut loose aging stars regularly. Pick a team and you’ll find an example of a superstar leaving — on the team’s terms. Just this year, Joey Porter was asked to leave in Pittsburgh, Al Wilson was cut in Denver, Daunte Culpepper left Miami, Trent Green was shipped out of Kansas City and Simeon Rice was booted out of Tampa Bay. It happens all the time and it will happen again. Players have to be prepared for sudden departures.

Strahan, though, seems confused. There have been reports that Strahan feels "betrayed" by the Giants. Now, that’s a shame.

Betrayed? Come on, Michael, you’re better than that.

It’s the team that should feel betrayed. You’re the one who started this fiasco on the eve of training camp. Strahan has become a same type of distraction in Giants camp as Michael Vick has become to his teammates in the Falcons camp.

Last week, Strahan suddenly got word out that he was considering retirement. He was quoted as saying he didn’t know if his heart was still in the game. That caught the Giants off guard. They were planning on going to training camp with Strahan and without distractions. This is a team that was saddled by Tiki Barber's elongated retirement talk last season. And now Strahan pulled this.

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As the Strahan saga burned on, it became apparent that what Strahan actually wants is a pay raise, not a rocking chair for retirement. Nice going, Michael. Nice negotiating.

And the Giants are playing his bluff. They’ve announced that they won’t give Strahan a raise. And why does he deserve it? He’ll be 36 in November and his play is slipping.

The Giants don’t owe Strahan anything. And he should know it.

But Strahan is making a mistake. He is putting himself in front of his team.

That doesn’t fly in the NFL.

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It’s funny that some think that the Giants should be painted into a corner.

That’s just not the way it works. Who cares if this is a big season for New York in comparison to Strahan’s situation. Yes, coach Tom Coughlin is on the hot seat, as is quarterback Eli Manning. But that has nothing to do with Strahan. If he doesn’t want to be on board, he shouldn’t be.

If the Giants cave and give Strahan want he wants, there will be big problems. First, Strahan’s presence won’t make this team special. Plus, it will make other players think they can hijack the team.

That is more costly than losing a player like Strahan. The team has to take a stand. And it is. After all, this is the NFL. Strahan can do what he wants, but he has to realize that the Giants can’t and won’t stop what they’re doing just because he is unhappy and threatening them with retirement.

Strahan should know this. Apparently, he thinks it’s all about him.

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