Giants players say ice tub incident was just horseplay
The New York Giants players involved in the Internet video showing cornerback Prince Amukamara getting thrown into a tub of ice by teammate Jason Pierre-Paul said it was typical horseplay, although coach Tom Coughlin deemed it necessary to address his team about it.
Coughlin warned his players not to do anything that would adversely affect the team, but there was no indication that anyone would be fined or disciplined.
The video, posted by punter Steve Weatherford on Twitter, shows Pierre-Paul carrying Amukamara on his shoulder and tossing him head-first into the ice tub. Insensitive an obscene language is used during the video.
"First of all, it was wrong for Steve to do that because there's trust in the locker room. People have to be able to rely on each other," Coughlin said. "For them to be in that particular area and be roughhousing around, I wouldn't say it's unusual for a training camp, but nevertheless I understand how this could be perceived the wrong way. We don't want that. That's why I say I think it's inappropriate language and inappropriate behavior anytime a player could be injured."
Amukamara, Pierre-Paul and Weatherford said the video was not an example of bullying or hazing.
"Training camp is full of a lot of fun and a lot of pranks, and that is where you build a lot of team chemistry," Amukamara said, according to ESPN.com. "And that is how we get along as a team, and it kind of got out of hand. There was just a lot of roughhousing and a lot of rough play.
"That is just how we get along as a team. We consider ourselves a family and brothers, and I guess that is how we show our love for each other: We mess around like that.
"I have very (thick) skin. I can take a lot. I have never had a brother, so just having older brothers like this, I just know it is not personal. If it was personal or felt threatened, I definitely would have addressed it way earlier, so I know it is not."
Amukamara said no apology was needed from Pierre-Paul, who explained Coughlin's message.
"He explained the situation, what is going on and he told us not to do anything like that where we can harm our team," Pierre-Paul said. "We understand the concepts that Tom Coughlin was telling us.
"It was nothing to harm Prince. Me and Prince are family. All these guys in the locker room are family. I would never try to hurt one of my teammates."
Weatherford, who apologized for tweeting the video, said it was supposed to show the Giants having some fun, but acknowledged he should not have made it public.
"Everybody in this locker room loves each other," Weatherford said. "We all get along great. It's simply horsing around. It wasn't perceived that way, and I apologize for that.
"It was a mistake on my part. What happens in here stays in here, and I think everybody in here gets along great, and it was just perceived wrongly, and that's my fault, and I apologize for that."
Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said the video can easily be misinterpreted.
"No one really understands the culture in this locker room and locker rooms around the country unless you've been in one," Tuck said. "I definitely can see how people outside of this locker room can take it in a negative light and things of that nature, and for good reason. I definitely see both sides of it. ... We're going to do our part to make sure that nothing like this happens again."
Coughlin said the players simply need to be cognizant of the image they portray.
"If it's among themselves and no one is going to be hurt and it's strictly within themselves, then pretty much they're ... that's among the players," Coughlin said. "When it affects others, and we do know for example that we have to be a good example for the young people and that's a very important part of this. "
