McAdoo: ‘Say no’ to boat trips

PHOENIX — Not once did Giants coach Ben McAdoo mention the infamous boat trip, not a single time during his 50-minute media session Tuesday afternoon at the NFL owners meetings inside a conference room at the swanky Biltmore Hotel.

McAdoo didn’t have to. It was clear what he was referring to as he laid down the law for the 2017 Giants. Without saying it, McAdoo for the first time said plenty about the road trip to Miami taken by his receivers, including Odell Beckham Jr., six days before what turned out to be a desultory playoff loss in Green Bay.

“When we’re at work we have to focus on football, and I think we do a very good job of that,’’ McAdoo said. “When our players are in the building they say yes to football. Now, when we’re not in the building we need to do a better job of saying no to some other things. And making sure everything we’re doing is aligned with our goal. I’m not saying we can’t be human beings, that’s a part of things, I guess, but we need to be focused on our football.”

Asked if boat trips fall into the category of what not to do outside the building, McAdoo said, “Again, when we’re in the building we say yes to football. When we’re not in the building we need to do a better job of saying no to things that don’t align with our goal, reaching our goal.’’

McAdoo, after the regular season and before the 38-13 loss to the Packers, refused to blame the trip for anything, even after Beckham and rookie Sterling Shepard had several costly dropped passes in the game. What the players do on their days off, McAdoo stressed, was not anything he concerned himself with, as long as they returned to work ready to roll.

Told that his most recent words would be interpreted as critical of the boat trip, McAdoo said, “You can interpret what I say any way you want. Doesn’t matter to me one bit.’’