SERBY’S SUNDAY Q & A WI T H ... Steve TISCH

Giants co-owner Steve Tisch took a timeout before the start of the regular season for some Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby. Q: Is this as excited as you’ve been for the start of a Giants football season? A: There are many sources of my excitement. Amongst the sources are our rookies, how well I believe we did in the draft. I’m excited about the level of play I’ve seen from [Jason Pierre-Paul]. He’s a remarkable human being, an athlete who’s overcome what could have been a careerending accident. He has worked very hard, and he’s playing at the top of his game. He could have a spectacular year. I’m excited for Coach [Ben] McAdoo going into his second season. ... It feels good, I’m optimistic, I’m not going to make any predictions ... but this could be a great season for the team and all of our fans. Q: How can McAdoo improve on his rookie year? A: He knows more about his returning players. He has a very good understanding of his rookies. He’s a smart head coach. I appreciate his focus, his passion and compassion for leading this team, and he cares. His freshman year was very impressive. I think his sophomore year is going to be more impressive. Q: Why does he have the right temperament for New York? A: He’s self-confident. He’s aware that he’s coaching in the biggest market in the country. He knows how to communicate. Sometimes his silence speaks volumes. He’s strong, and he’s committed to the path he’s chosen to take, and for me that’s a real signal of selfknowledge, strength and ... just confidence. His confidence makes me very comfortable with his position. Q: It seems as if he is fearless. Do you sense that? A: I do believe fearless is a good word to describe Coach. I also know that the players have tremendous respect for him, and it’s reciprocal: He has tremendous respect for the players. He communicates to them individually and as a team. He makes himself accessible. From my perspective, he seems non-judgmental. He is open to listening, and I believe that he has the players open to listening to him. For me, that creates a foundation between the head coach and his players, and that’s critically important. I’m not sure that’s necessarily the case with all of the other 31 teams. Q: What do you think of his new hairstyle? A: (Laugh) Works better on him than it would with me. You know what? He’s now a Jersey Boy. Q: What were your thoughts when Odell Beckham Jr. said he would like to be the highest-paid player in football? A: Look, Odell is clearly a special talent. I totally admire his craft, and his commitment to the team, to his fellow players. I’m going to stay out of opining on his com-comment, but he’s a great player, and I hope he will be a Giant for life. Q: What has enabled him to become a football-entertainment icon? A: First, and most importantly, is his athletic ability, his talent as a receiver ... he’s very, very special. Whatever it is, he’s got it. We see that every once in a while. It’s not as unusual as the eclipse last week, but he’s a special player — with a tremendous personality. He’s charismatic. He’s extremely likeable. And within that community of his fellow players, he is a leader, and that’s important. Q: What are your thoughts on Eli Manning saying he wants to play until he is 40? A: Clearly he has not slowed down. I think he’s the same, dedicated professional he’s always been. People sometimes see Eli in his sort of laidback demeanor, but he is as intensely competitive as every other player on that team. Q: You don’t see any decline in him? A: I don’t. As we all get older, there’s the predictable change in our lives, but I think Eli will play at the top of his game this season. And he has great, great targets out there. Q: This is the 10-year anniversary of the Super Bowl XLII win over the Perfect Patriots. A: It makes the season even more exciting. I can speak for my partner John Mara and everybody involved with the team — we would all love the fifth trophy. The 10-year anniversary will hopefully be one of those intangible pieces that gives our season more inspiration to achieve that goal. Q: How do you think Tom Brady would feel seeing Eli on the other side of the field in Super Bowl LII? A: I think he’d like to see Eli on the other side of the field. ... I don’t think he’d like to see JPP on the other side of the field. Q: Giants fans still are concerned about Ereck Flowers and the offensive line. A: Ereck Flowers has worked extremely hard to prepare for this season. He wants to be great. He’ll have an opportunity to be great. Starting in Dallas, we’re going to hopefully observe him taking a big step in his development. Q: What are your thoughts on the resurgence of the defense? A: Everyone is aware of the amount of money the Giants committed to bringing in some of the best defensive players in the league. If you look at the return on investment from what we brought in, it’s fantastic. [Defensive coordinator Steve] Spagnuolo has done a great job with all of the defensive players. We have a fantastic defense. They fire each other up, you can see it on the field. They play as a unit, they’re exciting to watch, the fans love it. There is a brotherhood that is contagious. They feed off each other, and they’re having a great time. Q: What do you think of the Colin Kaepernick situation? A: I think Kaepernick will get another opportunity to play in the NFL. I do respect how he has stood behind his promise to make a difference. And he has committed his time and his money to make a differ-difference. And I totally respect his right and everybody’s right to express themselves. Q: Why is he unsigned? A: I can’t answer that. There are 31 other teams, so there are probably 31 other answers. What I can tell you is he was never a conversation for us because of our own roster situation. Q: What do you think of Rex Ryan and Tony Romo on TV? A: I like them both personally. They’ve got the charisma, certainly the understanding of the game. They’re both characters. They’re both telegenic. I think they’re both going to have successful careers. Tony could be a terrific commentator. Q: What makes you say that? A: I’ve gotten to know him over the

last few years. He’s got a really charming, outgoing personality. He can discuss the game uniquely from his own experience, and he’s very likeable. Q: What are some similarities and differences between young actors and athletes? A: I’ve been fortunate enough in my producing career to work with a lot of actors and actresses in their rookie year (chuckle). ... The fans want a great experience when they’re just sitting in a seat in a movie theater, or in a seat at MetLife. These young, gifted athletes give our fans that experience at a football game, and the young actors whose careers I’ve been involved with very early on have the same gifts that a lot of young athletes have. It’s a fan experience. My experience in 1982 producing “Risky Business” when Tom Cruise was 19 years old, I knew this was a special young actor. He had the talent, the passion, the charisma. ... He wanted to be around for a long time, and he has been for almost 35 years. ... I want to be involved in really giving the audience, giving the fans, their money’s worth, whether it’s on a movie screen or a football field. Q: Athletes and actors as role models: Do you see it as a burden or a responsibility? A: I see it as responsibility. They have young fans who look up to them, and I do feel it’s a responsibility to acknowledge the role they play, and behavior is part of the responsibility. Q: Who would you pick to play Odell in a movie? A: (Laugh) You know what? I would cast Odell as Odell. There’s not an actor out there who can play Odell better than Odell can play Odell. Someday, hopefully, many, many, many seasons from now, Odell will have the opportunity to play Odell. Q: Who plays Eli? A: Bradley Cooper could play Eli. Q: How did you lose 60 pounds over the past 18 months? A: I kept my big mouth shut. I’m very focused on my health, staying healthy. I’ve got an amazing fiancée, I have five wonderful kids, and I want to be around for them and my friends and my family for a long time. Q: What would you tell other New York sports teams about winning a championship in New York? A: The Canyon of Heroes ... that was unbelievable. Being on one of those floats with a million Giants fans lining the streets of lower Manhattan, it was fantastic. Q: What message would you want to leave Giants fans? A: Not a day goes by when someone doesn’t come up to me and introduce himself or herself, and say, “I gotta tell you, I am the world’s biggest Giants fan.” I hear that joyfully, happily every day.