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Giants told to keep their noses clean
By John Clayton


TAMPA, Fla. -- Upon their arrival in Tampa for Super Bowl XXXV, the Giants were lectured on the evils of the city. Around town, there are approximately 72 places in which women remove their clothes on a stage. Orlando may have strip malls. Tampa has strip clubs.

Jim Fassel
New York coach Jim Fassel wants his players to stay out of trouble this week in Tampa.

Security people and coach Jim Fassel advised the Giants on how not to let the Tampa nightlife strip them of a Super Bowl ring.

"We have some young guys on the team that might want to venture off and do something," defensive tackle Keith Hamilton said. "It's a time when you should go out and have a good time because this is a once in a lifetime deal. We have to keep our focus in mind."

So, unlike Ravens coach Brian Billick, Fassel imposed curfews. Players must be in their rooms by 1:30 a.m. Sunday and Monday, 12:30 a.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 p.m. Saturday. The Ravens, who won't arrive until Monday afternoon, have curfews only late in the week and no bed check.

"I told the team, `If you guys want to go and have a great time at the Super Bowl, go when we're not playing,"' Fassel said. "We're coming down here to work. If you don't have your team focused in now, and they don?t believe in what you are saying or don't have things in place, you better not show up because you will get distracted."

But the temptations of Tampa have affected Super Bowl teams. The Redskins partied too much before a loss to the Oakland Raiders. The Bills hit the strip clubs and bars hard and lost to the Giants on a wide field goal attempt by Scott Norwood.

"You know what, they can't party in Tampa like they can in New York," defensive end Michael Strahan said. "There is nothing here that I haven't already seen. Myself, if I'm in a hotel room watching a pay-per-view movie, that will probably be the most fun I'll have fun all week. I'm not down here to go out. I don't go out in New York. I think the guys down here realize why we are here."

Strahan then got into a funny exchange with a New York writer. He advised the writer, "Six feet, six feet." Local ordinances establish that a stripper can't be within six feet of a customer. Two hockey players were arrested last week for violating the six-foot rule.

Then, Strahan joked that the reporter knew the names of the strip clubs.

"I met my wife there," the writer joked.

"Six feet," Strahan said. "Six feet."

Tackle Lomas Brown said the guys have been good and won't succumb to the pressures and temptations.

John Clayton is the senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.


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