Giants head coach Brian Daboll said he was not taking a verbal shots at the team's medical staff Thursday. Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Brian Daboll Clarifies Air Quote Usage to Describe Giants' Medical People

Originally posted on New York Giants on SI
By Patricia Traina | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 8:00 PM ET

On Thursdays, New York Giants head coach Brian Daboll typically doesn’t hold a formal news briefing, though he does take a few minutes to speak on the record with reporters on his way to the practice field.

One such comment he made that caught the attention of many was in response to a question regarding his decision to have the team practice on a rain-soaked field on Thursday, in which he used air quotes when mentioning the team’s medical personnel.

“It’s good for the guys’ legs,” Daboll said. “Instead of going in on turf, we’d rather be out here. I wish it wasn’t slippery, but we’d rather go in here than go in there. And so would the ‘medical people.’”

The action was perceived by some as a shot at the team’s medical staff, headed by long-time Senior Vice President of Medical Services Ronnie Barnes, one of the most respected athletic trainers in the business, and someone who has been with the organization for nearly 50 seasons.

The whole event further raised eyebrows because, typically, after a steady rain such as the one that hit the tri-state area Wednesday night into Thursday morning, Daboll moves the team into the field house to avoid any extra risks of someone slipping on the wet grass.

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

On Friday, Daboll explained he wasn’t taking any verbal shots and that he used the term to describe all the people that he discussed the decision with before the actual practice, some of whom don’t fall under the medical jurisdiction.

“We have a group. It's not all medical people, should I say,” he explained. “There's a groundskeeper on it, there's a head equipment manager on it, and any time there's a certain type of weather, I'll say, ‘Hey, I'd like to do this.’

“There are about seven people who talk about, here's my thoughts on it, whether it's legs on the turf, whether it's slick. We've got new fields. (Director of coaching operations, Laura Young) LY is in it.

“So there's a fair amount of communication between (head groundskeeper) Rob Davis, the guy that does the fields, (director of equipment operations Tim Slaman) Slay, (senior vice president, medical services/head athletic trainer) Ronnie (Barnes), (executive director of player performance) Aaron Wellman, LY. I talk to those guys pretty much daily when there's, I'd say, concerns with the fields, if there's concerns with the fields.”

Daboll, as the head coach, has the final say over where the team practices, and added that there was no displeasure from the small group he consulted about the plans for Thursday’s practice.