Giants Coach Tom Coughlin Honors Fallen NYPD Officers

Nick Mangold AP Photo (Julio Cortez)
Daniel J. Flynn

Two Big Apple sports icons paid tribute on Sunday to the police officers killed in their city over the weekend.

Five-time Pro Bowl center Nick Mangold, carted from the field with an injury in the Jets loss to the New England Patriots, entered MetLife Stadium’s field wearing an “NYPD” cap instead of a New York Jets helmet.

New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin wore a black band on his shoulder during Sunday’s game in mourning of the two police officers executed on Saturday in the city that roots for his team. He also wore a peace sign over his heart in St. Louis.

“We wore this because the New York Giants wanted to honor and mourn the assassination of the two New York City policemen that took place last night in our city,” Coughlin said after his team’s victory over the St. Louis Rams. “We also wanted to wear this pin representing peace. Let’s hope that the voice of reason can prevail. Violence never solved anything. I realize there are issues but solve them with nonviolent means.”

The gesture follows Saturday’s execution-style slayings of New York City Cops Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu. Ismaaiyl Brinsley allegedly murdered the policeman in retaliation for the killings of Michael Brown and Eric Garner by cops in Ferguson, Missouri, and Staten Island, New York, respectively. Brinsley allegedly killed himself after killing the officers.

Not everyone appreciates the gestures by Mangold and Coughlin.

Three weeks ago, six players for the team the Giants defeated on Sunday made the “hands up, don’t shoot” gesture in solidarity with those protesting the grand jury’s decision not to charge Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the killing of Michael Brown.

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