New York Giants linebacker Jihad Ward. Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Mike Francesa blasts Giants' Jihad Ward over double-bird salute

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 1/10/23

Sports radio legend Mike Francesa wasn't impressed upon seeing New York Giants linebacker Jihad Ward offer a double-bird salute from the sidelines during Sunday's loss at the Philadelphia Eagles.

"Who the heck does Jihad Ward think he is?" Francesa asked during the latest edition of his BetRivers podcast, per James Kratch of Elite Sports NY. "You’re going to, on two occasions, sitting next to Golladay for a good part of the nation, give the nation the French salute twice? You’re going to give them the finger twice?"

Specifically, Francesa was referencing how Ward flashed a pair of middle fingers after much-maligned wide receiver Kenny Golladay tallied the first touchdown grab of his Giants tenure:

Haddy don't give a f pic.twitter.com/PcYMHZ4dYR
— Justin Penik (@JustinPenik) January 9, 2023

Golladay signed a four-year contract reportedly worth up to $72 million to join the Giants in March 2021 and is widely regarded as one of the club's worst-ever free-agent acquisitions. Across a total of 26 regular-season games with Big Blue, Golladay has recorded 43 catches for 602 yards and a single score.

The Giants likely will part ways with Golladay when the new league year opens in March, but that didn't stop Ward from having his teammate's back at Lincoln Financial Field.

"The Giants have to be mortified," Francesa continued. "I would have a little bit of a chat with him and he’s going to have an expensive fine if I’m the head coach and the owner of the team when he decides to do that on national television in the fourth quarter of a game. Because all he did was embarrass the entire organization. There’s no room for that nonsense. … That’s just really out of line."

According to Giants beat reporter Dan Duggan of The Athletic, Ward offered no apologies for his actions when speaking with media members on Monday.

"Listen, if you don’t know Jihad Ward by now, you never will," Ward said at that time. "It was a hell of a play. If y’all don’t know me by now — I give zero f----. I don’t care."

The 9-7-1 Giants play at the 13-4 Minnesota Vikings in a wild-card playoff game this coming Sunday afternoon.

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