BIG BITE: Victor Cruz unveils a large Entenmann’s crumb donut yesterday in commemoration of National Donut Day. (Anthony J. Causi)
There was a time not long ago when Victor Cruz would have killed to be called up to the New York Football Giants even for a cup of coffee. But with his next contract still stuck in the Big Blue oven, Victor Cruz yesterday was … well, we quote from the press release:
“Super Bowl Champion, New Jersey native and Entenmann’s celebrity ambassador, Victor Cruz will unveil a one-of-a-kind, larger than life Entenmann’s Crumb Topped Donut in commemoration of National Donut Day 2013. Entenmann’s, a Division of Bimbo (pronounced Beembo) Bakeries USA and maker of over 100 sweet baked goods and The Salvation Army celebrate the sweet annual holiday through their continued partnership for a third consecutive year.”
Entenmann’s presented a $30,000 check to the Salvation Army, which would have been a lot of dough to Cruz on National Donut Day 2012.
What a difference a year makes. So there Cruz was across from Madison Square Park around 4:30 in the afternoon, under a tent just off Broadway — Broadway Vic — to “help honor the tradition of recognizing Donut Lassies of World War I,” which was even before Tom Coughlin’s time.
Coughlin, who has broken bread many times with U.S. Army Gen. Ray Odierno, is as patriotic as they come, but you can rest assured that he needed red, white and blueberry glazed yesterday like a hole in the head.
The shame of it was that on a day when the ravenous New York media hungered for Cruz to answer questions about the Crumb Topped Donut, we were forewarned that he would be available for a photo op, but no interviews. A source familiar with Cruz’s tastes, but who requested anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on doughnuts, would not confirm or deny whether he actually prefers Honey Nut Cheerios. The source did, however, reluctantly admit that he (or she) has heard Cruz often recite the definition of a doughnut: “a small cake of sweetened or, sometimes, unsweetened dough fried in deep fat, typically shaped like a ring or, when prepared with a filling, a ball.”
Just not a football.
Another source volunteered Cruz had expressed his love for Entenmann’s doughnuts in a New York Magazine article. Entenmann’s noticed. (The author of this column is crazy about Mercedes).
“We read in a newspaper article that he loved our crumb doughnuts,” Bimbo Bakeries USA Director of Marketing Services Maureen Sticco told The Post. “So we got in touch with him about eight months ago and started talking to him about how we can partner with him, and here we are today.”
Doughnut historians will tell you Frank Sinatra, in the early ’50s, used to call the Bay Shore bakery to place weekly orders from Entenmann’s, so Cruz is in good company.
Except that while Eli Manning and most of his teammates practiced at the Timex Performance Center, Cruz was voluntarily absent yet again while his agent, Tom Condon, tries to reach agreement with the Giants on a deal that will enable him to buy more than a few Dunkin’ Donut franchises if he so desires. The Giants firmly believe they have made a fair offer and are holding out hope Cruz will ultimately decide that it is tasty enough without the extra icing. But after playing 2012 for crumbs, Cruz has reached the conclusion that sometimes it is better to receive than to give.
Manning, asked earlier in the day if he still feels Cruz will show up, said: “I hope so.”
As the charismatic Cruz smiled that multi-million dollar smile, bent over and opened his mouth wide as if about to take a giant bite of the giant crumb doughnut he had unveiled, posed for pictures, signed autographs and did what one of the PR flaks stressed was a “B-roll” video interview unrelated to the trivial stuff such as his career and his contract, a man outside the tent bellowed: “Get all the money you can! You’re worth it. For real. I’ll be your agent. Forget Jay-Z.”
Cruz was too occupied to respond in any way. Dressed casually, he looked to be in terrific shape, almost as if he hadn’t had a single offseason donut, if that is at all possible for him. Finally, after a few last photos in the drizzle, his security team, aided by the dutiful PR flaks, whisked him away into a waiting black Escalade before a single doughnut question could be asked.
The Giants recognize they are a wholly different offense without Cruz, and Cruz recognizes that Madison Square Park is only a Manning Hail Mary from Madison Avenue, where he is well on his way to becoming a darling. Dollars to doughnuts they strike a deal soon. A real sweet one for Victor Cruz.