Tag: John Mara

Eli Manning rejoins Giants in ‘business operations and fan engagement’ role

Team legend Eli Manning has rejoined the New York Giants in a “business operations and fan engagement” role.

Eli Manning is back with the New York Giants. We repeat, Eli Manning is back with the New York Giants.

The Giants announced on Monday that Manning has rejoined the organization in a unique role. Team co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch are calling it the “business operations and fan engagement” role.

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“For 16 seasons, Eli represented and defined what it meant to be a Giant and we are excited for him to join the business side of our front office,” said Mara. “Eli is one of the most beloved players in Giants history. We had a mutual interest in him returning to the organization and we’re thrilled to welcome him back.”

“We are proud Eli was our quarterback for so many years and now look forward to his next chapter as a Giant,” said Tisch. “Eli is the ultimate team player and will be a huge addition to the organization as we continue to elevate and strengthen our business operation.”

After a year away from the team due to COVID-19, Manning is excited to return in his new role.

“After not being able to come back in the facility for a full year, to finally see my former teammates and the individuals I’ve spent the past 16 years with – like the trainers and equipment guys, video, scouting, management, owners – it’s incredibly exciting to be back,” Manning said. “Staying involved with this organization is very important to me. I love the organization, love the Giants and the fans, and so I want to do anything possible to help them out and be a part of it.” Manning’s new role will include several assignments.

“I’m willing to do anything. But I’m focused on the business side with corporate partners and on community relations, which was always so important to me while I was playing here and is something, I’ve placed a high priority on throughout my life. I’m looking forward to seeing where I can make the most impact in helping the Giants achieve their business and community goals.”

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In addition to his new job with the team, it was also announced that Manning will be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor and have his No. 10 jersey retired, which the team had originally scheduled to happen last year.

“It’s a great honor and just an unbelievable feeling,” Manning said. “I don’t know what the emotions will be that day. I know they’ll be high, though. To have that feeling and that final goodbye, a true goodbye to the fans, and to thank them for supporting me during my 16 seasons here, it’s going to be special. I think it’s an opportunity for me to thank everybody here – teammates, coaches and the organization – for believing in me, for bringing me to New York and for giving me a chance to have success. It’ll be an awesome day to be here and a great celebration.”

Manning’s official induction and jersey retirement will happen on Sunday, September 26 when the Giants host the Atlanta Falcons at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

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Giants remain among world’s most valuable sports franchises

Despite a decade of losing and the COVID-19 pandemic, the New York Giants continue to gain in overall franchise value.

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The New York Giants have not seen much on-field success over the past decade, but that hasn’t damaged their overall value. In fact, even the COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t stop Big Blue from increasing in value over the past year.

Last July, Forbes released their annual sports franchise value rankings and the Giants had climbed from No. 10 overall with a value of $3.3 billion in 2019 to No. 9 overall with a value of $3.9 billion in 2020.

Here in 2021, the Giants continue to climb that money mountain with Forbes listing them at a value of $4.3 billion, which kept them at ninth overall in the world.

9. New York Giants (NFL)

Value: $4.3 billion

Five-Year Change In Value: 54%

Owner: John Mara, Steven Tisch

Year Purchased: 1925, 1991

Price Paid: $500, $150 million

The $4.3 billion overall value now puts the Giants just behind the New England Patriots ($4.4 billion) and has them gaining ground on the Dallas Cowboys ($5.7 billion), who remain the world’s most valuable sports franchise.

The New York Yankees check in at No. 2 overall with a value of $5.25 billion.

Mara and Tisch each inherited their stake of the team from their fathers. Mara’s grandfather, Tim, founded the Giants in 1925 and paid just $500 for the club in the struggling National Football League.

Bob Tisch, Steve’s father, bought 50 percent of the team in 1991 from Tim, who, even though the Giants had won two Super Bowls, was still not on good terms with his uncle, Wellington. Tim passed away in 1995.

Wellington Mara passed away on October 25, 2005. Bob Tisch died three weeks later. John Mara was named CEO and Steve Tisch the Chairman after their deaths.

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Giants ‘think the world’ of QB Daniel Jones

New York Giants co-owner John Mara is unwavering in his support of QB Daniel Jones, saying the organization “thinks the world” of him.

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The New York Giants are unwavering in their support of third-year quarterback Daniel Jones. From head coach Joe Judge to general manager Dave Gettleman to co-owner John Mara, the sentiment from top to bottom remains the same.

That hasn’t prevented the trio from being peppered with questions about Jones at every turn, however. And that remained true on Wednesday when Mara was pressed to set some benchmarks for Jones in 2021.

Mara refused, but did offer up some continued optimism when it comes to Jones, his development and what the team expects from him down the road.

“We think the world of Daniel in this building, I think I’ve said that publicly before, I know our coaches feel very strongly about him. We want to see him take the next step,” Mara said. “I don’t have any specific benchmarks other than let’s win some more games.

“I think he will have a better team around him this year than he’s had in previous years, so we certainly expect him to take the next step, but I’m not going to put any specific benchmarks on him right now. I just want to see him continue to improve because I do think he has what it takes to be a long-term winner in this league.”

Earlier this week, Mara was even more emphatic when talking about Jones, suggesting that he could very much take the Eli Manning route and win the Giants multiple Super Bowl titles.

That belief is why Mara was willing to open the checkbook for the team’s second consecutive spending spree, this time with more of an emphasis on getting Jones some quality offensive playmakers.

“I think surrounding Daniel with more weapons was certainly a priority coming into this offseason, but that would be true no matter who the quarterback is. You always want to put as many weapons on the field as possible,” Mara said. “It’s becoming more and more of a passing league, and we saw an opportunity to add some guys who have some unique talent and hopefully it’ll pay off for us.”

The Giants are far from a finished product, Mara says, but they’re heading in the right direction behind Daniel Jones.

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Giants’ John Mara: ‘It’s time for us to start winning’

New York Giants co-owner John Mara says the drought must end and the team must start winning beginning here in 2021.

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New York Giants co-owner John Mara said it earlier this week and repeated it again on Wednesday: he’s tired of losing, his patience has worn thin and it’s time for the team to start winning.

“Obviously, it would mean the world to me [to turn things around],” Mara told reporters. “It’s been a very difficult four or five year period for us and I’m tired of the losing and of having the postseason press conference trying to explain what went wrong and why I think we’re making progress. It’s time for us to start winning some more and that’s one of the reasons we spent the money we did.”

Although the Giants entered the start of free agency with precious little cap space, they managed to move things around enough to afford a significant spending spree. In fact, the Giants shelled out the third-most guaranteed money in the NFL.

Now Mara wants a return on his investment, although he cautions that the team is far from a finished product.

“I think it’s just that we’re committed to doing whatever we have to do to put a winning team on the field,” Mara said. “As I’ve said before, there were opportunities that presented themselves to add quality young players that were highly regarded, that we think can make an impact and also were positions of need, so we took advantage of them. I think you can’t do that every year, but when the opportunity presents itself I think you have to seize it and I think that’s what we did this year.

“We think it will pay off, but time will tell. We’re certainly not a finished product by any stretch of imagination. We need to add some more pieces in the draft, but I do like the direction that we’re going in.”

Mara stopped short of setting any specific goals or benchmarks, but his message is crystal clear… He’s opened the bank vault and given general manager Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge everything they’ve wanted. Now it’s time to stack W’s.

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Giants’ John Mara was ‘heartbroken’ over losing these two players

New York Giants co-owner John Mara said losing these two players in recent years was heart breaking.

Giants co-owner John Mara spoke to reporters via Zoom on Wednesday to field questions regarding the state of the team and the league.

Most of the inquiries were about the big ticket free agent contracts his team engaged in the past few weeks and the how he believes they improved the club’s fortunes. The Giants have lost 10 or more games in each of the last four seasons, the longest such stretch in the 96-year history of the franchise.

With all the new players coming in the door the past few seasons, what gets lost is the fact that the Giants have also lost quite a number of quality players in free agency — most notably safety Landon Collins and defensive tackle Dalvin Tomlinson, the were homegrown players who became team captains.

Mara also admitted that he feared that the players would see their teammates walk out of the building but that most understood it is the nature of the business.

Mara added that the team could have traded certain players at the deadline but didn’t because he preferred having them in the locker room for the remainder of the season.

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John Mara says Giants in ‘no hurry’ to extend Saquon Barkley

New York Giants owner John Mara says the team is in “no hurry” to extend the contract of Saquon Barkley, but would like him to be a lifer.

New York Giants co-owner John Mara met with reporters following the 2021 owners meetings on Wednesday and addressed several topics, including running back Saquon Barkley.

Asked if the Giants will consider extending Barkley’s contract this year, Mara implied that it’s not among their primary concerns — at least not right now.

“We’re not in any hurry to do that,” Mara said bluntly.

That’s not to say the Giants won’t eventually extend the 2018 NFL Rookie of the Year.

Mara added that the team expects Barkley, who is currently recovering from a torn ACL, to return at 100 percent in 2021. If all goes well, he’d like Saquon to remain a Giant for life.

“We fully expect him to be as good as new,” Mara said. “We hope he’s going to be a Giant for life. At the appropriate time, we’ll start [extension] discussions.”

After gaining 2,028 scrimmage yards and scoring 15 total touchdowns in 16 games as a rookie, Barkley has gained a total of just 1,535 scrimmage yards and scored eight total touchdowns in 15 games over the previous two seasons.

Barkley is going into the fourth year of his rookie contract and the Giants have the option of picking up his fifth-year by May 3.

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Bill Belichick offered John Mara a blunt take on Ben McAdoo, Pat Shurmur

During a conversation with Giants owner John Mara, Bill Belichick told him that Joe Judge was a better coach than Ben McAdoo or Pat Shurmur.

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Have the New York Giants finally found their next championship head coach? Bill Belichick sure thinks so.

After the dismissal of Tom Coughlin at the end of the 2015 season, the team tried going the assistant coach route, hiring first offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo and then bringing in Pat Shurmur, another accomplished NFL assistant.

In 2020, ownership decided to continue down that road but hire a more progressive, yet old school figure in Joe Judge — the long-time New England Patriots and Alabama assistant and confidant of both Belichick and Nick Saban.

So far, Judge has not proven Belichick right. The Giants went 6-10 in Judge’s first season at the helm but confidence is high — higher than it ever was under McAdoo or Shurmur.

Judge has brought some buzz back to the Giants, reminding people of two of the team’s most successful and iconic coaches (Tom Coughlin and Bill Parcells) and his presence has led to several big ticket free agent signings this month.

“You always know where Joe is on the practice field, just like you did with Bill and Tom,” Giants co-owner John Mara told the New York Post. “His attention to detail is very impressive to me, and those are characteristics Tom and Bill had as well.

“He’s made believers out of the players, as far as his program is concerned, in what he’s trying to teach them and the culture he’s trying to build. I’ve been around a number of situations in my years where I didn’t have that sense that the players believed in the head coach, but Steve [Tisch] and I do feel that way now.”

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There’s no power struggle between Dave Gettleman and Joe Judge

New York Giants co-owner John Mara says there is absolutely no power struggle between GM Dave Gettleman and head coach Joe Judge.

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Since head coach Joe Judge burst onto the scene in 2020, he’s been credited with everything the New York Giants do that’s viewed in a positive light. On the flip side of that coin, general manager Dave Gettleman continues to be saddled with criticism for everything the team does that’s viewed negatively.

The stark contract between how Judge and Gettleman are viewed by the public has led to some speculation that there’s an internal power struggle; that the Giants have essentially given Judge the keys to the car and Gettleman is just along for the ride.

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It would be alarming if that were true.

When the Giants hired Judge, they deliberately sought out assistant coaches with previous head coaching experience. We saw that with Jason Garrett and Freddie Kitchens, among others.

The reason for that was Judge’s complete lack of exposure. He had never before served as head coach at any level and at just 39 years of age, doesn’t have the wealth of experience many others at his post do.

What would it say about the Giants organization if after just one season as head coach, they subvert the power of the general manager in favor of Judge? That would be an incredible leap of faith after just 365 days — all of which were anchored by other coaches who could help guide Judge through everyday life as an NFL head coach.

That’s not a knock on Judge, who is very likable and clearly intelligent. He’s obviously a good leader with a bright future, but that level of power is obtained over time.

At least that’s what Giants co-owner John Mara implied on Sunday, telling the New York Post that any rumors of an internal power struggle are completely false. Gettleman and Judge function as a team, which is how the general manager-head coach dynamic generally works in East Rutherford.

“I think the combination of Joe and Dave works. They don’t agree 100 percent of the time, but what’s impressed me so far is that neither one is engaged in any kind of power struggle. When it comes to a decision, it’s a Giants decision at the end of the day, not a Dave Gettleman or Joe Judge decision,” Mara said.

Of course, this isn’t to say that Judge didn’t save Gettleman’s job. After the failures of Pat Shurmur, he probably did despite a 6-10 record.

Mara had admitted before and admitted again that Gettleman’s approach to free agency in 2018 was a dud. However, things picked back up in 2019, improved again in 2020 with Judge on board and then, obviously, took off here in 2021 with a massive spending spree.

“We made some miscalculations, to put it mildly, back in 2018, and to a certain extent we’re still paying the price for some of those errors,” Mara said. “But our personnel decisions improved a bit in 2019, and then significantly last year.”

We’ll never know what level of influence Shurmur had in some of those personnel decisions, but it’s safe to assume he had plenty of input — just as Judge does now. The difference between the two is the culture that has been created.

Under Gettleman and Judge, things are flowing in a positive direction because they work well as a team and share similar roster-building philosophies.

Report: Giants’ John Mara, Eli Manning meet to discuss organizational role

New York Giants co-owner John Mara and QB Eli Manning met last week to discuss an organizational role in 2021.

When Eli Manning retired last January, New York Giants co-owner John Mara said he envisioned the two-time Super Bowl MVP remaining around the team in some capacity.

That did not happen in 2020 as Manning enjoyed his first year away from the game, focusing much of his time on family.

However, Manning recently told ESPN that he’d like to switch things up in 2021 and potentially become more involved with the team.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to do some more things with the Giants next year as well. This year, it was new, didn’t know how much I wanted to be around [the team]. I think we both needed a break from each other, but hopefully I can do some more things related to the Giants,” Manning said.

While Eli didn’t lay out a specific role, Mara’s ears clearly perked up.

Gary Myers reports that Manning and Mara met last week and discussed an organization role for Eli which will likely be more involved in player mentorship than coaching.

More to come…

Giants a prime candidate for HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’ in 2021

The New York Giants are a prime candidate to appear on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” in 2021 and are among only a handful of teams that qualify.

The New York Giants have never been featured on the famed HBO sports docuseries “Hard Knocks,” and that’s perfectly fine with co-owner John Mara, who once said the franchise would appear on the show only over his dead body.

“That announcement will come,” Mara told the New York Daily News in 2010, “when I’m next to my father in Gates of Heaven cemetery.”

Mara, of course, is still very much alive, and once again, the Giants are among the few remaining teams who qualify for the show. In fact, there are only four others: the Dallas Cowboys, Carolina Panthers, Denver Broncos and Arizona Cardinals.

As a reminder, here are the league’s criteria for eligibility:

  • The team does not have a first-year head coach.
  • The team has not made the playoffs in either of the previous two years.
  • The team has not appeared on “Hard Knocks” over the previous 10 seasons.

The Giants easily fit those criteria, and thanks in large part to head coach Joe Judge, are among the more interesting options for the show from a viewership perspective. However, like Mara, Judge isn’t a man who would seem too keen on having every waking moment of their lives and practices filmed and then released to the public.

But it may be out of the Giants’ hands in the end.

The NFL has a “forced inclusion” clause it could use in the event no one volunteers. We known darn well the Giants are not stepping up to the plate for that, so unless one of the remaining teams seeks the reality show treatment, the decision may ultimately be the NFL’s to make.

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