John Mara Makes a Painful Confession About Giants

The 2021 season was by far one of the most disappointing seasons John Mara said he's ever been through.

Author:
Patricia Traina
Publish date:
Jan 12, 2022 4:14 PM EST

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New York Giants

When an organization like the New York Giants has been around for nearly a century, there are sure to be more than just a few cringeworthy moments.

But for team co-owner John Mara, who witnessed events such as the Fumble, the Miracle of the New Meadowlands (DeSean Jackson game), the Ray Handley era, and others, what the Giants just went through in 2021 seems to be the clear-cut winner as far as most embarrassing moments in Mara's lifetime.

"Honestly, I would have to say yes. Yes, it is," he said when asked if this season was the most embarrassed he's felt in his direct association with the team.

"I kept thinking during the season that we had hit rock bottom, and then each week, it got a little worse. So honestly, I'm not proud of saying this, but if I'm gonna be 100% honest, I would've to say yes."

Those feelings are a big reason why Mara finally decided to blow the whole thing up and start anew in a search for a general manager and head coach that could begin their respective tenures on the same page and hopefully get the franchise back on track.

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Sep 27, 2020; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Giants head coach Joe Judge (left) with co-owner John Mara before a NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers at MetLife Stadium.

Giants John Mara Explains Why Team Had to Move On from Head Coach Joe Judge

Despite watching the team slide down the tubes in the final six weeks of the season, Giants co-owner John Mara believes Joe Judge can still become a very good NFL head coach.

Despite taking such a drastic step, there is still some concern among the fan base about Mara's ability to get it right given the team's poor track record with hiring top decision-makers, a concern that Mara said he understands.

"I haven't given (the fan base) any reason to believe that (he can turn things around). It's up to me to make the right choices; up to Steve (Tisch) and I to make the right choices going forward to earn back their trust. And that is not gonna be an overnight process; that's gonna take some time. But it starts with getting the general manager pick done correctly, and then with hiring the right head coach."

Mara, who admitted to rushing through the general manager hiring process last time--Gettleman was hired before the 2018 season ended, the Giants' working off a limited candidate pool that included mostly in-house candidates and Louis Riddick, who has been an ESPN television analyst--also understands the importance of being patient this time around and letting the process play out.

"I feel very good about the group of candidates for the general manager position that we have scheduled right now," Mara said when asked how confident he was in being able to get it right this time.

"I think any one of a number of them would make an excellent general manager. So I am confident that we are the resources to make the right choice."