Why the Giants Have Resisted the Mascot Trend—and What It Says About the Franchise

New York is one of four NFL teams without a mascot, and the organization has always preferred to let its football do the talking.

New York Giants helmet | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

It can sometimes be difficult to understand The Way. Following their last taste of Super Bowl ecstasy in 2011, they have made head-scratching hires, handed out a number of awful contracts, bungled top draft picks, botched and subjected their fans to a ridiculous amount of losing.

But if there is one thing the franchise has resisted resorting to, it is to plant a mascot inside its stadiums. Big Blue is one of four NFL teams, joining the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Chargers, and New York Jets.

The Mara family has always taken pride in the Giants' rich history, believing that their organization does not need to rely on gimmicks to entertain fans. It trusts its football product to generate excitement on its own, and history has shown that an old-school, physical style of play is often the best crowd-pleaser.

That has not been the Giants' brand lately. They have lacked bite on defense and creativity on offense for the last several campaigns.  Teams that win seven games across a two-season span and reach the playoffs twice in 14 years are an unquestioned disappointment to their fan base.

But rather than try to bring in a distraction not necessarily related to the game itself, the Giants have sought to work through their hard times and let the product speak for itself.  

The Giants don’t need a mascot  

Championships last forever, but if the foundation and values that led to those triumphs start to crumble, then the fan base will inevitably lose trust.

That’s where head coach John Harbaugh comes in. The organization is counting on him to and restore it to its winning ways, and Harbaugh is definitely up to the challenge.

Already he has breathed new life and excitement into the franchise, the excitement leel having reached a feverish pitch. And while Harbaugh can’t expect to be perfect, his core principles of instilling the team with strength, discipline, and verve are a start to returning the Giants to relevance.

A mascot's primary objective is to inject a stadium with energy, which will then boost the players on the field. By having Harbaugh and his winning resume, Big Blue doesn’t need a person to dress up in a hot and stuffy costume to distract the fans. What they need is a winning program, which Harbaugh and his staff are working hard to deliver.

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