East Rutherford is becoming Banner Town, USA.
Two planes carrying banners aimed at getting owner John Mara’s attention flew over MetLife Stadium prior to Sunday’s Giants-49ers game.
One calling for changes to the coaching staff and/or front office read, “MR MARA ENOUGH IS ENOUGH CLEAN HOUSE.” It was paid for by teenager Joshua Reynolds of Bergen County and other disgusted fans who contributed to a GoFundMe campaign that raised $2,350, according to NJ.com.
Reynolds had commissioned the banner to fly over the stadium on Sept. 28 — the date of Jaxson Dart’s first start — but weather postponed the flight, according to High Exposure Aerial Advertising. The Giants upset the Chargers that afternoon.
The other plane was paid for by the Giants Nation podcast and read, “MR. MARA GET WELL SOON & WATCH GIANTS NATION SHOW.” Mara announced in September that he is battling cancer, and he subsequently has been less visible around the team, including abstaining from road trips.
The founder of Giants Nation, Bobby Skinner, thanked “everyone who participated in the 24-hour stream to make this happen.”
The Giants had two banners fly over home games late last season.
One read “MR MARA ENOUGH – PLZ FIX THIS DUMPSTER FIRE,” and the other read “MR MARA ENOUGH – WE WON’T STOP UNTIL YOU FIRE EVERYONE.”
Mara chose not to make any major changes, bringing back general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. Daboll retrained all three coordinators but made changes to his position coaches.
Giants fans infamously paid for a banner to fly over the stadium demanding changes in 1978 — “15 Years of Lousy Football – We’ve Had Enough!” — and it coincided with the end of dark days and the dawn of a new era.
“I didn’t need planes flying over me to tell me how upset the fans are,” Mara said on Jan. 6, the last time that he spoke to the media. “I hear from them every day. So, that really did not have much of an effect. I get how upset they are. I try to respond to them. Nobody was more upset than I am about how we performed in recent years. I have to stand up here and take the heat for that.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
