EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — About 90 minutes prior to the New York Giants’ matchup against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, a small aircraft made a few passes over MetLife Stadium, carrying a message directed at Giants co-owner John Mara. The banner urged him to make significant changes to a franchise that has only reached the playoffs twice since their Super Bowl victory in February 2012.
“Mr. Mara, enough. Please fix this dumpster fire!” read the banner as it was towed behind the airplane.
Heading into the game, the Giants held a dismal 2-10 record, on the brink of their eighth consecutive loss. This situation has heightened speculation regarding the job security of head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. Following a playoff appearance in Daboll’s inaugural season in 2022, with a record of 9-7-1, this year’s performance took a significant downturn. Since winning the Super Bowl in 2012, the organization has only achieved postseason play in one other year—2016.
The 2022 campaign sparked some hope for Giants fans, especially after they secured a playoff victory over the Minnesota Vikings; this marked their first playoff win since the 2011 season.
In a striking move earlier this season, the organization terminated the contract of quarterback Daniel Jones before the completion of his four-year, $160 million deal. He was let go on November 22nd, after the team communicated that he would not return for the remainder of the season, a situation that led him to request his release from Mara. He subsequently joined the Vikings’ practice squad the following week.
This isn’t the first time fans have expressed discontent vocally. Back in the late 1970s, supporters hired a plane to fly over Giants Stadium, displaying a message that read, “15 Years of Lousy Football. … We’ve Had Enough.” During that period, from 1973 to 1979, the Giants struggled considerably, achieving no more than six wins in a season, with their best showing being those two six-win seasons in ’78 and ’79, which coincided with the NFL’s expansion of the regular season from 14 to 16 games.
