Dec. 6, 2025, 7:03 a.m. ET
The New York Giants have experienced difficult times in the past, but the last 12 seasons have been the most challenging. 10 double-digit losing seasons littered with some of the franchise’s most embarrassing and forgettable moments have the fan base wondering when this latest freefall will end.
The last time the Giants were in such dire shape was during the “Wilderness” period between 1964 and 1980. They had split ownership then, as well, but the two parties, Wellington Mara and his nephew, Tim, were not on the same page. In fact, their relationship was hopelessly broken, and both had very different ideas on how the franchise should be run. As a result, the team’s performance suffered.
In 1979, NFL Commissioner Pete Rozelle felt enough was enough. New York had to be fixed. He stepped in and mediated a settlement between the Maras and suggested they hire a “czar” of sorts to take over the football operations.
Enter George Young, a seasoned NFL executive who played a pivotal role in the success of both the Baltimore Colts and the Miami Dolphins. The Giants acquired the leader they needed, and Young established an infrastructure for sustained success. Under the organization he built, the Giants, who had not been to the postseason in 18 years, went on to win four Super Bowl titles.
This time around, that solution is not on the table. The Giants’ ownership group is not at odds. They are just bad at their jobs. Co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch have all the best intentions for the franchise, but can’t seem to get the team back on the road to success.
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In a recent piece for the New York Post, columnist Mike Vaccaro recounts the events that led up to Rozelle’s intervention and why that isn’t likely to happen under the current commissioner, Roger Goodell.
“It’s been the perfect partnership for a lot of years, and it still is,” a long-time football executive with close ties to the NFL offices said recently. “And that’s the kick, isn’t it? It might almost have been a hindrance to the franchise the last few years more than a help.”
How?
Well, the reason I reached out in the first place is because so many of the angry letters and emails I’ve received from furious Giants fans often ask the same simple question: Why can’t Roger Goodell do what Pete Rozelle did in 1979, when he rescued the Giants from themselves? It worked then: George Young was hired on Valentine’s Day 1979, and just under eight years later the Giants would lift the first of their four Lombardi Trophies.
“Look, The Boss” — Goodell — “knows how important New York is to the league. And with both teams struggling, it’s not good,” the executive said. “But this isn’t like it was. I mean, these guys actually enjoy each other’s company. Their decisions haven’t been great lately, but they’re always reached in close association with each other.”
It is a real issue. One that isn’t being addressed as the Giants begin their search for a new head coach. Ownership is still making the calls. They have charged general manager Joe Schoen, who many fans believed should have been shown the door along with head coach Brian Daboll last month, with leading that search.
Another unforced error. That is, unless Schoen finally starts to get lucky and stumbles onto a head coach who can finally make a team out of the collection of players he’s amassed the past four years.
