GaryMrMets
10-31-2005, 02:18 AM
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/football/story/360552p-307224c.html
Mara Stadium would
be a fitting tribute
http://www.nydailynews.com/images/editors/header_sundaymorningqb.jpg
http://www.nydailynews.com/images/columnists/myers_g.jpg
As the tributes keep pouring in for Wellington Mara, here's my idea to honor one of the most important figures in the history of New York sports and the NFL: Rename Giants Stadium Wellington Mara Stadium.If things go according to plan, Giants Stadium will be knocked down after the 2008 season with a new home for the Giants and Jets in the Meadowlands ready for 2009. It will have a corporate name, just like all the new stadiums, to help defray the cost of the $800 million football palace the teams are funding themselves in their 50-50 partnership.
So while Giants Stadium is still around, and there is no intention of selling off naming rights, change the name immediately to Mara Stadium, Mara Field, Mara Park, whatever sounds best.
Mara, in keeping with his selfless character, would have been embarrassed at the idea.
What would it take to make the switch? Any name change of Giants Stadium requires the unanimous consent of the Giants and Jets, who lease the stadium, and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which runs the stadium.
The Jets have always hated the idea of the stadium being named for another team. Mara Stadium should make them feel a little less like second-class citizens. And really, how petty would Woody Johnson sound if he blocked the name change for the next 3%BD years? The Giants will surely like our idea. The NJSEA already does.
"It would be a fitting tribute to a legendary man," said George Zoffinger, the president and CEO of the sports authority. "The NJSEA would certainly strongly consider any recommendation to that effect. To that end, why not name the new facility after Mr. Mara?"
It's hard to think of a reason why the name of Giants Stadium should not be changed. It wouldn't cost a dime, except to switch out the big signs on either side of the stadium. And without Mara moving the Giants to New Jersey in 1976, there would not even have been a Meadowlands.
"I think that it would be great," Giants GM Ernie Accorsi said. "I love that (Bengals president) Mike Brown named the stadium (in Cincinnati) for his father."
Of course, the new stadium will be owned by the Giants and the Jets and they will sell the naming rights together. The Jets can't be expected to want a stadium they half-own to be named after the late Giants owner. But both teams are just tenants of Giants Stadium and from the Jets' perspective, anything has to be better than playing in a place with the Giants' name on it.
In the era before naming rights, the new stadium could certainly have been named for Mara and any Jet that Johnson felt deserved the honor. But with so much money at stake in the new era of naming rights, it would not be good business to leave so much cash on the table when the debt service on the stadium for the Maras and Tisches and Johnson will be astronomical. Combining Mara's name with a corporate name (Wellington Mara Field at Name Your Corporation Stadium) is not the way to go.
Considering there will be a game played there every weekend, as opposed to every other weekend in other football stadiums, and taking into account this is the biggest market in the country, the naming rights should bring in quite a bit. The Texans are getting about $300 million over 30 years and the Redskins are getting $205 million over 27 years for naming rights to their stadiums. The Giants and Jets should get at least 50% more per year, which they would then split.
"Bidding starts at $15 million a year," predicted Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp Ltd., a Chicago consulting firm.
So, for now, when there's no money to lose, name the stadium for Mara. "Wellington wouldn't like it," Accorsi laughed. "I remember one time a school was pitching us for training camp. John (Mara) was there. Wellington was not. The head of the committee said, 'We propose to name the new facility the Wellington T. Mara Practice Facility and Sports Administration Building.' John said if he told his father, he was pretty sure it wouldn't help you, but he was pretty sure it would hurt you."
After Giants Stadium is demolished, the Giants can name their new training facility at the Meadowlands after Wellington Mara. The Jets can name theirs after Hess or maybe even call the facility "Super Bowl III" after the one keepsake moment in team history.
Wild about Harry
One of Mara's disappointments was Harry Carson failing to pick up the votes to join him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's been on the ballot since 1994.
"Mr. Mara was probably one of my biggest supporters when it came to the Hall of Fame," Carson said. "He was such a strong supporter of mine and I really appreciated it. Once you are in the Giant family, you are in the Giant family. There are no ex-Giants."
Two days before the vote this year, Mara said, "I think it's a mark of shame for the committee that they haven't put him in by now. I just don't understand it. I hope it will be rectified."
Warner loses out again
Kurt Warner can't get his job back from Josh McCown now that he's ready to play again after recovering from a groin injury. Warner had no chance to keep the starting job last year with the Giants once he started losing games. The Giants' plan all along was to play Eli Manning. But now he can't beat out McCown, which could be a signal that it's time for Warner to retire. ...The NFL season has not even reached the halfway point for all teams, but with QB changes being made this week, 12 of the 32 teams already will have started more than one. ...The Packers came back from a 1-4 start last year to win the NFC North. But after blowing a 17-0 lead to the Vikings last week and losing on Paul Edinger's 56-yard field goal at the buzzer, Green Bay is 1-5 and going nowhere. After a tough loss to the Panthers earlier this season, Brett Favre said he started questioning himself: "Do I still have the magic or whatever? Because I've always felt I could give this team an edge." Four of the Packers five losses are by a total of nine points. ...The Cowboys sideline is a dangerous place. Three weeks ago, Drew Bledsoe and Keyshawn Johnson got into a heated argument after Johnson's fumble was returned for a TD by the Eagles. Last week in Seattle, Bill Parcells angrily shoved receivers coach Todd Haley when Haley was arguing an official's call. This has been a stressful season for Parcells. The Cowboys are 4-3 and could easily be 7-0. Their three losses are by a total of 10 points. The Cowboys had a 13-0 lead in the final four minutes against the Redskins and a 10-3 lead in the final minute against the Seahawks and lost both games.
Late Hits
•Seeing Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick sitting a row apart at Wellington Mara's funeral Friday was a reminder of the incredible coaching staff Parcells had on the 1990 Super Bowl team. It also included Tom Coughlin, Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel and Al Groh, who are all head coaches.
•Ricky Williams goes against the Saints for the first time since they traded him to the Dolphins in 2002, after he played three seasons for them. Williams hardly goes into the game on a roll. He's rushed 11 times for seven yards in the two games since he returned from his four-game suspension for violating the substance abuse policy. It's a homecoming for Miami coach Nick Saban. The game is in Baton Rouge at LSU, where Saban won a share of the national championship two years ago.
•The Jets will have major changes on offense next year. If they can't get into position to draft Southern Cal QB Matt Leinart or make a trade for San Diego's Philip Rivers or Drew Brees, then Leinart's teammate, RB Reggie Bush, would inject a spark if he decides not to return for his senior season. There was no way the Jets could have kept LaMont Jordan with Curtis Martin coming off a rushing title, but Martin looks like he's hit the wall this year. His offensive line isn't helping.
•Rams coach Mike Martz may want to consider pursuing other opportunities after the season. Martz, out for the season with a bacterial infection of the heart valve, tried to send in a play last week from home via cell phone. But Rams executives Jay Zygmunt and John Shaw refused to let a cell phone be delivered to offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild in the coaches booth.
•Parcells cut PK Jose Cortez last week after he missed a 29-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, which came one week after he beat the Giants with a 45-yarder in overtime. Cortez was quickly signed by the Eagles, which means he has now made the rounds by playing for every NFC East team. He was with the Giants in 1999 and the Redskins in 2002.
Game of the Week
Eagles at Broncos, 4:15 p.m., Broncos by 3-1/2
Two teams in the thick of divisional races and coming off different sides of dramatic games meet in an inter-conference game that could be a Super Bowl preview. The Eagles rallied past the Chargers while the Broncos fell to the Giants last week. After squelching the league's best running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, the Phily defense takes on the league's No.1 running game. The Broncos are playing just three days after O-lineman Dwayne Carswell suffered serious internal injuries in a car crash.
SCOUT'S REPORT
"This might be the week the Eagles' refusal to run the ball catches up with them. The Broncos have the sideline-to-sideline speed at linebacker to contain Brian Westbrook, while Champ Bailey is capable of matching up against Terrell Owens. The Eagles basically brought everybody into the box to stop Tomlinson last week but that won't work against the Broncos and their quick offensive line, although the right side of that line, with its inexperience, will be an inviting target for (defensive coordinator) Jim Johnson."
Upset Special
Bears at Lions, 1 p.m., Lions by 3
The teams meet for first place in the muddled and mediocre NFC North. The Bears haven't allowed a touchdown in two games and picked off Joey Harrington five times the last time these teams met. Steve Mariucci installed Jeff Garcia at the helm last week, but the receiving corps, thought to be a strength, can't stay away from injures and the O-line can't protect.
SCOUT'S REPORT
"Given the Bears' quarterback situation, Thomas Jones couldn't be running any better. He lit up the Ravens (139 yards) last week and with the Lions' D-line banged up, he will force Detroit to put men in the box. This could come down to field position and, if so, the Lions' coverage team is one of the worst in the league. Garcia at least gives Mariucci some options with his mobility."
Mouthing Off
"I'm definitely not one to be intimidated by all of this. Football is what I'm used to. If anything's hard to get used to, it's sitting on the bench."
Chris Simms, on taking over as the Bucs' starting quarterback in San Francisco today.
Originally published on October 30, 2005
Mara Stadium would
be a fitting tribute
http://www.nydailynews.com/images/editors/header_sundaymorningqb.jpg
http://www.nydailynews.com/images/columnists/myers_g.jpg
As the tributes keep pouring in for Wellington Mara, here's my idea to honor one of the most important figures in the history of New York sports and the NFL: Rename Giants Stadium Wellington Mara Stadium.If things go according to plan, Giants Stadium will be knocked down after the 2008 season with a new home for the Giants and Jets in the Meadowlands ready for 2009. It will have a corporate name, just like all the new stadiums, to help defray the cost of the $800 million football palace the teams are funding themselves in their 50-50 partnership.
So while Giants Stadium is still around, and there is no intention of selling off naming rights, change the name immediately to Mara Stadium, Mara Field, Mara Park, whatever sounds best.
Mara, in keeping with his selfless character, would have been embarrassed at the idea.
What would it take to make the switch? Any name change of Giants Stadium requires the unanimous consent of the Giants and Jets, who lease the stadium, and the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which runs the stadium.
The Jets have always hated the idea of the stadium being named for another team. Mara Stadium should make them feel a little less like second-class citizens. And really, how petty would Woody Johnson sound if he blocked the name change for the next 3%BD years? The Giants will surely like our idea. The NJSEA already does.
"It would be a fitting tribute to a legendary man," said George Zoffinger, the president and CEO of the sports authority. "The NJSEA would certainly strongly consider any recommendation to that effect. To that end, why not name the new facility after Mr. Mara?"
It's hard to think of a reason why the name of Giants Stadium should not be changed. It wouldn't cost a dime, except to switch out the big signs on either side of the stadium. And without Mara moving the Giants to New Jersey in 1976, there would not even have been a Meadowlands.
"I think that it would be great," Giants GM Ernie Accorsi said. "I love that (Bengals president) Mike Brown named the stadium (in Cincinnati) for his father."
Of course, the new stadium will be owned by the Giants and the Jets and they will sell the naming rights together. The Jets can't be expected to want a stadium they half-own to be named after the late Giants owner. But both teams are just tenants of Giants Stadium and from the Jets' perspective, anything has to be better than playing in a place with the Giants' name on it.
In the era before naming rights, the new stadium could certainly have been named for Mara and any Jet that Johnson felt deserved the honor. But with so much money at stake in the new era of naming rights, it would not be good business to leave so much cash on the table when the debt service on the stadium for the Maras and Tisches and Johnson will be astronomical. Combining Mara's name with a corporate name (Wellington Mara Field at Name Your Corporation Stadium) is not the way to go.
Considering there will be a game played there every weekend, as opposed to every other weekend in other football stadiums, and taking into account this is the biggest market in the country, the naming rights should bring in quite a bit. The Texans are getting about $300 million over 30 years and the Redskins are getting $205 million over 27 years for naming rights to their stadiums. The Giants and Jets should get at least 50% more per year, which they would then split.
"Bidding starts at $15 million a year," predicted Marc Ganis, president of SportsCorp Ltd., a Chicago consulting firm.
So, for now, when there's no money to lose, name the stadium for Mara. "Wellington wouldn't like it," Accorsi laughed. "I remember one time a school was pitching us for training camp. John (Mara) was there. Wellington was not. The head of the committee said, 'We propose to name the new facility the Wellington T. Mara Practice Facility and Sports Administration Building.' John said if he told his father, he was pretty sure it wouldn't help you, but he was pretty sure it would hurt you."
After Giants Stadium is demolished, the Giants can name their new training facility at the Meadowlands after Wellington Mara. The Jets can name theirs after Hess or maybe even call the facility "Super Bowl III" after the one keepsake moment in team history.
Wild about Harry
One of Mara's disappointments was Harry Carson failing to pick up the votes to join him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He's been on the ballot since 1994.
"Mr. Mara was probably one of my biggest supporters when it came to the Hall of Fame," Carson said. "He was such a strong supporter of mine and I really appreciated it. Once you are in the Giant family, you are in the Giant family. There are no ex-Giants."
Two days before the vote this year, Mara said, "I think it's a mark of shame for the committee that they haven't put him in by now. I just don't understand it. I hope it will be rectified."
Warner loses out again
Kurt Warner can't get his job back from Josh McCown now that he's ready to play again after recovering from a groin injury. Warner had no chance to keep the starting job last year with the Giants once he started losing games. The Giants' plan all along was to play Eli Manning. But now he can't beat out McCown, which could be a signal that it's time for Warner to retire. ...The NFL season has not even reached the halfway point for all teams, but with QB changes being made this week, 12 of the 32 teams already will have started more than one. ...The Packers came back from a 1-4 start last year to win the NFC North. But after blowing a 17-0 lead to the Vikings last week and losing on Paul Edinger's 56-yard field goal at the buzzer, Green Bay is 1-5 and going nowhere. After a tough loss to the Panthers earlier this season, Brett Favre said he started questioning himself: "Do I still have the magic or whatever? Because I've always felt I could give this team an edge." Four of the Packers five losses are by a total of nine points. ...The Cowboys sideline is a dangerous place. Three weeks ago, Drew Bledsoe and Keyshawn Johnson got into a heated argument after Johnson's fumble was returned for a TD by the Eagles. Last week in Seattle, Bill Parcells angrily shoved receivers coach Todd Haley when Haley was arguing an official's call. This has been a stressful season for Parcells. The Cowboys are 4-3 and could easily be 7-0. Their three losses are by a total of 10 points. The Cowboys had a 13-0 lead in the final four minutes against the Redskins and a 10-3 lead in the final minute against the Seahawks and lost both games.
Late Hits
•Seeing Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick sitting a row apart at Wellington Mara's funeral Friday was a reminder of the incredible coaching staff Parcells had on the 1990 Super Bowl team. It also included Tom Coughlin, Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel and Al Groh, who are all head coaches.
•Ricky Williams goes against the Saints for the first time since they traded him to the Dolphins in 2002, after he played three seasons for them. Williams hardly goes into the game on a roll. He's rushed 11 times for seven yards in the two games since he returned from his four-game suspension for violating the substance abuse policy. It's a homecoming for Miami coach Nick Saban. The game is in Baton Rouge at LSU, where Saban won a share of the national championship two years ago.
•The Jets will have major changes on offense next year. If they can't get into position to draft Southern Cal QB Matt Leinart or make a trade for San Diego's Philip Rivers or Drew Brees, then Leinart's teammate, RB Reggie Bush, would inject a spark if he decides not to return for his senior season. There was no way the Jets could have kept LaMont Jordan with Curtis Martin coming off a rushing title, but Martin looks like he's hit the wall this year. His offensive line isn't helping.
•Rams coach Mike Martz may want to consider pursuing other opportunities after the season. Martz, out for the season with a bacterial infection of the heart valve, tried to send in a play last week from home via cell phone. But Rams executives Jay Zygmunt and John Shaw refused to let a cell phone be delivered to offensive coordinator Steve Fairchild in the coaches booth.
•Parcells cut PK Jose Cortez last week after he missed a 29-yard field goal in the fourth quarter, which came one week after he beat the Giants with a 45-yarder in overtime. Cortez was quickly signed by the Eagles, which means he has now made the rounds by playing for every NFC East team. He was with the Giants in 1999 and the Redskins in 2002.
Game of the Week
Eagles at Broncos, 4:15 p.m., Broncos by 3-1/2
Two teams in the thick of divisional races and coming off different sides of dramatic games meet in an inter-conference game that could be a Super Bowl preview. The Eagles rallied past the Chargers while the Broncos fell to the Giants last week. After squelching the league's best running back, LaDainian Tomlinson, the Phily defense takes on the league's No.1 running game. The Broncos are playing just three days after O-lineman Dwayne Carswell suffered serious internal injuries in a car crash.
SCOUT'S REPORT
"This might be the week the Eagles' refusal to run the ball catches up with them. The Broncos have the sideline-to-sideline speed at linebacker to contain Brian Westbrook, while Champ Bailey is capable of matching up against Terrell Owens. The Eagles basically brought everybody into the box to stop Tomlinson last week but that won't work against the Broncos and their quick offensive line, although the right side of that line, with its inexperience, will be an inviting target for (defensive coordinator) Jim Johnson."
Upset Special
Bears at Lions, 1 p.m., Lions by 3
The teams meet for first place in the muddled and mediocre NFC North. The Bears haven't allowed a touchdown in two games and picked off Joey Harrington five times the last time these teams met. Steve Mariucci installed Jeff Garcia at the helm last week, but the receiving corps, thought to be a strength, can't stay away from injures and the O-line can't protect.
SCOUT'S REPORT
"Given the Bears' quarterback situation, Thomas Jones couldn't be running any better. He lit up the Ravens (139 yards) last week and with the Lions' D-line banged up, he will force Detroit to put men in the box. This could come down to field position and, if so, the Lions' coverage team is one of the worst in the league. Garcia at least gives Mariucci some options with his mobility."
Mouthing Off
"I'm definitely not one to be intimidated by all of this. Football is what I'm used to. If anything's hard to get used to, it's sitting on the bench."
Chris Simms, on taking over as the Bucs' starting quarterback in San Francisco today.
Originally published on October 30, 2005