A win on Super Wild Card Weekend over the Minnesota Vikings marked the first postseason victory since the New York Giants‘ victory over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 46. Despite struggling the past decade, the Giants made some positive moves last offseason as New York owner, CEO, and president John Mara attempts to right the ship of a storied franchise.
As the Giants come closer to the 100th anniversary of the team’s founding, let’s look at how the organization has been passed down through the Mara family.
Who Is the New York Giants’ Owner?
On Aug. 1, 1925, Timothy Mara founded the Giants when NFL President Joseph Carr approached to establish a large city franchise to showcase the league.
An integral part of helping the NFL establish itself, Mara challenged the brand new American Football League champions, the Philadelphia Quakers, beating them 31-0 in 1926. The Giants were in seventh place in the NFL, and the embarrassing loss helped contribute to the AFL’s collapse soon after.
Mara continued to challenge various football leagues that popped up, seemingly winning over every competing New York fan base to the Giants and NFL. He died in 1959 at 71, passing on the Giants to his sons Jack and Wellington Mara. Tim was elected into the Pro Football Hall of Fame charter class in 1963. Jack would take over as president in 1933 and stay in that position until he died in 1965.
Wellington then took over as team president. He handled the team’s football decisions for the first 37 years with the franchise. Realizing the need to modernize after the 1978 season, Wellington relinquished complete control to the Giants’ first general manager, George Young.
Loved by the players through his actions on and off the field, Wellington led the Giants to four NFL championships and two Super Bowl wins. He was enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1997 and would die in October 2005 at 89 years old. Wellington passed the franchise to his son, John, who has served in the role since.
What’s the Mara Family’s Net Worth?
Tim Mara got his start as a newsboy selling newspapers on the street. He would come into contact often with New York’s bookmakers and became a runner earning a five percent of the bets as a tip. By 18, he had established his own book.
Since launching the franchise in 1925, the Giants have stayed in the Mara Family’s control. Only the Chicago Bears, founded by the Halas-McCaskey family in 1921, have been with one family longer.
John Mara only joined the team in 1991. Like his father, he went to law school at Fordham University and practiced at several firms before joining the team. As of 2022, Mara’s estimated net worth was $500 million, according to CelebrityNetWorth.com.
Who Is Steve Tisch?
Tim split his ownership of the Giants between Wellington and Jack in his will. Following Jack’s death, his ownership stake was passed down to his son Tim. Tim and Wellington had a very contentious relationship. In 1991, Tim sold his 50% stake to Bob Tisch, former Postmaster General of the United States and president of the Loews Corporation.
Bob would pass his stake in the Giants down to his son Steve following his death in 2005. Before becoming involved with the Giants, Steve had already established himself as a producer for films like American History X, Risky Business, and Forrest Gump. His net worth is estimated at $1.2 billion.
How Much Are the New York Giants Worth?
According to Forbes, the Giants are the fourth most valuable NFL franchise at $6 billion. They are also tied with the New York Yankees as the fourth most valuable professional sports franchise.
History of MetLife Stadium
As Giants Stadium was approaching 30 years old, the Giants and Jets started looking for alternatives for a new stadium. While the Jets initially attempted to find their own home, the two franchises entered an agreement to build a new stadium where the teams would be equal partners. This led to the construction of MetLife Stadium, a roofless multi-purpose stadium located in what was previously the Giants Stadium parking lot in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is one of two NFL stadiums shared by two teams, the other being SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
The ground was broken in September 2007 and opened on April 10, 2010. The Giants and Jets both played home games in Week 1 of the 2010 NFL season, with the Jets playing on Monday Night Football.
On May 25, 2010, the NFL announced that Super Bowl 48 would be played at MetLife Stadium. The announcement gave the New York Metropolitan area its first Super Bowl while also being the first Super Bowl in a cold-weather city without a domed stadium.
While a change from standard Super Bowl locations, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said they waived the typical requirements due to a unique circumstance based on the opportunity to celebrate the new stadium and history of the NFL in the New York region.
History of the New York Giants
Established in 1925 by original New York Giants owner Tim Mara, the Giants were one of five teams to join the NFL. Mara used the Giants to show the NFL’s dominance over other leagues during the Giants’ early years, winning four pre-Super Bowl NFL championships.
In the Super Bowl era, the Giants are four-time champions. They won their first two Super Bowls under legendary head coach Bill Parcells. Their third Super Bowl victory would come 17 years after their second, defeating the previously unbeaten New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. The same two teams would meet again four years later, with the Giants again prevailing for their fourth and most recent championship.
New York has won all five of its NFC Championship appearances, the two most recent trips being won in overtime. The team’s rivalry with the Philadelphia Eagles is the oldest in the NFC East, dating back to 1933, adding a little extra excitement to the foes’ 2023 Divisional Round matchup.