Yeagermeister
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According to the headline on CBSSportsline.com
New York Giants co-owner Wellington Mara passes away at 88
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Doomsday101
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Yeagermeister said:
Sorry to hear that. He was a big part of the success of the NFL.
jksmith269
Proud Navy Veteran 1990-1995
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Just on NFL.com
He was a great man for the Giants My prayers go out to the family....
BREAKING NEWS
Wellington Mara dead at 89
New York Giants co-owner Wellington Mara, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member who worked for the Giants for 80 years, died this morning.
He was a great man for the Giants My prayers go out to the family....
BREAKING NEWS
Wellington Mara dead at 89
New York Giants co-owner Wellington Mara, a Pro Football Hall of Fame member who worked for the Giants for 80 years, died this morning.
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jksmith269 said:
RIP... A true legend in the NFL and really paved the way for many in the field.
Question though...was he working as a ball boy or something for the giants as a lad?
Says he died at the age of 89 but was with the giants for 80 years.
Cajuncowboy
Preacher From The Black Lagoon
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My condolences. The Mara family was so instumental in developing this league. We owe them alot. RIP.
New York Giants Owner Wellington Mara Dies
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
PHOTOS
Click image to enlarge
NEW YORK — Wellington Mara (search) of the New York Giants, one of the NFL's most influential owners for more than a half century and the last of the league's founding generation, died Tuesday. He was 89.
Mara, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (search) in 1997, died of cancer at his home in Rye, the team said.
Mara's influence went far beyond the Giants. He clearly was one of the most important figures in NFL (search) history.brother Jack, owners of the biggest team in the biggest market, agreed to share television revenue on a leaguewide basis, dividing the huge amounts of money available in cities like New York with smaller markets from Pittsburgh to Green Bay.
For more on Wellington Mara, please go to FOXSports.com.
Part of that agreement meant that the Giants ceded the right to sell their own games to television for a leaguewide contract, in those days with CBS. That concept of revenue sharing allowed the NFL to thrive and remains in place today.
He also served during the 1970s as chairman of the NFL's Management Council, which negotiated labor contracts, and as a member of the competition committee.
(Story continues below)
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Advertise Here
In 1989, he and group of older owners wanted Pete Rozelle's successor to be Jim Finks, then the New Orleans general manager, rather than Tagliabue, then a league lawyer. Mara thought the league should be run by a football man.
But Mara and several other old-guard owners finally agreed to break a stalemate of four months by throwing their votes to Tagliabue and he became one of the new commissioner's staunchest supporters, a man Tagliabue often leaned on for advice.
Tagliabue wasn't the only one who sought out Mara. His advice also was invaluable to other owners, league officials, media and even fans.
"When Well Mara stood to speak at a league meeting, the room would become silent with anticipation because all of us knew we were going to hear profound insights born of eight decades of league experience," Tagliabue said.
Mara became a Giants' ballboy at age 9 on Oct. 18, 1925 after his father, Timothy J. Mara, bought the team. He stayed fully involved in its operation for almost 80 years, except for three years while in the Navy during World War II. Until he became ill last spring, he attended most practices and every game.
In 1930, at 14, his father made him co-owner with older brother Jack, and he ran the club until several years ago when son John took over day-to-day operations.
But from 1979 on, while the team was run by general managers George Young and Ernie Accorsi, Mara had final say on football decisions. He was the one who decided to fire Jim Fassel after the 2003 season and replace him with Tom Coughlin.
"I've never had more respect for anybody in this business, or in any business, or in any walk of life, than Wellington Mara," said Coughlin, an assistant on earlier Giants teams. "To say Wellington Mara is one of a kind, I would endorse that wholeheartedly."
Before last Sunday's game against Denver, Coughlin told his players of Mara's condition. The Giants won on a touchdown pass from Eli Manning (search) to Amani Toomer with 5 seconds left. In the locker room after the game, the players chanted "Duke, Duke, Duke" — Mara's nickname.
Manning later said he had been told by one of Mara's grandsons that the owner awakened in time to see the winning play, then smiled and went back to sleep.
The players, current and past, all admired him.
"After games, you'd walk into the locker room and he'd be standing right there to shake your hand, win or lose," running back Tiki Barber (search) said. "That was one of the moving feelings about playing for the New York Giants, having your accountability given to you as soon as you walked into the locker room."
"Wellington Mara is the face of not only the New York Giants but the NFL," tight end Jeremy Shockey said. "He's a pioneer and the guy that everybody looks up to."
When former players became ill, Mara would find them doctors, pay their medical expenses and arrange help for their families. Many old-timers were on the payroll as scouts or advisers. Even in this era of sophisticated scouting, it wasn't unusual for Young or Accorsi to get a call from a former player recommending the Giants look at some prospect.
In most cases, the team was well aware of the prospect, but Mara never dropped any of those old "scouts" from the payroll.
Mara always considered himself a football man first, running the on-field operations through the 1950s until 1979 while Jack and then Jack's son Tim ran the business end. The team was successful during the '50s and early '60s with such stars as Frank Gifford, Y.A. Tittle, Sam Huff and Roosevelt Brown and a coaching staff that included Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi as assistants.
But after losing to Chicago in the 1963 NFL championship game, the Giants began a long slide, failing to make the playoffs again until 1981 as Wellington and Tim, by then the co-owner, feuded.
In 1979, on the commissioner's recommendation, the Maras agreed to hire Young as general manager and the team again became a power.
It won Super Bowls in 1986 and 1990 with Bill Parcells (search) coaching a team that starred Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms and stout defenses. The 1990 team featured one of the best coaching staffs assembled: future head coaches Coughlin, Bill Belichick, Al Groh, Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel and Ray Handley.
Parcells left after that season and the Giants slipped into the middle of the pack.
They made the Super Bowl again after the 2000 season, losing to the Baltimore Ravens, owned by Art Modell, Mara's close friend and longtime partner in league matters. Mara never openly criticized Modell's move of a team that had been the Giants' chief on-field rival during the '50s and '60s, and they celebrated getting to the Super Bowl together.
In 1991, Tim Mara and his family sold their share of the team to Robert Tisch. Tisch and Mara were officially co-owners and Tisch ran much of the business affairs. But it was always clear this was Wellington's team — for many years they were known by New York headline writers as "the Maramen."
Mara is survived by wife Ann, 11 children and 40 grandchildren.
There was no immediate word on funeral arrangements.
New York Giants Owner Wellington Mara Dies
Tuesday, October 25, 2005
PHOTOS
Click image to enlarge
NEW YORK — Wellington Mara (search) of the New York Giants, one of the NFL's most influential owners for more than a half century and the last of the league's founding generation, died Tuesday. He was 89.
Mara, who was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame (search) in 1997, died of cancer at his home in Rye, the team said.
Mara's influence went far beyond the Giants. He clearly was one of the most important figures in NFL (search) history.brother Jack, owners of the biggest team in the biggest market, agreed to share television revenue on a leaguewide basis, dividing the huge amounts of money available in cities like New York with smaller markets from Pittsburgh to Green Bay.
For more on Wellington Mara, please go to FOXSports.com.
Part of that agreement meant that the Giants ceded the right to sell their own games to television for a leaguewide contract, in those days with CBS. That concept of revenue sharing allowed the NFL to thrive and remains in place today.
He also served during the 1970s as chairman of the NFL's Management Council, which negotiated labor contracts, and as a member of the competition committee.
(Story continues below)
ADVERTISEMENTS
Advertise Here
In 1989, he and group of older owners wanted Pete Rozelle's successor to be Jim Finks, then the New Orleans general manager, rather than Tagliabue, then a league lawyer. Mara thought the league should be run by a football man.
But Mara and several other old-guard owners finally agreed to break a stalemate of four months by throwing their votes to Tagliabue and he became one of the new commissioner's staunchest supporters, a man Tagliabue often leaned on for advice.
Tagliabue wasn't the only one who sought out Mara. His advice also was invaluable to other owners, league officials, media and even fans.
"When Well Mara stood to speak at a league meeting, the room would become silent with anticipation because all of us knew we were going to hear profound insights born of eight decades of league experience," Tagliabue said.
Mara became a Giants' ballboy at age 9 on Oct. 18, 1925 after his father, Timothy J. Mara, bought the team. He stayed fully involved in its operation for almost 80 years, except for three years while in the Navy during World War II. Until he became ill last spring, he attended most practices and every game.
In 1930, at 14, his father made him co-owner with older brother Jack, and he ran the club until several years ago when son John took over day-to-day operations.
But from 1979 on, while the team was run by general managers George Young and Ernie Accorsi, Mara had final say on football decisions. He was the one who decided to fire Jim Fassel after the 2003 season and replace him with Tom Coughlin.
"I've never had more respect for anybody in this business, or in any business, or in any walk of life, than Wellington Mara," said Coughlin, an assistant on earlier Giants teams. "To say Wellington Mara is one of a kind, I would endorse that wholeheartedly."
Before last Sunday's game against Denver, Coughlin told his players of Mara's condition. The Giants won on a touchdown pass from Eli Manning (search) to Amani Toomer with 5 seconds left. In the locker room after the game, the players chanted "Duke, Duke, Duke" — Mara's nickname.
Manning later said he had been told by one of Mara's grandsons that the owner awakened in time to see the winning play, then smiled and went back to sleep.
The players, current and past, all admired him.
"After games, you'd walk into the locker room and he'd be standing right there to shake your hand, win or lose," running back Tiki Barber (search) said. "That was one of the moving feelings about playing for the New York Giants, having your accountability given to you as soon as you walked into the locker room."
"Wellington Mara is the face of not only the New York Giants but the NFL," tight end Jeremy Shockey said. "He's a pioneer and the guy that everybody looks up to."
When former players became ill, Mara would find them doctors, pay their medical expenses and arrange help for their families. Many old-timers were on the payroll as scouts or advisers. Even in this era of sophisticated scouting, it wasn't unusual for Young or Accorsi to get a call from a former player recommending the Giants look at some prospect.
In most cases, the team was well aware of the prospect, but Mara never dropped any of those old "scouts" from the payroll.
Mara always considered himself a football man first, running the on-field operations through the 1950s until 1979 while Jack and then Jack's son Tim ran the business end. The team was successful during the '50s and early '60s with such stars as Frank Gifford, Y.A. Tittle, Sam Huff and Roosevelt Brown and a coaching staff that included Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi as assistants.
But after losing to Chicago in the 1963 NFL championship game, the Giants began a long slide, failing to make the playoffs again until 1981 as Wellington and Tim, by then the co-owner, feuded.
In 1979, on the commissioner's recommendation, the Maras agreed to hire Young as general manager and the team again became a power.
It won Super Bowls in 1986 and 1990 with Bill Parcells (search) coaching a team that starred Lawrence Taylor and Phil Simms and stout defenses. The 1990 team featured one of the best coaching staffs assembled: future head coaches Coughlin, Bill Belichick, Al Groh, Charlie Weis, Romeo Crennel and Ray Handley.
Parcells left after that season and the Giants slipped into the middle of the pack.
They made the Super Bowl again after the 2000 season, losing to the Baltimore Ravens, owned by Art Modell, Mara's close friend and longtime partner in league matters. Mara never openly criticized Modell's move of a team that had been the Giants' chief on-field rival during the '50s and '60s, and they celebrated getting to the Super Bowl together.
In 1991, Tim Mara and his family sold their share of the team to Robert Tisch. Tisch and Mara were officially co-owners and Tisch ran much of the business affairs. But it was always clear this was Wellington's team — for many years they were known by New York headline writers as "the Maramen."
Mara is survived by wife Ann, 11 children and 40 grandchildren.
There was no immediate word on funeral arrangements.
MapleLeaf
Maple Leaf
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...in sports franchise history.
If it weren't for Mara's largesse when the league was just beginning we wouldn't know the league as it is today. He began the first representation of "revenue sharing" which is the cornerstone for the success the NFL has.
He owned the franchise in the most powerful market and he could have pulled a Steinbrenner, but instead he spread the wealth knowing that the health of his franchise was intimately tied to the health of the other franchises.
If it weren't for Mara's largesse when the league was just beginning we wouldn't know the league as it is today. He began the first representation of "revenue sharing" which is the cornerstone for the success the NFL has.
He owned the franchise in the most powerful market and he could have pulled a Steinbrenner, but instead he spread the wealth knowing that the health of his franchise was intimately tied to the health of the other franchises.
Cajuncowboy
Preacher From The Black Lagoon
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Cbz40 said:
Sorry, My bad. Didn't see it.
Cajuncowboy
Preacher From The Black Lagoon
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Cbz40 said:
Man, I'm going to need therapy. When I get called "Sir" by you, I am in deep trouble. I better start checking on the AARP deal. Man, that sneaks up on ya!
Cbz40
The Grand Poobah
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cajuncowboy said:Man, I'm going to need therapy. When I get called "Sir" by you, I am in deep trouble. I better start checking on the AARP deal. Man, that sneaks up on ya!
Well cajun (no therapy needed) I look at it this, if anyone deserves to be called "Sir" on this board besides myself.........it's you.
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Mara was a true NFL icon and really helped form what the league has become. My condolences to his family.