NFL needs to save the Giants from the Maras … again (Opinion)

The Mara family is anything if not loyal. When Wellington said, "Once a Giant, always a Giant," a phrase which was uttered by Eli Manning on the day his jersey was raised to the rafters, he meant it.

For generations, the Maras have been hiring former Giants to run their team and for generations, it hasn't gone well. In the '60s, Wellington let both Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry go to keep Allie Sherman. Long before fans were booing Evan Engram when he left the field, they were singing "Goodbye Allie" as games were ending in Yankee Stadium in the '60s.

Wellington finally sang along in 1969 and fired Sherman replacing him with former Giants fullback Alex Webster for a 5-year run, which started off good but didn't end well.

Mara hired former Giants great Andy Robustelli to be the general manager and that went even worse. The Giants stunk so bad in the '70s that one game after Joe Piscarcik fumbled away the Eagles game in "Miracle of The Meadowlands 1," Giants fans were burning their tickets in the parking lot while a plane flew over Giants Stadium carrying a banner that read, "15 years of lousy football, we've had enough."

Wellington's nephew Tim had also had enough and a very public battle. It was then when NFL Commissioner Pete Roselle stepped in and strongly suggested that the team hire George Young as general manager. Young had no ties to either Mara or the Giants and proceeded to build a team that would win two Super Bowls.

Ernie Accorsi succeeded Young as GM and drafted Eli Manning, who would take the Giants to two more Super Bowls with Jerry Reese as general manager, who was promoted from within. John Mara succeeds his father Wellington who passed away as co-owner with the Tisch family and goes back to the policy of hiring the alumni.

When Reese was let go, the Giants would again hire the alumni and Dave Gentlemen, who left the organization to become general manager of the Carolina Panthers years earlier, was brought in. He's gone through two head coaches in three years, the latest being Joe Judge, who was recommended by former Giants defensive coordinator Bill Belichick who's New England Patriots team the Giants beat in two Super Bowls.

Let's count the coaches who have left Belichick and went on to success.

But rather than leave Judge alone to pick his staff, it's strongly suggested that he hire former Giants quarterback Jason Garrett to be the offensive coordinator. After leaving the Giants, Garrett went on to become the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. He saddles Judge with an offense that simply either can't move the ball or is afraid to take chances.

It's time the NFL took a chance and again save the Giants from their owner. I don't doubt that it hurts the Maras to lose and I hear all the players and former players that he had made millionaires stick up for him.

But this is about those who he hasn't paid but has collected from. Those who have invested both financially as well as emotionally. This is about the fans who year after year show up, only to be disappointed. We don't throw trash cans, we just throw our money away.

It isn't like Mara hasn't tried. He spent about $200 million this year trying to build a contender.

They would never do it, but somebody needs to do something. At 18-49, the Giants and Jets are tied for the worst record in the NFL in the last 5 years. Is it good for any league to have two franchises with the worst record in the number one market?

If it were up to me, there would be a rule that if a team doesn't come up with a winning record at least once every 5 years, then the league puts someone in there who can make that happen.

I know it's fantasy, but It's better to dream than watch this nightmare.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Steve Trevelise. Any opinions expressed are Steve's own. Steve Trevelise is on New Jersey 101.5 Monday-Thursday from 7pm-11pm. Follow him on Twitter @realstevetrev.