East Rutherford Becomes a Banner Town
East Rutherford seems to be earning the nickname “banner town” lately.
Prior to the Giants facing off against the 49ers, two planes circled above MetLife Stadium with messages aimed at owner John Mara.
One banner declared, “Enough Mr. Mara, Enough Clean House,” calling for changes within the coaching staff and the front office. This initiative was funded by local teen Joshua Reynolds, who collaborated with fellow frustrated fans in a GoFundMe campaign that raised around $2,350, as reported by NJ.com.
Reynolds originally wanted the banner to fly on September 28, coinciding with Jackson Dart’s first start, but weather issues delayed it. Interestingly, that same day, the Giants managed to pull off an upset against the Chargers.
The second banner, sponsored by the podcast Giants Nation, conveyed a more personal message: “Mr. Mara, get well soon and watch the Giants Nation show.” Mara revealed in September that he was battling cancer and has since adopted a lower profile, opting out of traveling with the team for games.
Bobby Skinner, the founder of Giants Nation, expressed gratitude to everyone who contributed during a 24-hour live stream to fund the banner.
Last season, the Giants also displayed two banners at home games; one read, “Enough is enough Mara – Please fix this dumpster fire,” while another stated, “Enough is enough Mara – We won’t stop until you fire everyone.”
Mara, however, chose not to implement sweeping changes, opting instead to retain general manager Joe Schoen and head coach Brian Daboll. While Daboll restructured the coaching staff, he kept all three coordinators but did make some changes to the position coaches.
This isn’t the first time Giants fans have made headlines with banners. Back in 1978, they famously paid for a message that highlighted 15 years of disappointing football, claiming, “15 Years of Bad Football – Enough!” That banner marked a turning point, leading to the team’s eventual turnaround.
When asked about the recent banners in January, Mara acknowledged the frustrations of fans saying, “I didn’t need a plane flying over me to tell my fans how upset they were. I hear from them every day. So it didn’t really affect me too much. I understand how upset they are. I try to respond to them. No one was more upset than me about our performance in recent years. I have to stand here and take the heat for it.”
