Fan who paid for second plane wanted to ’embarrass’ Giants owners into change
The first plane, flown over MetLife Stadium last Sunday, implored Giants owner John Mara to “PLZ Fix This Dumpster Fire.”
The second one — again crossing over the roof of Big Blue’s home venue pregame, before another embarrassing loss in another embarrassing season — went one step further, carrying a banner that stressed to Mara, “We Won’t Stop Until You Fire Everyone.”
They were sponsored by two different people, but the second person — who reportedly paid a $1,500 bill, remained anonymous during an interview with NJ.com and went by just “Miguel” during an appearance on the “Talkin’ Giants” podcast — said that he wanted to “embarrass” the Giants’ owners.
“The biggest thing that the Mara family prides itself on is pride in themselves,” the plane man, who described himself as “apathetic” amid another dismal campaign, told NJ.com on Sunday, when the Giants dropped their ninth consecutive game with a 35-14 loss to the Ravens. “And so, if you’re able to make it more embarrassing, it will further force them to take action.”
A fan banner implores Giants owner John Mara to “fire everyone” before a game on Dec. 15, 2024. X/SNYGiants
It certainly sounds as if this could all happen again in two weeks when the Giants close out their home schedule with a game against the Colts.
The man who hired the second plane told NJ.com that he coordinated everything during the Giants’ bye week and wanted the flyover to happen last weekend, but he found out about a separate group coordinating a different flight and “thought it wouldn’t really help to do two planes in one week.”
He decided to “piggyback off it” and change the message.
Initially, he wanted it to read, “Fire Joe Schoen and Brian Daboll” on the banner, according to NJ.com.
“But they couldn’t say that directly,” the second plane man said, “so I had to make an adjustment.”
When the first plane flew over MetLife Stadium, it doubled as a throwback to 1978, when Ron Freiman and two other Giants fans sponsored one to carry a banner that read, “15 Years of Lousy Football — We’ve Had Enough!”
This time, fans reached a breaking point after the Giants followed a 6-11 year last season with a 2-11 start prior to Sunday’s embarrassment, when Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw for five touchdowns.
Giants co-owner John Mara Brad Penner-Imagn Images
In October, Mara said he didn’t anticipate making any in-season or offseason changes with Daboll and Schoen.
His tone sounded as if they’d have another chance to orchestrate the reboot themselves.
But the pair of fans who coordinated the planes, and plenty of other booing spectators inside MetLife Stadium, are certainly trying to change that.
Giants coach Brian Daboll Robert Sabo for NY Post
“The main message is we’re not close,” the second plane man said on the “Talkin’ Giants” podcast. “This regime has consistently underperformed. This roster has taken shape under their vision and we’ve gotten worse year over year. So we’ve lost faith in their ability to lead us.”
