John Mara Quotations

I don't believe this would have occurred without his involvement. He was there at all the critical times to push one side or another, including the sports authority. It's been a dream of his for quite some time.

He was the finest man we've ever known or will ever hope to know, ... and he was our dad.

He'll stay there as long as he's able to do it.

He never gave up his will to live. He tried so hard to get out of bed and walk. He fought to the very end, and he never complained. His faith never wavered.

He said he was very much in support of our project, but that he needed some time to familiarize himself with the details of the deal.

I went to visit him in the hospital after we lost the San Diego game. He knew that game was going to be tough for Eli because we all did. But then I think he opened everybody's eyes with the way he took us down the field, the way he hung in there all night. And that day in the hospital, Dad smiled and said, 'Hey, we might have something here.' And I realized he was talking about this year.

Our guy did pretty well this year. We won 11 games. I think it will be better to try and judge it at the end of their careers, not at this point. ...

Paul will be remembered as one of the greatest commissioners in the history of professional sports. When Paul succeeded Pete Rozelle as commissioner, he had big shoes to fill, as everybody was quick to remind him. In his own style, he went about the task of filling those shoes, and the results speak for themselves. During his tenure, the National Football League has enjoyed unparalleled popularity, prosperity and labor peace, thanks largely to Paul Tagliabue.

I will walk away from this project rather than put a roof on it.

I was never 100 percent sure that we'd ever get over the hurdles,

We have stated since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast that the most important focus for all of us is on the extraordinary relief effort that is necessary to restore that region to some sort of normalcy as quickly as possible. As a league, we have contributed to that effort, and as an organization, we will continue to do the same. We think the league's decision to move our game with the Saints to Giants Stadium will allow us an even greater opportunity to contribute.

This would have been very special for him. He was probably even more frustrated than Harry was over the last five years or so. I can remember him calling me a couple of times to tell me the inductees and I could hear the frustration and anger, really, in his voice. He could not believe that Harry was not voted in. He would have been very happy today, as we all are.

We think the league's decision to move our game with the Saints to Giants Stadium will allow us an even greater opportunity to contribute.

We are certainly concerned about the G-3. If we do not get a G-3 vote, that has a serious effect on our stadium.

At the time, we felt it was a clear-cut decision. You can't second-guess yourself.

Our developers and architects will have a submission next month that is fully compliant with what the state wants,

It's obvious that we are at an impasse with them, ... It's equally obvious that there are a lot of balls up in the air right now.

The walk we'd take after we'd win a game was always the best time. It was just that quiet few minutes between the end of the game and the locker room, making our way from the booth to the elevator, seeing that smile on his face. If you want to know when I feel his presence the most, that's when. I can still feel him right there next to me.

On behalf of my mother, my brothers and sisters and the entire Mara family, I would like to genuinely thank everyone for your kind words about my father and for your expressions of support for all of us. Your feelings for him during this difficult period have provided the strength to sustain our entire family. We are all devoted to continue the lessons he taught us: honor, humility and loyalty to all Giants fans that he loved so much.

I'll tell you what you can expect,' he said at our kickoff luncheon just a few days later. 'You can expect anything he says or writes may be repeated aloud in your own home in front of your own children. You can believe that he was taught to love and respect all mankind, but to fear no man. And you could believe that his abiding ambitions were to pass on to his family the true richness of the inheritance he received from his father, the bookmaker: The knowledge and love and fear of God, and second, to give you a Super Bowl winner.

I don't see why we would have to do that, ... We've been working on this for close to a year, and we've spent millions of dollars for a seating bowl and other concepts. We can't start over now.

The Giants organization is very happy for Harry. I know he's been frustrated over the last few years, as have all of us when he wasn't voted in. But now he takes his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.