EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — New York Giants co-owner John Mara received another aerial message trashing his woeful team before Sunday's 35-14 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
A small plane circled MetLife Stadium roughly two hours before kickoff, trailing a banner that read: “Mr Mara Enough — We won't stop until you fire everyone.”
The most obvious people on the chopping block after two straight losing seasons are coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen.
It was the second straight week that a plane was hired to circle the stadium in protest of the Giants’ seventh losing season since 2017. Sunday's loss was the ninth straight for New York (2-12), a franchise record-tying skid. The Giants fell to 0-8 at MetLife Stadium.
“Just control what we can control,” Daboll said of the skid, which has upset countless fans and annoyed at least one of them to the point where they are sending planes with messages directed at Mara.
Daboll insisted he did not see either plane.
The message last week before a 14-11 loss to New Orleans asked Mara to overhaul a team that has made the playoffs twice since winning the Super Bowl in February 2012.
“Mr. Mara, enough. Please fix this dumpster fire!” read the message towed by that plane.
Mara declined to comment last week and was not immediately available for comment on the second incident.
The planes have started circling the stadium around 11 a.m. on game day, and many players are not on the field for warm-ups at that time.
Linebacker Brian Burns said Sunday he didn't see the plane and had no comment on its presence or the message it conveyed.
Veteran receiver Darius Slayton reiterated what he said last week, noting people can spend their money however they see fit. He added that the Giants have a talented roster that needs a few tweaks.
“We just we just have to do a couple of things a little bit better to get it back on the right direction,” Slayton said.
The Giants made the playoffs in 2022 with a 9-7-1 record in the first season under Schoen and Daboll.
The Giants were 16-point underdogs against the Ravens, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, an unusually high number for a home team in the NFL. Baltimore covered.
No one has come forward to claim responsibility for hiring the planes and writing the aerial messages.
In the late 1970s, a plane hired by fans flew over Giants Stadium with a trailing banner that read “15 Years of Lousy Football. ... We’ve Had Enough.” Between 1973-79, the Giants won no more than six games in a season, with the six wins coming in ’78 and ’79 when the NFL expanded from a 14-game to a 16-game regular season.
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FILE - New York Giants owner John Mara watches his team practice prior to an NFL football game against the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y., Sunday Oct. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/ Jeffrey T. Barnes, File)
A plan pulls a banner, directed at New York Giants owner John Mara, over Met Life Stadium before an NFL football game between the New York Giants and the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
BOLOGNA, Italy (AP) — Bologna striker Jens Odgaard scored Sunday in a 1-0 victory over Fiorentina, ending the Florence-based club's eight-match winning run in the Italian league.
The Danish player broke the deadlock near the hour-mark at the end of a fine collective move.
Fiorentina was seeking a ninth consecutive Serie A victory that would have seen it break the club record set in 1960.
After a balanced first half, Bologna was the better side after the interval and had several occasions to score — including Santiago Castro hitting the post — before it eventually broke the deadlock when Odgaard made the most of a loose ball in the box to score his third league goal.
Bologna moved up to seventh place in the standings.
Fiorentina remained in fourth place, level on points with third-place Inter Milan. League leader Atalanta has a two-point lead over Napoli.
Fiorentina coach Raffaele Palladino did not attend the match after his mother passed away, leaving assistant coach Stefano Citterio in charge.
Facing a combative Genoa team, Milan's wasteful forwards could not break the deadlock in a 0-0 draw.
Alvaro Morata came close in the 79th minute when he hit the crossbar. It was not enough to please a frustrated crowd and players were jeered at the final whistle.
With one match in hand, Milan is lagging 14 points behind Atalanta.
The game was preceded by a ceremony marking the club’s 125th anniversary that brought together former Milan greats, including Franco Baresi, Marco van Basten and Filippo Inzaghi.
Genoa is in 13th place and remains unbeaten under new coach Patrick Vieira.
Substitute Alessandro Gabrielloni and Nicolás Paz Martínez both scored in added time as Como beat AS Roma 2-0 in a lively contest.
Gabrielloni, who came in with 10 minutes left to play, scored his first Serie A goal three minutes into stoppage time. Gabrielloni then turned provider for Paz, who sealed the win four minutes later.
It was Como’s first league victory since Sept. 29. With its third win this season, it moved to 16th place with 15 points.
Hellas Verona players gave coach Paolo Zanetti some respite with a 3-2 win at Parma.
The result, with goals from Diego Coppola, Amin Sarr and Daniel Mosquera, snapped a four-match losing streak for the injury-hit team.
Simon Sohm scored a brace but it was not enough for Parma. Verona moved one point away from the relegation zone.
Also, Lecce defeated Monza 2-1.
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AC Milan's head coach Paulo Fonseca reacts during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Genoa at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
AC Milan's Rafael Leao reacts during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Genoa at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
AC Milan's Tijjani Reijnders reacts during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Genoa at the San Siro stadium, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
Parma's Dennis Man fights for the ball with Verona's Reda Belahyane during the Serie A soccer match between Parma and Hellas Verona at Tardini Stadium in Parma, North Italy, Sunday, Dec. 15 , 2024. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Verona's Daniel Mosquera celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Serie A soccer match between Parma and Hellas Verona at Tardini Stadium in Parma, North Italy, Sunday, Dec. 15 , 2024. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Bologna's Jens Odgaard fights for the ball with Fiorentina's Luca Ranieri during the Serie A soccer match between Bologna and Fiorentina, at Renato Dall'Ara Stadium in Bologna, Italy, Sunday Dec. 15, 2024. (Michele Nucci /LaPresse via AP)
Fiorentina's Lucas Beltran, left, fights for the ball with Bologna's Lorenzo De Silvestri during the Serie A soccer match between Bologna and Fiorentina, at Renato Dall'Ara Stadium in Bologna, Italy, Sunday Dec. 15, 2024. (Michele Nucci /LaPresse via AP)
Fiorentina's Moise Kean reacts after missing a scoring chance during the Serie A soccer match between Bologna and Fiorentina, at Renato Dall'Ara Stadium in Bologna, Italy, Sunday Dec. 15, 2024. ( Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)
Bologna's Jens Odgaard celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Serie A soccer match between Bologna and Fiorentina, at Renato Dall'Ara Stadium in Bologna, Italy, Sunday Dec. 15, 2024. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)
Bologna's Jens Odgaard celebrates after scoring his side's first goal during the Serie A soccer match between Bologna and Fiorentina, at Renato Dall'Ara Stadium in Bologna, Italy, Sunday Dec. 15, 2024. (Massimo Paolone/LaPresse via AP)
