| Wellington Mara By
Bob McGovern
 On October 23,
the New York Giants won its fourth game of the season, a 24-23 nail-biter
over the Denver Broncos. After the game, head coach Tom Coughlin had his
team in a circle, hands up high in victory and led a chant. “Duke!
Duke! Duke! Duke!”
“Duke” is the affectionate nickname given to longtime owner
Wellington Mara, who had been the face behind the Giants organization
for its entire history. Three days later, Mara died after fighting
cancer for several months. He was 89.
Mara is survived by four sons, seven daughters, 40 grandchildren, and
his wife, Ann, who will retain 50 percent of the team ownership that Wellington
left behind
Wellington Mara was much more than an owner, he was the very essence
of the Giants organization. On October 18, 1925, at the age of nine, Mara
began working for the organization as a ballboy after his father, Timothy
J. Mara, purchased the team. For the next 80 years, aside from three years
in the Navy during World War II, Mara was involved in the organization
in one way or another.
During his tenure, Mara provided football for America’s largest
market, while adjusting to the changing pace of professional athletics.
The Giants earned 26 post-season appearances during his lifetime, coming
a close second to the Dallas Cowboys and Rams (who played in Los Angeles
and now St. Louis). Both teams have made 27 appearances.
Aside from his contributions to the Giants’ success, Mara was an
influential part of the television revenue sharing, which took place
in the 60s. During that time, he and his brother Jack agreed to distribute
money made in their huge market to other teams in smaller markets. With
this, such teams as the Green Bay Packers were kept up to speed with the
larger markets, in a league that was slowly forming an identity in the
minds of American sports fans.
Wellington was born in Manhattan on August 14, 1916 and never lost his
connection to the city, maintaining his vintage New York accent throughout
his life. During his early years he was susceptible to sickness and often
came home from football games with some minor ailment. To remedy this,
his father had the team stand on the sunny side of the sidelines, to keep
his son out of the cold. The Giants maintain this practice to this day.
During the Great Depression, his father ceded part of the team’s
ownership to Wellington and his brother Jack. He was advised to sell the
team after years of financial hardship, but Wellington and his brother
pleaded to their father to maintain ownership and keep football alive
in New York. Tim agreed and stuck it out, only to see his team win a championship
in 1938.
Wellington graduated from Fordham University in 1937 and helped with the
team’s scouting by reading out-of-town newspapers. During the following
years his relationship with the team grew and by 1979 he was the final
voice in all football decisions within the organization.
In 1997 Mara was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton,
Ohio. His induction placed him alongside his father, which was the first
time a father and son shared the same prestigious honor.
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