Tim Mara
Timothy James "Tim" Mara (* 29. July 1887 in New York City , New York ; † 16th February 1959 ,) was an American official in American football . He was the founder and owner of the New York Giants from the National Football League (NFL).
Life
youth
Tim Mara's ancestors came from Ireland . At the age of 13 he was already working as an usher in a cinema . As a newspaper seller , he was in contact with bookmakers , for whom he sold bets for a share of the turnover. Private betting was legal in New York City at the time. At the age of 18 he went into business for himself as a bookmaker and had already made a considerable fortune.
Founding of the New York Giants
The American Professional Football Association started playing in 1920. Two years later the league was renamed the National Football League (NFL). The NFL had financial problems in its early years, with most professional teams being based in small towns. In order to open up new markets, the NFL was forced to expand into larger cities. In 1925, Joseph Carr , the managing director of the NFL, approached New York boxing promoter Billy Gibson and offered him a franchise for a team in New York. The purchase price was 500 US dollars . Gibson had no interest in the business and referred Carr to his friend Tim Mara, who had sponsored his boxer Gene Tunney . Tim Mara bought the franchise and the New York Giants were formed.
Professional football was not very popular at the time. The football fans were interested almost exclusively in college football . To increase the popularity of his team, Mara signed Jim Thorpe , who became famous as an Olympic, football and baseball player in the USA, as a new player. The team's first coach was Bob Folwell , whom Mara replaced with Joe "Doc" Alexander a year later .
The Giants played their home games in the Polo Grounds . The Giants won their first NFL title in 1927 under coach Earl Potteiger . In 1934 and 1938, Mara won his second and third titles with his coach Steve Owen . The fourth title win followed in 1956. Mara managed to tie numerous top players to the team from New York. Twenty Mara players were inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after their careers . Players like Ed Danowski , Jim Poole , Ray Poole , Otto Schnellbacher or Shipwreck Kelly were voted All Pros during their careers .
Although the city of New York saw the establishment of other professional football teams that were in direct competition with the Giants, such as the Brooklyn Dodgers or the New York Yankees, or that were settled in a competitive league such as the Brooklyn Dodgers (AAFC) , Mara succeeded Keep team in profit.
After his death, his sons Wellington and Jack Mara took over the management of the Giants. Tim Mara was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1963. The New York Giants honor him at MetLife Stadium on the Ring of Honor . He died of heart failure and is buried in the Gate of Heaven Cemetery in Hawthorne .
Web links
- Tim Mara in the Pro Football Hall of Fame
- New York Giants Franchise Statistics
- History of the New York Giants
literature
- Lawrence A. Pervin, Football's New York Giants: A History , McFarland, 2009, ISBN 9780786442683
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mara, Tim |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Mara, Timothy James (full name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American football official |
| DATE OF BIRTH | July 29, 1887 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | New York City , New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 16, 1959 |
| Place of death | New York City , New York |