1 00:00:07,306 --> 00:00:09,666 Speaker 1: The Season with Peter Scheger is a production of the 2 00:00:09,826 --> 00:00:25,026 Speaker 1: NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio. What's Up, Everybody, Welcome to 3 00:00:25,066 --> 00:00:28,386 Speaker 1: another episode of the Season with Peter Schrager. I'm Peter Schrager. 4 00:00:28,586 --> 00:00:31,506 Speaker 1: I host Good Morning Football on the NFL Network Monday 5 00:00:31,546 --> 00:00:35,106 Speaker 1: to Friday, and I am an insider on Fox on 6 00:00:35,226 --> 00:00:38,626 Speaker 1: Sundays on a show called Fox NFL Kickoff that airs 7 00:00:38,666 --> 00:00:46,346 Speaker 1: at eleven am Eastern every week on Sundays. Saturday night, 8 00:00:47,386 --> 00:00:50,026 Speaker 1: I had a big one. Saturday night was a team 9 00:00:50,186 --> 00:00:54,546 Speaker 1: dinner for Fox NFL Kickoff, and Saturday night we went 10 00:00:54,586 --> 00:00:57,826 Speaker 1: to a spot called Craigs in Los Angeles, which is 11 00:00:57,906 --> 00:01:01,266 Speaker 1: a Hollywood hot spot. It's one of those places where 12 00:01:01,266 --> 00:01:06,306 Speaker 1: there's Papa Rotzi waiting when you enter and leave the restaurant. 13 00:01:06,586 --> 00:01:08,706 Speaker 1: I put on my best T shirt and my best 14 00:01:08,866 --> 00:01:13,946 Speaker 1: ratty old pair of jeans and my Vans or whatever 15 00:01:13,946 --> 00:01:16,186 Speaker 1: sneakers I brought this week, and I said, Okay, cool 16 00:01:16,266 --> 00:01:19,186 Speaker 1: Hollywood nightspot. I'm gonna get all gussied up because they're 17 00:01:19,226 --> 00:01:20,946 Speaker 1: going to take photos of me when I walk in. 18 00:01:21,466 --> 00:01:24,266 Speaker 1: They did not take photos of me when I walked in, 19 00:01:24,346 --> 00:01:26,866 Speaker 1: but we get to the table and the crew is 20 00:01:27,546 --> 00:01:35,026 Speaker 1: Charles Woodson, Julian Edelman, Michael Vick, Carissa Thompson, our star producer, 21 00:01:35,106 --> 00:01:40,146 Speaker 1: Jeremy Manel, and then Danny Ammendola, who is currently on 22 00:01:40,346 --> 00:01:43,786 Speaker 1: Dancing with the Stars and is an absolute stud and 23 00:01:43,826 --> 00:01:48,666 Speaker 1: a heart throb. The table next to us. The night 24 00:01:48,786 --> 00:01:51,666 Speaker 1: before they play in a crucial game six, and it 25 00:01:51,706 --> 00:01:55,466 Speaker 1: was early enough we had a six o'clock reservation. Pete Alonzo, 26 00:01:55,666 --> 00:01:57,946 Speaker 1: first basement from the Mets, is hanging at the table 27 00:01:57,986 --> 00:02:01,306 Speaker 1: next to us. The table next to him is one 28 00:02:01,346 --> 00:02:05,746 Speaker 1: of my favorite actors and comedians of all time, David Spade, 29 00:02:06,466 --> 00:02:08,546 Speaker 1: who was hanging at the restaurant and then in the 30 00:02:08,666 --> 00:02:11,946 Speaker 1: back with security and he walked out and signed a 31 00:02:11,946 --> 00:02:12,666 Speaker 1: few autographs. 32 00:02:12,666 --> 00:02:13,026 Speaker 2: To this thing. 33 00:02:13,146 --> 00:02:15,866 Speaker 1: Was Nick Cannon, who was also in the spot. So 34 00:02:15,906 --> 00:02:18,786 Speaker 1: all these people are on the spot, and at some point, 35 00:02:18,866 --> 00:02:21,346 Speaker 1: with all the buzz in the air of this great table, 36 00:02:22,386 --> 00:02:28,466 Speaker 1: we started talking about Belichick and Amondola and Edelman have 37 00:02:28,626 --> 00:02:34,946 Speaker 1: their stories, but more than anything, these guys swear by 38 00:02:35,226 --> 00:02:38,666 Speaker 1: the Patriots way and that this is how it's done, 39 00:02:38,946 --> 00:02:42,466 Speaker 1: and this is how you win championships, and the Patriots 40 00:02:42,506 --> 00:02:44,666 Speaker 1: this and the Patriots that, And if I were to 41 00:02:44,706 --> 00:02:48,426 Speaker 1: get my fellow Fox colleagues Gronk and of course Tom 42 00:02:48,466 --> 00:02:50,666 Speaker 1: Brady at the table. I'm sure they wouldn't even want 43 00:02:50,666 --> 00:02:53,826 Speaker 1: to hear from Michael Vick or Charles Woodson, and they 44 00:02:53,826 --> 00:02:56,546 Speaker 1: certainly want wouldn't want to hear from me. And as 45 00:02:56,586 --> 00:02:59,106 Speaker 1: we've got all this Patriots talk and how Bill would 46 00:02:59,146 --> 00:03:02,026 Speaker 1: say this, and Bill would always in the room talk about, 47 00:03:02,066 --> 00:03:04,866 Speaker 1: you know, whatever we're watching on film couldn't compete with 48 00:03:04,946 --> 00:03:08,426 Speaker 1: Foxborough high and laughing. They're chuckling it up. I come 49 00:03:08,466 --> 00:03:11,026 Speaker 1: away from that thinking, gosh, I could have sworn like 50 00:03:11,586 --> 00:03:14,226 Speaker 1: Gronk at one point said he wasn't happy and he's 51 00:03:14,226 --> 00:03:16,066 Speaker 1: so excited to leave. And then I was like, was 52 00:03:16,066 --> 00:03:19,066 Speaker 1: there drama with a mondola at the end? There with Bell? 53 00:03:19,386 --> 00:03:23,066 Speaker 1: Doesn't matter in time, there is such a fondness for 54 00:03:23,066 --> 00:03:28,266 Speaker 1: Bill Belichick. Fast forward to Sunday morning, mere hours after 55 00:03:28,346 --> 00:03:31,146 Speaker 1: our electric dinner and oh, by the way, as we left, 56 00:03:31,506 --> 00:03:35,426 Speaker 1: I swear to god, a guy with a camera and 57 00:03:35,506 --> 00:03:40,386 Speaker 1: a video camera was videotaping Charles Woodson and said, Charles, 58 00:03:40,386 --> 00:03:42,786 Speaker 1: what do you think of Brady as an owner? And 59 00:03:42,786 --> 00:03:45,426 Speaker 1: Woodson said, well, the ink hasn't even dried yet. Everyone laughed, 60 00:03:45,466 --> 00:03:47,226 Speaker 1: and I swear to God. Someone with a camera came 61 00:03:47,266 --> 00:03:49,346 Speaker 1: up to me and yelled to me, are you famous? 62 00:03:49,786 --> 00:03:53,746 Speaker 1: And I said nope. And I got an SUV with 63 00:03:53,826 --> 00:03:55,826 Speaker 1: Charles Woodson and just had to let that one sit 64 00:03:55,866 --> 00:03:58,906 Speaker 1: in there for a while. But Mira Howard is. After that, 65 00:03:58,946 --> 00:04:01,306 Speaker 1: the Patriots go out and Drake May's got his first 66 00:04:01,306 --> 00:04:04,346 Speaker 1: big start, and you know or whatever his game is, 67 00:04:04,386 --> 00:04:08,346 Speaker 1: he's the starter, and they're down uh ten nothing, they're 68 00:04:08,426 --> 00:04:10,266 Speaker 1: up ten to nothing, and they give the game away. 69 00:04:10,306 --> 00:04:12,746 Speaker 1: And I see online, I see Bill Simmons' tweet, and 70 00:04:12,746 --> 00:04:14,906 Speaker 1: I see everyone's tweeting that, like this is a poorly 71 00:04:14,986 --> 00:04:18,226 Speaker 1: coach team whatever. And then Gerard Mayo, the first year 72 00:04:18,306 --> 00:04:21,546 Speaker 1: coach who was appointed by Robert Kraft, had this to 73 00:04:21,586 --> 00:04:23,386 Speaker 1: say about his squad. 74 00:04:23,946 --> 00:04:27,226 Speaker 3: Look a disappointing game. Disappointing game. We came out, we 75 00:04:27,266 --> 00:04:29,266 Speaker 3: started fast. What I would say is we're a soft 76 00:04:29,306 --> 00:04:31,986 Speaker 3: football team across the board. We talk about what makes 77 00:04:31,986 --> 00:04:34,186 Speaker 3: a tough football team. That's being able to run the ball, 78 00:04:34,226 --> 00:04:36,306 Speaker 3: that's being able to stop the run, and that's being 79 00:04:36,306 --> 00:04:38,506 Speaker 3: able to cover kicks, and we did none of those today. 80 00:04:39,306 --> 00:04:41,386 Speaker 3: They controlled the ball for most of the day. You know, 81 00:04:41,426 --> 00:04:43,426 Speaker 3: their run game average over four and a half yards 82 00:04:43,426 --> 00:04:45,986 Speaker 3: to carry our run game. Not sure what the average was, 83 00:04:46,026 --> 00:04:50,306 Speaker 3: but it wasn't good. Look back to the drawing board. 84 00:04:50,346 --> 00:04:52,306 Speaker 3: I mean, we can't sit here and pout. We just 85 00:04:52,546 --> 00:04:53,826 Speaker 3: we just got to put a game together. 86 00:04:56,306 --> 00:05:00,026 Speaker 1: The word that was used that is a trigger in 87 00:05:00,106 --> 00:05:03,186 Speaker 1: football circles was a four letter word that starts with 88 00:05:03,226 --> 00:05:08,586 Speaker 1: the letter S soft. Mayo has not been a great coach. 89 00:05:10,026 --> 00:05:13,106 Speaker 1: Seven weeks through the season. The team does not look prepared. 90 00:05:13,186 --> 00:05:16,786 Speaker 1: There look undisciplined at points. There's penalties all over the field. 91 00:05:16,826 --> 00:05:22,106 Speaker 1: And when you call a team soft, you are questioning manhood, 92 00:05:22,226 --> 00:05:25,226 Speaker 1: you are questioning work ethic, and you are questioning a 93 00:05:25,306 --> 00:05:30,386 Speaker 1: person's toughness. So we can leave it at that, or 94 00:05:31,546 --> 00:05:36,506 Speaker 1: you can compound this by having the former head coach 95 00:05:36,746 --> 00:05:41,106 Speaker 1: of the team, with six Super Bowl rings to his 96 00:05:41,306 --> 00:05:45,106 Speaker 1: name and with all of the respect and history in 97 00:05:45,146 --> 00:05:48,946 Speaker 1: the world, with the franchise doing a media tour. The 98 00:05:49,026 --> 00:05:53,706 Speaker 1: following day, Bill Belichick goes on the Pat McAfee show, 99 00:05:53,746 --> 00:05:56,746 Speaker 1: and instead of just saying hey, that's their team, best 100 00:05:56,746 --> 00:06:00,746 Speaker 1: of luck will go, he was asked about Mayo's comments, 101 00:06:01,626 --> 00:06:04,786 Speaker 1: and he said the following quote, it's a lot of 102 00:06:04,786 --> 00:06:08,706 Speaker 1: the same players hurt for those guys because to call 103 00:06:08,746 --> 00:06:12,066 Speaker 1: them soft, well, they're not soft. They were the best 104 00:06:12,106 --> 00:06:14,306 Speaker 1: team in the league last year against the run. The 105 00:06:14,306 --> 00:06:17,146 Speaker 1: Patriots led the league last year in rushing, defensive yards 106 00:06:17,146 --> 00:06:19,786 Speaker 1: and defense per yards per carry. They were number one 107 00:06:19,786 --> 00:06:21,546 Speaker 1: in the league, and this year they're way down in 108 00:06:21,546 --> 00:06:23,866 Speaker 1: the twenties. It's a lot of the same guys too. 109 00:06:23,946 --> 00:06:26,586 Speaker 1: They resigned Jennings, they re signed, Tavy, they re signed 110 00:06:26,626 --> 00:06:31,026 Speaker 1: and obviously Dugger, Marcus Jones and Gonzalez have been healthy 111 00:06:31,066 --> 00:06:33,026 Speaker 1: all year, which they were not. They were on ir 112 00:06:33,186 --> 00:06:35,946 Speaker 1: last year at different points. And you got Godshaw and 113 00:06:36,026 --> 00:06:39,146 Speaker 1: Keon Clark and Mapu and Gonzales. Those are three rookies 114 00:06:39,146 --> 00:06:42,026 Speaker 1: from last year. So it's a lot of the same players. 115 00:06:42,706 --> 00:06:46,306 Speaker 1: I feel bad for the defensive players on that one. 116 00:06:46,426 --> 00:06:55,586 Speaker 1: Those guys are all tough players. End quote. Then there 117 00:06:55,666 --> 00:07:00,146 Speaker 1: was a video that surfaced of Robert Kraft being discussed 118 00:07:01,066 --> 00:07:05,946 Speaker 1: about his initiative off the field on anti Semitism and 119 00:07:05,986 --> 00:07:08,346 Speaker 1: anti h which is a great cause, and he gets 120 00:07:08,466 --> 00:07:12,906 Speaker 1: meant a question about the Patriots, and instead of saying 121 00:07:12,946 --> 00:07:15,546 Speaker 1: there was a mutual parting of the ways to Charlemagne, 122 00:07:15,586 --> 00:07:19,106 Speaker 1: the God and the Breakfast Club, he basically said, yeah, 123 00:07:19,306 --> 00:07:21,346 Speaker 1: we had to say goodbye to Belichick, and it was 124 00:07:21,386 --> 00:07:24,706 Speaker 1: because of X Y Z. And well, when it was 125 00:07:24,746 --> 00:07:29,186 Speaker 1: presented back in January, it wasn't we had to say 126 00:07:29,186 --> 00:07:31,186 Speaker 1: goodbye to Belichick. It was there's going to be a 127 00:07:31,226 --> 00:07:33,666 Speaker 1: mutual parting of the ways. And then Kraft had an 128 00:07:33,666 --> 00:07:36,906 Speaker 1: interview with Taylor Rooks before the Jets game a few 129 00:07:36,946 --> 00:07:39,506 Speaker 1: weeks back, and he said that he had his eye 130 00:07:39,546 --> 00:07:43,946 Speaker 1: on Mayo for years. There's a lot going on when 131 00:07:43,946 --> 00:07:48,986 Speaker 1: you talk about the Belichick Craft Patriots relationship and the 132 00:07:49,066 --> 00:07:52,786 Speaker 1: fact that this team didn't interview Mike Vrabel, the fact 133 00:07:52,826 --> 00:07:57,346 Speaker 1: that there was no full hiring interview process and it 134 00:07:57,386 --> 00:08:00,866 Speaker 1: was basically handed to Gerrod Mayo. It always struck me 135 00:08:00,906 --> 00:08:03,626 Speaker 1: as curious. And now the fact that Belichick is on 136 00:08:03,706 --> 00:08:07,946 Speaker 1: no less than seven different media outlets per I'm serious, seven, 137 00:08:08,346 --> 00:08:10,946 Speaker 1: I can count them out. He's on McAfee, which he's 138 00:08:10,986 --> 00:08:13,186 Speaker 1: great with pat and he's really loosened up and he 139 00:08:13,306 --> 00:08:14,946 Speaker 1: was taking shots all over and that's what we want 140 00:08:14,946 --> 00:08:17,146 Speaker 1: from him. But then he also does this podcast I 141 00:08:17,186 --> 00:08:20,906 Speaker 1: See with Matt Patricia and Mike Lombardi, and he's also 142 00:08:20,986 --> 00:08:24,306 Speaker 1: on Inside the NFL. And then I also saw him 143 00:08:24,306 --> 00:08:28,786 Speaker 1: on a podcast with Tom Brady and Jim Gray, and 144 00:08:28,826 --> 00:08:31,866 Speaker 1: then I also saw him stuff doing stuff for the 145 00:08:31,946 --> 00:08:34,586 Speaker 1: thirty third Team. Then I also saw him doing stuff 146 00:08:34,586 --> 00:08:37,546 Speaker 1: for Underdog Fantasy, where he's in a commercial and it's 147 00:08:37,586 --> 00:08:40,186 Speaker 1: like off a cell phone camera and he's like, hi 148 00:08:40,226 --> 00:08:44,026 Speaker 1: on Bill Belichick for Underdog Fantasy. I'm like, he's everywhere. 149 00:08:44,586 --> 00:08:47,466 Speaker 1: So if you put Belichick everywhere, and then you add 150 00:08:47,466 --> 00:08:51,186 Speaker 1: in the Manning cast for a half every single Monday 151 00:08:51,266 --> 00:08:54,106 Speaker 1: night that those guys are on, it's a lot of 152 00:08:54,186 --> 00:08:57,906 Speaker 1: places for Belichick to voice his opinion. And now that 153 00:08:57,946 --> 00:09:01,306 Speaker 1: the Patriots have hit this rough point and it's real rough, 154 00:09:01,826 --> 00:09:05,066 Speaker 1: I find it fascinating the dynamic of him. And every 155 00:09:05,146 --> 00:09:07,626 Speaker 1: time he opens his mouth, well, New England want to listen, 156 00:09:07,906 --> 00:09:10,626 Speaker 1: so it makes it only harder on girod Mayo. The 157 00:09:10,746 --> 00:09:13,826 Speaker 1: end of the story has not yet been written, but gosh, 158 00:09:13,946 --> 00:09:16,266 Speaker 1: things have not been this way in New England for many, 159 00:09:16,266 --> 00:09:18,986 Speaker 1: many years. Even Bill Simmons tweeted out, and he's kind 160 00:09:18,986 --> 00:09:20,826 Speaker 1: of the voice of the Patriots fan. This is as 161 00:09:20,826 --> 00:09:22,786 Speaker 1: bad as the Rod rust era, which is like a 162 00:09:22,866 --> 00:09:27,026 Speaker 1: dark period for Patriots fans. But as I do this monologue, 163 00:09:28,066 --> 00:09:31,906 Speaker 1: the post Belichick era. It is so interesting because instead 164 00:09:31,946 --> 00:09:35,146 Speaker 1: of laying low, instead of consulting with his son at 165 00:09:35,146 --> 00:09:39,346 Speaker 1: the University of Washington where he's the defensive coordinator, Belichick's everywhere. 166 00:09:39,786 --> 00:09:42,706 Speaker 1: And if he's gonna be critical, that's gonna carry weight. 167 00:09:42,906 --> 00:09:45,866 Speaker 1: And if he's gonna be critical of the Patriots, well 168 00:09:45,906 --> 00:09:50,386 Speaker 1: that goes a long long way. Those players, for as 169 00:09:50,466 --> 00:09:52,386 Speaker 1: hard as he was on them, for as tough as 170 00:09:52,426 --> 00:09:55,306 Speaker 1: he was on him, those players love the results, and 171 00:09:55,386 --> 00:09:59,946 Speaker 1: he never called them soft publicly, and they certainly certainly 172 00:10:00,386 --> 00:10:03,746 Speaker 1: respect what he has to say. Can Gerard Mayo earn 173 00:10:03,786 --> 00:10:06,306 Speaker 1: that respect? Can he ever earn that faith and that 174 00:10:06,626 --> 00:10:09,866 Speaker 1: respect and that trust that Belichick had. It's an uphill battle. 175 00:10:09,906 --> 00:10:13,306 Speaker 1: It doesn't help when Belichick is talking on it less 176 00:10:13,346 --> 00:10:18,106 Speaker 1: than twenty four hours later. That's my monologue, and we've 177 00:10:18,146 --> 00:10:21,466 Speaker 1: got a lot of sports history in that build up there, 178 00:10:21,506 --> 00:10:24,506 Speaker 1: because we talk about Rod Russ and Edelman and Amandola 179 00:10:24,626 --> 00:10:28,066 Speaker 1: right through to Belichick. Now, it doesn't even scratch the 180 00:10:28,106 --> 00:10:31,186 Speaker 1: surface for what we have coming up. Different kind of guests, 181 00:10:31,466 --> 00:10:34,826 Speaker 1: and yet one of my favorite podcast conversations we've had 182 00:10:35,426 --> 00:10:39,266 Speaker 1: Neil Zender, a filmmaker who just did this beautiful film 183 00:10:39,426 --> 00:10:42,546 Speaker 1: on the life and career of Wellington Mara. He and 184 00:10:42,586 --> 00:10:45,786 Speaker 1: I sat down. I think you're really going to enjoy this, 185 00:10:45,946 --> 00:10:57,786 Speaker 1: Neil Zender. After this, I am so excited to see 186 00:10:57,826 --> 00:11:00,186 Speaker 1: the film that has been put together by NFL Films 187 00:11:00,186 --> 00:11:03,226 Speaker 1: that ties into the Giants one hundredth year as a franchise, 188 00:11:03,266 --> 00:11:08,506 Speaker 1: but also tells the story of a true through football life. 189 00:11:08,546 --> 00:11:12,906 Speaker 1: The film itself is called The Duke The Giant Life 190 00:11:12,946 --> 00:11:16,306 Speaker 1: of Wellington Mara. It premieres on the NFL Network Friday 191 00:11:16,426 --> 00:11:19,946 Speaker 1: night at eight pm and it will definitely exist in 192 00:11:20,026 --> 00:11:23,426 Speaker 1: other platforms thereafter. But I think Wellington Mara is one 193 00:11:23,466 --> 00:11:26,306 Speaker 1: of the most interesting men in all of sports history 194 00:11:26,346 --> 00:11:30,066 Speaker 1: and certainly one of the bedrocks of the NFL. And 195 00:11:30,666 --> 00:11:34,146 Speaker 1: to discuss this film, which I've caught early glimpses of 196 00:11:34,306 --> 00:11:36,866 Speaker 1: and seems incredible, I'm bringing on the filmmaker as a 197 00:11:36,986 --> 00:11:40,746 Speaker 1: producer of NFL films. He's also incredibly incredibly talented at 198 00:11:40,786 --> 00:11:44,226 Speaker 1: what he does. Mister Neil Zender, Welcome to the season 199 00:11:44,266 --> 00:11:45,106 Speaker 1: with Peter Schrager. 200 00:11:45,226 --> 00:11:47,906 Speaker 2: Oh great to be with you, Peter. Thanks a lot, Neil. 201 00:11:47,986 --> 00:11:51,226 Speaker 1: I am a Giants fan from when I was a child. 202 00:11:51,266 --> 00:11:54,426 Speaker 1: I could say that openly. My dad raised me as 203 00:11:54,466 --> 00:11:56,866 Speaker 1: a Giants fan. Of course, my allegiance with teams has 204 00:11:57,626 --> 00:12:00,466 Speaker 1: waned a little bit as I become a journalist and 205 00:12:00,546 --> 00:12:04,706 Speaker 1: I cover all thirty two. But Wellington Mara's place in 206 00:12:04,866 --> 00:12:10,546 Speaker 1: NFL history is perhaps more important than any other figure 207 00:12:10,666 --> 00:12:13,506 Speaker 1: from the early days to where the NFL went. A 208 00:12:13,586 --> 00:12:18,386 Speaker 1: visionary but also an incredible life lived. This project, I 209 00:12:18,506 --> 00:12:21,146 Speaker 1: have to imagine, was in the works for years, but 210 00:12:21,186 --> 00:12:24,026 Speaker 1: when the Giants announced they were celebrating the hundred year, 211 00:12:24,506 --> 00:12:27,946 Speaker 1: there had to be some impetus to let's really tell 212 00:12:27,986 --> 00:12:29,786 Speaker 1: the story of this man. Can you tell us the 213 00:12:29,826 --> 00:12:33,706 Speaker 1: genesis of doing a film on Wellington Mahra, whose life 214 00:12:33,746 --> 00:12:35,426 Speaker 1: will get into throughout this podcast. 215 00:12:36,186 --> 00:12:39,466 Speaker 2: Well, one of the great mysteries to us is why 216 00:12:39,506 --> 00:12:42,906 Speaker 2: has there never been a film made about Wellington Marhra, 217 00:12:43,026 --> 00:12:47,826 Speaker 2: who was such an immensely important historical figure. You know, 218 00:12:48,346 --> 00:12:52,666 Speaker 2: there's a great quote by Winston Churchill where somebody said 219 00:12:52,666 --> 00:12:54,186 Speaker 2: to him at one point, how do you think history 220 00:12:54,226 --> 00:12:57,386 Speaker 2: is going to treat you? And Winston Churchill said, It's 221 00:12:57,466 --> 00:12:59,266 Speaker 2: going to treat me great, because I'm going to be 222 00:12:59,266 --> 00:13:00,666 Speaker 2: the one who's going to write it. And he wrote 223 00:13:00,666 --> 00:13:03,466 Speaker 2: book after book after book and put his own spin 224 00:13:03,946 --> 00:13:06,466 Speaker 2: on history and why he was so important in that. 225 00:13:07,026 --> 00:13:11,146 Speaker 2: And Wellington Mara almost unlike just about every other great 226 00:13:11,506 --> 00:13:15,586 Speaker 2: historical figure in regular history of football history, never did that. 227 00:13:15,666 --> 00:13:17,546 Speaker 2: He never beat his chest, he never said look at me, 228 00:13:17,946 --> 00:13:20,106 Speaker 2: He never said, look at all the important things that 229 00:13:20,146 --> 00:13:23,066 Speaker 2: I've done. And for that reason, nobody has ever made 230 00:13:23,106 --> 00:13:26,746 Speaker 2: a film about Wellington Marrow or really told you how 231 00:13:26,746 --> 00:13:30,186 Speaker 2: important he is to the NFL and the football and 232 00:13:30,226 --> 00:13:32,506 Speaker 2: everything else, and everybody just sort of thought with the 233 00:13:32,546 --> 00:13:36,386 Speaker 2: Giants turning one hundred, it was about time that somebody 234 00:13:36,426 --> 00:13:41,186 Speaker 2: did it. And it's really amazing because when Wellington Marraw 235 00:13:41,266 --> 00:13:45,186 Speaker 2: was born, the National Football League did not exist, and 236 00:13:45,266 --> 00:13:49,186 Speaker 2: football was not a big thing, and over the course 237 00:13:49,226 --> 00:13:51,666 Speaker 2: of his lifetime and when he died, it was the 238 00:13:51,746 --> 00:13:56,066 Speaker 2: biggest cultural thing in sports in our country. And he's 239 00:13:56,106 --> 00:13:58,586 Speaker 2: sort of like Forrest Gump, like you look at almost 240 00:13:58,666 --> 00:14:01,706 Speaker 2: every major thing that happened that made the NFL into 241 00:14:01,746 --> 00:14:03,266 Speaker 2: the thing that we all know in love and is 242 00:14:03,306 --> 00:14:07,026 Speaker 2: such a big part of our lives. And the person 243 00:14:07,746 --> 00:14:10,826 Speaker 2: that did it, I mean, why is the duke written 244 00:14:10,866 --> 00:14:13,306 Speaker 2: on the NFL football? The Duke's written in the NFL football, 245 00:14:13,386 --> 00:14:17,066 Speaker 2: Because that was his nickname. And he was the person 246 00:14:17,106 --> 00:14:20,946 Speaker 2: who went and negotiated the contract with Wilson to make 247 00:14:21,426 --> 00:14:23,786 Speaker 2: the footballs and was the first person did that for 248 00:14:23,826 --> 00:14:26,026 Speaker 2: the league. And George Hollis said, man, Wellington's doing such 249 00:14:26,066 --> 00:14:28,146 Speaker 2: a smash bang up job. Let's just let's just put 250 00:14:28,146 --> 00:14:30,386 Speaker 2: his name on the ball. And that's what they did, 251 00:14:31,466 --> 00:14:35,306 Speaker 2: and their story after story after story like that about 252 00:14:35,346 --> 00:14:38,546 Speaker 2: just sort of the you know, formation and creation of 253 00:14:38,546 --> 00:14:42,106 Speaker 2: the NFL that he was there like whatever. Lin Manuel 254 00:14:42,106 --> 00:14:43,826 Speaker 2: Miranda says, he was in the room where it happened, 255 00:14:43,826 --> 00:14:45,066 Speaker 2: and a lot of times he was the person in 256 00:14:45,146 --> 00:14:48,906 Speaker 2: the room making it happen. But he cared more about 257 00:14:49,186 --> 00:14:54,026 Speaker 2: the result than taking the credit for it. And that's why, 258 00:14:54,146 --> 00:14:57,786 Speaker 2: unfortunately he has not really gotten the credit he deserves 259 00:14:57,866 --> 00:14:59,866 Speaker 2: for everything that he's done for all of us. 260 00:15:00,506 --> 00:15:03,226 Speaker 1: I consider myself a historian, and I think one of 261 00:15:03,266 --> 00:15:07,066 Speaker 1: the great books in NFL Lare is a I don't 262 00:15:07,106 --> 00:15:09,786 Speaker 1: know the title of. Michael McCambridge did the story of 263 00:15:10,266 --> 00:15:12,986 Speaker 1: Lamar Hunt, and it was like, let's go deep on 264 00:15:13,106 --> 00:15:15,426 Speaker 1: Lamar Hunt and what he did for the AFL, but 265 00:15:15,506 --> 00:15:17,826 Speaker 1: also what Lamar Hunt did for sports as a whole. 266 00:15:17,906 --> 00:15:23,266 Speaker 1: And it's this incredible gift to an individual who had 267 00:15:23,306 --> 00:15:26,986 Speaker 1: never written his own book. In this case, though Wellington 268 00:15:27,026 --> 00:15:29,346 Speaker 1: Mara has this incredible portion of his life and we'll 269 00:15:29,346 --> 00:15:33,466 Speaker 1: get into it where he wrote letters. He wrote letters 270 00:15:33,586 --> 00:15:36,746 Speaker 1: because he was at war and he was serving in 271 00:15:36,866 --> 00:15:40,306 Speaker 1: World War Two. Now, look, he wasn't drafted. He didn't 272 00:15:40,346 --> 00:15:43,986 Speaker 1: go there as an eighteen year old. He went when 273 00:15:44,026 --> 00:15:46,386 Speaker 1: he was twenty five years old and was already a 274 00:15:46,466 --> 00:15:50,226 Speaker 1: key figure of the NFL's New York Giants and decided 275 00:15:50,306 --> 00:15:54,306 Speaker 1: it was his duty to go overseas, enlisted himself and 276 00:15:54,306 --> 00:15:56,666 Speaker 1: then has this treasure trove of letters where he's writing 277 00:15:56,706 --> 00:15:59,186 Speaker 1: letters back home about being under siege and searching for 278 00:15:59,266 --> 00:16:01,946 Speaker 1: men at sea. Like the fact that you have this 279 00:16:02,106 --> 00:16:05,586 Speaker 1: military portion of his life when he could have just coasted. 280 00:16:06,466 --> 00:16:08,706 Speaker 1: I think that is a measure of a man. It's incredible. 281 00:16:09,706 --> 00:16:13,466 Speaker 2: So so sort of what happened is everybody knew that 282 00:16:13,586 --> 00:16:16,426 Speaker 2: he was in the war, in World War two, but 283 00:16:16,506 --> 00:16:19,626 Speaker 2: he never talked about it. And after he died, his 284 00:16:19,746 --> 00:16:22,906 Speaker 2: daughter Susan was cleaning out the attic and just found 285 00:16:23,546 --> 00:16:26,306 Speaker 2: a shoe box full of letters and they were all 286 00:16:26,346 --> 00:16:29,506 Speaker 2: his letters from the war to his parents and to 287 00:16:29,626 --> 00:16:32,986 Speaker 2: his brother, A lot of them are you know. He 288 00:16:33,066 --> 00:16:36,306 Speaker 2: was in the USS Randolph in the Pacific, and the 289 00:16:36,386 --> 00:16:38,986 Speaker 2: USS Randolph was a very it was one of the 290 00:16:38,986 --> 00:16:41,946 Speaker 2: first aircraft carriers. It was a very important carrier to 291 00:16:42,026 --> 00:16:46,746 Speaker 2: the entire island hopping strategy that Halsey used to win 292 00:16:46,786 --> 00:16:49,186 Speaker 2: the war in the Pacific in World War two. So 293 00:16:49,266 --> 00:16:52,186 Speaker 2: like Wellington Marra was there at ewo Jima, Wellington Mara 294 00:16:52,386 --> 00:16:54,506 Speaker 2: was there at Oaklandawa on an aircraft carry. He was 295 00:16:54,546 --> 00:16:57,386 Speaker 2: a radar operator. And to understand what he did, we 296 00:16:57,426 --> 00:16:59,786 Speaker 2: have Phil McConkie, you know, who was at the Naval Academy. 297 00:16:59,826 --> 00:17:01,226 Speaker 2: He sort of went through some of the letters like 298 00:17:01,226 --> 00:17:04,186 Speaker 2: people have seen before, the letters to do with like 299 00:17:04,186 --> 00:17:06,266 Speaker 2: he'd write home about football and we just saw this 300 00:17:06,826 --> 00:17:08,706 Speaker 2: playing whatever on an island, like he'd be great, Like 301 00:17:08,826 --> 00:17:11,066 Speaker 2: let's get him after the war. But we focused more 302 00:17:11,106 --> 00:17:13,066 Speaker 2: on the actual war, like film acconki went through for 303 00:17:13,186 --> 00:17:17,066 Speaker 2: us some of the actual war combat stuff, because like 304 00:17:17,106 --> 00:17:19,826 Speaker 2: a lot of people in World War Two, he didn't 305 00:17:19,866 --> 00:17:22,186 Speaker 2: talk about what he went through. And he was basically 306 00:17:22,226 --> 00:17:25,226 Speaker 2: what you know nowadays in the military they would call 307 00:17:25,626 --> 00:17:28,026 Speaker 2: a drone ranger. He would sit there on the radar 308 00:17:28,066 --> 00:17:29,466 Speaker 2: and look at the dots, and he would tell the 309 00:17:29,506 --> 00:17:32,786 Speaker 2: pilots where the Japanese pilots were, and he would send 310 00:17:32,826 --> 00:17:35,386 Speaker 2: them in to go shoot him down. And you can, 311 00:17:36,186 --> 00:17:39,346 Speaker 2: you know tell from the letters he describes it like 312 00:17:39,386 --> 00:17:41,546 Speaker 2: I directed the pilot to go to this exact spot, 313 00:17:42,186 --> 00:17:45,026 Speaker 2: and they rendezvous there and they shot down a plane, 314 00:17:45,066 --> 00:17:50,066 Speaker 2: and I personally feel like I killed a man, which 315 00:17:50,706 --> 00:17:54,226 Speaker 2: you know, in the World War two generation, nobody sort 316 00:17:54,226 --> 00:17:57,106 Speaker 2: of talked about that stuff. But it also had I 317 00:17:57,106 --> 00:18:02,786 Speaker 2: think real profound implications for his relationships with other people. 318 00:18:02,826 --> 00:18:05,506 Speaker 2: You know, he was a great friend all his life 319 00:18:05,946 --> 00:18:09,426 Speaker 2: with Tom, and spoken or unspoken part of that bond 320 00:18:09,426 --> 00:18:12,026 Speaker 2: with Tom Landry was Tom Landry was a you know, 321 00:18:12,106 --> 00:18:15,866 Speaker 2: World War two Flying Fortress B seventeen pilot who saw 322 00:18:16,226 --> 00:18:19,866 Speaker 2: twenty nine missions over Europe, and Wellington Mara saw all 323 00:18:19,866 --> 00:18:23,226 Speaker 2: this action the Pacific, and you know, they would have 324 00:18:23,306 --> 00:18:26,426 Speaker 2: dinner every night for the giants and the cowboys would 325 00:18:26,426 --> 00:18:29,786 Speaker 2: play each other and act like they were all great 326 00:18:29,786 --> 00:18:31,866 Speaker 2: and then try to kill each other. Yeah, you know 327 00:18:32,066 --> 00:18:36,626 Speaker 2: the next day. But the relationship sort of transcended the football, 328 00:18:36,626 --> 00:18:39,346 Speaker 2: which I think is you know, hard in today's NFL 329 00:18:39,426 --> 00:18:42,026 Speaker 2: for people to to really do. But back you know 330 00:18:42,386 --> 00:18:44,946 Speaker 2: when you're Bill Parcells calls him a patriarch, when you're 331 00:18:44,946 --> 00:18:48,946 Speaker 2: a patriarch, like, the NFL is not this big, wasn't 332 00:18:48,986 --> 00:18:51,946 Speaker 2: this big giant thing to Wellington Marra. It was just people. 333 00:18:51,986 --> 00:18:56,466 Speaker 2: It was just people that he knew and had relationships with, 334 00:18:56,906 --> 00:18:58,586 Speaker 2: and everything was personal. 335 00:18:59,186 --> 00:19:01,866 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it's there's these letters. I you know, I've 336 00:19:01,906 --> 00:19:05,506 Speaker 1: done the work. I've I've listened to John Mara, who's 337 00:19:05,546 --> 00:19:08,386 Speaker 1: the current owner, and of course the mayor family has 338 00:19:08,426 --> 00:19:09,986 Speaker 1: read some of these letters. One of them is like, 339 00:19:10,506 --> 00:19:13,066 Speaker 1: you know, dear Jack, he's writing home. He's like, dear Jack, 340 00:19:13,106 --> 00:19:16,226 Speaker 1: He's like, we might not this might not be good. 341 00:19:16,386 --> 00:19:18,866 Speaker 1: We might not make it tomorrow. But if you hear 342 00:19:18,906 --> 00:19:21,626 Speaker 1: from me and the Japanese don't see me, we're gonna 343 00:19:21,626 --> 00:19:24,466 Speaker 1: be all right. But if they do, this is a 344 00:19:24,626 --> 00:19:26,186 Speaker 1: you know, this is where we're at and it will 345 00:19:26,186 --> 00:19:29,306 Speaker 1: not be good for us. And I'm like, oh my gosh. 346 00:19:29,346 --> 00:19:31,986 Speaker 1: They have these letters of him the night before a 347 00:19:32,106 --> 00:19:34,826 Speaker 1: major attack like this is they have that, And this 348 00:19:34,866 --> 00:19:38,066 Speaker 1: is a guy who then in the same letter is 349 00:19:38,146 --> 00:19:40,706 Speaker 1: talking about the NFL draft because he's writing home about 350 00:19:40,786 --> 00:19:43,506 Speaker 1: he's doing work on the draft and I've I've got 351 00:19:43,546 --> 00:19:47,386 Speaker 1: my lists, like he was still contributing to the football team. 352 00:19:48,826 --> 00:19:52,666 Speaker 2: And how many people want you to know that they 353 00:19:52,706 --> 00:19:56,466 Speaker 2: were the first to do something like the draft went 354 00:19:56,506 --> 00:19:58,226 Speaker 2: on for five or six years. He was the first 355 00:19:58,306 --> 00:20:00,666 Speaker 2: person that said, like we all do when we play 356 00:20:00,706 --> 00:20:02,866 Speaker 2: fantasy football, you know what, I'm gonna have a cheat sheet. 357 00:20:02,906 --> 00:20:05,106 Speaker 2: I'm gonna have a list and he typed it out. 358 00:20:05,146 --> 00:20:08,826 Speaker 2: I'm gonna have a list of the top prospects one 359 00:20:08,866 --> 00:20:11,066 Speaker 2: to two hundred and fifty and he typed that whole 360 00:20:11,066 --> 00:20:12,466 Speaker 2: thing out and then he went to the draft and 361 00:20:12,506 --> 00:20:15,226 Speaker 2: nobody else had it in nineteen thirty nine, and he 362 00:20:15,306 --> 00:20:18,066 Speaker 2: was like, golly, you know, this will be a better 363 00:20:18,106 --> 00:20:21,666 Speaker 2: event if if everybody else knows what they're doing instead 364 00:20:21,666 --> 00:20:24,226 Speaker 2: of just me. So we make copies and they put 365 00:20:24,266 --> 00:20:26,746 Speaker 2: up and they shared. He shared his cheat sheets with everybody, 366 00:20:26,826 --> 00:20:28,466 Speaker 2: and you had these, you know, other owners who know 367 00:20:28,506 --> 00:20:29,906 Speaker 2: what they were doing. They were just picking off Wellington 368 00:20:29,946 --> 00:20:33,626 Speaker 2: Mara's cheat sheets for years at the NFL draft because 369 00:20:33,786 --> 00:20:36,386 Speaker 2: they did. They couldn't see what it could be, but 370 00:20:36,466 --> 00:20:38,826 Speaker 2: he could, you know. Or he's one of the first 371 00:20:38,866 --> 00:20:42,106 Speaker 2: people to shoot game film. He got a sixteen millimeter 372 00:20:42,426 --> 00:20:44,946 Speaker 2: film camera for Christmas and whatever, nineteen thirty five or 373 00:20:44,986 --> 00:20:46,626 Speaker 2: nineteen thirty six. He's like, you know what, I'm not 374 00:20:46,666 --> 00:20:49,946 Speaker 2: just gonna make movies in my buddies, like in my family, Like, 375 00:20:50,306 --> 00:20:52,026 Speaker 2: let me shoot some football games and give it to 376 00:20:52,026 --> 00:20:53,906 Speaker 2: Steve On and let him let him break it down 377 00:20:53,906 --> 00:20:54,986 Speaker 2: as a coach. Can that help him? 378 00:20:56,586 --> 00:20:59,786 Speaker 1: The early stuff, I mean, NFL Films has incredible archives, 379 00:20:59,786 --> 00:21:02,386 Speaker 1: but like, do you guys have footage of Ray Flaherty 380 00:21:02,426 --> 00:21:04,386 Speaker 1: and mel Hine, Like, do you have that stuff? 381 00:21:04,986 --> 00:21:06,946 Speaker 2: We don't have. I Mean, the interesting thing is we 382 00:21:06,986 --> 00:21:09,066 Speaker 2: don't have a lot of that. Our stuff really starts 383 00:21:09,506 --> 00:21:11,786 Speaker 2: in the you know, full on in the sixties, and 384 00:21:11,786 --> 00:21:13,426 Speaker 2: then we have a decent amount of stuff in the 385 00:21:13,586 --> 00:21:15,306 Speaker 2: in the forties and the fifties, but it's usually just 386 00:21:15,346 --> 00:21:17,186 Speaker 2: a top camera that's far away. One of the things 387 00:21:17,186 --> 00:21:19,586 Speaker 2: that we found in the course of doing the research 388 00:21:19,626 --> 00:21:22,666 Speaker 2: for this was, you know, the giants were able to 389 00:21:22,666 --> 00:21:24,866 Speaker 2: dig up all these film cans that in a lot 390 00:21:24,906 --> 00:21:28,146 Speaker 2: of cases were filmed that Wellington Mara himself and shot. 391 00:21:28,546 --> 00:21:31,906 Speaker 2: So believable, So we have ground footage that Wellington Mara 392 00:21:32,066 --> 00:21:35,026 Speaker 2: shot at the Polo Grounds in the late twenties, early thirties, 393 00:21:35,186 --> 00:21:37,866 Speaker 2: like on that one roll of film that he shot 394 00:21:38,066 --> 00:21:41,346 Speaker 2: is more ground footage than we have from that entire 395 00:21:41,426 --> 00:21:45,106 Speaker 2: era up until this time period. Like our our our 396 00:21:45,106 --> 00:21:47,026 Speaker 2: shooters like looked at it and they could not believe 397 00:21:47,146 --> 00:21:49,586 Speaker 2: like how rock Steady was and there wasn't any shake, 398 00:21:49,666 --> 00:21:51,626 Speaker 2: and he like with the camera they was shooting on 399 00:21:51,666 --> 00:21:53,466 Speaker 2: like he could have shot for NFL films, Like he's 400 00:21:53,706 --> 00:21:56,266 Speaker 2: he's a very good. Any thing in this documentary is 401 00:21:56,666 --> 00:21:58,146 Speaker 2: you know, we've got we've got a home movie. So 402 00:21:58,146 --> 00:22:02,106 Speaker 2: there's Wellington Mara with Vince Lombardi vacationing in Hawaii. You know, 403 00:22:02,146 --> 00:22:04,626 Speaker 2: there's Wellington Mara in Vince Lombardi and he's recording their 404 00:22:04,626 --> 00:22:07,826 Speaker 2: golf swing so they can figure out, you know, why 405 00:22:07,866 --> 00:22:10,106 Speaker 2: they're handicaps nine instead of three. 406 00:22:11,626 --> 00:22:14,506 Speaker 1: And that's when Lombardy was coaching for the Giants, or 407 00:22:14,546 --> 00:22:16,386 Speaker 1: after he'd already left and gone to the Packers. 408 00:22:17,346 --> 00:22:19,546 Speaker 2: That's that's when he's with the Packers. But I mean, 409 00:22:19,586 --> 00:22:22,266 Speaker 2: it's just it's just like if you were to ice 410 00:22:22,346 --> 00:22:24,386 Speaker 2: i mean, Wellington Marror, if you were to isolate any 411 00:22:24,386 --> 00:22:26,586 Speaker 2: of the one single thing that he did, like the 412 00:22:26,666 --> 00:22:28,426 Speaker 2: fifty things that he'd done, just isolate one of them, 413 00:22:28,466 --> 00:22:31,706 Speaker 2: you'd say that's a Hall of Fame football football life. 414 00:22:31,786 --> 00:22:35,466 Speaker 2: I mean, like he's the like he went to college 415 00:22:35,626 --> 00:22:39,426 Speaker 2: and was a classmate at Fordham with Vince Lombardi. And 416 00:22:39,506 --> 00:22:42,026 Speaker 2: so he went to Jim Lee Howell when they hired 417 00:22:42,026 --> 00:22:43,626 Speaker 2: the head coach and said, I really we're gonna hire 418 00:22:43,666 --> 00:22:45,626 Speaker 2: you as the head coach, but I really really really 419 00:22:45,666 --> 00:22:48,786 Speaker 2: think you should hire Vince Lambardi's your offensive coordinator, and 420 00:22:48,866 --> 00:22:51,626 Speaker 2: I really really think this defensive back of ours, Tom Landry, 421 00:22:51,626 --> 00:22:53,706 Speaker 2: should should be in charge of the defense. And so 422 00:22:53,746 --> 00:22:57,266 Speaker 2: what's Jim Lee Howell gonna say? You know, multiple times, 423 00:22:57,346 --> 00:23:00,266 Speaker 2: Vince Lombardi went to Wellington Mahra and said, like I'm 424 00:23:00,266 --> 00:23:01,706 Speaker 2: fed up. I'm not going to get a head coach, 425 00:23:01,746 --> 00:23:03,106 Speaker 2: like I want to quit. I'm going to go coach 426 00:23:03,106 --> 00:23:04,746 Speaker 2: in college. I can be a head coach in college somewhere. 427 00:23:04,746 --> 00:23:06,946 Speaker 2: And Wellington mayor said, don't don't quit. Don't quit, like 428 00:23:06,986 --> 00:23:10,666 Speaker 2: don't like you talked about quitting multiple times, Vincent. One 429 00:23:10,666 --> 00:23:12,706 Speaker 2: of the things that's you know, the documentary goes into 430 00:23:12,706 --> 00:23:14,626 Speaker 2: great length is Vince Lombardi showed up. But he came 431 00:23:14,666 --> 00:23:17,266 Speaker 2: from Army and he coached for Red Blaket Army and 432 00:23:17,466 --> 00:23:20,346 Speaker 2: Army had a system where unlike anybody else, they would 433 00:23:20,346 --> 00:23:25,226 Speaker 2: take polaroid photographs of the formations before the snaps. And 434 00:23:25,306 --> 00:23:27,786 Speaker 2: Lombardi's like, I said, I like to do this. Can 435 00:23:27,826 --> 00:23:29,426 Speaker 2: we do this with the giants? There was no opperass. 436 00:23:29,746 --> 00:23:31,066 Speaker 2: I said, well, I'll just I'll do it. I'll take 437 00:23:31,106 --> 00:23:33,466 Speaker 2: the pictures. So you had the owner of the team 438 00:23:33,546 --> 00:23:35,826 Speaker 2: with the polaroid camera sitting up in the press box 439 00:23:36,306 --> 00:23:39,146 Speaker 2: taking polaroid pictures before every snap. At the end of 440 00:23:39,146 --> 00:23:41,866 Speaker 2: the series, he'd take all the photos, wrap them up 441 00:23:41,906 --> 00:23:44,626 Speaker 2: into a sock, sticks in either rocks or you know, 442 00:23:44,986 --> 00:23:46,506 Speaker 2: a cleat in the sock and throw it from the 443 00:23:46,586 --> 00:23:48,586 Speaker 2: upper deck down onto the field and Barty pick it up. 444 00:23:48,626 --> 00:23:50,306 Speaker 2: We even go through it and go show Frank Gifford 445 00:23:50,346 --> 00:23:53,866 Speaker 2: and Charlie Connelly what was going on. And Wellington Mara 446 00:23:54,066 --> 00:23:58,186 Speaker 2: like love to do that because he had a role 447 00:23:58,226 --> 00:24:00,146 Speaker 2: and he was helping the team and he didn't need 448 00:24:00,146 --> 00:24:02,546 Speaker 2: any intention for doing it or anything else. But like 449 00:24:02,626 --> 00:24:04,306 Speaker 2: that's where you know you see her old coaches with 450 00:24:04,346 --> 00:24:07,426 Speaker 2: the surface tablet today, That's where it started because Wellington 451 00:24:07,426 --> 00:24:10,946 Speaker 2: Mara and Vince Lombardi did that because they wanted to 452 00:24:10,946 --> 00:24:12,706 Speaker 2: figure out a way for the Giants to beat the 453 00:24:12,706 --> 00:24:13,346 Speaker 2: Cleveland Rounds. 454 00:24:22,426 --> 00:24:25,066 Speaker 1: All right, so Big Picture Dad is the owner of 455 00:24:25,146 --> 00:24:28,906 Speaker 1: the Giants. He's born, he's working for the team in 456 00:24:28,946 --> 00:24:31,226 Speaker 1: a bunch of different roles, ball boy, all the stuff, 457 00:24:31,586 --> 00:24:33,546 Speaker 1: goes and has a big role to a team, then 458 00:24:33,586 --> 00:24:37,146 Speaker 1: goes into war, then comes back eventually takes over the team. 459 00:24:37,546 --> 00:24:40,466 Speaker 1: I'm watching the trailer for your film, which I cannot 460 00:24:40,466 --> 00:24:45,906 Speaker 1: wait to see, and you've got contributions from Parcels, from Strahan, 461 00:24:46,026 --> 00:24:49,826 Speaker 1: who calls him Forrest Gump. You've got contributions from Ernie A. Corsi, 462 00:24:50,106 --> 00:24:52,386 Speaker 1: and then I see Roger Goodell as well. So if 463 00:24:52,386 --> 00:24:56,826 Speaker 1: you're taking the Forrest Gump analogy, he literally touches every 464 00:24:56,986 --> 00:24:58,986 Speaker 1: era of the NFL up until his death. 465 00:24:59,706 --> 00:25:02,546 Speaker 2: So we sort of did instead of just being chronologically 466 00:25:02,586 --> 00:25:04,546 Speaker 2: and starting at the beginning of his life and ending 467 00:25:04,546 --> 00:25:06,986 Speaker 2: at the end of his life, we sort of focused 468 00:25:07,066 --> 00:25:10,466 Speaker 2: on all the different things he did that made the 469 00:25:10,586 --> 00:25:14,106 Speaker 2: NFL great. And there's a different giant who shows you 470 00:25:14,146 --> 00:25:16,506 Speaker 2: that and shows you aside of them that they got 471 00:25:16,546 --> 00:25:18,626 Speaker 2: to see. So one of the really cool things was, 472 00:25:18,706 --> 00:25:20,986 Speaker 2: you know, when we started researching this, we looked at 473 00:25:21,026 --> 00:25:24,586 Speaker 2: the footage from Wellington Mayra's funeral and Michael Strahan walks 474 00:25:24,586 --> 00:25:26,226 Speaker 2: out and he's like species, He's like, well, I knew 475 00:25:26,226 --> 00:25:27,626 Speaker 2: he was our owner, and I knew he was a 476 00:25:27,666 --> 00:25:30,026 Speaker 2: great guy, like I loved him, but I didn't know 477 00:25:30,066 --> 00:25:31,706 Speaker 2: all the things he did for the NFL. So we 478 00:25:31,746 --> 00:25:33,306 Speaker 2: called up Michael Strand and said, you want to go 479 00:25:33,306 --> 00:25:34,986 Speaker 2: talk to Rodger Goodell and he'll tell you all the stuff. 480 00:25:34,986 --> 00:25:37,426 Speaker 2: That was like, yes, let's go, let's do it. You 481 00:25:37,466 --> 00:25:40,266 Speaker 2: know Eli Manning, you know who Earning of course he 482 00:25:40,306 --> 00:25:44,306 Speaker 2: traded for. He sort of does a deep dive into 483 00:25:44,426 --> 00:25:46,666 Speaker 2: i mean the draft stuff. And like Wellington Marra was 484 00:25:46,666 --> 00:25:49,306 Speaker 2: one of the pioneers of scouting the NFL. He was 485 00:25:49,346 --> 00:25:54,506 Speaker 2: considered the you know, Bill Pollion of the nineteen thirties. 486 00:25:54,986 --> 00:25:57,706 Speaker 2: Wellington Mayra is the person who built the fifties, the 487 00:25:57,746 --> 00:26:01,746 Speaker 2: fifties giants like his scouting system, and he selected all 488 00:26:01,786 --> 00:26:03,946 Speaker 2: of those all those players that Eli Manning sort of 489 00:26:03,946 --> 00:26:07,186 Speaker 2: goes through all his personnel stuff and how he created 490 00:26:07,386 --> 00:26:10,266 Speaker 2: how teams prepare for the draft and all that stuff. 491 00:26:10,586 --> 00:26:12,266 Speaker 2: You know. We had Phil Simms who sort of took 492 00:26:12,346 --> 00:26:15,826 Speaker 2: us to Wellington Marrow, by our account, went to over 493 00:26:15,866 --> 00:26:18,466 Speaker 2: a thousand games in person a thousand Giants games in person, 494 00:26:18,506 --> 00:26:20,666 Speaker 2: all the home games, all the road games, and so 495 00:26:21,266 --> 00:26:24,466 Speaker 2: he lived so long, like he had three homes. Most 496 00:26:24,466 --> 00:26:26,306 Speaker 2: of us like the stadiums the stadium for like our 497 00:26:26,426 --> 00:26:28,706 Speaker 2: entire life, and then we're whatever we feel when they 498 00:26:28,706 --> 00:26:30,946 Speaker 2: switched to a new stadium after like thirty years. Well, yeah, 499 00:26:30,986 --> 00:26:32,546 Speaker 2: he was at the Polo Grounds, and he was at 500 00:26:32,626 --> 00:26:34,746 Speaker 2: Yankee Stadium, and he was at Giants Day. He was 501 00:26:34,786 --> 00:26:36,586 Speaker 2: getting ready for met life at the point when his 502 00:26:36,626 --> 00:26:38,746 Speaker 2: life when he died, like she had all these different 503 00:26:38,746 --> 00:26:41,066 Speaker 2: if So Phil Sims went to every one of his stadiums. 504 00:26:41,066 --> 00:26:43,226 Speaker 2: Cool it sort of went and showed you what it 505 00:26:43,266 --> 00:26:45,426 Speaker 2: was like when he was there. Like when they were 506 00:26:45,426 --> 00:26:48,986 Speaker 2: in the Polo Grounds, it was below the water table, 507 00:26:49,066 --> 00:26:51,946 Speaker 2: so that it was constantly swampy and muddy and rained 508 00:26:51,986 --> 00:26:54,226 Speaker 2: all the time, like and football was starting. They didn't 509 00:26:54,266 --> 00:26:56,466 Speaker 2: know what they were doing. So his dad, Tim Merrit 510 00:26:56,466 --> 00:26:59,906 Speaker 2: at one point, Wellington Mary's father, he bought rain insurance 511 00:27:00,666 --> 00:27:03,786 Speaker 2: so that they would get a rebate if fans didn't 512 00:27:03,786 --> 00:27:06,986 Speaker 2: show up and buy tickets because there was so much rain, 513 00:27:07,066 --> 00:27:09,346 Speaker 2: and like they always had, they had to start after 514 00:27:09,386 --> 00:27:11,706 Speaker 2: the baseball Giant season was over, so they were always 515 00:27:11,706 --> 00:27:16,266 Speaker 2: like starting their home season in like late October. And 516 00:27:16,306 --> 00:27:19,266 Speaker 2: then Wellington Mara said, like they never got to What 517 00:27:19,306 --> 00:27:21,706 Speaker 2: they discovered was they could never collect the insurance. Possy said, 518 00:27:21,706 --> 00:27:23,026 Speaker 2: when you get an eighth of an inch of rain, 519 00:27:23,066 --> 00:27:27,426 Speaker 2: they would get the rain. They still could collect the 520 00:27:27,466 --> 00:27:30,626 Speaker 2: insurance company was still used a lot of it. So 521 00:27:31,266 --> 00:27:33,626 Speaker 2: and then we had Tiki Barber, who was probably the 522 00:27:33,626 --> 00:27:36,706 Speaker 2: coolest thing. He sort of talked about the relationships that 523 00:27:36,746 --> 00:27:41,066 Speaker 2: Wellington Mara had with with all the players. It's incredible. 524 00:27:41,066 --> 00:27:42,746 Speaker 2: The thing is relationship with Lawrence Taylor and the things 525 00:27:42,746 --> 00:27:46,266 Speaker 2: he did for Lawrence Taylor and Taylor was like mash 526 00:27:46,266 --> 00:27:48,906 Speaker 2: you could ever have. Like He's just Wellington Area is 527 00:27:48,906 --> 00:27:51,106 Speaker 2: the greatest guy ever knew. Like he's he backed me 528 00:27:51,186 --> 00:27:53,146 Speaker 2: up in every situation, even when he should. He was 529 00:27:53,186 --> 00:27:56,426 Speaker 2: always like there for me. Phil Simms tells this incredible. 530 00:27:56,666 --> 00:27:58,946 Speaker 2: You know a lot of people remember how when Phil 531 00:27:58,986 --> 00:28:01,026 Speaker 2: Simms left the Giants, like that was right when the 532 00:28:01,026 --> 00:28:02,546 Speaker 2: salary cap was coming in. He's one of the first 533 00:28:02,546 --> 00:28:06,106 Speaker 2: salary cap caps. And you know we think of Wellington 534 00:28:06,106 --> 00:28:12,826 Speaker 2: Marra as not being emotional, Well, he reacted emotionally behind 535 00:28:12,826 --> 00:28:15,226 Speaker 2: the closed doors when that was a press. 536 00:28:14,946 --> 00:28:17,346 Speaker 1: Conference because I was a kid. I remember that press conference. 537 00:28:17,346 --> 00:28:20,146 Speaker 1: Sim's in a sweater sitting up there, and it was like, 538 00:28:20,186 --> 00:28:22,386 Speaker 1: where's he gonna go. He's gonna go to the Arizona Cardinals. 539 00:28:22,426 --> 00:28:24,466 Speaker 1: And if I'm not mistaken, that was it for Phil Simms. 540 00:28:24,506 --> 00:28:25,546 Speaker 1: Did he'd play anywhere else? 541 00:28:25,706 --> 00:28:28,106 Speaker 2: No, he basically was kind of he signed with the Browns, 542 00:28:28,106 --> 00:28:29,666 Speaker 2: but then he was heard, so he just ended up 543 00:28:29,706 --> 00:28:31,706 Speaker 2: not playing. But I mean, like Phil Simms is like 544 00:28:31,706 --> 00:28:33,946 Speaker 2: Wellington Mara was gonna like fire everyone. He was like 545 00:28:34,666 --> 00:28:38,786 Speaker 2: completely out of control upset because Phil Simms, you know, 546 00:28:40,346 --> 00:28:43,546 Speaker 2: like he believed players should be giants for life, and 547 00:28:43,586 --> 00:28:45,546 Speaker 2: he sort of even if they left, they were still 548 00:28:46,146 --> 00:28:47,346 Speaker 2: they were still giants for life. 549 00:28:48,746 --> 00:28:51,586 Speaker 1: You mentioned LT, and I mean I have heard so 550 00:28:51,666 --> 00:28:53,906 Speaker 1: many stories over the years, some of them from LT. 551 00:28:54,106 --> 00:28:58,066 Speaker 1: I am ced the Giants one hundred year event along 552 00:28:58,106 --> 00:29:02,146 Speaker 1: with Bob Papa back in June, and LT was backstage 553 00:29:02,306 --> 00:29:07,106 Speaker 1: telling stories. And I mean Wellington Mahra not only put 554 00:29:07,186 --> 00:29:09,586 Speaker 1: up with a lot of LT stuff off the field, 555 00:29:09,786 --> 00:29:12,946 Speaker 1: and you know, obviously we know LT lived it fast 556 00:29:12,986 --> 00:29:16,306 Speaker 1: when he was a player, but also they would like 557 00:29:16,386 --> 00:29:20,346 Speaker 1: golf together and they would spend holidays together, and like Wellington, 558 00:29:20,386 --> 00:29:23,306 Speaker 1: Marra took lt And as more than just you know, 559 00:29:23,386 --> 00:29:26,026 Speaker 1: a top pick who was one of the greatest defensive 560 00:29:26,026 --> 00:29:28,746 Speaker 1: players of all time. He loved him for all his 561 00:29:28,826 --> 00:29:31,626 Speaker 1: warts and bruises and played it with him in a 562 00:29:32,346 --> 00:29:33,986 Speaker 1: professional but also personal way. 563 00:29:34,706 --> 00:29:40,946 Speaker 2: It's incredible. And you know, Tiki Barber and you know 564 00:29:41,866 --> 00:29:45,946 Speaker 2: Jeremy Shockey were incredibly close to him, and it was 565 00:29:46,106 --> 00:29:49,346 Speaker 2: it's amazing for somebody who's eighty years old to be 566 00:29:49,386 --> 00:29:51,746 Speaker 2: able to really connect with somebody who's twenty two years old. 567 00:29:52,186 --> 00:29:54,546 Speaker 2: If that was something he was able to do. Like 568 00:29:54,546 --> 00:29:57,026 Speaker 2: if you look at his life, right, he started out 569 00:29:57,066 --> 00:29:58,586 Speaker 2: and he's nine years old and he's sitting on the 570 00:29:58,626 --> 00:30:00,986 Speaker 2: bench in the polo grounds next to Jim Thorpe and 571 00:30:00,986 --> 00:30:05,106 Speaker 2: Red Grange or whatever, and like they're like gods to 572 00:30:05,186 --> 00:30:09,186 Speaker 2: him and here and then he got to the point where, hey, 573 00:30:09,186 --> 00:30:10,946 Speaker 2: they're the same age as I am, and they're like 574 00:30:11,026 --> 00:30:13,186 Speaker 2: peers and contemporaries. And then he got to the point 575 00:30:13,186 --> 00:30:16,546 Speaker 2: where like, okay, this is the fifties giants, and I'm 576 00:30:16,546 --> 00:30:18,626 Speaker 2: sort of like a father figure and elect Frank Gifford 577 00:30:18,666 --> 00:30:22,466 Speaker 2: and Sam and then he's a grandfather and you know, 578 00:30:22,546 --> 00:30:24,226 Speaker 2: then he's a patriarch, and he went through all these 579 00:30:24,266 --> 00:30:29,546 Speaker 2: sort of different stages of life in his relationships with 580 00:30:29,546 --> 00:30:31,426 Speaker 2: with the players, and it's pretty you know, I mean, 581 00:30:31,466 --> 00:30:35,906 Speaker 2: I think it's amazing. Is like because the NFL was 582 00:30:35,906 --> 00:30:39,946 Speaker 2: such a small and insignificant thing. You know, his dad 583 00:30:40,066 --> 00:30:43,306 Speaker 2: gave him and his brother Jack operational control of the 584 00:30:43,346 --> 00:30:47,506 Speaker 2: Giants in like nineteen thirty. Yeah, so like picture being 585 00:30:47,666 --> 00:30:50,706 Speaker 2: you know, thirty years old, fifteen, sixteen years old and 586 00:30:50,786 --> 00:30:53,706 Speaker 2: you're in charge, Like you're in charge of an NFL team. 587 00:30:53,746 --> 00:30:55,226 Speaker 2: Like he got to do that. Everything that we'd all 588 00:30:55,306 --> 00:30:58,986 Speaker 2: dream of doing, he like got to do that. And 589 00:30:59,026 --> 00:31:00,746 Speaker 2: the amazing part is like he could handle it, Like 590 00:31:00,746 --> 00:31:04,746 Speaker 2: how many people could you know, he could actually handle it. 591 00:31:04,546 --> 00:31:07,306 Speaker 1: And then still says, I'm gonna enlist and go to 592 00:31:07,386 --> 00:31:10,186 Speaker 1: war because that's my duty to my country. Like here's 593 00:31:10,186 --> 00:31:12,586 Speaker 1: a silver spoon. I've got this amazing thing. And it's 594 00:31:12,626 --> 00:31:14,986 Speaker 1: like no, no, no, no, no, Like my priorities are still intact. 595 00:31:15,026 --> 00:31:15,826 Speaker 1: I'm just incredible. 596 00:31:16,666 --> 00:31:18,226 Speaker 2: And that was also they tried to like, hey, we 597 00:31:18,226 --> 00:31:20,026 Speaker 2: could send you, no I want to we can send you here. 598 00:31:20,026 --> 00:31:23,066 Speaker 2: We say it, no, I want to go past. Yeah, 599 00:31:23,786 --> 00:31:24,586 Speaker 2: which is pretty cool. 600 00:31:24,946 --> 00:31:28,586 Speaker 1: I love the book, the GM and it's about a 601 00:31:28,626 --> 00:31:30,986 Speaker 1: course in that year and they really do chronicle the 602 00:31:31,026 --> 00:31:33,026 Speaker 1: two thousand and seven Giants, how it all comes to 603 00:31:33,106 --> 00:31:35,506 Speaker 1: be and in that book. And I haven't seen your 604 00:31:35,546 --> 00:31:38,506 Speaker 1: doc in full yet, I've only seen clips. The trainer, 605 00:31:38,626 --> 00:31:42,506 Speaker 1: Ronnie Barnes is by Wellington's side every day in the hospital. 606 00:31:42,546 --> 00:31:44,866 Speaker 1: I still tear up thinking about it. Like the team trainer, 607 00:31:45,546 --> 00:31:49,386 Speaker 1: an African American man who the owner hired before that 608 00:31:49,586 --> 00:31:52,346 Speaker 1: was done and is now by his bedside as he's 609 00:31:52,386 --> 00:31:54,826 Speaker 1: passing away, Like do you capture any of that stuff? 610 00:31:54,866 --> 00:31:55,546 Speaker 1: In the film? 611 00:31:56,226 --> 00:31:58,546 Speaker 2: We talk about the end of his life. Ronnie Barnes 612 00:31:58,586 --> 00:32:00,386 Speaker 2: is in the film and Rynane Barnes talks a lot 613 00:32:00,386 --> 00:32:02,786 Speaker 2: about his relationships with people and how he treated people 614 00:32:02,946 --> 00:32:07,146 Speaker 2: and what his philosophy you know, in life was. You know, 615 00:32:07,186 --> 00:32:11,826 Speaker 2: it's also worth uh, you know, worth pointing out when 616 00:32:11,826 --> 00:32:16,146 Speaker 2: you look at Willington Mara. You know, everybody says, you know, 617 00:32:16,186 --> 00:32:18,786 Speaker 2: how did the NFL get integrated? You know, how does 618 00:32:18,786 --> 00:32:24,026 Speaker 2: that story get told in history? Well, hey, the Los 619 00:32:24,026 --> 00:32:27,506 Speaker 2: Angeles Rams did it with Kenny Washington. Would Washington? Well, 620 00:32:27,666 --> 00:32:30,666 Speaker 2: the thing is the Rams did it because the Los 621 00:32:30,706 --> 00:32:33,386 Speaker 2: Angeles Coliseum says as a condition for you to get 622 00:32:33,386 --> 00:32:35,826 Speaker 2: a lease at the coliseum and move from Cleveland to 623 00:32:35,866 --> 00:32:37,986 Speaker 2: Los Angeles, you have to integrate your team. We're not 624 00:32:37,986 --> 00:32:40,066 Speaker 2: going to have to segregated team playing in our team. 625 00:32:40,266 --> 00:32:42,946 Speaker 2: So like they sort of did it with a lot 626 00:32:42,946 --> 00:32:45,946 Speaker 2: of pressure to do it. When Paul Brown integrated the 627 00:32:45,986 --> 00:32:49,746 Speaker 2: Cleveland Browns and brought in Bill Willison, Mary Whatley, they 628 00:32:49,746 --> 00:32:51,986 Speaker 2: were in the you know, Arrival League, the AFC, they 629 00:32:51,986 --> 00:32:55,066 Speaker 2: were not in the NFL. You know, when Wellington Mara 630 00:32:55,866 --> 00:33:00,746 Speaker 2: picks up emlind Toell, like he picked them up because 631 00:33:00,946 --> 00:33:04,186 Speaker 2: I want emland to know to play for my team 632 00:33:04,226 --> 00:33:08,106 Speaker 2: to help them win, like you know, like so that 633 00:33:08,106 --> 00:33:11,666 Speaker 2: that that's really a milestone that doesn't get talked about enough. 634 00:33:11,906 --> 00:33:15,466 Speaker 2: And Emlontonelle was you know also from the moment he 635 00:33:15,506 --> 00:33:17,706 Speaker 2: was on the Giants like he was you know, he 636 00:33:17,746 --> 00:33:19,466 Speaker 2: was a giantings an assistant coach, like he was a 637 00:33:19,506 --> 00:33:22,426 Speaker 2: giant for life and a really really really important part 638 00:33:22,426 --> 00:33:25,066 Speaker 2: of the of the franchise, you know. And that's the 639 00:33:25,066 --> 00:33:27,146 Speaker 2: type of person that Willington Marrow was in a time 640 00:33:27,186 --> 00:33:29,066 Speaker 2: when not everybody thought like that. 641 00:33:29,986 --> 00:33:33,146 Speaker 1: Who are the other owners of that generation? Obviously that 642 00:33:33,266 --> 00:33:34,826 Speaker 1: we know the families, But who are some of the 643 00:33:34,906 --> 00:33:37,426 Speaker 1: lead voices and of course if you want to go 644 00:33:37,466 --> 00:33:39,746 Speaker 1: to Burt Bell and whoever else in the NFL side, 645 00:33:39,746 --> 00:33:42,106 Speaker 1: but like who are the who are the voices that 646 00:33:42,266 --> 00:33:44,026 Speaker 1: really were of great influence during that era? 647 00:33:44,626 --> 00:33:48,146 Speaker 2: So you know, really in the in the in the 648 00:33:48,146 --> 00:33:50,226 Speaker 2: forties and the fifties and the early sixties. You're talking 649 00:33:50,226 --> 00:33:52,706 Speaker 2: about Burt Bell, you're talking as the commissioner who used 650 00:33:52,706 --> 00:33:55,786 Speaker 2: to own the Philadelphia Eagles. You're talking about George Hollis, 651 00:33:56,746 --> 00:34:00,906 Speaker 2: You're talking about George Preston Marshall in Washington in Washington, 652 00:34:02,386 --> 00:34:05,026 Speaker 2: and Dan Reeves in Los Angeles. Those were the people 653 00:34:05,026 --> 00:34:08,306 Speaker 2: that were really you know, the larger gree Paul Brown 654 00:34:08,346 --> 00:34:10,386 Speaker 2: really spoke for the Cleveland Browns even though like. 655 00:34:10,346 --> 00:34:15,306 Speaker 1: He's yeah, that is that is that group. I know 656 00:34:15,346 --> 00:34:17,866 Speaker 1: we always talk about what do they call the afl ones, 657 00:34:17,986 --> 00:34:22,306 Speaker 1: the the fullish club, Like are the NFL owners Are 658 00:34:22,306 --> 00:34:24,106 Speaker 1: they worth a closer look? As you were doing your 659 00:34:24,146 --> 00:34:26,586 Speaker 1: research and putting this dock together, Like you know, we 660 00:34:26,906 --> 00:34:29,586 Speaker 1: got all these different you know, look back at time, 661 00:34:29,746 --> 00:34:32,106 Speaker 1: like the way that the NFL came together and those 662 00:34:32,186 --> 00:34:34,826 Speaker 1: voices working together to launch this thing, is that worth 663 00:34:34,826 --> 00:34:35,706 Speaker 1: another look. 664 00:34:35,906 --> 00:34:39,786 Speaker 2: Well part we get into part of that. Like one 665 00:34:39,826 --> 00:34:42,506 Speaker 2: of the most significant things that well, it was sort 666 00:34:42,506 --> 00:34:44,226 Speaker 2: of a two step thing, but one of the most 667 00:34:44,226 --> 00:34:46,466 Speaker 2: significant things that Wellington Mara did, Like he you know, 668 00:34:46,506 --> 00:34:49,066 Speaker 2: you talk about the letters, he kept detailed records. He 669 00:34:49,146 --> 00:34:52,786 Speaker 2: has notes from NFL league meetings. Like one of the 670 00:34:52,826 --> 00:34:55,226 Speaker 2: things we saw that was really cool was he showed 671 00:34:55,266 --> 00:34:57,026 Speaker 2: the profit and loss of the NFL teams in nineteen 672 00:34:57,066 --> 00:34:59,946 Speaker 2: fifty six, and team with the biggest profit, Detroit, made 673 00:34:59,946 --> 00:35:01,986 Speaker 2: like one hundred and twelve thousand dollars. Some teams are 674 00:35:01,986 --> 00:35:04,186 Speaker 2: losing thirty thousand dollars, so nobody's making any money. In 675 00:35:04,266 --> 00:35:07,346 Speaker 2: nineteen fifty six, Burt Bell the commission He's running the 676 00:35:07,426 --> 00:35:10,306 Speaker 2: league out of his house in Narborth, Pennsylvania. That's where 677 00:35:10,306 --> 00:35:13,226 Speaker 2: the league office was located. Was you know, he had 678 00:35:13,226 --> 00:35:14,986 Speaker 2: an office in Philadelphia. He never really went there and 679 00:35:15,026 --> 00:35:17,826 Speaker 2: it was a little tiny office. And when Burt Bell 680 00:35:17,986 --> 00:35:21,946 Speaker 2: dies in nineteen fifty nine and they need a new commissioner, 681 00:35:22,506 --> 00:35:25,586 Speaker 2: nobody can agree who on who it should be. George 682 00:35:25,586 --> 00:35:28,186 Speaker 2: Preston Marshall is very adamant that the league office needs 683 00:35:28,186 --> 00:35:31,626 Speaker 2: to move from Philadelphia to New York because that's where 684 00:35:31,666 --> 00:35:34,506 Speaker 2: the wire services are, That's where the television networks are, 685 00:35:34,546 --> 00:35:36,506 Speaker 2: That's where the advertisers are. If the NFL is going 686 00:35:36,586 --> 00:35:38,346 Speaker 2: to become a league where teams make more than one 687 00:35:38,386 --> 00:35:41,186 Speaker 2: hundred and twelve thousand dollars as a team an entire year, 688 00:35:41,426 --> 00:35:42,786 Speaker 2: they need to be in New York. Well, all the 689 00:35:42,786 --> 00:35:45,026 Speaker 2: people they want to hire they don't want to move 690 00:35:45,066 --> 00:35:47,386 Speaker 2: to New York, so they have to find someone else, 691 00:35:47,626 --> 00:35:50,426 Speaker 2: and they go through twenty three ballots. Allen Tamira is 692 00:35:50,466 --> 00:35:52,946 Speaker 2: the person who says, I think we should pick Pete 693 00:35:52,986 --> 00:35:56,226 Speaker 2: Roselle now Pete Rosell at that time, and the role 694 00:35:56,626 --> 00:35:59,426 Speaker 2: was Pete Roselle was. Pete Rosell was the general manager 695 00:35:59,426 --> 00:36:02,506 Speaker 2: of the Los Angeles Rams, and his claim to fame 696 00:36:02,586 --> 00:36:04,026 Speaker 2: was when he'd taken over the Rams, they were a 697 00:36:04,066 --> 00:36:05,866 Speaker 2: team that have played the championship game, and now they 698 00:36:05,866 --> 00:36:08,066 Speaker 2: were like a were a three were in team. He 699 00:36:08,106 --> 00:36:09,786 Speaker 2: had traded. He done the equivalent of what was the 700 00:36:09,786 --> 00:36:11,706 Speaker 2: herschel Walker trade of his year. He traded for a 701 00:36:11,746 --> 00:36:13,746 Speaker 2: running back named Allie Matts and it was incredible, but 702 00:36:13,826 --> 00:36:16,666 Speaker 2: he traded nine players for him. Wow, And and the 703 00:36:16,786 --> 00:36:19,266 Speaker 2: Rams were just getting worse and worse and worse, but 704 00:36:19,266 --> 00:36:23,546 Speaker 2: he was a very very good marketer, you know. But 705 00:36:23,586 --> 00:36:26,066 Speaker 2: Wellington Mara said, let's go with Pete rosel and pushed 706 00:36:26,146 --> 00:36:30,146 Speaker 2: him through. And then something that everybody had always wanted 707 00:36:30,186 --> 00:36:33,106 Speaker 2: to do but nobody had been able to get it done, 708 00:36:33,426 --> 00:36:35,866 Speaker 2: was how can we have a national TV contract instead 709 00:36:35,866 --> 00:36:39,306 Speaker 2: of each team making their own individual team contracts? Interesting, 710 00:36:39,426 --> 00:36:45,106 Speaker 2: and Tamara said, I'll do it, and I'll help you 711 00:36:45,146 --> 00:36:50,226 Speaker 2: do it, Pete rosel and I'll propose it and I'll 712 00:36:50,226 --> 00:36:53,066 Speaker 2: share them running equally. Let's do revenue sharing, you know, 713 00:36:53,106 --> 00:36:58,346 Speaker 2: because the whole problem contract right, green Bays making twenty 714 00:36:58,346 --> 00:37:00,826 Speaker 2: thousand dollars, ten thousand dollars on a TV contract and 715 00:37:00,826 --> 00:37:04,106 Speaker 2: and you know New York's making four hundred thousand. Wellington 716 00:37:04,066 --> 00:37:06,066 Speaker 2: Mara said, let's just do one big contract that Pete 717 00:37:06,106 --> 00:37:09,746 Speaker 2: Roselle negotiates and will spread all the money equally. And 718 00:37:09,786 --> 00:37:11,746 Speaker 2: if he hadn't done that, there'd be no Green Bay 719 00:37:11,786 --> 00:37:13,586 Speaker 2: and there'd be no Kansas City, and there would only 720 00:37:13,586 --> 00:37:16,346 Speaker 2: you know, yeah, the NFL would be like Major League Baseball. 721 00:37:16,546 --> 00:37:16,826 Speaker 1: Yeah. 722 00:37:16,866 --> 00:37:18,986 Speaker 2: But because Wallington Mara and the biggest market with the 723 00:37:18,986 --> 00:37:22,706 Speaker 2: most valuable team, said I'll share revenue just like he 724 00:37:22,746 --> 00:37:24,546 Speaker 2: shared his cheat sheet at the draft because it was 725 00:37:24,586 --> 00:37:28,346 Speaker 2: for the good of the league, you know, then everybody 726 00:37:28,346 --> 00:37:29,946 Speaker 2: else sort of had to, you know, had to get 727 00:37:29,946 --> 00:37:31,546 Speaker 2: in line and do it, whether they wanted to or not. 728 00:37:32,226 --> 00:37:36,866 Speaker 2: And that's really economically, that's the foundation of all of 729 00:37:36,906 --> 00:37:41,226 Speaker 2: the NFL's success is Wolling Tamera's willingness to do that. 730 00:37:41,906 --> 00:37:45,626 Speaker 1: A couple of years ago, I'm flipping through my channels 731 00:37:45,626 --> 00:37:48,186 Speaker 1: and I love documentaries, and I ended up watching like 732 00:37:48,226 --> 00:37:51,506 Speaker 1: a two hour documentary on John Kazell, the actor who 733 00:37:52,386 --> 00:37:55,786 Speaker 1: is only in five movies. All five movies were nominated 734 00:37:55,866 --> 00:37:59,506 Speaker 1: for Best Picture or one Best Picture. And he eventually 735 00:37:59,546 --> 00:38:02,506 Speaker 1: he's in The Godfather obviously he's Frado. Eventually passes away 736 00:38:02,506 --> 00:38:05,306 Speaker 1: at forty two, and then you know, thirty years later 737 00:38:05,306 --> 00:38:07,906 Speaker 1: they make a documentary about it, and and I came 738 00:38:07,946 --> 00:38:10,026 Speaker 1: away thinking like, wow, what a gift to his family. 739 00:38:10,666 --> 00:38:12,666 Speaker 1: This is how I feel about this. Wellington Marra has 740 00:38:12,706 --> 00:38:14,906 Speaker 1: been dead for you know, close to twenty years now, 741 00:38:15,306 --> 00:38:18,266 Speaker 1: and yet there hadn't been the love letter to Wellington 742 00:38:18,306 --> 00:38:20,666 Speaker 1: Marra and what he had done put on film yet. 743 00:38:21,106 --> 00:38:23,186 Speaker 1: Have you heard from John Mahra, Have you heard from 744 00:38:23,186 --> 00:38:25,426 Speaker 1: the Mara family about this gift. You've just provided their 745 00:38:25,466 --> 00:38:27,586 Speaker 1: family for legacies and for generations to come. 746 00:38:28,346 --> 00:38:30,626 Speaker 2: I think they're I think they're happy with it. But 747 00:38:30,826 --> 00:38:33,586 Speaker 2: you know, I think the thing everybody wants is for 748 00:38:34,666 --> 00:38:37,546 Speaker 2: football fans to be able to sort of see all 749 00:38:37,586 --> 00:38:41,026 Speaker 2: the things that he did that maybe don't realize it. 750 00:38:41,266 --> 00:38:45,226 Speaker 2: And and also just I think, you know, Wellington Marra 751 00:38:45,346 --> 00:38:48,746 Speaker 2: sort of put his whatever personality or identity into the Giants, 752 00:38:48,746 --> 00:38:50,746 Speaker 2: and it's in so many places in the league that 753 00:38:51,266 --> 00:38:54,706 Speaker 2: maybe we all don't realize. And then I was when 754 00:38:54,746 --> 00:38:56,946 Speaker 2: I first moved to the East Coast. You know, I 755 00:38:57,226 --> 00:39:00,146 Speaker 2: joined a fantasy football league and I'll never forget there 756 00:39:00,226 --> 00:39:02,706 Speaker 2: was a there was, you know, a rabid, foaming at 757 00:39:02,706 --> 00:39:06,346 Speaker 2: the mouth Eagles fan who would go berserk every week 758 00:39:06,426 --> 00:39:08,586 Speaker 2: and they're playing the Cowboys. But in fantasy football, so well, 759 00:39:08,586 --> 00:39:13,506 Speaker 2: I see myself as a Wellington Merrick that fantasy football 760 00:39:14,426 --> 00:39:16,786 Speaker 2: I was just like, really, I was really taken by 761 00:39:16,826 --> 00:39:21,026 Speaker 2: the fact that this is an easy maner Giants, but 762 00:39:21,146 --> 00:39:24,906 Speaker 2: in his mind the owner was supposed to be was 763 00:39:24,946 --> 00:39:27,746 Speaker 2: Wellington Mara. I love he would find people like that 764 00:39:28,666 --> 00:39:34,866 Speaker 2: in every NFL city, you know, who instinctively understood that 765 00:39:35,106 --> 00:39:39,066 Speaker 2: Wellington Mara you know, represented in the fact that it 766 00:39:39,106 --> 00:39:44,226 Speaker 2: was always the team above himself. I think that actually 767 00:39:44,226 --> 00:39:46,026 Speaker 2: meant a heck of a heck of a lot to people, 768 00:39:46,026 --> 00:39:48,866 Speaker 2: even though you know, maybe everybody hasn't always said that 769 00:39:48,906 --> 00:39:49,506 Speaker 2: really loudly. 770 00:39:49,986 --> 00:39:51,786 Speaker 1: I have a heck of a lot of things to 771 00:39:51,826 --> 00:39:53,706 Speaker 1: say about some of the current owners and some of 772 00:39:53,746 --> 00:39:56,586 Speaker 1: their behavior, but I guess it's better off, considering we 773 00:39:56,626 --> 00:39:58,546 Speaker 1: all work for the NFL, to just leave it at that. 774 00:39:58,626 --> 00:40:01,506 Speaker 1: Wellington Mara was always a gentleman. We'll just say that 775 00:40:02,146 --> 00:40:04,986 Speaker 1: you didn't see him doing a lot of media. You 776 00:40:04,986 --> 00:40:07,266 Speaker 1: didn't see him out there it see the story being 777 00:40:07,266 --> 00:40:09,266 Speaker 1: about him. If anything, he was in the background. And 778 00:40:09,266 --> 00:40:11,146 Speaker 1: there's such a gift that you have put this together 779 00:40:11,506 --> 00:40:14,386 Speaker 1: with your team at NFL Films real quick as we wrap. 780 00:40:15,026 --> 00:40:16,866 Speaker 1: When can we see it now? I know you got 781 00:40:16,866 --> 00:40:19,426 Speaker 1: an unlucky draw here with the Yankees playing the Dodgers 782 00:40:19,586 --> 00:40:23,146 Speaker 1: Friday night. That said, as is always the case of 783 00:40:23,186 --> 00:40:26,066 Speaker 1: these NFL films, films, they live on forever and you're 784 00:40:26,066 --> 00:40:28,266 Speaker 1: going to discover it. But where can we see it first? 785 00:40:28,306 --> 00:40:29,826 Speaker 1: And then where will it live from that point on. 786 00:40:30,306 --> 00:40:33,426 Speaker 2: It's going to premiere on NFL Network at eight pm. 787 00:40:33,466 --> 00:40:36,866 Speaker 2: On Friday, October twenty fifth, and then the Giants are 788 00:40:36,906 --> 00:40:38,106 Speaker 2: going to be showing the heck out of it and 789 00:40:38,266 --> 00:40:41,026 Speaker 2: NFL Network will be showing it quite frequently. 790 00:40:41,786 --> 00:40:45,506 Speaker 1: Can't wait, Neil, what a gift you've put together. I'm 791 00:40:45,546 --> 00:40:48,186 Speaker 1: so excited that this is that finally coming out. I've 792 00:40:48,186 --> 00:40:50,586 Speaker 1: been hearing about it for months and this was a 793 00:40:50,586 --> 00:40:54,186 Speaker 1: really cool conversation. I think our podcast we talked to 794 00:40:54,226 --> 00:40:57,386 Speaker 1: a lot of coaches in gms, but a true NFL 795 00:40:57,466 --> 00:41:00,546 Speaker 1: fan appreciates Wellington Mara, and a true NFL fan is 796 00:41:00,546 --> 00:41:02,346 Speaker 1: going to listen to this conversation and then go watch 797 00:41:02,346 --> 00:41:05,626 Speaker 1: the film. Appreciate your time, man. Congratulations, what a gift. 798 00:41:05,866 --> 00:41:07,866 Speaker 2: Oh that's great, thanks a lot. Peter really appreciate it. 799 00:41:16,946 --> 00:41:18,866 Speaker 1: All right. I love talking to Neil. I mean, this 800 00:41:19,026 --> 00:41:21,706 Speaker 1: is that's deep cut football stuff, and it's what I 801 00:41:21,746 --> 00:41:24,346 Speaker 1: want this podcast to be. And we could do a 802 00:41:24,386 --> 00:41:28,026 Speaker 1: reactionary podcast to DeAndre Hopkins being traded, but two days 803 00:41:28,106 --> 00:41:32,066 Speaker 1: later that dies. I think you learned something on this podcast, Aaron, 804 00:41:32,106 --> 00:41:34,506 Speaker 1: did you have any idea about the Forrest Gump of football, 805 00:41:34,546 --> 00:41:35,746 Speaker 1: mister Wellington Mara. 806 00:41:35,866 --> 00:41:38,786 Speaker 4: Not just the Forrest Gump of football, but the Alexander 807 00:41:38,826 --> 00:41:41,266 Speaker 4: Hamilton of football being in the room where it happens. 808 00:41:41,346 --> 00:41:45,386 Speaker 1: Yeah, no, I love that so interesting and you know, 809 00:41:45,826 --> 00:41:47,426 Speaker 1: you go look on YouTube and I don't want to 810 00:41:47,466 --> 00:41:49,506 Speaker 1: seal with shine from the documentary, but it's called like 811 00:41:49,546 --> 00:41:53,146 Speaker 1: the Chronicles of Wellington Mara and it's basically John Marra 812 00:41:53,746 --> 00:41:57,466 Speaker 1: just reading the war letters that were being sent that 813 00:41:57,466 --> 00:42:01,226 Speaker 1: he discovered in a shoe box after his father's death. 814 00:42:01,266 --> 00:42:03,626 Speaker 1: I mean, can I get chills think about it? And 815 00:42:03,626 --> 00:42:05,586 Speaker 1: it's like they're he's in the heart of battle here 816 00:42:06,186 --> 00:42:09,026 Speaker 1: elk naw and he's in you know, ew Gimi is 817 00:42:09,066 --> 00:42:12,026 Speaker 1: in all these major battles and didn't have to be 818 00:42:12,226 --> 00:42:14,826 Speaker 1: enlisted himself and was like, I'm gonna go fight for 819 00:42:14,906 --> 00:42:17,506 Speaker 1: our country. That stuff's the most notable stuff and of 820 00:42:17,546 --> 00:42:18,626 Speaker 1: a different time. 821 00:42:19,186 --> 00:42:23,906 Speaker 4: I'm gonna be in the like the deep, like the 822 00:42:23,946 --> 00:42:26,066 Speaker 4: depths of the war. And also I'm going to have 823 00:42:26,066 --> 00:42:28,666 Speaker 4: my draft. Guy, I'm going to be building out what 824 00:42:28,706 --> 00:42:31,106 Speaker 4: the cheat sheet is. I love the story about him. 825 00:42:31,466 --> 00:42:33,706 Speaker 4: He made the original cheat sheet and then just gave 826 00:42:33,746 --> 00:42:34,706 Speaker 4: it to everyone. 827 00:42:34,946 --> 00:42:39,026 Speaker 1: Let's be better, Yeah, yeah, let's let's share this very cool. 828 00:42:39,946 --> 00:42:43,426 Speaker 1: Neil Zender is the filmmaker. It's NFL Films it comes 829 00:42:43,466 --> 00:42:46,346 Speaker 1: out Friday. I referenced it in the interview. If you're 830 00:42:46,346 --> 00:42:48,546 Speaker 1: a New York sports fan, you're probably watching the Yankees. 831 00:42:48,626 --> 00:42:51,506 Speaker 1: But that's okay, because this thing will be all over 832 00:42:51,546 --> 00:42:55,906 Speaker 1: the place. Each week we are presented by Uber Eats 833 00:42:55,946 --> 00:42:59,106 Speaker 1: and I do a segment called the Season with Peter 834 00:42:59,146 --> 00:43:02,826 Speaker 1: Schrigger Delivering Results presented by Uber Eats, where we give 835 00:43:02,866 --> 00:43:05,026 Speaker 1: out an award for someone who delivered results, and this 836 00:43:05,106 --> 00:43:07,026 Speaker 1: week I want to give it to Keon Coleman, the 837 00:43:07,106 --> 00:43:10,106 Speaker 1: rookie wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills. They went and 838 00:43:10,146 --> 00:43:13,866 Speaker 1: acquired Amari Cooper and everyone was wondering, Okay, what's Cooper 839 00:43:13,906 --> 00:43:16,026 Speaker 1: gonna do? Well. Cooper played fine, he had a touchdown, 840 00:43:16,306 --> 00:43:19,826 Speaker 1: but Keon Coleman led all wide receivers in receiving yards 841 00:43:19,866 --> 00:43:22,746 Speaker 1: as a rookie. That's one hundred and twenty five receiving 842 00:43:22,826 --> 00:43:24,906 Speaker 1: yards and a big win against Tennessee as they look 843 00:43:24,986 --> 00:43:28,786 Speaker 1: towards a huge Week eight matchup against the Seahawks. On Fox, 844 00:43:29,226 --> 00:43:33,266 Speaker 1: Keon Coleman, second round pick out of Florida State, led 845 00:43:33,386 --> 00:43:35,986 Speaker 1: all receivers in football and receiving yards this week with 846 00:43:36,026 --> 00:43:38,186 Speaker 1: one hundred and twenty five. He's the first rookie to 847 00:43:38,346 --> 00:43:41,466 Speaker 1: do that since Jamar Chase did it in his twenty 848 00:43:41,506 --> 00:43:44,986 Speaker 1: twenty one season. In Week seven and Week seventeen, Keon 849 00:43:45,146 --> 00:43:48,266 Speaker 1: Coleman a great SoundBite, a great young man and a 850 00:43:48,306 --> 00:43:51,946 Speaker 1: great player that was delivering results. Presented by Uber Eats, 851 00:43:51,946 --> 00:43:53,866 Speaker 1: where you can get the best deals on game day 852 00:43:53,906 --> 00:43:57,786 Speaker 1: food all season long. It' see official on demand delivery 853 00:43:57,826 --> 00:44:01,106 Speaker 1: partner of the NFL. Go ahead and order now. We 854 00:44:01,186 --> 00:44:03,626 Speaker 1: got a great slate of games, but try to find 855 00:44:03,626 --> 00:44:07,906 Speaker 1: some time to watch that documentary. The Duke is what 856 00:44:07,986 --> 00:44:11,186 Speaker 1: it's called, and it's the Giant Life of Wellington Mara. 857 00:44:11,626 --> 00:44:13,106 Speaker 1: That is our show for this week. 858 00:44:13,346 --> 00:44:17,346 Speaker 5: Some great games ahead, Enjoy them till next week on 859 00:44:17,426 --> 00:44:20,506 Speaker 5: behalf of Peter Schrager on behalf of Jason English and 860 00:44:20,546 --> 00:44:23,986 Speaker 5: the entire iHeart team as well as the NFL network. 861 00:44:24,026 --> 00:44:26,426 Speaker 1: Folks, Thanks for listening. We'll be back next week with 862 00:44:26,546 --> 00:44:40,306 Speaker 1: some great stuff. The Season with Peter Schrager is a 863 00:44:40,346 --> 00:44:44,146 Speaker 1: production of the NFL in partnership with iHeartRadio. For more 864 00:44:44,146 --> 00:44:48,906 Speaker 1: podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, wherever 865 00:44:48,946 --> 00:44:50,266 Speaker 1: you get your podcasts.