Steve Tisch expects Giants’ investments will gradually pay off
New York Giants Chairman & Executive Vice President Steve Tisch attends a Giants news conference on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016. Credit: Kathleen Malone-Van Dyke
BOCA RATON, Fla. — The spending of over $200 million in free-agency contracts this month by the Giants has signaled urgency, and the NFL certainly has shown it is possible for teams to U-turn from terrible to triumphant very quickly. But co-owner Steve Tisch told Newsday on Monday at the NFL’s annual meetings that he doesn’t look at this offseason’s moves as a get-rich-quick plan.
“This is going to be a real work in progress,” he said of the rebuilding of the roster and the changing of the coaching staff.
Even with all of the money the Giants threw at the free agents they have so far signed and added to the defense? Tisch put it in blunt financial terms.
“If banks are paying one-and-a-half percent, I’m not unrealistic,” he said of how quickly he expects to see his and John Mara’s investment pay off. “I think it will be sort of a slow, steady, progressive, positive return on investment. It will be paying more than most banks are paying, I hope.
“I think John and I, we’ve always had very realistic expectations,” Tisch added. “I don’t think our expectations are unrealistic.”
The Giants have missed the playoffs four straight years after winning a Super Bowl in the 2011 season, and only a handful of players from that squad remain. They also made a coaching change for the first time in a dozen years, ushering Tom Coughlin to the door while hiring Ben McAdoo. And, of course, they made the lavish purchases in free agency by signing Olivier Vernon, Damon Harrison and Janoris Jenkins. The three of them received over $100 million in guaranteed money.
Tisch characterized the changes — in personnel and apparent philosophy — as “very exciting.” He said he believes the free-agency additions in particular have energized the fans, the returning players and the coaching staff.
“And John Mara and I are the ones who are excited and nervous,” he said of footing the bill. “We’re hyphenates.”
Tisch admitted that the big-money purchases are “somewhat uncharacteristic” of the Giants’ long history, but added that such maneuvers are “the reality of the NFL in 2016.” He called the splurges a “perfect storm” of salary-cap space, need and players available.
“If not now, when?” he asked.
That’s what fans have been asking for four playoff-less years. And while Tisch may be reining in his expectations a bit on how quickly they Giants can return to significance, knowing that it could take a while, he’s also aware that it might happen very quickly too.
“There’s going to be an energy, an enthusiasm in the locker room that may seem like an intangible, but I do think we’ll see it on the field this year,” he said. “If that ‘perfect storm’ keeps growing, I’m going to feel very very good about the Giants in 2016. My fingers are crossed.”
Tom Rock began covering sports for Newsday in 1996 and became its NFL columnist in 2022. He previously was Newsday's Giants beat writer beginning in 2008.
