Dolphins' use of Giants' facility irks Jets
FILE - New York Giants owner John Mara speaks during the second day of mini camp at Giants Stadium. (June 16, 2009) Credit: Newsday / Howard Schnapp
Dolphins owner Steve Ross asked Giants owner John Mara last month if it would be all right for the Dolphins to use the Giants' training facility for two practices before Sunday's game against the Jets at New Meadowlands Stadium. Mara said it wouldn't be a problem, and figured that was the end of it.
But the unprecedented arrangement caused a minor kerfuffle this week. Some members of the Jets organization privately questioned the propriety of the arrangement, especially considering that the Giants and Jets combined financial forces to build a $1.6-billion stadium.
Mara acknowledged Wednesday that he should have called Jets owner Woody Johnson when he signed off on the plan to let the Dolphins practice at the Giants' indoor facility Fridayand Saturday.
"I did not consider it a big deal," Mara said. "I would not have considered it a big deal if another team was using the Jets facility . In retrospect, I wish I had called Woody and asked him about it first, because my relationship with him and the Jets is far more important to me and to this organization than my relationship with the Dolphins."
The Giants and Jets have had their share of minor squabbles over the years, most related to stadium construction, but also over which team would play the first game at their new facility. But Mara insisted the teams' relationship is fine.
"Our relationship with Woody, our relationship with the Jets has never been better," Mara said. "We have a million decisions to make going forward, and this partnership is too important to me to jeopardize it by doing something like this."
Johnson was unavailable for comment. Jets coach Rex Ryan didn't make a big deal of it, either. "It's their facility," Ryan said. "They can do anything they want with it."
Ryan did say, however, that he wouldn't want another team using the Jets' facility.
The Dolphins usually arrive the day before a game against the Jets, but the team will attend the Broadway show "Lombardi" Friday night.
"I just think getting down there in that environment is always good from our end," Dolphins coach Tony Sparano said. "We have played in cold weather before, but it's 65 degrees here today. This isn't the first time I've done this. We've gone to high school fields a couple times.''
