Giants owner finds one NFL rule proposal ‘abusive’ to fans

Dec 29, 2017; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New York Giants president and chief executive officer John Mara holds a press conference introducing New York Giants general manager Dave Gettleman (not pictured) at Quest Diagnostics Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

New York Giants owner John Mara is vehemently opposed to one change the NFL’s owners are proposing.

NFL owners would like to make “Thursday Night Football” games subject to flex scheduling the way “Sunday Night Football” is. This possibility would allow the league to swap out less exciting matchups on Thursday nights to more enticing ones.

Though that sounds good on paper, Mara takes issue with it. He believes the possibility would be “really inconsiderate” to the team’s ticket holders.

“To flex a game back to Thursday night to me is just abusive, and I’m adamantly opposed to it,” Mara said Tuesday.

Giants’ John Mara is “adamantly opposed” to TNF flex scheduling proposal pic.twitter.com/JIUoo5kTec

— Charlotte Carroll (@charlottecrrll) March 29, 2023

For now, the proposal to make Thursday night games subject to flex scheduling has been tabled until May.

The NFL needs 24 owners in favor of the measure for it to go forward. According to Albert Breer, 22 owners are in favor but two abstained. Eight owners, including Mara, are opposed.

My understanding is the vote count in the room (no official vote was taken) for the tabled TNF flex proposal was as follows …

• 22 owners for it.
• 8 owners against it.
• 2 owners abstaining.

We’ll see if Roger Goodell, who was pushing for it, can get to 24 votes in May.

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) March 29, 2023