Raider Nation
Devil's Advocate
Don't know if anyone else caught the premiere, but it was awesome. Tonight was part 1 of 4.
TRAILER
Here is the story:
TRAILER
Here is the story:
John Mara sounded alive and well on the phone Monday, so the first question was obvious: Why did a guy who once said the Giants would appear on "Hard Knocks" over his dead body green-light "Finding Giants," a series built on an un-Giants-like level of access, including video and (gasp!) audio from their draft room?
Mara credited the persistence of producer Philip Michelson, who conceived the four-part series that premieres on NFL Network at 9 Tuesday night, and also the warm feelings John's father, the late co-owner Wellington, had for scouts.
"That was a huge part of it," said Mara, the team's president. "His favorite people in the organization were always scouts. He enjoyed spending time with them and being in draft meetings. I think he always considered himself an old-time scout."
The series follows Giants scouts through the yearlong cycle leading up to the 2014 draft as they scour North America in search of talent -- a lonely, often tedious job that inevitably puts strains on families.
But their work is the heartbeat of an organization, especially in the form of late-round picks and undrafted players.
Exhibit A: tight end Larry Donnell, whom the Giants signed as a free agent in March 2012, developed on their practice squad, then scored three touchdowns in the first half in Thursday night's win.
It will take time before we know how many players found on "Finding Giants" pay off, but the series shows intriguing behind-the-scenes moments that set the stage.
We hear team officials drool over wide receiver Odell Beckham's speed at the scouting combine, project Weston Richburg for starting center duty during an all-star game and debate the merits of taking safety Nat Berhe on the final day of the draft.
The show is not about players, it is about scouts, and it is an eye-opener. Initially Mara had to convince general manager Jerry Reese it was a good idea, and some scouts initially were wary, too. That did not last long. "Some of our scouts were pretty enthusiastic," Mara said, laughing. "They think they're going to be up for Emmy Awards . . . They enjoyed it, and it was fun for the rest of us to watch them in that setting and tease them about it."