House of Reps honors Mara (1 Viewer)

[Bri]

House of Representatives Honors Wellington Mara: The U.S. House of Representatives yesterday passed House Resolution 517, authored by U.S. Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr. The legislation expresses condolence and recognizes the profound contributions that Wellington Mara made to the New York Giants Football Club, the National Football League (NFL), and the United States of America.

"I have long admired the selfless way that Wellington Mara lived his life, and shaped the NFL," said Pascrell. "This resolution is a national gesture that's a fitting token of appreciation for a great American."

"Our family is extremely humbled by Representative Pascrell's resolution in honor of my father and its passage by the House," said Giants' President and Chief Executive Officer John Mara. "The last thing he would ever want is to be singled out for what he did in his life and the way in which he lived it. He simply tried to do the right thing as best he could, and while he would shudder at the recognition, we, his family, are greatly appreciative."

Mara was named a Giants' co-owner by his father in 1930. Since the team's inception in 1925, the Giants have won six NFL titles, appeared in 17 NFL championship games, won three NFC Championships, and won 20 divisional/conference titles. It was Wellington Mara's decision to share television revenues equally among all NFL teams that led to the collective success of the League as a whole. In 1997, Mara was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame.

also

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=hr109-517

 

[Bri]

also FYI

NFL Honors Wellington Mara: On the opening day of the NFL Annual Meeting (aka the owners meeting) yesterday, all 32 NFL franchises unanimously endorsed a recommendation to return the name of the NFL's official game ball to "The Duke" in honor of the late Giants owner Wellington Mara, who passed away in October 2005.

As a youngster, Wellington Mara was given the nickname "The Duke" by Giants players. The NFL first used a ball in honor of Mara called "The Duke" in 1941 at the suggestion of Chicago Bears owner George Halas, who had helped arrange with Giants owner Tim Mara (Wellington's father) for Wilson to become the league's official supplier of game balls. Thus, the NFL game ball was known as "The Duke" from 1941-1969. The practice ended in 1970 with the NFL-AFL league merger.

NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue made the announcement during his opening remarks at the NFL Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL. Tagliabue then presented Ann Mara, Wellington's wife of 51 years, and team president John Mara with the first "Duke" football.

"My mother and our family are grateful to Commissioner (Paul) Taguliabue and the rest of the league for the return to ‘The Duke' football," said John Mara, the oldest of Wellington Mara's 11 children and his successor as the Giants' president. "My father treasured his association with the game. He loved his relationships with the players, the coaches, the scouts, the equipment people, the trainers, all the people who make our game possible. ‘The Duke' football is a fitting acknowledgement of those relationships and my father's devotion to our league and our sport."

 

[ThisGuy]

Couldn't have happened to a nicer guy!

 

[Mr. Sparkle]

very nice.

 

[-OZ-]

That's great, but "giving someone the Duke" sounds sexual.

 

[houndirish]

Quite the honor for one of the NFL's good guy's. It's a good thing he had a nickname too. The "Wellington" may not have fit on the ball.

 

[BlueOnion]

Not a [football] day goes by that I don't acknowledge the league as it is today and what Wellington Mara did for it.

 

[BassNBrew]

Great...so moss can drop a Dukie by the goal post.

Glad to see our Congress earning their pay again also.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

John Wayne called. He wants his nickname back.

 

[ThisGuy]

John Wayne called. He wants his nickname back.

I think Mr. Mara had it Looooooong before Mr. Wayne.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

John Wayne called. He wants his nickname back.

I think Mr. Mara had it Looooooong before Mr. Wayne.

I think more people think of Wayne when you say "the Duke" than think of Mara.

 

[ThisGuy]

John Wayne called. He wants his nickname back.

I think Mr. Mara had it Looooooong before Mr. Wayne.

I think more people think of Wayne when you say "the Duke" than think of Mara.

Mara's named after a food or royalty.Wayne's real name is a woman's name.

Advantage = Mara.

 

[ConstruxBoy]

John Wayne called. He wants his nickname back.

I think Mr. Mara had it Looooooong before Mr. Wayne.

I think more people think of Wayne when you say "the Duke" than think of Mara.

Mara's named after a food or royalty.Wayne's real name is a woman's name.

Advantage = Mara.

"I wouldn't have said that if I were you"

 

[BlueOnion]

Glad to see our Congress earning their pay again also.

I would much rather them spend their time playing social police instead of legislating new ways to spend money - and consequently new ways to collect the money to support the new spending.Just my two-cents.

 

[Bri]

Glad to see our Congress earning their pay again also.

I'm sensing sarcasm.I don't find anything wrong with them voting to honor a great american. If anything it makes them take notice of a better person than some of them(if not all) are.