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Giants Will Be Spared More Plane-towing Messages Due to Weather Concerns (Report)

Fans will have to find another way to express their displeasure after weather concerns force the cancellation of banner-towing aircraft for Sunday.

Patricia Traina

A banner is being flown from an airplane above MetLife Stadium, imploring New York Giants team ownership to fix the team.
A banner is being flown from an airplane above MetLife Stadium, imploring New York Giants team ownership to fix the team. / Patricia Traina for New York Giants On SI
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Grounded! Despite the last banner towing plane circling MetLife Stadium’s vow to not stop with its messages urging New York Giants co-owner John Mara to fix the leadership structure of the 2-13 team, the next round of planes that had been commissioned to fly over MetLife Stadium before the New York Giants’ 2024 regular-season home finale against the Indianapolis Colts have been grounded.  

According to a report by the New York Post, High Exposure Aerial Advertising has canceled three different banner-towing planes ordered by upset fans to deliver their dissatisfaction with the team on Sunday due to weather concerns. 

Sunday’s weather forecast in the East Rutherford area currently calls for a high of 59 degrees and a low of 52, with a 58% chance of rain and 11 MPH winds fronting the southeast. The rain is currently forecasted for the morning hours with clouds to come in the afternoon. 

With the Giants' season spiraling out of control, a group of angry fans has taken to the friendly skies to urge Giants co-owner John Mara to “fix this dumpster fire” and to “fire everyone. " The latter message is believed to refer to head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen. 

The person(s) behind the plane rentals have never been fully identified, though one gentleman who identified himself as “Miguel” did make a brief appearance on a recent “Talkin’ Giants” podcast episode.

Mara and Schoen have not publicly discussed the planes or anything related to the team. Daboll has claimed not to have seen them since his focus has been on the games and has refused to comment on the messages when told of them.

The players, meanwhile, have also mostly downplayed the messages flown overhead, usually around the time the team takes to the field for warmups.  

FAA regulations state in part that banner-towing aircraft must be able to operate in Visual Flight Rules (VFR) only. This means that weather conditions such as cloud cover would pose a safety hazard for such aircraft. 

Also, windy conditions can make flight conditions unsafe for the aircraft operator due to their slow speed in ensuring the message is seen.

According to NJ Advance Media, two of the three messages that would have been put on display by the planes are as follows:

  • “Mr. Mara — enough… Clean house or sell the team.”
  • “Are drones searching for Giants wins at home?”

NJ Advance Media also reported that another plane has been chartered to fly over Lincoln Financial Field, where the Giants will face the Philadelphia Eagles on January 5. That plane will tow the message, "TY NY for No. 26," a reference to running back Saquon Barkley, whom the Giants lost to the Eagles in free agency.

The Giants are trying to avoid their first winless season since relocating to MetLife Stadium in 2010. Their game this year against the Colts is a far cry from a couple of years ago when the Giants went on to clinch a postseason berth in a home win over Indianapolis, their first since 2016 and the first postseason berth under the Schoen-Daboll era.

These days, the Colts are trying to hang onto their postseason hopes, which took a hit with the Chiefs' win on Christmas Day.

Indianapolis is vying for the seventh seed in the AFC postseason tournament, but they would need a win against the Giants and for Denver and the Chargers to lose their respective games.

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Patricia Traina
PATRICIA TRAINA

Patricia Traina has covered the New York Giants for 30+ seasons, and her work has appeared in multiple media outlets, including The Athletic, Forbes, Bleacher Report, and the Sports Illustrated media group. As a credentialed New York Giants press corps member, Patricia has also covered five Super Bowls (three featuring the Giants), the annual NFL draft, and the NFL Scouting Combine. She is the author of The Big 50: The Men and Moments that Made the New York Giants. In addition to her work with New York Giants On SI, Patricia hosts the Locked On Giants podcast. Patricia is also a member of the Pro Football Writers of America and the Football Writers Association of America.

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