Giants owner John Mara smiles as he leaves the field after a day of training camp on Aug. 9, 2021. Credit: James Escher
John Mara knows the difference.
He knows when there is reason for optimism about the season that lies ahead, and he knows if what he sees is false hope — even if he’d never publicly admit as much.
And while the Giants’ owner is cautiously optimistic about what 2021 holds for a team that hasn’t won a playoff game since its last Super Bowl win a decade ago, he understands a brutally honest assessment won’t occur until months from now.