General manager Jerry Reese kicked off Giants training camp by putting everyone on notice, including himself.
His boss hasn’t read anyone the riot act, but that doesn’t mean he’s remotely satisfied with what has gone down lately.
“I think more about the three out of four than I do the Super Bowl,’’ Giants co-owner John Mara told The Post yesterday. “It’s sort of the glass is half empty.’’
The “three out of four’’ is how many times the Giants missed the playoffs since 2009, a stretch Reese said is “not acceptable’’ and “not our standards.’’ Mara wasn’t displeased Reese grabbed everyone’s attention, but he has not issued a similar threat to his employees.
“We haven’t officially laid down the law that everybody is on notice, but you miss the playoffs three out of four years and that stings a little bit,’’ Mara said while watching practice yesterday. “Yeah, it’s an important year for us, but I’m not one to issue ultimatums or anything like that. That’s just not the way to do business. But missing the playoffs three out of four years, particularly when there’s this perception that we’ve been so successful, definitely stings a little bit.’’
Mara said he feels “mixed emotions’’ about the past four seasons even though his franchise earned a shiny new Lombardi Trophy during that span.
“Yeah, we’re one year away from the Super Bowl, but that seems like a distant memory at this point,’’ he said. “I still remember blowing the big lead from last year where it looked like we were going to waltz into the playoffs.’’
Veteran guard Chris Snee, entering his 10th season, thinks Reese’s “on notice’’ salvo means: “Do your job, play the way this organization trained you, that’s why they brought you in here, that’s why they re-signed you, however you got here, there’s that expectation for you to perform the way they expect you to and you expect of yourself.’’
Last year’s inconsistency was maddening to Snee, and it doesn’t sound as if he has gotten over it.
“It doesn’t sit well with me, that whole offseason, having to watch playoffs and watching teams we played so well against, like the 49ers, and watching them continue to play, it’s tough to do,’’ Snee said.
Snee said he recently was made aware the Giants’ practice facility will be used for the NFC team in Super Bowl XLVIII.
“I tell you, I got angry when I heard that,’’ said Snee, conjuring up images of the Redskins or, heaven forbid, the Cowboys, working on the Giants’ fields, inhabiting their locker room, breathing in their Big Blue air.
“Just doesn’t seem right if it’s someone besides us,’’ Snee said.
Mara is not exactly thrilled with the idea of NFC rivals entering his building and making themselves at home.
“That would be tough to see,’’ Mara said. “So let’s make sure it doesn’t happen.’’
That may sound like an ultimatum, but it isn’t. It’s not Mara’s way, although he did go somewhat ballistic after back-to-back losses by a combined 85-16 to end the 2009 season, basically putting everyone’s job on the line.
He’s not about to do that to Reese and coach Tom Coughlin.
“We have guys here who are professionals,’’ Mara said. “I don’t need to do anything to motivate this head coach or this general manager or anybody on their staffs. They all know there’s a sense of urgency to try to win. We don’t need to be issuing win-or-else ultimatums. Everybody feels as much pressure as I do.’’
Mara likes this team and is interested in seeing how so many players with only one year on their contracts will mesh and perform, knowing they are on make-good seasons.
“You’d like to think they’d be extra motivated,’’ he said.
Motivated, but not put on notice by the owner. At least not yet.