ALBANY — There is an other football team in town with sky-high expectations. This one wears blue. This one you will not see on HBO’s Hard Knocks.
“It’s just not something we’re interested in doing,” Giants co-owner John Mara told The Post yesterday. “Our focus in training camp is getting the team prepared for the football season.
“We’re not looking to be TV stars.”
They’re looking only to bring a fourth Super Bowl championship to New York.
“I just know there’s enough talent here for our team to be very competitive and to be in the hunt at the end of the season,” Mara said. “Saying it and doing it are two different things. It’s not a rebuilding year for us.”
Does in the hunt mean in the Super Bowl hunt?
“Of course,” Mara said. “If you go into the season not having those goals and those expectations, then you’re in the wrong business. My father [the late, great Wellington Mara] used to say, ‘I hope for the best and expect the worst.’ I’m not expecting the worst [chuckle]. I expect this team to play up to their potential.”
You can only imagine what Mara’s car rides home from the old stadium were like following Big Blue’s disintegration at the end of last season.
“They weren’t very pleasant . . . there was not a lot of conversation with my family in the car,” Mara said. “It was very tough for me to stomach, particularly the last home game there. You just don’t expect to see that. But we’re not focused on last season.”
The Giants had expected their Super Bowl XLII championship season to be the start of an exhilarating run.
“The talent level in this league is so evenly spread out,” Mara said. “It comes down to staying healthy, getting a few breaks and getting good leadership on your team and coaching staff. I think we have all those elements in place. Let’s see what happens now.”
Giants Pride happens now.
“One thing you expect out of your players is they give 100 per cent, and to realize when you put the uniform on, it means something,” Mara said. “They’re representing a lot of years of tradition and history. They’re representing millions of Giant fans in this area who want this team to do very well.”
In a wide-ranging interview, Mara addressed a myriad of other subjects:
TOM COUGHLIN ON THE HOT SEAT: “That’s such BS. How would you have expected me to respond [when the season ended and he growled that mediocrity is unacceptable] to the way we finished last season? We’re not going into the season thinking anybody’s on the hot seat. I’m very happy with the football staff we have here.”
ELI MANNING A TOP 5 QUARTERBACK: I think he can be; I think he’s pretty close to that right now. He’s won a lot of games for us. He’s getting better every year.”
PLAXICO BURRESS: “I hope he is released from jail soon and allowed to resume his career. I think he has a number of quality years left.”
BURRESS RETURNING TO GIANTS: “We haven’t discussed that as an organization. I wouldn’t rule it out. . . . We do like the group of receivers we have right now.”
PSLs: Approximately 1250 Club seats, [predominantly $7500 and $12,500] remain. “I think we will be sold out by the [regular-season] opener.”
WATCHING (THE JETS ON) HARD KNOCKS: “I’m so excited it’s hard for me to focus on anything else [laugh].”