John Mara won’t come right out and say who he would like to see represent the NFC in Super Bowl XLVIII, but it is impossible for the Giants’ co-owner to keep secret his rooting interest in the Panthers.
“For me, having them in the building Super Bowl week would not be the least painful thing at all, in fact it would be kind of fun, actually,’’ Mara told The Post. “I certainly can’t say the same about some of these other teams.’’
The team that captures the NFC title gets to practice at the Giants’ facility the week leading up to the big game, and Mara is hoping that team is wearing Carolina blue, because Dave Gettleman is the Panthers’ first-year general manager.
“I’d be welcoming back an old friend,’’ Mara said.
Indeed, there are warm feelings in and around the Giants for Gettleman, who spent 14 years scouting and suggesting players as the team’s Director of Player Personnel, going about his business as a colorful and unanimously popular employee who helped the Giants get to three Super Bowls and win two of them.
“I follow them pretty closely, been very happy with their success other than the third game of the season where they just kicked our asses up and down the field,’’ Mara said.
Heading into Week 3 this past season, the Giants and Panthers both were 0-2, and the word coming out of Carolina was that coach Ron Rivera was on the hot seat. The Panthers routed the Giants 38-0, but were 1-3 before winning 11 of their last 12 games to go 12-4, win the NFC South title and claim the No. 2 seed in the conference heading into Sunday’s divisional playoff game against the 49ers at Bank of America Stadium.
“[Gettleman] should be Executive of the Year,’’ former Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi told The Post. “I don’t know who could challenge him. He brought a lot more than just some players. He brought some cohesiveness, the way he treated the coach, he gave the coach the confidence to know he’s not a lame duck. He was genuine about it, like he is about everything. It’s just thrilling to see him go through this.’’
Not surprisingly, Gettleman turned down an interview request.
“He feels the focus should be on the coaches and players,’’ said Charlie Dayton, the Panthers’ director of communications.
Also not surprisingly, Gettleman quickly has become an engaging person and personality around the Panthers.
“I think Dave has been very instrumental,’’ Rivera told the Post. “I think a lot of things that we’ve gone through this season, the things that he’s helped direct and put into play for us have been very beneficial and have worked out very well. Based on the free agency we’ve done, the things that we’ve done as far as getting the salary cap in hand, the draft picks, I mean all that stuff has really come into play.
“And, quite honestly, the relationship that he and I have developed, the relationship he’s developed with our coaches and our players, has been tremendous.’’
Gettleman, 62, got into football as a high school teacher and coach in Poughkeepsie. He was hired by Accorsi and the Giants in 1998 and quickly became a trusted executive, renowned for his uncanny ability to immediately spit out information on any and every player in the league.
“I don’t care what time of the day or when you walked in there or how busy he was, if you went in and said, ‘Who’s Seattle’s fifth corner?’ boom, right away you get a synopsis, and he didn’t have to look it up,’’ Accorsi said.
Accorsi credits Gettleman for leading the way in acquiring Lomas Brown, Dusty Ziegler and Glenn Parker — offensive linemen who helped get the Giants to Super Bowl XXXV — and Plaxico Burress, Antonio Pierce and Kareem McKenzie, key components on the Super Bowl XLII winner.
Along the way, Gettleman — with his Boston accent, roundish physique and upbeat personality — became a cherished member of the organization.
“He was definitely one of the most if not the most popular guys in the building, without question,’’ Mara said. “Everybody from the kitchen staff to everybody else enjoyed him. He’d walk into the cafeteria wearing gym shorts and sandals, singing a song — he had an absolutely horrendous voice — but he was not able to be embarrassed. That was one of his endearing qualities.’’
Gettleman wanted to move up the ranks and become an NFL general manager. Accorsi retired after the 2006 season and Gettleman finished second to Jerry Reese in 2007 for the Giants’ GM job.
“That was a tough call, it really was,’’ Mara recalled. “We could have gone any number of directions, but you have to make a choice and we went with Jerry, and certainly we have never looked back at that.’’
Interest from the Bills, Chiefs and Browns (twice) did not land Gettleman a GM position, and heading into the 2012 season, resigned that it wasn’t going to happen for him, Gettleman took a step back and became, in effect, a part-timer with the Giants.
“He had been passed over so many times, I know it really worn him down to the point where a year ago he had pretty much given up on the idea of ever being a general manager,’’ Mara said.
The Panthers after the 2012 season were in the market for a new general manager and, in a stroke of luck for Gettleman, Carolina owner Jerry Richardson hired Accorsi as a consultant to help with the search. Accorsi gave Richardson four candidates — Gettleman and Marc Ross from the Giants, Jim Popp from the Montreal Alouettes and Lake Dawson from the Titans.
“I could only present them. He asked me for my opinion at the end, but he fell in love with Dave right away,’’ Accorsi said.
“He more so than anyone,’’ Mara said, “deserved to be a general manager.’’