John Harbaugh waited eight months for this moment, for this emotional post-9/11 night against the Cowboys, to represent New York and the New York Football Giants, to stand in front of the team that Bill Parcells and Tom Coughlin coached to Super Bowl championships.
Giants fans have waited 11 years since Coughlin left their sideline for a coach like this, who can make them proud again and make them believe that when they start chanting “Dee-fense! Dee-fense! Dee-fense!” in the fourth quarter, they won’t have to close their eyes and fantasize about Lawrence Taylor or Michael Strahan chasing down the quarterback, they can watch Brian Burns and Abdul Carter be closers.
And more than anyone, John Mara has been waiting for a head coach like this.
“I like the standard John is setting,” Mara told The Post. “There’s still a lot of work ahead of us, but today feels like a real step forward.”
