Giants’ Steve Tisch problem isn’t going away like they want

The Giants press corps has largely shied from team co-owner Steve Tisch’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein.

The Athletic broke the story (twice) and has continued to press the issue along with The Daily News and NJ.com. Everyone else has more or less ignored it. Which is exactly what the Giants were likely banking on, given the kid glove treatment they often enjoy around town. The shameful approach the team and NFL have taken — Tisch’s pathetic statement, commissioner Roger Goodell’s evasive pablum, weak comments from head coach John Harbaugh and general manager Joe Schoen, no acknowledgement of the untold number of people victimized by the late pedophile financier — works a lot easier when there are many unofficial house organs eager to play the tune too.

The national media, though, is a different story. Both ESPN and Pro Football Talk took aim at Tisch’s 400-plus appearances in the Epstein files on Friday. The respective reported columns are further proof this matter will not disappear like the Giants and league want it to — and a reminder of how beyond the pale that behavior has been.

ESPN’s Dan Wetzel reported the league continues to stand on Goodell’s mealy-mouthed comments at the Super Bowl. The commissioner vowed to examine the facts and determine if an investigation was warranted, but the league will not say where that process stands. Wetzel added that “owners and team executives familiar with league processes told ESPN recently that they don’t perceive much urgency on the matter,” but that they expect Tisch will likely sit out the upcoming annual NFL owner meeting. PFT’s Mike Florio then chimed in with a “high-level” employee with another team telling him that, “Steve has to go.”

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Both Florio and Wetzel continued to hit on the two undeniable truths of this entire situation:

1-Tisch has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing and nothing in the emails that suggests criminality. But at best he demonstrated colossally horrible judgment and enthusiastically and willingly associated with a convicted sex offender. He had a man who had pleaded guilty to child prostitution charges setting him up with much younger women. He asked Epstein if these women themselves were prostitutes and discussed them in lewd detail. And this is all documented.

2-The NFL’s personal conduct policy does not require criminal charges or a conviction for action and discipline. And owners are supposedly held to the highest standard. What credibility does the league have if Tisch is not investigated?

It is mind-boggling that we have even gotten to this point. Florio wrote the NFL could be hoping the Giants themselves shuffle Tisch off the stage so it does not have to act. While that is not exactly a principled approach, it would make sense if this was still the early days of the story. Getting Tisch, who just turned 77, to relinquish his roles as chairman and executive vice president always made the most sense. He hasn’t spoken publicly in years and was not involved in the day-to-day operations of the team, except when getting reporters to claim he was taking more charge during coaching searches. Siblings Jonathan and Laurie Tisch are both capable of taking over as the family’s front-facing rep. He wouldn’t even have to divest his ownership stake — and who even knows how much of the Tisches’ 45% is actually his alone.

But we are a month in now. The Giants clearly are not pursuing that avenue. At some point the NFL has to realize it cannot continue to sit on its hands. If it does, it makes you wonder if the other owners mentioned in Epstein’s files — none to the salacious extent of Tisch — are pressuring Goodell to stand pat out because they fear opening Pandora’s box. But even if that is the case, the wisdom is questionable. Because it seems quite possible — if not likely — Tisch could be subpoenaed to testify before Congress at some point. He is a billionaire Hollywood producer, NFL team owner and prominent Democratic donor who not only associated with Epstein, but engaged with him in a way that is shockingly tethered to his evil actions. Why wouldn’t the House or Senate want to talk to him?

The NFL (and the Giants) have a strong history of doing the right thing after exhausting all other options. It appears that will be the case here. They will eventually have to deal with Tisch because this is not going to go away like they hope. But they will continue to disgrace themselves in the meantime while trying.