This is a little meta…
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- January
- 22
Now that we’ve gotten the news out of the way, I’m going to give you my personal take on what yesterday was like.
In the Eric Mangini era, assistant coaches were not allowed to talk to reporters (other than the NFL mandate of every other week). Mangini feared that if he made, say, war hero Ben Kotwika available for a Veteran’s Day story, that it would make the other coaches jealous and eventually Jimmy Raye and Brian Daboll might succumb to the desire to stab him with plastic sporks in the cafeteria.
So yesterday the scribes asked new coach Rex Ryan if we would be able to speak to assistants and his response was along the lines of, “Sure, why not.”
Is that a choir I hear? Is the snow melting already?
Now, I’m not necessarily thinking Ryan is the Jets savior. The odds are against him, as they are against every one who has taken that job since 1970. But I do believe that he will make it easier for us to get to know the players and coaches on this team and, by extension, for you to find out about your team.
A few examples—reporters and cameras were led to the auditorium yesterday. This was the first time we’d seen much of the interior of the new Jets facility. In fact, reporters are so used to being led around the building rather than through hallways that two writers walked outside by rote to get to the media room, when the interior doors were open and unlocked. Mangini was afraid we might see something on the way to the field or lockers.
A wall in the small media room will be knocked down to make the place larger. It’s a move tangible and symbolic.
I asked Woody Johnson yesterday if this openness would continue and he assured me it would, that he felt the fans haven’t gotten a chance to know the players.
Players have been given media training over the years to teach them how not to talk to reporters. It’s made finding an interesting piece of information very difficult. If players can be themselves, it certainly makes them more relatable.
Now, if you think I’m just being a whiny prima donna, (and oh, I’ve been called worse), I ask you this: Did such restrictive policies make the Jets better? Did it help them win?
The answer is that the militaristic mindset alienated players and ultimately led to Mangini’s downfall. Whether the new good vibes can help the Jets win remains to be seen.
UPDATE 5:15: Johnson said on the Michael Kay Show that he had spoken to offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and expects that Schotty will stay. Ryan and Schotty had a meeting scheduled for today.
This entry was posted
on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 at 6:14 pm by Jane McManus.
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Jane McManus 
It wasn’t just Mangini who handcuffed the players. Tannebaum also had something to do with it. The both of them double-talked every question presented to them. I also noticed Tannebaums name didn’t come up that much at Ryans’ press conference. I think he is skating on thin ice. Mangini was his man. And Woody said that he took more of an interest in this search. I think the reason he was on vacation is because he knew who he wanted and let Tannebaum conduct interviews so it would look like he was a part of the search.
Let’s welcome the new era of candidness with open arms.
I would hug Rex, if I thought I had any chance of my hands getting near each other on the other side….
Now I want to preface this by saying that I remain optimistic about next year, but; won’t it be funny to watch Schottenheimer address the media directly, after pitching one of his stinker game plans next season? That ought to be a little extra incentive for him to get it right, while he is busy attempting to package himself as a head coach candidate.
Bob scores another humor bull’s eye! Nice point by David. Interesting take by Joe: intriguing stuff to think about regarding the brass. I agree with Erik.
No name-calling among some of this blog’s classiest contributors. Fun stuff to read in the morning. No need for virtual Rolaids.
I second Alex. And Joe B you are dead on that Tannenbaum is also responsible for the policy, but it looks like he has been overruled on that.
I noticed that Woody was immediately burned on his new openness when he said he might have a “mental defect” for picking two coaches so opposite in personality, and the Cowher admissions, but I appreciate Johnson’s candor. Sounds like Cowher was never a real option anyway.
I saw on ESPN Mel kipers mock draft last night.He had th Jets Picking Pevey(wr) out of Fla.@pick 17.
With Ryan here ya think thats gonna happen?
I’ve always been a Packer fan, always will be. I wouldn’t call myself a Jet’s fan as I have always admitted that I began watching your team because Brett was playing in NY. However, I have always been a Brett Favre fan. Through good times, bad times, TD’s and INT’s.
That said:
I’d be careful before you begin singing Rex’s praises and putting him on that oh so familiar pedestal.
Remember, it wasn’t all that long ago that alot of Jets fans were speaking the same graces about one Brett Favre. And when he seemed to let you down, many were quick to turn that praise into blame and disgust.
Hey, we’ve seen a lot of coaches come and go and we are used to being let down. Don’t rain on the parade during the one time of the year that we can imagine a happy ending. Ryan is the Anti-Mangini and that is reason enough to celebrate. I’ve always said that I would rather watch my team flameout while going for the throat, instead of the slow timid death we’ve been dying for the last two coaching admins. If we flameout this year, at least it won’t be for lack of guts or effort.
David,
Absolutely. And well-said.
Good Point Alex. A non-Jet fan can never truly underdstand the psyche of the long suffering fan.