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For Jets, it's Bradway or the highway


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For Jets, it's Bradway or the highway

Jan 3, 2006

Shaun Powell

SPORTS COLUMNIST

Published January 10 2006

Their fans are used to healing processes, and another one began yesterday at Weeb Ewbank Hall, but at least the Jets heard five very encouraging words from their Dr. Feelgood.

"I'm not perfect." And: "I'm excited."

Motivation can do wonderful things, like turn around football teams that lost their coach and their will, and if nothing else, Terry Bradway is motivated right now.

Give him that, please. Cast doubt about his drafts, free-agent signings and trades if you will, but give him this sliver of hope. A desperate man moves more mountains than a satisfied one, and the Jets' general manager sure sounded desperate, especially when the subject of his expertise and the Jets' image was broached yesterday.

On both counts, Bradway was defiant, and this is a good sign. This means he wants Fireman Ed and everyone within J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets range to believe in him. This means he wants to squelch all doubt about this still being your father's Jets.

"This is not the same old Jets," Bradway stressed. "It really isn't."

So uncross your fingers, if not your arms. What have you got to lose? Another game? Another coach? Another quarterback?

The Jets already have endured that painful trifecta. Everyone on Planet Green now must look ahead and move forward to the next ray of light that walks through the door, even if it resembles the shape of Mike Tice, the former Vikings coach and next up to interview for the Jets' job.

"We've got to pick ourselves up and go," Bradway said. "We can't feel sorry for ourselves anymore."

Bradway was speaking about the Jets, but also for himself. Five years ago, he and Herman Edwards came from Kansas City, both harboring big dreams for the Big City. They were an untested package deal, two football lifers ready to run a team.

Then Edwards boomeranged back to the heartland, lured by money and security and the familiar bosom of Carl Peterson, their mother hen. Left behind is Bradway to deal with everyone's examination and Chad Pennington's X-rays.

"We've got a lot of work to do," he said.

Actually, the "we" part doesn't begin until fall. It's all about "he" until then.

It's Bradway who will make or break the Jets, his reputation and the bandaged hearts of the fans. And he still has us wondering whether he's the right man for the job.

If the Jets were merely missing a player or two, then fine, it wouldn't take much hocus-pocus. But this team grew old and brittle overnight in critical areas.

Bradway faces medium-to-major decisions on the quarterback, running back, at least two offensive linemen, at least two defensive backs and a pass-rushing specialist. Oh, and get a head coach, and quick, before all the good ones are taken.

At the risk of being repetitive, Bradway hasn't been a disaster. Some of his moves have worked out. Just the same, he hasn't been a genius. Some moves haven't worked out. He brings five years of mixed results, and therefore, the prospects of his turning around the Jets in a hurry appear to be, well, mixed.

He acknowledged he hasn't been perfect. He said yesterday that while fretting about Edwards' exit last week, he was "pretty bummed out" and, after some soul-searching, "felt I could do a better job."

That's the first step toward generating desire. Admit that there's room for improvement, as we all must do from time to time. Then accept the challenge.

"We're not there yet," he said. "We're trying to get there. I have a lot of confidence in my ability to get it done."

All Bradway must do is hire the right coach, draft the right rookies and pay the right free agents, and the Jets will experience a quick shift in fortune.

That's not unusual in the NFL. Where were the Bears two years ago before hiring Lovie Smith and uncovering a gem or two? What about the tinkering down in Tampa, where a team went from champ to chump to challenger once again?

The issue isn't whether it can be done. The issue is the man in charge of doing it.

We'll see soon enough. Right now, because the man is clearly motivated, the Jets should engage in a little give-and-take.

Give Bradway a chance, again.

And if this doesn't work, they know what to take.

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Well here is hoping he can get his sh$t together get things going in a better direction. I think his communication skills lack a little as he never speaks with a stern command. He basically repeated the same words to Mike and the Mad Dog from his press conference and was still stuttering and shakey. I am hoping Herm was not his "sales" guy

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Bradway's a ******* buffoon. Unfortunatley, there's an even bigger buffoon writing him paychecks. Until The Wood takes his skirt off and hires a real GM, this franchise will continue to wallow in filth for the forseeable future.

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