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http://espn.go.com/n...rex-ryan-circus

As Jets owner welcomes GM Idzik, he may not be as enamored of Ryan as you think

Updated: January 23, 2013, 8:00 PM ET

By Rich Cimini | ESPNNewYork.com

ny_a_rex-ryan_mb_300.jpg

AP Photo/Seth WenigRex Ryan is still running the show, right? Maybe not as

much as many people believe.

The New York Jets' 2013 brass appeared together in public for the first time Wednesday, with owner Woody Johnson flying to the Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Ala., to hang out with new general manager John Idzik and coach Rex Ryan.

The Big Three will do it again Thursday under more formal circumstances, as Johnson will introduce Idzik in yet another one-week-after-the-fact news conference. It'll be Woody, John and Rex, probably wearing their green hued ties (a Jets staple) and acting like they've known each other forever.

But let's call this for what it is -- an arranged marriage between a neophyte GM and a polarizing coach.

Of course, the matchmaker here is Johnson, who, as it turns out, may not be as devoted to Ryan as everybody thinks.

Ryan was painted as the owner's pet two weeks ago at the previous one-week-after-the-fact news conference. In the season-ending presser, Johnson acted like 6-10 never happened. He professed his faith in Ryan, even saying the embattled coach (so we thought) would participate in the GM selection process. Johnson was sharply criticized for what was depicted as a Rex crush.

Behind the scenes, Johnson has been giving off a different vibe. While he admires Ryan's innate leadership skills and his ability to relate to players, Johnson isn't blind to the other stuff, according to people familiar with his thinking. As one person said, "He's tired of the circus."

Former Denver Broncos GM Ted Sundquist, who interviewed for the vacancy two weeks ago, was struck by Johnson's candid, evenhanded assessment of Ryan in their meeting. He expected something of a rah-rah evaluation, considering the tenor of the season-ending news conference, but it didn't come off that way.

Sundquist, sharing details of the interview because he wants football fans to understand the dynamics of the process, said he actually posed the question to Johnson: Why is Rex your guy?

"He wasn't as -- look, I know how that press conference came out," Sundquist told ESPNNewYork.com, referring to the Woody-Rex lovefest. "I'm not sure if that was accurate. I think Mr. Johnson realizes there are weaknesses and deficiencies there.

"He was adamant about how the players love Rex, their connection with him," Sundquist continued. "But then he was like, 'That said ... ' -- and he listed X, Y and Z, the things Rex needs to improve upon."

In public, Johnson comes across as though he's mesmerized by Ryan's larger-than-life personality. It was the same deal in the aftermath of the Tim Tebow trade. Johnson made a few silly comments about his fondness for Tebow ("Can't have too much Tebow") and, as we've come to find out, the owner wasn't initially on board with it.

The point is, it's hard to gauge Johnson's true feelings because what he says publicly and what he believes can be two different things. His critics say the line gets blurred sometimes, leading to problems.

So why retain Ryan if he has concerns?

Ryan has two years and more than $6 million remaining on his contract, so that's probably a big part of the reason. Johnson has to eat money for firing offensive coordinator Tony Sparano after only one year, and he may have to eat big money if they decide to part ways with Mark Sanchez. There's probably a limit to how much money he will devour.

The landscape changes next season. If 2013 is a failure, which probably means no playoffs for the third straight season, Ryan is a goner. It makes him a lame duck.

Enter, Idzik, who is charged with rebuilding a franchise with the coach who helped put them in this mess. It's not an ideal situation. A lot of GM wannabes would run from a situation like this -- and some probably did.

Idzik faces an enormous challenge on many levels, but his relationship with Ryan will be one of the keys to the job. Former colleagues say Idzik is quiet, but resolute in his beliefs. So is Ryan, except no one ever described him as quiet.

Ryan can be a persuasive presence, especially in the draft room. He didn't want to draft Stephen Hill last year, and the scouting department did, putting former GM Mike Tannenbaum in the middle. He sided with the scouts on that one, but there were other times when Ryan got his way.

Now Idzik slides into the big chair. He has worked with player-friendly coaches like Ryan in the past -- Tony Dungy, Mike Holmgren, Pete Carroll -- but he's never had a coach with an infamous tattoo and an aversion to red lights.

This ought to be interesting. This much we know: Johnson -- the matchmaker -- is tired of being a laughingstock. He wants a grownup in the room. We'll see if he made the right match.

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Even if this is all true, Sundquist is a complete a$$hole. He shouldn't hold his breath waiting for his next interview if he's going to be Chatty Cathy afterward like this.

On the other hand, he's creating a pretty awesome, viable niche for himself in the media.

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The title is BS, as is most of Cimini's commentary at the end. The whole article seems to be based on this quote from the ever loquacious Ted Sundquist.

"He was adamant about how the players love Rex, their connection with him," Sundquist continued. "But then he was like, 'That said ... ' -- and he listed X, Y and Z, the things Rex needs to improve upon."

Woody likes Rex, but thinks he has room for improvement.

Quite the story.

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I call bullsh*t on this one.....if woody was tired of him he woulda been gone with tanny

He couldn't do it Stan-let's face it and I'm a guy who has never been a Woody Johnson fan but in this case he did about as much changing as he could-sh1t the ONLY guys left were Rex Ryan and Dennis Thurman. I agree with Cimini on this one though: if the Jets don't improve by 4 games then Rex is done here

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On the other hand, he's creating a pretty awesome, viable niche for himself in the media.

He can be Cimin's go to source for speculaitve nonsense on slow days. Don't have a story; call Sundquist and let him babble for 15 minutes.
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He can be Cimin's go to source for speculaitve nonsense on slow days. Don't have a story; call Sundquist and let him babble for 15 minutes.

He can be the NFL version of Steve Phillips, who's living comfortably making $1 mil per to work 20 hours a week. Nice gig, IMO.

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He couldn't do it Stan-let's face it and I'm a guy who has never been a Woody Johnson fan but in this case he did about as much changing as he could-sh1t the ONLY guys left were Rex Ryan and Dennis Thurman. I agree with Cimini on this one though: if the Jets don't improve by 4 games then Rex is done here

How quickly people forget that Woody was the same guy who thought Herm walked on water.

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Couldn't agree more. Dude is starting to come off like a guy who is sore that he didn't get the job.

I don't see it that way. He has his website/blog set up, thefootballeducator.com. He is obviously trying to set himself up as an expert on the business aspect of the NFL for a media gig. If he is more interested in pursuing that route than actually getting a gig with a team than what he is doing is pretty smart. I have been following his twitter as well. I find it interesting, he is talking about a lot of stuff from a position of experience and knowledge that we as fans just guess and speculate on.

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Ryan can be a persuasive presence, especially in the draft room. He didn't want to draft Stephen Hill last year, and the scouting department did, putting former GM Mike Tannenbaum in the middle. He sided with the scouts on that one, but there were other times when Ryan got his way.

I'd like to know a little more about this. The only time I heard it was when Rex was talking up Hill. If Rex didn't want him because he was too raw and/or can't catch, then maybe we are better off with Rex picking players and gutting out scouting department. If Rex just wanted more defense... Ugh! Maybe Rex just didn't want to trade up, especially with Hill, Jeffrey and Randle on the board. Idzik and his crew got two extra picks for the Jets to move up 4 slots. They took Wagner.

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http://espn.go.com/n...rex-ryan-circus

As Jets owner welcomes GM Idzik, he may not be as enamored of Ryan as you think

Updated: January 23, 2013, 8:00 PM ET

By Rich Cimini | ESPNNewYork.com

ny_a_rex-ryan_mb_300.jpg

AP Photo/Seth WenigRex Ryan is still running the show, right? Maybe not as

much as many people believe.

The New York Jets' 2013 brass appeared together in public for the first time Wednesday, with owner Woody Johnson flying to the Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Ala., to hang out with new general manager John Idzik and coach Rex Ryan.

The Big Three will do it again Thursday under more formal circumstances, as Johnson will introduce Idzik in yet another one-week-after-the-fact news conference. It'll be Woody, John and Rex, probably wearing their green hued ties (a Jets staple) and acting like they've known each other forever.

But let's call this for what it is -- an arranged marriage between a neophyte GM and a polarizing coach.

Of course, the matchmaker here is Johnson, who, as it turns out, may not be as devoted to Ryan as everybody thinks.

Ryan was painted as the owner's pet two weeks ago at the previous one-week-after-the-fact news conference. In the season-ending presser, Johnson acted like 6-10 never happened. He professed his faith in Ryan, even saying the embattled coach (so we thought) would participate in the GM selection process. Johnson was sharply criticized for what was depicted as a Rex crush.

Behind the scenes, Johnson has been giving off a different vibe. While he admires Ryan's innate leadership skills and his ability to relate to players, Johnson isn't blind to the other stuff, according to people familiar with his thinking. As one person said, "He's tired of the circus."

Former Denver Broncos GM Ted Sundquist, who interviewed for the vacancy two weeks ago, was struck by Johnson's candid, evenhanded assessment of Ryan in their meeting. He expected something of a rah-rah evaluation, considering the tenor of the season-ending news conference, but it didn't come off that way.

Sundquist, sharing details of the interview because he wants football fans to understand the dynamics of the process, said he actually posed the question to Johnson: Why is Rex your guy?

"He wasn't as -- look, I know how that press conference came out," Sundquist told ESPNNewYork.com, referring to the Woody-Rex lovefest. "I'm not sure if that was accurate. I think Mr. Johnson realizes there are weaknesses and deficiencies there.

"He was adamant about how the players love Rex, their connection with him," Sundquist continued. "But then he was like, 'That said ... ' -- and he listed X, Y and Z, the things Rex needs to improve upon."

In public, Johnson comes across as though he's mesmerized by Ryan's larger-than-life personality. It was the same deal in the aftermath of the Tim Tebow trade. Johnson made a few silly comments about his fondness for Tebow ("Can't have too much Tebow") and, as we've come to find out, the owner wasn't initially on board with it.

The point is, it's hard to gauge Johnson's true feelings because what he says publicly and what he believes can be two different things. His critics say the line gets blurred sometimes, leading to problems.

So why retain Ryan if he has concerns?

Ryan has two years and more than $6 million remaining on his contract, so that's probably a big part of the reason. Johnson has to eat money for firing offensive coordinator Tony Sparano after only one year, and he may have to eat big money if they decide to part ways with Mark Sanchez. There's probably a limit to how much money he will devour.

The landscape changes next season. If 2013 is a failure, which probably means no playoffs for the third straight season, Ryan is a goner. It makes him a lame duck.

Enter, Idzik, who is charged with rebuilding a franchise with the coach who helped put them in this mess. It's not an ideal situation. A lot of GM wannabes would run from a situation like this -- and some probably did.

Idzik faces an enormous challenge on many levels, but his relationship with Ryan will be one of the keys to the job. Former colleagues say Idzik is quiet, but resolute in his beliefs. So is Ryan, except no one ever described him as quiet.

Ryan can be a persuasive presence, especially in the draft room. He didn't want to draft Stephen Hill last year, and the scouting department did, putting former GM Mike Tannenbaum in the middle. He sided with the scouts on that one, but there were other times when Ryan got his way.

Now Idzik slides into the big chair. He has worked with player-friendly coaches like Ryan in the past -- Tony Dungy, Mike Holmgren, Pete Carroll -- but he's never had a coach with an infamous tattoo and an aversion to red lights.

This ought to be interesting. This much we know: Johnson -- the matchmaker -- is tired of being a laughingstock. He wants a grownup in the room. We'll see if he made the right match.

Woody lacks the necessary subtlety to speak with the moronic media. He really should just do intros and avoid questions.

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I'd like to know a little more about this. The only time I heard it was when Rex was talking up Hill. If Rex didn't want him because he was too raw and/or can't catch, then maybe we are better off with Rex picking players and gutting out scouting department. If Rex just wanted more defense... Ugh! Maybe Rex just didn't want to trade up, especially with Hill, Jeffrey and Randle on the board. Idzik and his crew got two extra picks for the Jets to move up 4 slots. They took Wagner.

Rex bragged on draft day and then moaned about him in pre-season. But Rex is a liar, so that does not surprise me. Rex wanted to fix Gholston, but he had no patience with this guy?

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On the other hand, he's creating a pretty awesome, viable niche for himself in the media.

Is he? According to his bio he's been out of the NFL since '09 and working for that dipsh*t Florio at PFT and nobody on a football message board knew who he was until Cimini quoted him in two articles.

Looks like sucks at making a name for himself as a commentator, too.

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Rex bragged on draft day and then moaned about him in pre-season. But Rex is a liar, so that does not surprise me. Rex wanted to fix Gholston, but he had no patience with this guy?

Non-responsive.

Rex talks up the players. When he moans about the guy he is talking up his upside. When he complains that he didn't want the guy on draft day he is saying he is wrong because the guy is so big, fast, whatever.

My question is whether anybody knows what really happened? I tend to think it's just more BS conjecture from Cimini, but *if* Rex really didn't want him I'd like to know 1. why? and 2. who did he want instead?

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Is he? According to his bio he's been out of the NFL since '09 and working for that dipsh*t Florio at PFT and nobody on a football message board knew who he was until Cimini quoted him in two articles.

Looks like sucks at making a name for himself as a commentator, too.

You have answered the question. Yes, that is right, nobody knew him until he started discussing his Jets interview experience. Now his name is out there, picking up followers on social networks, where he can talk about other topics in which he is an expert in the field, etc. This is how it starts, this is why he is out there discussing his Jets interview, not because he is bitter.

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This is just Cimini stirring the pot. The guy can't write a blog post without it including the word 'circus.'

If Woody hated Rex that much, he would have fired him. End of story.

I don't think there is necessarily a correlation between hating Rex and not being a fan of the jokes people make about the Jets.

I think he likes Rex, and I think he would also like to make headlines for reasons that don't make his franchise look foolish.

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Of course you agree with him.....and no way he gets canned like that...

He couldn't do it Stan-let's face it and I'm a guy who has never been a Woody Johnson fan but in this case he did about as much changing as he could-sh1t the ONLY guys left were Rex Ryan and Dennis Thurman. I agree with Cimini on this one though: if the Jets don't improve by 4 games then Rex is done here

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