The Unprecedented Media Assault on the Jets

[Jettington]

I'm not a Jets management disciple, I'm not a delusional fan, and I'm not a paranoid Jets fan either. But something has to be said about what has gone on the past year or so. I have never, in all of my years of following sports have ever seen one team targeted with the relentless media assault, criticism (fair and foul), negative stories, ridicule, and media propaganda that the Jets have been targeted with in recent months. Not even the 2007 Patriots or the 2010-2011 Miami Heat, two of the most hated teams in sports, have been hit as hard and as relentlessly as the Jets have. This is a situation that I think is truly unprecented. The Jets have received more airtime this off season in my estimation than the defending super bowl champion Ravens.

 

I'm simply disgusted by what the media is doing to this franchise and how unfair it all is. Rex Ryan has one losing season in 4 years and judging by the media talk, you would think he went 1-15 every year! I want to know your opinions; where is this unprecented media assault coming from? The Jets have been more quiet the past two years than they were in 2009 and 2010, and yet the media assault has only increased. My personal theory is that a lot of this has to do with many in the media being bitter about the fact that the Jets took away Tebowmania. Tebowmania which was a source of a ridiculous amount of media coverage that suddenly disappeared once he came to the Jets; perhaps many in the media wanted to keep riding that train and when the Jets put an end to it they started foaming at the mouth in their attempt to just tear the Jets to pieces.

Throughout the off season I have had to stomach hearing unfair critcism after unfair criticism, culminating in the most recent disgrace, Rex Ryan being criticised for attending the Clemson game TO WATCH HIS SON. No matter what Rex does, he cannot win in the eyes of the media, he might very well be the most despised figure in the NFL in terms of negative media stories. But what is this based on? Rex since he started coaching with the Jets has the same amount of playoff victories as Bill Belichick, Sean Payton, and Tom Coughlin in that same timeframe. He has one losing season in 4 years in spite of having less talent on his roster than his competition. Rex has his downsides yes, but the media making him out to be the Ryan Leaf of head coaches. With the amount of critcism Rex has received you would think he is the coach of the New York Yankees where it's championship or bust every year. Let's not forget Rex is the coach of the New York Jets where in his short time here has surpassed the success of Parcells and any coach this franchise has had since Weeb. Does the media not know this? Or is it that they simply don't care? Are many in the media simply intent on destroying this man? I'm starting to think this is a real possibility.

For those of you who buy into the media propaganda which essentially boils down to a primitive "me no like Rex, me want Rex fired" ask yourselves what direction this franchise will go in if you get your wish. Cowher isn't coming here, he is holding out for Coughlin to retire not to mention it took Cowher over a decade in Pittsburgh to finally win a Super Bowl (let's not make him out to be Vince Lombardi). If Rex is gone after this year, you will be stuck with scraping the bottom of the barrel staring at unkown faces who may not have expertise on even one side of the ball let alone both.

In my opinon we shouldn't even be having this discussion; if it wasn't for the media constantly drilling this into our heads, it wouldn't even be a discussion right now. How many coaches out there seem to have more job security than Rex in the eyes of the media while performing at a pitiful level far far worse than any negative you pick out of the Rex regime?

To end this, let me just bring it back to where I started. I've never seen anything like this in my life; this might be hyperbole, but I believe brutal dictators would benefit from studying how the media has effectively crafted propaganda and created a mytho-history surrounding the Jets in the past year or so, they've re-written history and turned the Rex regime into public enemy number one. This is unprecented and the lows some in the media will go to SHOULD shock me, but they don't anymore, because I'm too used to it with the coverage of this team.

 

[CobraVerde]

It's NY media... It can't be stopped and runs this team more than Woody..

[faba]

If you win you can shut them up-temporarily that is

[Scott Dierking]

As in real life, people like to see a bully get his comeupance. Rex is a bully who has shown that he is not so swift in actually taking a punch. 

 

Media types eat that stuff up.

[Integrity28]

Is it officially unprecedented, or are you quoting an unnamed source on that?

[Matt39]

The media loves this team. Football continues to get bigger in this town a overtake baseball...the jets are a just a better story than he Giants.

[Integrity28]

As in real life, people like to see a bully get his comeupance. Rex is a bully who has shown that he is not so swift in actually taking a punch. 

 

Media types eat that stuff up.

 

Media types eat that stuff up, because they were the ones being tormented by the Rex's of their childhood. This sh*t is payback, it's personal. Nobody wedgies Mehta and gets away with it. NOBODY.

[flgreen]

If you win you can shut them up-temporarily that is

 

Your right, and your also right about it only being temporary.  Look what they are doing to Rex.  Rex was the best thing that has ever happened to them

 

Nice guy, crazy as a loon, fun to cover, and they,  as Jettington pointed out, have been relentless in trying to destroy him.

 

Wait until Idzik brings Mangini back. 

[JerryK]

The media needs to stir up excitement to make their money.

 

But the team didn't help matters any by going:   stink --> AFC Championship --> stink

While teams like New England never seem to have such drastic highs and lows.

 

Just my opinion tho.     

[Integrity28]

The media loves this team. Football continues to get bigger in this town a overtake baseball...the jets are a just a better story than he Giants.

 

Exactly, people would rather tune in to hear news about a disaster, rather than a feel-good story. The entire news media industry is built around this disgusting aspect of human nature.

[flgreen]

As in real life, people like to see a bully get his comeupance. Rex is a bully who has shown that he is not so swift in actually taking a punch. 

 

Media types eat that stuff up.

 

Why is Rex a bully?  A buffoon perhaps, but I really don't see him as a bully.  Parcells was a bully, and they all feared him

[Integrity28]

The media needs to stir up excitement to make their money.

 

But the team didn't help matters any by going:   stink --> AFC Championship --> stink

While teams like New England never seem to have such drastic highs and lows.

 

Just my opinion tho.     

 

Meh, up here in New England the media says things like "why was Bellichik too stupid to NOT draft a guy like Kimbrell Thompkins or Zack Sudfeld". Basically the spin is, if BB "knew" they were so good, why waste draft picks on other players and risk not getting these guys - why not draft them?

 

It's ******* ridiculous, but it's what the media does.

 

The biggest issue is that there are WAY too many outlets reporting on something that just doesn't generate much REAL news, so it has become tabloid-esque. Fake news, and the real story is the over-reactions.

[bitonti]

there is a point here that 2 playoffs (AFGCG losses) in 4 years is way above average for NFL head coaches. Even his down years 8-8, 6-10 are not disasters by NFL standards. They are disasters by NY media standards who thinks everything should be like the late 90's yankees or it's a failure. But in other NFL towns they'd kill for 8-8. In NY is a disaster. That much is true, this job is harder than most.  Bill Cowher would not have made it through 13 years before getting a playoff win like he did in Pittsburgh. He'd have been fired in year 4 and people would talk about him like they talk about Dave Wannstadt.

[Matt39]

there is a point here that 2 playoffs (AFGCG losses) in 4 years is way above average for NFL head coaches. Even his down years 8-8, 6-10 are not disasters by NFL standards. They are disasters by NY media standards who thinks everything should be like the late 90's yankees or it's a failure. But in other NFL towns they'd kill for 8-8. In NY is a disaster. That much is true, this job is harder than most.

Last year was a disaster. Even if they win that Titans game, last year was a disaster.

[kay_gee]

Why is Rex a bully? A buffoon perhaps, but I really don't see him as a bully. Parcells was a bully, and they all feared him

Ditto. I don't see Rex as a bully. Bullies are malicious. Rex never struck me malicious.

[Integrity28]

Why is Rex a bully?  A buffoon perhaps, but I really don't see him as a bully.  Parcells was a bully, and they all feared him

 

"I'm putting the leauge on notice."

 

"Take a swing at one of ours and we'll takea  swing at 2 of yours."

 

Need I go on? 

 

It's Rex's intention to try to intimidate, no matter how empty the threats are... bullying hinges upon holding the advantage of being the intimidator, not the intimidated. He has a classic bully persona, right down to becoming a meek wimp after he gets popped in the gob finally.

[Integrity28]

Last year was a disaster. Even if they win that Titans game, last year was a disaster.

 

The last 2 years were really. The records don't matter, it's how his 3rd year ended, and it flowed right into his 4th year. Just a complete nightmare.

[flgreen]

there is a point here that 2 playoffs (AFGCG losses) in 4 years is way above average for NFL head coaches. Even his down years 8-8, 6-10 are not disasters by NFL standards. They are disasters by NY media standards who thinks everything should be like the late 90's yankees or it's a failure. But in other NFL towns they'd kill for 8-8. In NY is a disaster. That much is true, this job is harder than most.  Bill Cowher would not have made it through 13 years before getting a playoff win like he did in Pittsburgh. He'd have been fired in year 4 and people would talk about him like they talk about Dave Wannstadt.

I agree Bit.

 

I always have to laugh when people are screaming to bring Cower in.  I don't think he would last even 4 years here.  He'd quit from the abuse 

[jetsjetsjetss]

it helps espn headquarters is not that far from new york/NJ

 

besides a lot of the stuff we complain about is from negativity bias and the other type of bias where people think media is attacking their beliefs (word escapes me right now tho)

[Matt39]

The last 2 years were really. The records don't matter, it's how his 3rd year ended, and it flowed right into his 4th year. Just a complete nightmare.

3rd year was overconfidence.

Last year the roster was awful. The Sporano hire. No chance of anything last season.

[bitonti]

Last year was a disaster. Even if they win that Titans game, last year was a disaster.

 

yeah and thats fine most jobs if you go to the playoffs 50% of the time you aren't on the hot seat. other teams are allowed to have disaster seasons without a media firestorm. There are 31 losers every year, Jets fans and the NY media seem to forget that fact. 

[flgreen]

"I'm putting the leauge on notice."

 

"Take a swing at one of ours and we'll takea  swing at 2 of yours."

 

Need I go on? 

 

It's Rex's intention to try to intimidate, no matter how empty the threats are... bullying hinges upon holding the advantage of being the intimidator, not the intimidated. He has a classic bully persona, right down to becoming a meek wimp after he gets popped in the gob finally.

 

 

Nah

 

Kay_Gee hit the nail on the head.  There just isn't any meanness, or malice there.  Football is a violent sport.  Don't see warning people that if you take a cheap shot at one of his guys, your going to regret it as bullying .

 

Rex is just a fun "good ole Boy".  Maybe it doesn't sell well in NYC, but I like the guy, and hope he keeps his job

[Jacked4JetsFB]

This is what the Jets (Woody) wanted, period. When you hire Rex Ryan, who is flipping off fans, making crazy statements all the time, go on Hard Knocks, bring in Tim Tebow, fire a GM, but insist to the next GM that the HC stays, this is what you want.

 

Woody has said it himself, "we are in the entertainment business".

 

The Jets brought this on themselves, this is what the "Jets" wanted, now they have it. I don't mind it, there is always a story to read, and I love Rex, but you cannot have it both ways. If you conduct your business like this, you will get this. It's really not that hard to figure out.

[Stonehands]

I get the feeling that the Jets beat writers are trying to punish the Jets for becoming less media friendly under Idzik. It is pretty obvious that Rex has been toned down and Idzik basically ignores the media, so now the babies that cover this team are going to try and prove a point with baseless stories to try and draw a reaction.  The Manish story from today's paper is just one example of awful journalism.

[Integrity28]

Nah

 

Kay_Gee hit the nail on the head.  There just isn't any meanness, or malice there.  Football is a violent sport.  Don't see warning people that if you take a cheap shot at one of his guys, your going to regret it as bullying .

 

Rex is just a fun "good ole Boy".  Maybe it doesn't sell well in NYC, but I like the guy, and hope he keeps his job

 

Disagree, he and Bart brought a bully mentality here. Not worth arguing over - it's all how each individual perceives it. Really doesn't matter.

[Smashmouth]

Why is Rex a bully?  A buffoon perhaps, but I really don't see him as a bully.  Parcells was a bully, and they all feared him

 

Parcells Called out his own team Rex calls out the entire NFL

[faba]

I would not classify Rex as a bully- just talks what he feels at the time.

[JoeKlecko]

This is what the Jets (Woody) wanted, period. When you hire Rex Ryan, who is flipping off fans, making crazy statements all the time, go on Hard Knocks, bring in Tim Tebow, fire a GM, but insist to the next GM that the HC stays, this is what you want.

 

Woody has said it himself, "we are in the entertainment business".

 

The Jets brought this on themselves, this is what the "Jets" wanted, now they have it. I don't mind it, there is always a story to read, and I love Rex, but you cannot have it both ways. If you conduct your business like this, you will get this. It's really not that hard to figure out.

 

Woody evidently doesn't have the requisite common or business sense to realize that.

[T0mShane]

Poor Rex. Poor Jets.

[Jacked4JetsFB]

Woody evidently doesn't have the requisite common or business sense to realize that.

In my opinion, Woody is a complete moron who has no business owning an NFL team. He is a really bad owner, and forcing a HC on a new GM is just another example that he does not get it. It would have been one thing if Woody said I want the new GM to determine Rex's fate, and I would have hoped that the new GM would have kept Rex, but its a totally different thing to make that decision as an owner, and try to find the best football guy willing to deal with that, rather than the best football guy period.

[JoeKlecko]

In my opinion, Woody is a complete moron who has no business owning an NFL team. He is a really bad owner, and forcing a HC on a new GM is just another example that he does not get it. It would have been one thing if Woody said I want the new GM to determine Rex's fate, and I would have hoped that the new GM would have kept Rex, but its a totally different thing to make that decision as an owner, and try to find the best football guy willing to deal with that, rather than the best football guy period.

 

I totally agree.

[T0mShane]

If I were Idzik, I'd love having Rex around for the year. He gets to staple this whole ball of crap to him, then throw him out the door. If they go 0-16, it's Rex's fault. If Geno sucks, it's Rex's fault. If the stadium is empty, it's Rex's fault. Idzik gets a clean slate next year unlike any that any GM has ever gotten. It's a redshirt year.

[faba]

If I were Idzik, I'd love having Rex around for the year. He gets to staple this whole ball of crap to him, then throw him out the door. If they go 0-16, it's Rex's fault. If Geno sucks, it's Rex's fault. If the stadium is empty, it's Rex's fault. Idzik gets a clean slate next year unlike any that any GM has ever gotten. It's a redshirt year.

What makes you say Rex will get all the flak- if his draft picks and free agents do not show much Idzik will get roasted by fans and media- geez he is already being torched by some here already

[Jacked4JetsFB]

If I were Idzik, I'd love having Rex around for the year. He gets to staple this whole ball of crap to him, then throw him out the door. If they go 0-16, it's Rex's fault. If Geno sucks, it's Rex's fault. If the stadium is empty, it's Rex's fault. Idzik gets a clean slate next year unlike any that any GM has ever gotten. It's a redshirt year.

That certainly is one way of looking at it. The other way is to say, the next year will be a new coaching staff, new systems, Geno will be changing systems again, and Idzig is already one bad year down. If next year is bad, the sharks will be circling idzig too, fair or not.

[T0mShane]

What makes you say Rex will get all the flak- if his draft picks and free agents do not show much Idzik will get roasted by fans and media- geez he is already being torched by some here already[/quote

Geno Smith is the only draft pick in that "could suck" zone, and he's got a million built-in excuses. Richardson and Milliner should be fine, IMO. The only free agent of any importance is Chris Ivory.