Green Jets & Ham Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 I know a ton of folks are not fans of Mike Lupica {to put it mildly} ... nor am I ... but this is probably the best column he has written since I can't remember when Seriously, I think this is SAGE ADVICE and Woody would be wise to take heed Sadly I believe this organization is at the crossroad and many of the decisions that need to be made will ultimately decide the Jets fate for the forseeable future ... GOOD or BAD ... and right now this franchise is teetering on the brink of disaster So I do believe it will take a SAGE FOOTBALL MAN to save this team from the abyss in the coming days, weeks and months ... anything short of that and it can very easily come crashing down like a house of cards in a wind-tunnel Or let me put it another way ... sometimes I think I'm a pretty smart football fan ... no smarter than the next guy, but smart enough {or perhaps dumb enough} to think I have some of the answers ... but I'll be the first to admit that I wouldn't have the first friggin clue about fixing this mess, and I'm not sure there are many FOOTBALL GUYS on this planet who can That's why I agree with Lupica ... what this team needs now, most of all, is the football version of YODA Only Guy I see out there who's available and Qualifies as a FOOTBALL YODA is Ron Wolf NY DAILY NEWS They need more than Band-Aid By Mike Lupica Herm Edwards, outgoing coach of the Jets, the one who thinks you get a raise and more job security after 4-12, kept saying to the end that this was just one bad season. He didn't mean it, the way he didn't mean it when he said he wanted to stay. If Edwards really believes that, where's he going? It is not just one season, not the way things are going with the Jets. They are a disaster waiting to happen now because there is no one in the house with the talent or nerve or vision to fix this mess. This is how you turn into the Detroit Lions. You look at this and think about what happened to the Knicks after Jeff Van Gundy walked. If the people running the Jets, and these are people who can run this team right into the ground, think that acting fast to replace Edwards, trying to look decisive to their fans, is the way to go here, they are bigger fools than those fans already think they are. Jim Haslett is not the answer here. There is no immediate answer. There is no 24-second clock on them once Edwards is gone to Kansas City, where the genius running the Chiefs, Carl Peterson, thinks he knows something about Edwards that the rest of the world doesn't as he prepares to double Edwards' money. The Jets have far bigger concerns than just replacing Edwards right now. They need to take a look at their entire operation, from GM Terry Bradway on down. Maybe what the Jets really need is help from the outside, the way Wellington Mara did back in 1979 when Pete Rozelle, then the NFL commissioner, effectively hired George Young to be the Giants' general manager. Wellington Mara, despite the way things went terribly wrong for the Giants in the '60s and '70s, knew a lot about the league and about football, and had more of a hand than people knew shaping the glamorous Giant teams of the '50s. Woody Johnson, the Jets' owner, has no such background, no such history with the league. And no coach. Again. I don't know if Paul Tagliabue has the chops to help the Jets here, since it is Tagliabue who contributed mightily to the current mess in Cleveland by suggesting that John Collins was the man to straighten out that mess. But there isn't a Jets fan out there who thinks that Johnson and Bradway and team president Jay Cross and assistant GM Mike Tannenbaum, who managed the salary cap for Bill Parcells, are the people to get the Jets out of their own mess. After all these years on the job, Johnson in particular looks like a preppier version of James Dolan. Cross? The great team president in charge of West Side stadiums? His qualification for getting the right people to run this football operation is that he got the Miami Heat a new arena. The fact that he actually is president of the Jets really does make you believe that football stadiums are more important to Johnson than football teams. That leaves us with the general manager who seems more and more bewildered by his situation, and by the city in which he works. "I'm not even sure how much Terry wants to be there anymore," one NFL general manager from the Midwest said yesterday. The Jets had a nice run with Bradway and Edwards running things, making modest improvements on a core of players that Parcells made. You don't have to like Parcells or the way he left the Jets and came back to coach the Cowboys later to admit that. But we are seeing right now, one year after the Jets were giving the Steelers all they wanted in Pittsburgh, how fast things can get sideways in the modern NFL. You can make a big move to the top of the standings. Or you can fall fast, and hard. Somebody with real knowledge of the league and no personal agenda has to get Woody Johnson's ear, and get it fast. Maybe somebody like Ron Wolf, who worked for the Jets once and then built a Super Bowl champ around Brett Favre in Green Bay. Because is there a Jets fan out there who trusts the current Crack Football Committee to keep the Jets from turning into the Lions? And why are the Lions where they are? Because their owner has had the wrong guy - Matt Millen - in charge much too long. The Jets need a Rod Thorn, who now runs the Nets. There was no bigger joke franchise in sports, not even the L.A. Clippers, than the Nets when Thorn left the NBA office to come run the team. Then he made the Jason Kidd trade and before you knew it, the Nets were playing in two straight NBA Finals. And maybe they were on their way to a third until they ran into Larry Brown's Pistons. Everything that happened started with having the right man in charge. You can make a pretty good case that Caring Bruce Ratner - who would be the basketball version of Woody Johnson without Thorn as his wing man - doesn't even think about buying the Nets or making his real estate grab in Brooklyn if Thorn didn't make them something of value. The Jets need somebody like that. Somebody like George Young. The trick is finding him. When Johnson got the Jets, the end of his front-office star search was Terry Bradway. Maybe it is time to rethink that before Bradway gets to hire another Jets coach. I keep hearing we need continuity around the Jets at a time like this. Why? NY Daily News Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4HCrew Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Ahhhh the good old days are back. I missed when articles like this were repeatedly written about the Jets. I agree with the premise 100% get Wolf or bring in Ferentz to redo everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dierking Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 I DO NOT want someone who is coming in to do GMing as a hobby and a respite from retirement. Where does it leave us 2 years from now when he gets bored. This is an organization that will have long term needs and that requires vision. A vision that requires more than a gnat's attention. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Jets & Ham Posted January 6, 2006 Author Share Posted January 6, 2006 Ahhhh the good old days are back. I missed when articles like this were repeatedly written about the Jets. I agree with the premise 100% get Wolf or bring in Ferentz to redo everything. Worse part is, the decisions that are made in the coming days/weeks will significantly effect the next 4/5+ YEARS Get this wrong and it's not just a bad year, it's bad "YEARS" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4HCrew Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 GJ&H I could not agree more. We need someone in for the long haul AND knows what the hell they are doing. At the same time no retreads..I would love Ferentz but I am sure he is out of Woody's price range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dierking Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 GJ&H I could not agree more. We need someone in for the long haul AND knows what the hell they are doing. At the same time no retreads..I would love Ferentz but I am sure he is out of Woody's price range. Wolf and long haul is an oxymoron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Jets & Ham Posted January 6, 2006 Author Share Posted January 6, 2006 I DO NOT want someone who is coming in to do GMing as a hobby and a respite from retirement. Where does it leave us 2 years from now when he gets bored. This is an organization that will have long term needs and that requires vision. A vision that requires more than a gnat's attention. SD, understand this ... the course of this franchise over the next 4/5+ YEARS will be set in the coming days/weeks ... whoever is pulling the strings will set that course, GOOD or BAD ... and right now it's pointing towards disaster I don't think we have the luxury of worrying about age and long term committments Right now we need a FOOTBALL YODA or this organization is in BIG TROUBLE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dierking Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 SD, understand this ... the course of this franchise over the next 4/5+ YEARS will be set in the coming days/weeks ... whoever is pulling the strings will set that course, GOOD or BAD ... and right now it's pointing towards disaster I don't think we have the luxury of worrying about age and long term committments Right now we need a FOOTBALL YODA or this organization is in BIG TROUBLE Hamm-Too late. The organization is already in troble. That is clear. What I want is someone that wants to make a name for himself, someone who has vision, someone who will have a plan and stick with the plan and see the plan out. Wolf will have a plan certainly. He will no6t see a plan out though, and then, we are stuck we we are today. Rudderless. The Jets can't afford, nor can organization, to be a pendulum that changes direction every three years based on teh whim of it's front office mercenaries. And that is what Ron Wolf would be. A mercenary. A hired gun. Hired guns have a history of not working in pro sports. The Jet organization is a prime example. Wolf has already gone on record saying that he would be enamored with working for an aoriginal NFL franchise. He is looking for pretty, happy endings in a fairy tale world. The Jets is not a fairy tale world right now and it is need of leadership that is COMMITTED and has long term vision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bugg Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 A hired gun-a Winston Wolf or Ron Wolf-could at least quickly put the organization on solid footing for the short-term. If Johnson wants to have real legacy and spend the money and make the effort to turn this thing around for the positve, we may luck out here. If he's content to let the circus stay in town and just paper over and duct tape the mess(i.e., let Bradway make all the big decisions), it will get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green DNA Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 If a guy like Wolf is hired, he could bring in an up and coming personnel man as his protege and then hand him the reins after a few years (to perpetuate the dynasty). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 I DO NOT want someone who is coming in to do GMing as a hobby and a respite from retirement. Where does it leave us 2 years from now when he gets bored. This is an organization that will have long term needs and that requires vision. A vision that requires more than a gnat's attention. i hear ya,,,,but,,,, u get a chance to get a stud u do it cause u may be able to convince them to stay longer or the 'longterm' guy u do get may be great and decide to bolt for dream job wherever,,, get the stud always and worry about longevity later,,,,,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dierking Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 If a guy like Wolf is hired, he could bring in an up and coming personnel man as his protege and then hand him the reins after a few years (to perpetuate the dynasty). There is plenty of young talent that does not need nurturing. Just a short list: Tom Modrack-I am not sure what his situation is right now in Buffalo, but it can't be a pleasant one. Tom Donahoe-I believe that he is very salvageable and I think that he has a lot to offer an organization. He will also be bitter following the Buffalo shafting, and I like people that have something to prove. Phil Savage-I am not certain what his situation is in Cleveland, and how that worked out, but he is a man of immeseasurable personnel abilities. That is just a short list off the top of my head. Hire someone who wants to make a name for himself, not someone who is resting on the laurels of past achievements. Remeber Bobby Beatherd in San Diego? Once you fall out of NFL circles for even a couple of years, it takes a while to ingratiate yourself back into that inner workings. That is where Ron Wolf is right now. While it is a sexy name, the Jets don't need sexy right now. What they need is commitment and vision Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 There is plenty of young talent that does not need nurturing. Just a short list: Tom Modrack-I am not sure what his situation is right now in Buffalo, but it can't be a pleasant one. Tom Donahoe-I believe that he is very salvageable and I think that he has a lot to offer an organization. He will also be bitter following the Buffalo shafting, and I like people that have something to prove. Phil Savage-I am not certain what his situation is in Cleveland, and how that worked out, but he is a man of immeseasurable personnel abilities. That is just a short list off the top of my head. Hire someone who wants to make a name for himself, not someone who is resting on the laurels of past achievements. Remeber Bobby Beatherd in San Diego? Once you fall out of NFL circles for even a couple of years, it takes a while to ingratiate yourself back into that inner workings. That is where Ron Wolf is right now. While it is a sexy name, the Jets don't need sexy right now. What they need is commitment and vision good points, but beathards problem was he wasnt a 'hours' guy and it got horrible when he got to comfort zone in California,, he was at beach all day and didnt do sh*t,, wolfe never accused of not burnin midnight oil,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jets28 Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 I know a ton of folks are not fans of Mike Lupica {to put it mildly} ... nor am I ... but this is probably the best column he has written since I can't remember when Seriously, I think this is SAGE ADVICE and Woody would be wise to take heed Sadly I believe this organization is at the crossroad and many of the decisions that need to be made will ultimately decide the Jets fate for the forseeable future ... GOOD or BAD ... and right now this franchise is teetering on the brink of disaster So I do believe it will take a SAGE FOOTBALL MAN to save this team from the abyss in the coming days, weeks and months ... anything short of that and it can very easily come crashing down like a house of cards in a wind-tunnel Or let me put it another way ... sometimes I think I'm a pretty smart football fan ... no smarter than the next guy, but smart enough {or perhaps dumb enough} to think I have some of the answers ... but I'll be the first to admit that I wouldn't have the first friggin clue about fixing this mess, and I'm not sure there are many FOOTBALL GUYS on this planet who can That's why I agree with Lupica ... what this team needs now, most of all, is the football version of YODA Only Guy I see out there who's available and Qualifies as a FOOTBALL YODA is Ron Wolf ...I agree with you Ham...my only question with it all is....I thought he was painting Herm as the one who wanted out...who initiated this all?...Did Herm say try and strike a deal with KC..or is Herm wanting to be here and the Jets threw him to the wolves?..not that it matters much, just curious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green DNA Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 There is plenty of young talent that does not need nurturing. Just a short list: Tom Modrack-I am not sure what his situation is right now in Buffalo, but it can't be a pleasant one. Tom Donahoe-I believe that he is very salvageable and I think that he has a lot to offer an organization. He will also be bitter following the Buffalo shafting, and I like people that have something to prove. Phil Savage-I am not certain what his situation is in Cleveland, and how that worked out, but he is a man of immeseasurable personnel abilities. That is just a short list off the top of my head. Hire someone who wants to make a name for himself, not someone who is resting on the laurels of past achievements. Remeber Bobby Beatherd in San Diego? Once you fall out of NFL circles for even a couple of years, it takes a while to ingratiate yourself back into that inner workings. That is where Ron Wolf is right now. While it is a sexy name, the Jets don't need sexy right now. What they need is commitment and vision I am not endorsing Wolf, my point was that it would not be terrible if that was the direction the Jets went in. While he has been out of the loop for a couple of years, he is a football lifer that should be able to jump in and do a better job than what we have had for the past few years. There is some good young talent out there however if Bradway goes, the people picking his successor are a trust fund billionaire and a real estate geek who know nothing about football and I would be shocked if they made a tremendous forward looking hire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dierking Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Here is teh problem with Ron Wolf-He is an idealist. He yearns for the gold old days of NFL lore and he has publicly stated that he would ONLY come back and work for an original NFL club. He wants the feel of days gone by. Unfortunately for the Jets, they don't need an idealist, they need a realist. They need someone who has had their finger of the pulse of today's NFL and NCAA. Decisions need to to be made today and tomorrow, literally. We can't afford someone the time to settle in. More than anything, Ron Wolf will look to cherry pick his opportunity. The Jets situation is not one that consists of low hanging fruit that is palatable to a Ron Wolf type. The fit is just not there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SouthernJet Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 Here is teh problem with Ron Wolf-He is an idealist. He yearns for the gold old days of NFL lore and he has publicly stated that he would ONLY come back and work for an original NFL club. He wants the feel of days gone by. Unfortunately for the Jets, they don't need an idealist, they need a realist. They need someone who has had their finger of the pulse of today's NFL and NCAA. Decisions need to to be made today and tomorrow, literally. We can't afford someone the time to settle in. More than anything, Ron Wolf will look to cherry pick his opportunity. The Jets situation is not one that consists of low hanging fruit that is palatable to a Ron Wolf type. The fit is just not there. fine, but i think it imprudent to ever say the words 'the problem with ron wolfe' the jets could do way worse,,, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green DNA Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 fine, but i think it imprudent to ever say the words 'the problem with ron wolfe' the jets could do way worse,,, The Jets are doing worse and have for the past few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Dierking Posted January 6, 2006 Share Posted January 6, 2006 fine, but i think it imprudent to ever say the words 'the problem with ron wolfe' the jets could do way worse,,, SJ-I only say "problem" with Ron Wof because it is OUR problem. This is not an ideallic situation for him. I do nothing to, disparage the man, and I only wish we were smart enough the first time around to keep him. Spilt milk, again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.