Dancing Joe Flacco mocked by his kids but hailed by Jets as Zach Wilson nears return

[92ShaunEllis92]

Dancing Joe Flacco mocked by his kids but hailed by Jets as Zach Wilson nears return

6:00 AM ET

Rich Cimini

ESPN Staff Writer4 Minute Read

Jets QB Joe Flacco went 7-for-11 for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the last two minutes of Sunday's comeback win over the Browns.Ken Blaze/USA TODAY Sportsnone

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jetsquarterback Joe Flacco describes himself as the kind of guy who doesn't dance at wedding receptions. You know the type: They hang at the dinner table and survey the dance floor while discreetly tapping a foot to the beat of the music.

"Cool Joe," as his teammates call him, stepped out of character last Sunday in Cleveland, bursting into the locker room after the miraculous win over the Browns and dancing his way into the center of a giant mosh pit. The 6-foot-6 Flacco, surrounded by teammates, was jumping so high that he almost hit his head on the ceiling, tight end Tyler Conklin observed. It was captured on video and tweeted by the Jets' official account.

When Flacco called his kids from the plane, "They were all just laughing because they saw the video from the locker room," he said. "They were all laughing at me, and saying, 'Dad, why were you doing that when you came to the locker room?'"

Why? Because Flacco knows those moments are priceless. He also knows he might not get too many more opportunities. The 37-year-old Super Bowl XLVII MVP, in his 15th season, works on a week-to-week basis as this point in this career, with Sunday's home game against the Cincinnati Bengals (0-2) looming as a possible last fling.

Flacco will make his third straight start for the Jets (1-1) against the Bengals, but Week 4 isn't promised because quarterback Zach Wilson could rejoin the lineup after six weeks of recovering from arthroscopic knee surgery. Before the season started, the Jets identified Week 4 as the earliest return date for Wilson, and they haven't deviated. They've also been consistent in saying that he will play as soon as he's healthy.

"Zach is the future of the organization, we all know that," coach Robert Saleh said. "As soon as the doctors clear him, we'll get him on the field."

Clearly, the Jets want to avoid a quarterback controversy, but it could turn into a fascinating decision if Flacco upsets the defending AFC champions. Would Saleh really send him back to the bench on a two-game winning streak? The Jets haven't had one of those since Weeks 15-16 in 2020. Maybe Wilson's knee would need another week of rest to be 100% (wink, wink).

Either way, Flacco said he's good.

"I'm grateful for the opportunity I've had the last two weeks -- and this upcoming week -- to put our team in a position to win and put our team hopefully in a position to be in a good spot, moving forward, for the rest of the year," he said. "That's my job. That's what I can do and I'm happy about it."

The Jets are happy with him.

After an ineffective opener, Flacco became the first Jets quarterback since Vinny Testaverde (2000) to pass for 300 yards and four touchdowns in a game, rallying them to a 31-30 win over the Browns. In the last two minutes, he went 7-of-11 for 123 yards and 2 touchdowns, erasing a 13-point deficit and winning his first start since 2019.

"He has seen everything," Saleh said. "In the fourth quarter, the game plan has already been revealed, they know how they are playing everything. So, when we got that onside kick, it was just, he knew exactly where he needed to go to with the ball because he already knew what was going to happen. And the great ones can see that."

Saleh trusts him. The players trust him. He has a league-high 103 pass attempts, but only one interception. He spreads the ball around, making sure everyone is fed. In fact, the running backs are tied for the league lead with 20 receptions.

"I'm just happy for him," Conklin said. "I'm happy he got to go out there [in Cleveland] and show everybody he's still Joe Flacco and he can still do this."

Saleh said Flacco is "a calming force" on offense, which is filled with so many young players. Running backs Michael Carter and Breece Hall and wide receivers Garrett Wilsonand Elijah Moore are under 24, which means they grew up learning about Flacco on their Madden video game.

Now they're making their own highlights with him. Next up is a statistically solid defense in the Bengals, ranked 15th in points and seventh in yards, but one that hasn't been truly tested. They faced Mitch Trubisky (Pittsburgh Steelers) and Cooper Rush (Dallas Cowboys) in the first two games -- not exactly a Pro Bowl lineup.

Flacco will try to be the second straight backup (Rush) to defeat the Bengals. If he does, he would be deserving of another start. Maybe he'd do another locker room dance, risking more ridicule from his kids. They recently teased him about his struggles the past couple of years. He tried to explain to them that he used to win a lot, when they were too young to remember. Later, in a quiet moment, he Googled some of his old highlights. Maybe he needed visual reinforcement.?

Last Sunday, he gave his kids a show. And the young men on the Jets, too.

 

 

His kids are a$$holes and I’d ground ALL OF THEM indefinitely or until he’s benched again lol

[T0mShane]

7 minutes ago, 92ShaunEllis92 said:

Saleh trusts him. The players trust him. He has a league-high 103 pass attempts, but only one interception. He spreads the ball around, making sure everyone is fed. In fact, the running backs are tied for the league lead with 20 receptions.

[Untouchable]

Joe needs to tell his kids to go get a job

[jgb]

10 minutes ago, 92ShaunEllis92 said:

Jets QB Joe Flacco went 7-for-11 for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the last two minutes of Sunday's comeback win over the Browns.

Which would also be the best stat-line for BYU over an entire game.

[92ShaunEllis92]

1 minute ago, jgb said:

Which would also be the best stat-line for BYU over an entire game.

Tell that to @56mehl56 lol

[92ShaunEllis92]

5 minutes ago, Untouchable said:

Joe needs to tell his kids to go get a job

Word.

On 9/21/2022 at 9:16 AM, 92ShaunEllis92 said:

Joe Flacco is the truth. 

and I’ll smack any of his kids upside the head that says otherwise about their father. 

 

[Claymation]

33 minutes ago, Untouchable said:

Joe needs to tell his kids to go get a job

They do have child labor laws in the US. Its also an easy way to get a visit from DYFS.

[92ShaunEllis92]

19 minutes ago, Claymation said:

They do have child labor laws in the US. Its also an easy way to get a visit from DYFS.

All the more reason for Zach to sit and learn. 

[Bronx]

57 minutes ago, jgb said:

Which would also be the best stat-line for BYU over an entire game.

+ 2 interceptions. 

[Jetsfan80]

I dunno how old his kids are, but they sound like d**ks.  

Put some respect on your multi-millionaire Super Bowl MVP dad, you ingrates!  Unlike Jamal Adams, he's earned the right to dance if he wants to.

[JustInFudge]

1 hour ago, Untouchable said:

Joe needs to tell his kids to go get a job

Apparently they're professional critics of everything Joe does, sure hope his wife is supportive.  lol 

[Sperm Edwards]

This is now the 2nd article in a month where Flacco relays that his kids are disrespectful & snotty towards their father.

Just had a great upset, throwing 2 TDs in a minute, and the comment that sticks in his head is they made fun of him jumping up & down. 

Enroll them in military school, Joe.

[Jetsfan80]

1 minute ago, Sperm Edwards said:

This is now the 2nd article in a month where Flacco relays that his kids are disrespectful & snotty towards their father.

Just had a great upset, throwing 2 TDs in a minute, and the comment that sticks in his head is they made fun of him jumping up & down. 

Enroll them in military school, Joe.

Boarding school and cut from the inheritance/will.  F**k them kids!!

[Spoot-Face]

Dancing Joe Cool reminding the h8terz that he still got it:

[Sperm Edwards]

20 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Boarding school and cut from the inheritance/will.  F**k them kids!!

I was going to add, and set up a trust with conditions I'd be happy to outline the parameters for him, though I doubt they'd like it.

Dad is an NFL QB. Who says to him, "Wow, Dad you suck," (this summer's admission from papa). Then this is what they have to say to their father, after a wild comeback that causes almost every football fan from coast to coast to lick his feet? 

Real nice.

[The Crusher]

1 hour ago, T0mShane said:

I can’t even get excited about being right because I know how wrong the Jets are willing to be, 

[Lurker89]

38 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

 

Put some respect on your multi-millionaire Super Bowl MVP dad, you ingrates!  Unlike Jamal Adams, he's earned the right to dance if he wants to.

 

 

Why are your forcing me to post the safety dance....

 

[Guilhermezmc]

So if he sucks like he did week 1 we are changing on him again?

[jgb]

40 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

I dunno how old his kids are, but they sound like d**ks.  

Put some respect on your multi-millionaire Super Bowl MVP dad, you ingrates!  Unlike Jamal Adams, he's earned the right to dance if he wants to.

I always thought my dad was the best IBM middle manager in the world when I was growing up! Joe Flacco’s kids must be BYU fans!

[Jetsfan80]

3 minutes ago, Guilhermezmc said:

So if he sucks like he did week 1 we are changing on him again?

He'd still have a better ratio of good games : suck games than most of the Jets' QB's in recent history.  

[Jetsfan80]

2 minutes ago, jgb said:

I always thought my dad was the best IBM middle manager in the world when I was growing up! Joe Flacco’s kids must be BYU fans!

Seriously.  My Dad pitched in a Men's Senior baseball league (yeah, he was old even when I was young, I was born when he was 40).  I thought he was a damn Cy Young winner whenever I watched him pitch.  Granted, he WAS good for that level (and he also pitched pretty effectively for D-III Susquehanna in his undergrad days) but still.  

Maybe these kids say nice things at other times but on the whole, if your Dad isn't your hero when you're young growing up, something is wrong and you have my sympathies.

[jgb]

3 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

Seriously.  My Dad pitched in a Men's Senior baseball league (yeah, he was old even when I was young, I was born when he was 40).  I thought he was a damn Cy Young winner whenever I watched him pitch.  Granted, he WAS good for that level (and he also pitched pretty effectively for D-III Susquehanna in his undergrad days) but still.  

Maybe these kids say nice things at other times but on the whole, if your Dad isn't your hero when you're young growing up, something is wrong and you have my sympathies.

Nothing to add but

 

Love ya @SouthernJet you are my hero forever!

[Jetsfan80]

1 minute ago, jgb said:

Nothing to add but

 

Love ya @SouthernJet you are my hero forever!

 

My Dad doesn't post here (smart guy, lol) but this was my JN "still proud of my papa" moment I'm always happy to share:

 

 

The article link no longer works but its legit, I promise.  lol.

 

  

On 5/29/2007 at 3:34 PM, Jetsfan80 said:

Normally, this type of article would have no significance whatsoever. However, since it happens to be about my father, I just thought I'd share, FWIW:

 

 

 

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/search/content/sports/epaper/2007/05/27/a7b_sunjoe_0527.html

 

 

A savior for the stars

 

By Joe Capozzi

Palm Beach Post Staff Writer

Sunday, May 27, 2007

 

In January, 90 minutes before the New York Baseball Writers Dinner, Hanley Ramirez was in full panic mode. No, the Marlins' shortstop wasn't getting anxious about the very real possibility of being named the NL Rookie of the Year.

The problem was a potential wardrobe malfunction — Ramirez's tux hadn't arrived at his Hilton Hotel room and he wasn't about to attend baseball's version of Oscar Night without the proper attire.

 

"I said if they don't have a suit for me, I'm not going to go,'' Ramirez recently recalled. "Everybody else had suits. I'm not going to wear (just) a shirt.''

One phone call later, it was Ken Swarthout to the rescue. Again.

"Kenny,'' as he is known in baseball circles, is a 61-year-old devoted husband and father with a love for the game. He runs Leisure Travel, a New Jersey-based agency that does much more than book Atlantic City junkets and Mediterranean cruises.

 

For the past 22 years, his agency has arranged flights, lodging and security for some of baseball's most high-profile events — from Mets fantasy camps and Rawlings Gold Glove ceremonies to Hall of Fame induction weekend.

When it comes to pleasing baseball legends past and present, there's no task too small for Kenny. He once helped Johnny Podres replace shoes that were too small. He arranged to replace a too-tight Nicole Miller jacket for Joe DiMaggio. He even persuaded a sportswriter to loan his pants to Warren Spahn when the pair ordered for the pitcher was too short.

 

And on Jan. 28, he loaned his own shiny black tux to

St. Louis star David Eckstein, who wasn't the only shortstop whose duds weren't delivered that night.

"David's was closer in size to me, but it was still two sizes too big,'' Swarthout said with a laugh. "I ended up in sneakers, a button-down blue shirt and some slacks. It was fine.''

As for Ramirez, the tux place is usually reliable, Swarthout told Ramirez's agent, Andy Mota, but no worries. A quick call from Kenny to one of his connections and Ramirez was in a cab speeding to a Men's Wearhouse in Midtown.

 

Ramirez picked out a black suit and made it back to the Hilton in time to accept his trophy with a moving speech, including a tearful thank you to former Marlins manager Joe Girardi.

To top off the night, he got to keep the emergency duds.

"It was like that old ad on the wall at Ebbets Field: 'Hit the sign, win a suit,''' Swarthout said. "Well, Hanley got to keep the suit.''

Ramirez won't soon forget Kenny. "That guy was nice. He was great.''

It was just another clutch performance for Kenny. He has found golf clubs just before tee time for Duke Snider. He wrote a last-minute presentation speech for Hank Aaron, using one of his son's Carlos Delgado baseball cards so Hammerin' Hank had accurate stats when presenting his namesake award to Delgado.

 

One time, he had Mark Grace's Gold Glove Award shipped to the home of the Cubs' first baseman after Grace forgot it in his hotel room.

"I went up to his room and I didn't realize the baseballs on the trophy were loose. Two baseballs go rolling under the bed. Here I am at 1 a.m. trying to put the trophy back together,'' Swarthout said.

Swarthout said he doesn't ask for anything in return from the many baseball stars he's helped, but there was one time when he couldn't resist.

He plays in a men's senior baseball league that was started by Steve Sigler, whose daughter, Jamie-Lynn, plays Tony Soprano's daughter, Meadow, in The Sopranos. One night, during a hitting slump, Swarthout found himself alongside Yankees stars Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez.

 

"It was probably 1 a.m.," Swarthout said. "We were waiting there for their car to come and I said, 'I'm having the toughest time hitting the inside fastball.' They were nice enough to give me some tips.''

One of Swarthout's all-time favorite moments came when he was escorting Roger Clemens to a function.

"The elevator stops at one floor. The doors open and there's a father and his two sons. They're wearing Red Sox jerseys. They just stand there with their mouths open.

''The doors closed and Roger turns to me (sarcastically), 'Do you think they recognized me?' I told him, 'No, I think it was me.' Roger had a good laugh.''

 

[GreenFish]

Joe Burrow wishes he was as cool as Joe. 

[Jetsfan80]

  

3 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

 

My Dad doesn't post here (smart guy, lol) but this was my JN "still proud of my papa" moment I'm always happy to share:

 

 

The article link no longer works but its legit, I promise.  lol.

 

  

 

 

^^^ You'll notice that article is 15 years old.  An update is necessary:  Since NY baseball writer Phil Pepe passed away in 2015, my Dad (who was basically the # 2 charge up until that point) has been running that dinner solo. 

He's not a NY writer and doesn't even live in the NJ/NY area anymore (He's been in Raleigh for about 10 years) but he still runs sh*t for the most prestigious MLB offseason event of the year.  lol.  

[Jetsfan80]

 

Quote

He wrote a last-minute presentation speech for Hank Aaron, using one of his son's Carlos Delgado baseball cards so Hammerin' Hank had accurate stats when presenting his namesake award to Delgado.

 

I'm his only son so they're talking about me here, haha.  This is true.  Hank Aaron had no idea who Carlos Delgado was before introducing/presenting Delgado as the Hank Aaron award winner that year.  So my Dad grabbed a Delgado card I had and Aaron used it to make his speech.  lol.

Aaron also spent about an hour in my Dad's hotel room completing one of Ken Sr.'s Baseball Digest crosswords.  We still have that Digest in our possession. 

My Dad is the coolest person of all time.  Though I am biased there.  lol.

 

@jgb 

[jgb]

1 minute ago, Jetsfan80 said:

 

 

I'm his only son so they're talking about me here, haha.  This is true.  Hank Aaron had no idea who Carlos Delgado was before introducing/presenting Delgado as the Hank Aaron award winner that year.  So my Dad grabbed a Delgado card I had and Aaron used it to make his speech.  lol.

Aaron also spent about an hour in my Dad's hotel room completing one of my Dads' Baseball Digest crosswords.  We still have that Digest in our possession. 

My Dad is the coolest person of all time.  Though I am biased there.  lol.

 

@jgb 

Now we have two reasons to fight. Whether Geno or Jamal gets our one bullet and whose dad is cooler ? 

[ultraJETfan]

Jets need to seriously just let this play out before making future decisions. The kind of win Flacco pulled off inspires teammates and creates a momentum that you can't see with the naked eye or put into words. Mike White had the same situation going and had a real chance to snowball his career into being a respected starter and even looked good in the next game but then a defender sneezed near him in the 1st Q and his forearm bone went numb and that was the end of that. If or when that happens to Flacco then sure make the change. Until then, don't mess with destiny.

[56mehl56]

7 minutes ago, Jetsfan80 said:

 

 

I'm his only son so they're talking about me here, haha.  This is true.  Hank Aaron had no idea who Carlos Delgado was before introducing/presenting Delgado as the Hank Aaron award winner that year.  So my Dad grabbed a Delgado card I had and Aaron used it to make his speech.  lol.

Aaron also spent about an hour in my Dad's hotel room completing one of Ken Sr.'s Baseball Digest crosswords.  We still have that Digest in our possession. 

My Dad is the coolest person of all time.  Though I am biased there.  lol.

 

@jgb 

Too bad those genes didn't pass down ? - I kid  

[peebag]

1 hour ago, 92ShaunEllis92 said:

All the more reason for Zach to sit and learn. 

uh, no.

[batman10023]

1 hour ago, Sperm Edwards said:

I was going to add, and set up a trust with conditions I'd be happy to outline the parameters for him, though I doubt they'd like it.

Dad is an NFL QB. Who says to him, "Wow, Dad you suck," (this summer's admission from papa). Then this is what they have to say to their father, after a wild comeback that causes almost every football fan from coast to coast to lick his feet? 

Real nice.

 

you don't think perhaps the kids were just kidding around with him?

[Fantasy Island]

2 hours ago, jgb said:

Which would also be the best stat-line for BYU over an entire game.

Beat me to it. I’m dreading BYU coming back like I dread April 15th.

[defensedoesntgetyoulaid]

Spoiled brats. I laughed at my dad once when my mom caught him ******* her best friend and he beat the crap out of me. Teach em some respect Joe! 

[Kleckineau]

2 hours ago, Guilhermezmc said:

So if he sucks like he did week 1 we are changing on him again?

This whole Flacco was so horrible vs Baltimore mantra is B/S.

300 yds and 1 td and 1 int.

First live action in how long??

Since being drafted has ZW ever had a game comparable to what Flacco had week one? 

At this point ZW could only qualify as Flacco's Fluffer.

[Sperm Edwards]

1 hour ago, batman10023 said:

 

you don't think perhaps the kids were just kidding around with him?

Of course they were kidding. It's still not the thing I'd say to my father after he's put (and while he's still putting) his body out there to take a beating so I can someday inherit his tens of millions, surely living quite well in the meantime. So it's an odd thing that these are the only sentiments he shares about his kids. Not how happy they are for him, not how much they were cheering for him. How much they insult him.

I don't know anything about his kids. I just think it's strange that 100% of the time it's coincidentally something insulting they've recently said to him that he shares publicly.