Which Way Is Up ?

[Maxman]

Which Way is Up?

Posted at 8:24 am in Tyson Rauch, Featured Editorials by Administrator

By Tyson Rauch

For the first time in a long time I am at a loss for words when it comes to commenting on the New York Jets. As Jets fans we have been through the high and lows from the 10-0 lead in the AFC Championship game against the Broncos that ended in a second half collapse to the dramatic late season surge generated by Chad Pennington culminating in an AFC East title. Then of course there was the Vinny Testaverde injury in the season opener and of course the two missed field goals in a playoff game that forbid the Jets from moving on.

The direction of the organization appeared to change in 2006 when Coach Mangini and company took over Gang Green and surprised the NFL by claiming a spot in the playoffs. Coming off that season the outlook was bright for the beloved Jets as the team was smart, disciplined and well coached. Well fast-forward to week five of the 2007 NFL season and the Jets are 1-4 and look nothing like the successful team from the year before. The team appears to lack any of the qualities of a championship team from the talent in the locker room, to the coaching strategies, to the actual performance on the field. The aura of negativity, sarcasm and losing once again appears to be surrounding the Jets as it did in 2005.

So where do they go from here?

And from a long time fan perspective the joy of discussing the team I have supported for years seems to have waned. How many times can you read negative posts over and over about a quarterback that plays his heart out for his team but always comes up short? How many times can you read articles criticizing personnel and management decisions? Especially when the same people praised those moves five months ago. How many times can you read message board threads with fans blaming the Jets downward spiral on everything from the players, the ball boys and even the hot dog vendors? Right here on JetNation.com we even had a thread suggesting Fireman Ed should shoulder some of the blame.

I think back to the beginning of August when I could not wait to watch my New York Jets in their first preseason game. Football was back and I could not be happier. Now two months later the Jets are a team that has lost its direction and the fans are not making it any easier on them. And to make things worse I will go to the game this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles and will have to sit next thousands of Philly fans making a mockery of a Jets HOME game. A New York sports radio host has a saying when he mentions the New York Jets which is “Oh the Pain” and he could not be any more on target.

[Jet Moses]

Ennui has set in, en masse.

I contemplated writing an in depth article for the front page, about how I don't care any more, but that would be a contradiction, wouldn't it?

Indeed, just the fact that I'm responding in the thread implies I must care to some degree.

I think I remain to jeer and mock, and nothing else. I pop in maybe ten minutes a day now.

Really don't know what else to say.

[SoFlaJets]

Ennui has set in, en masse.

I contemplated writing an in depth article for the front page, about how I don't care any more, but that would be a contradiction, wouldn't it?

Indeed, just the fact that I'm responding in the thread implies I must care to some degree.

I think I remain to jeer and mock, and nothing else. I pop in maybe ten minutes a day now.

Really don't know what else to say.

It's no wonder JM-this team inspires no one-I mean if say the defense could actually STOP SOMEONE once in a while we might even start caring a little more....I don't think it's US the fans-I think it's THIS PARTICULAR JETS TEAM....which is shaping up to be one of the worst in our long history...we don't even have to mention the QB position

[4HCrew]

ok Phil I thought we changed that picture ha ha ha

[faba]

Nice job Tyson

The most discouraging thing is that this year we seem to be stepping back instead of building on last year performances, in team, personnel and coaching.

[Maxman]

ok Phil I thought we changed that picture ha ha ha

Nobody sent me another one man. Sorry. Send me another one and we will get rid of the JMac curse.

We can go back to this:

Tues Morning QB -- Wed Edition!!!

[JetCane]

Nobody sent me another one man. Sorry. Send me another one and we will get rid of the JMac curse.

We can go back to this:

Tues Morning QB -- Wed Edition!!!

Thanks 4H.

Max, why dont you use the pic I just put in my sig. Just make it larger.

[bitonti]

And to make things worse I will go to the game this Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles and will have to sit next thousands of Philly fans making a mockery of a Jets HOME game.

This is a very 'woe is me' sort of statement

Tyson do you realize the Eagles are just as screwed as the Jets are? in fact there are alot of similarities between the McNabb/Kolb and Chad/Clemens situations. It's a race to see which team will bench their starter first.

[Barton]

Jets are a joke, but who didnt see this coming in 2007?

Max, I'd like to write an article for your frontpage.

Here is the title: I Hate 2 Say It

Here is the content: But I told you so. The end.

[Jet27]

Guys, do you honesty think I don't love the Jets because I am critical of Penny boy and the coaching-organization? You've got to be kidding.

The jets for whatever reason come up short. That's just a fact.

I have and will always love my team that's also a fact.

But something has always been missing (or for at least one season in 68-69 we had it).

The It is a SB appearance. And I am not saying a SB victory. People, we have been to just 1 freakin Championship game since 1998.

That is just not good enough.

We have been to just one divisional playoff game (Pitt.) in the same time period and we lost because a kicker couldn't cut the mustard and kick a field goal (mind you he had two chances to do this--i.e. win).

The organization is not run by football people apparently. We don't draft well. We don't hire proven HC's with NFL experience (and when we do..i.e. Parcells) we limit their control in organizational matters.

We need a proven WINNING head-coach (with at least some playoff-SB experience). That will turn this Jets thing around. We need to have a good professionally run draft, and have the imagination with some trades. We need Penny and his $64 million dollar BUST of a contract to sit and provide guidance to KC now or if you don't you need to get a proven QB one way of the other.

We need the organization not to make stupid decisions i.e. Kendall.

We need a professional organization running a professional team. With consistent results and not some roller coaster season of 4-12 and then 10-6 and then 4-12 etc...

We need to string together 3-4 years of positive results and positive strides with the vision statement clearly on the stadium (by the way) that we are renting space from..Let's Take a small step now--so we can take a big step tomorrow toward a SB"...

That's what we need to do, I am waiting for it to happen, but I don't see the small step all I see is "one step forward and two steps backward".

[DonCorleone]

Hi Max.

I think that what is going on is that losing is causing a division among fans as losing will often do even between team mates.

There has been a substential amount of labeling going on recently such as:

Chad Haters, Chad Lovers, Mangini Haters, Mangini Lovers...real Jets fans...fake Jets and so on.

In my opinion, there are only two types of Jet fans, the ones that like me are a bit older and have lived through so many failures and heart breaks and the younger ones who for the most part tend to be much more forgiving and have a more optimistic look at what is going on.

I think that the one thing that we all have in common is that no matter who the QB is or who coaches this team, we all want to win and we all love our team. IMO, the older generation is losing patience and is fearful of having to live through another regime of poor decisions, inadequate personnel bad coaching and team officials that are more suited for an accounting office. I believe that the younger fans take this negative approach as someone not being a real fan.

During the pre-season, I posted several times that this team looked horrible. It wasn't the score that gave me that impression, it was the play of our first team defense which was completely unable to stop the run and showed signs of being extremely soft. That has been a reality so far this year. Certain adjustments can improve our play and mask some of the problems. Perhaps even give us a few wins, but the reality states that we will probably not beat any good teams playing their A game.

This is not like the 80's where to really improve a team, it could take up to five years. In the age of free agency, you can really make a difference in 2 or 3 years of good drafts and proper FA additions to your club. I think that one of the most discouraging things is the quality of FA's that we have taken in and how they have been for the most part complete busts.

Of course, for all of this negativity that I see, I think that things would be different had we not given away those winnable games.

Thank you for keeping this board leveled and for the job that all of the mods do every day on this site, and I hope that a few wins turn even grouchos like me around.

God bless.

[faba]

Hi Max.

I think that what is going on is that losing is causing a division among fans as losing will often do even between team mates.

There has been a substential amount of labeling going on recently such as:

Chad Haters, Chad Lovers, Mangini Haters, Mangini Lovers...real Jets fans...fake Jets and so on.

In my opinion, there are only two types of Jet fans, the ones that like me are a bit older and have lived through so many failures and heart breaks and the younger ones who for the most part tend to be much more forgiving and have a more optimistic look at what is going on.

I think that the one thing that we all have in common is that no matter who the QB is or who coaches this team, we all want to win and we all love our team. IMO, the older generation is losing patience and is fearful of having to live through another regime of poor decisions, inadequate personnel bad coaching and team officials that are more suited for an accounting office. I believe that the younger fans take this negative approach as someone not being a real fan.

During the pre-season, I posted several times that this team looked horrible. It wasn't the score that gave me that impression, it was the play of our first team defense which was completely unable to stop the run and showed signs of being extremely soft. That has been a reality so far this year. Certain adjustments can improve our play and mask some of the problems. Perhaps even give us a few wins, but the reality states that we will probably not beat any good teams playing their A game.

This is not like the 80's where to really improve a team, it could take up to five years. In the age of free agency, you can really make a difference in 2 or 3 years of good drafts and proper FA additions to your club. I think that one of the most discouraging things is the quality of FA's that we have taken in and how they have been for the most part complete busts.

Of course, for all of this negativity that I see, I think that things would be different had we not given away those winnable games.

Thank you for keeping this board leveled and for the job that all of the mods do every day on this site, and I hope that a few wins turn even grouchos like me around.

God bless.

Don excellent comments that you have written here in this post. Keep the faith in the Jets and jetnation!

[Thor99]

Jets are a joke, but who didnt see this coming in 2007?

Max, I'd like to write an article for your frontpage.

Here is the title: I Hate 2 Say It

Here is the content: But I told you so. The end.

If you hated to say it, you would eventually stop.

zxGejqxN2WY

[DonCorleone]

Don excellent comments that you have written here in this post. Keep the faith in the Jets and jetnation!

Thanks Much Faba. Good luck on Sunday and may we take all these frustrations out on our opponent.

[4HCrew]

I think the eagles have a better group of talent than the Jets but I could be wrong

[Sperm Edwards]

Guys, do you honesty think I don't love the Jets because I am critical of Penny boy and the coaching-organization? You've got to be kidding.

The jets for whatever reason come up short. That's just a fact.

I have and will always love my team that's also a fact.

But something has always been missing (or for at least one season in 68-69 we had it).

The It is a SB appearance. And I am not saying a SB victory. People, we have been to just 1 freakin Championship game since 1998.

That is just not good enough.

We have been to just one divisional playoff game (Pitt.) in the same time period and we lost because a kicker couldn't cut the mustard and kick a field goal (mind you he had two chances to do this--i.e. win).

The organization is not run by football people apparently. We don't draft well. We don't hire proven HC's with NFL experience (and when we do..i.e. Parcells) we limit their control in organizational matters.

We need a proven WINNING head-coach (with at least some playoff-SB experience). That will turn this Jets thing around. We need to have a good professionally run draft, and have the imagination with some trades. We need Penny and his $64 million dollar BUST of a contract to sit and provide guidance to KC now or if you don't you need to get a proven QB one way of the other.

We need the organization not to make stupid decisions i.e. Kendall.

We need a professional organization running a professional team. With consistent results and not some roller coaster season of 4-12 and then 10-6 and then 4-12 etc...

We need to string together 3-4 years of positive results and positive strides with the vision statement clearly on the stadium (by the way) that we are renting space from..Let's Take a small step now--so we can take a big step tomorrow toward a SB"...

That's what we need to do, I am waiting for it to happen, but I don't see the small step all I see is "one step forward and two steps backward".

If you mean January 1999 then you'd be right. But since the '98 season we haven't been to one.

I think you mean we've been to one championship game since Richard Todd tried to set the interception record in the Miami mud in the '82 season.

[Maxman]

Don C:

Great post. It used to break down that way imo (older fans vs younger fans). But I think the internet has changed that.

A lot of the younger guys seem to bring more hate than I ever could. And I think you see some of the blind faith in certain players from the younger guys as well. Defending one player against all odds at the expense of blaming other players.

I have said this several times this year but I root for the scoreboard. With the internet and message board being what they are certain people feel the need to defend certain players because they praised them when they were in college or right as the draft was approaching.

I am not calling any one out -- just saying this is the reality of sports today. Long live the internet.

[rick34125]

It's no wonder JM-this team inspires no one-I mean if say the defense could actually STOP SOMEONE once in a while we might even start caring a little more....I don't think it's US the fans-I think it's THIS PARTICULAR JETS TEAM....which is shaping up to be one of the worst in our long history...we don't even have to mention the QB position

I don't know about you, but I've been getting a lot of work done lately.

[Jet27]

If you mean January 1999 then you'd be right. But since the '98 season we haven't been to one.

I think you mean we've been to one championship game since Richard Todd tried to set the interception record in the Miami mud in the '82 season.

SE, yeap that's right. You brought up that Miami-Jet's Championship game, ever since Shula left the field uncovered during a hurrican (smart), I have not like that guy. A dry field or at least not mud, the jets would have blow those fins away. That was the only thing Shula knew he could do to stop the jets running game and defensive front 4 from sacking the QB to oblivion.