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[Jetsfan80]

In the wake of Braylon's DUI, the Jets are, of course, facing a firestorm of criticism. Some are arguing that it all falls on Braylon for making a dumb decision, others say that the Jets need to take responsibility for the behavior of their players. Both sides are correct to an extent, but it really all speaks to a wider topic.

When Mangini was here, he was all about high character guys, and it seemed that Tannenbaum was willing to go along with that. In some regard, I think Tannenbaum tends to buy into his coach's philosophy (at least while it works), and Mangini for the most part seemed to run a pretty tight ship.

Unfortunately for Mangini, this philosophy just doesn't tend to win football games. Sure, there have been some championship teams that seemed to have few off-the-field issues. But most of the time, championship teams have at least a FEW guys who aren't perfect saints. Or, at the very least, these successful head coaches haven't spent an exorbitant amount of time trying to instill unfair disciplinary measures for players who step out of line.

Part of the reason some players make it to the top of their sport is because they have a chip on their shoulders and a "me-against-the-world" look at life. Even guys who are perfectly nice in public need to have SOME kind of mean streak and ultra-competitiveness to them to get where they are.

So, after Mangini left to have even less success with the Browns, Rex Ryan entered. And while you can't say that he has a high tolerance for idiotic behavior, he's no Mangini. Rex lays the expectations out there, expects his players to follow them, but is also okay with having a few nutjobs around if can make a team successful.

Tannenbaum, shifting philosophies, sought out players who could improve the roster while also taking a low-risk, high-reward route to do so. Braylon was brought in from Cleveland for almost nothing. Antonio Cromartie, with his many children, will cost the Jets no worse than a 2011 2nd and, like Edwards, is in the last year of his contract. Santonio Holmes only cost a 5th rounder and is also at the end of his contract. The Jets made no longterm commitment to any of these players, hoping that they are mature enough to determine that there is enough incentive ahead of them to behave.

So why should it come to anyone's surprise that one of the "problem children" would make a bad decision? Does this not simply make the decision easier as to who to keep and let go? The Jets are trying to win games, and there is no reward for good behavior in the NFL, just punishment for wrong-doing. The Jets knew the risks of bringing in a player like Braylon Edwards, and after receiving his slap on the wrist from the team will go about his business again. Based on precedence, it does not appear ANY kind of league punishment will come down until at LEAST November 9 when Braylon is due in court to plead his case.

What's the point of the above? Don't be discouraged. One bad mistake will not cause the Jets to fall apart, and rest assured that Rex Ryan will take care of the situation in the best way possible. If you can't play for Rex, you can't play for anyone, and in Braylon's case, he might not be playing for Rex in 2011. Let's simply hope the rest of the team gets the message and that they circle the wagons rather than make further off-the-field mistakes. With a solid combination of well-behaved AND talented vets still left over from the Mangini era (the one thing he DID give the Jets), we can be confident that this matter will be taken care of in-house. Go Jets.

[Sperm Edwards]

DUI has nothing to do with a head coach being strict or not. That is on the individual player alone. Whether you have a strict bastard of a HC like Coughlin or a looser, friendlier HC like Ryan, a-holes are going to behave like a-holes.

Independent of who the HC is, these guys know what a big deal it is to drive after drinking through last call (not to mention driving at night in NYC with over-tinted windows that got him pulled over in the first place). Edwards made a personal decision to ignore the risk of killing himself and others. The upside to this dirtbag decision was not having to leave his car in a parking lot in the city overnight. Ferguson and Gholston each made the decision to condone this behavior by getting in the car with him.

The three of them were the #3, #4, and #6 picks in their respective drafts. They have no shortage of money among them. They have all been warned multiple times in their lives of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol or any intoxicant.

Their decisions have nothing to do with who the HC is. Even disciplinarian coaches have players who behave this way when they're away from practices & games.

[lancemehl]

Can't these pricks go five months without drinking? ( or at least wait until the byes) Jesus. I mean, it's perfectly acceptable for an adult to have a few drinks, but these fools have what? five GOOD years to make a splash (on average, even 10) and do something people only dream of, and they can retire in their 30's and then drink themselves right into a dialysis machine. They could spend everyday for the next 40 years at a tiki bar in Bermuda and get drunk and screw hookers from dawn to dawn.......wtf!!!!!?????

I know they are 20 year old kids and everything, but.....man, I know if I go out on the town bar hopping, I'm worth a sh*t for days. What is wrong with these assholes?? Imagine that was Revis?? haha These guys want 15 million bucks a year, they better doing pushups in the shower, situp while they eat and if they aren't working out, they better be practicing and during their break they should be reading that playbook. Especially butter fingers Breylon. That dude should be in bed by 10pm with icepacks on his hands from catching balls out of the shoot all day!!!

BS!

[Sperm Edwards]

Can't these pricks go five months without drinking? ( or at least wait until the byes) Jesus. I mean, it's perfectly acceptable for an adult to have a few drinks, but these fools have what? five GOOD years to make a splash (on average, even 10) and do something people only dream of, and they can retire in their 30's and then drink themselves right into a dialysis machine. They could spend everyday for the next 40 years at a tiki bar in Bermuda and get drunk and screw hookers from dawn to dawn.......wtf!!!!!?????

I know they are 20 year old kids and everything, but.....man, I know if I go out on the town bar hopping, I'm worth a sh*t for days. What is wrong with these assholes?? Imagine that was Revis?? haha These guys want 15 million bucks a year, they better doing pushups in the shower, situp while they eat and if they aren't working out, they better be practicing and during their break they should be reading that playbook. Especially butter fingers Breylon. That dude should be in bed by 10pm with icepacks on his hands from catching balls out of the shoot all day!!!

BS!

I hear ya. But until it's a stipulation of their contract to refrain from perfectly legal personal activities like drinking, it's a pipe dream.

What is ridiculous is driving themselves when they should - and do - know better. For these 3, who have collectively been paid over $75M already at ages 24, 26, and 27, splitting a limo 3 ways for the night would have a similar economic impact on their lives as buying a pack of gum would for most people. Except that an average person refraining from buying that pack of gum generally doesn't endanger innocent lives.

Edwards deserves any punishment handed to him. But not because he went out late and drank.

[lancemehl]

I hear ya. But until it's a stipulation of their contract to refrain from perfectly legal personal activities like drinking, it's a pipe dream.

What is ridiculous is driving themselves when they should - and do - know better. For these 3, who have collectively been paid over $75M already at ages 24, 26, and 27, splitting a limo 3 ways for the night would have a similar economic impact on their lives as buying a pack of gum would for most people. Except that an average person refraining from buying that pack of gum generally doesn't endanger innocent lives.

Edwards deserves any punishment handed to him. But not because he went out late and drank.

I'm not saying they shouldn't be allowed to drink. I'm saying that anyone of those kids that got cut in preseason would kill for the opportunity and anyone who has his heart in the game wouldn't care to get ****ed up in the middle of the season, knowing that it adversely affects them physically in any way shape or form. No. We can't get on them for drinking, technically, but..

now, not getting a cab is the obvious IDIOT move, and the fact that it was a decision made by three of these bozos is worse.

Seriously, though, are you OK with Revis going out and getting smashed tonight after his holdout? or Sanchez, who has still yet to prove anything at all in this league, partying to 4am to celebrate one good game?

Honestly, that's the sh*t that pisses me off, WAY more than an all-pro on our despised rival team calling me a prick. That's just me.

[Bruce Banner]

When Mangini was here, he was all about high character guys, and it seemed that Tannenbaum was willing to go along with that. In some regard, I think Tannenbaum tends to buy into his coach's philosophy (at least while it works), and Mangini for the most part seemed to run a pretty tight ship.

Mangini brought in Abram Elam, who went to trial for a gang rape of a fellow student while at Notre Dame. The jury said they let the defendants go because the victim said she removed her tampon before the sexual act and that proved consent. If you go through all the details I think you will find the charges against Elam convincing. And Mangini took this guy with him to Cleveland. The victim from Notre Dame contacts every team Elam gets hired by and tries to convince them to fire him. She says she will do this till she's dead because of what he did to her.

Point being, Mangini got this reputation as a discliplinarian more from the way he carried himself than anything else.