As Gang Green Turns: Tebow and Sanchez - Ryan Knows You Can Take Only One Girl to the Prom

First published on Blogcritics.

One suspects that New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan is delighted as can be about the newest wrinkle in the Jets soap opera, with Tim Tebow crashing into the party. For if nothing else, Ryan loves to mix things up; he is definitely a "shaken not stirred" kind of guy. There were times last year that the Jets resembled the Titanic, and if anything Tebow represents the iceberg that hit the starboard side. Since we all know how the ship fared, one can only wonder how the S.S. Jets will stay afloat this season.
Perhaps in Ryan's mind there is no impediment, but that is the same thinking that the Titanic's Captain Smith took to his watery grave. Ryan, despite all his posturing and mouthing off, does know a thing or two about football. He is not some young schmuck who inadvertently asked two girls to go to the senior dance. Ryan knows you can take only one girl to the prom, and if he really wants to get to that Super Bowl and dance the final dance, he is going to have to choose a partner.

Make no mistake, this "love" triangle is something right out of Shakespeare, but if we don't want a tragedy on our hands (with almost everyone dead on the floor after the final sword fight), something has to give. Ryan knows it, Sanchez does too, and without a doubt young Mr. Tebow knows it. He came here of his own volition - choosing the Jets over Jacksonville Jaguars, despite knowing that Sanchez had just received a contract extension. Now isn't that just like the girl who says "Yes" when asked to the prom, even knowing the guy has asked out another gal already?

No one knows how this is going to play out this year, but you have to wonder what owner Woody Johnson and GM Mike Tannebaum were thinking. The obvious thing was to grab the headlines away from those NY Giants, but there is something even more insidious in the works here. Could they have given Sanchez the extension full well knowing that they had their eyes on Tebow? That's like asking if Judas gave up Jesus without thinking about those thirty pieces of silver.

I have been watching the soap opera I like to call As Gang Green Turns for most of my life, but I think these latest episodes are about the wildest I have ever seen (and training camp is still months away). So until the next drama unfolds; same Jet time, same Jet station, old chums.

Photo Credit: foxnews.com

As Gang Green Turns: Rex and His Men Surprisingly Quiet As Giants Celebrate

Article first published as As Gang Green Turns: Rex and His Men Surprisingly Quiet As Giants Celebrate on Blogcritics.

The sounds of silence from Jets head coach Rex Ryan and his men are deafening. As the Giants enjoyed a ticker-tape parade in lower Manhattan, there was nothing to say for the Jets. Their fans (I am one of them) watched the celebration and felt like they were robbed or deprived or mislead, and that has to do with all Ryan's boasting and bravado that gave them a false feeling of security. Of course, we should know better. Ryan has been promising a championship for three seasons now, and all we have to show for it is watching Big Blue retake New York.

I for one do not take anything away from the Giants or their fans. They definitely deserve the accolades, the keys to the city, the parade down the Canyon of Heroes, and all the rest of the bounty of their victory. We Jets fans can even feel good about it in knowing that the Giants took down Darth Belichick and his Imperial Stormtroopers. Oh yes, Jets fans, we must admit that the force was undeniably with Obi Wan Coughlin, Eli Skywalker, and their Jedi. Please forgive these references to Star Wars, but I am losing it here.

You see, when it is all said and done, Jets fans should have nothing but admiration for the Giants, their victory, and their coach and quarterback. This is a class act all the way, and if we bleeders of green do not admit it, then we do not deserve a tourniquet to stop the flow of blood. In fact, Jets fans are down and out for the count right now, and there is no way for any of us to get back on our feet and face the future unless we come to grips with some disturbing facts.

1. Rex Ryan lied to us. He knew he was lying, and if he did not know, then he is even worse off than we thought. It is easy to shoot one's mouth off to friends and family, but when you stare into the camera and guarantee a Super Bowl berth to your fans, you better be able to back that up. Sadly, Rex has three strikes against him now, and unless I am wrong, that means he has struck out.

2. Mark Sanchez is not going to be an elite quarterback. There are those amazing guys who can be the QB that is in the stratosphere, the anointed ones like Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, Drew Brees, or even Tom Brady. I think this Super Bowl victory elevates Peyton's brother Eli into this fraternity, but Jets fans have to realize that Sanchez is not even close to this crew. Sanchez may evolve and become a good QB, but I doubt he will ever rise as high as those named above.

3. Jets ownership tried to get by in 2011. There were questionable moves, especially the addition of Plaxico Burress. The offensive line seemed incapable of protecting Sanchez. He always seemed under the gun. One might say, "No wonder he threw all those interceptions." And the defense, what the supposedly masterful defense expert Ryan established, did not live up to expectations. In the overall picture, it seems that the Jets were short on personnel and on the support necessary from Woody Johnson to get the best players no matter the cost.

So now, the parade is over. Manning has been to Disney World, sat down with David Letterman to chew the fat, and got to drive his new Corvette as Super Bowl MVP. The Giants are the toast of the town and the country too. They beat the evil empire of the Patriots to the delight of many (including this Jets fan). Yes, the Giants have New York again and we can only stare in disbelief, as the Dutchmen probably did when Peter Stuyvesant relinquished the town to the British.

Yet there has to be hope for all fans of Gang Green. Our motto has always been "Maybe next year," but that can be either a joke or a reality based on what happens next. Whether or not the Jets make a play for Peyton Manning, there have to be some major changes coming for this season.

Are you listening General Manager, Mike Tannenbaum? Do you hear us Woody Johnson? Just take a look at what the Giants did. See what kind of coach Tom Coughlin is, what kind of quarterback Eli is, and the way the team handles itself. This is a winning organization, a class act all the way. Big Blue deserves all the praise and more. So now do the Jets ever evolve from being that other team with the big-mouthed coach, the erratic QB, and the shoddy offense and questionable defense? Or do they remain lost in the ether, acquiescing New York to the Giants and playing out the string?

Okay, Jets fans, we can wait for the answers to these questions, or maybe the answers will never come. If that's the case, then we have our responses by default and we will know that 2012 won't be much better, and maybe even much worse, than last year. Yes, it is tough being a Jets fan, but that's just business as usual for us. Perhaps that is the cruelest truth of all.

Photo Credit: ABC News

As Gang Green Turns - This Jets Fan Want a Big Giant Win

First published as As Gang Green Turns - This Jets Fan Want a Big Giant Win at Blogcritics.



This Jets fan has a confession to make: I want the Giants to win. There, I did say it! Incredible? Absolutely. Bizarre? Most definitely. Still, when I look at Bill Belichick and his smug supermodel marrying quarterback Tom Brady, I can't help wanting them to lose in a big way. Since Gang Green imploded this season, I cannot have the pleasure of seeing my team in there, but the always likable quarterback Eli Manning and his rock steady head coach Tom Coughlin are deserving of a championship for all the reasons the Jets were not this year.
Make no mistake, I am not donning a Big Blue shirt or hat - wearing anything Giants would make me melt like a vampire on the beach in the Cancun sunshine - but I am going to be rooting for them because in this Super Bowl battle they are the good guys. It's kind of like being in King Kong's corner when he is up against Godzilla; they're both monsters, but at least Kong had a heart and wouldn't hurt the girl. Godzilla would have used his fire breath to roast her and have her for dinner, so he had to go down.

It is the first time (and probably the last) in my life that I am rooting for the Giants, but as someone who bleeds green for his Jets, this is not a difficult choice. Sure, I will be thinking about the Jets players, many of whom will be home watching the game in disbelief. I am certain Rex Ryan will be sitting on the sofa, enjoying the taste of his toes rammed down his throat as he watches the game. As most Jets fans know by now, Rex has a proclivity for foot in mouth disease. I doubt he will learn his lesson, but something has to give next season for the Gang that is Green and their fans, so let's hope Rex is taking notes.

Right now the focus has to be on Indianapolis and Super Bowl XLVI for Jets fans. I don't care about anything but seeing the Giants take down Brady and company. That's the first order of business. Then, after the game is over, the next thing on the list should be for Jets owner Woody Johnson to break the bank and sign Peyton Manning and trade Mark Sanchez to get some help on the offensive line. Imagine two Mannings playing in New York (really New Jersey, but that's another story); and can you further imagine a Super Bowl pitting brothers Manning against one another? That would be bigger and better than any Subway Series or even the Rangers playing the Islanders for the Stanley Cup.

Okay, the soap opera As Gang Green Turns is still on hiatus, and I'll catch up with the action soon enough, but for now this Jets fan is hoping that Big Blue takes the trophy and sends Brady and company home for a long winter's nap.

Photo credit - USA Today

As Gang Green Turns: Sanchez Throws Season Away in 19-17 Loss to Miami

Article first published as As Gang Green Turns: Sanchez Throws Season Away in 19-17 Loss to Miami on Blogcritics.

Three more interceptions this week and the situation starts to look pretty bad for QB Mark Sanchez, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, and head coach Rex Ryan. We Jets fans have run out of excuses for these three, and even Schottenheimer's apparent benching of Santonio Holmes in the final minutes of the game seems meaningless. Giving Holmes a time out for bad behavior does nothing to save Schottenheimer; in fact, his lack of leadership becomes even more apparent when you analyze things.
The first person who needs to go is the big guy on top. I have often jokingly referred to Ryan as Humpty Dumpty, but after this game the reference has never been more obvious or fitting. Rex had a big fall this season, and you have to wonder about him lying in pieces outside MetLife Stadium. My bet is the players will collect their things and walk by indifferently instead of rallying the horses and men to try to put Rex back together. Honestly, it is his own fault and his fate is deserved.

Schottenheimer has been under fire all season, and he has more than anything mishandled the line and the receivers. It also seems like he has had Sanchez on auto pilot. Sanchez has fallen apart as much as King Rex, with his trigger-finger being so itchy that he just throws the ball without seemingly any thought process or plan. Without proper pass protection, and with receivers being covered and out maneuvered, Sanchez has been under the gun and shooting blanks. It is not a pretty picture at all.

The benching of Holmes at the end of the game was the salt in the wounds. On an offensive drive that mattered most, Holmes should have been in there, but not in Schottenheimer's world. He allowed whatever altercation happened between Holmes and a teammate to override good sense, so we have Holmes sitting on the sidelines looking like a kid in the corner in school. Unfortunately, the dunce cap goes on Schottenheimer for this final straw. If he isn't sent packing, something is rotten in the state of Jets country.

Of course, we Jets fans are bitter now, but we have to face facts and so does owner Woody Johnson. This team cannot be seen as a legitimate playoff contender; perhaps, it never should have been in the three years Ryan has been here. All his hot air made the perception that the team was more than the sum of its parts. It's kind of like dropping a Cadillac shell around an old Yugo. No matter how nice it may look, you will never get the performance you expect, and eventually the shell will break away, as it did for Rex this year.

If we learn anything from this 8-8 season, it is that we can only hope things get changed for the better. Jets fans shouldn't be thinking about how Oakland, Denver, and Cincinnati lost. Remember that Tennessee won. Besides, even if all the stars aligned and the Jets won, they no doubt would have been eliminated in the first round.

Next year we need to see a major change for the Jets. Sanchez should be thought of as a back-up QB for now, or trade him and get the right guy. The Jets should make a full court press to obtain Peyton Manning, and Schottenheimer should be shown the door. Finally, Johnson should take a long hard look at Ryan and decide whether his baggage is worth it. After three years of empty promises, the bubble has burst. It could be Ryan is shown the door too, and that may be necessary in order to purge what is wrong with this team.

It will be a long and lonely time for Jets fans in the months ahead, but maybe we should bite the bullet and watch the Giants. They have a solid head coach in Tom Coughlin, and Eli Manning is starting to look like he is in his brother's shadow no more. Jets fans may not like admitting it, but Big Blue has much of what the Jets lack. If we are honest with ourselves, we will know it is true and then we only have to hope that Woody Johnson realizes it as well and makes appropriate changes.

For now, the soap opera known As Gang Green Turns goes on hiatus. As in the TV world, that is never a good thing, and reruns just don't cut it because we know how it all turns out. Hang in there until next year, Jets fans.

Photo Credits: Humpty Dumpty - lyricsdog.eu/ Holmes - nydailynews

As Gang Green Turns: The Party Is Over for Rex and His Men

Article first published as As Gang Green Turns: The Party Is Over for Rex and His Men on Blogcritics.


It really matters very little what happens against Miami next week; the party is over for head coach Rex Ryan and his minions. His kingdom is fractured, and if he hasn't fallen off the wall yet it's only because he's holding on for dear life. My advice is "Let go, Rex." It'll makes things easier in the long run, and then all your horses and men can scatter to the far corners after next week's game instead of worrying about putting you back together again.

Ryan is his own worst enemy. He is reminiscent of Jackie Gleason's Ralph Kramden character in spirit and in person. While Rex never seems at a loss for words or embarrassed by what comes out of his mouth, Kramden often recognized that his got him into lots of trouble, hence the famous "I've got a BIG mouth" line from The Honeymooners. We can only wish Ryan had such awareness.

The Jets were playing what could ostensibly be called a mini-Super Bowl against the Giants at MetLife Stadium. It had the aura of it building up the week before, with Rex shooting his mouth off, saying the Jets were a better team, and the rest of his blather. Compared to Ryan, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin comes off like a Harvard professor. All week the buzz in New York was that Coughlin needed the win against the Jets or would lose his job. Perhaps the talk should have been about Ryan losing his, and after that debacle on Christmas Eve against the Giants, it seems reasonable to me to indeed bring that possibility into discussion.

Ryan has made nothing but promises (empty ones it seems for the most part) for the last three years. He is supposed to be a master of defense, but the team seems shaky in that department, especially this year. To make matters worse, the offense is sputtering like a Model-T Ford of late. Sanchez is always under the gun, seemingly without more than a few seconds before he has to throw the ball. When he does throw, the competition licks its lips because chances are pretty good for an interception.

I don't need to see next week's game (I predict the Jets will lose 21-14 by the way) to say that I think Rex's big mouth has taken a toll on this team. He needs to either learn to shut up and take some notes from guys like Coughlin, or maybe it is time for him to go. As for Sanchez, it has been a three year experiment that seems to have fizzled: no smoke and mirrors are going to make him a better QB. He is looking more and more like a back-up quarterback to me, but I am sure he will not want that and will go elsewhere.

Yes, we Jets fans are bitter after that loss on December 24. It ruined our Christmas worse than a stocking full of coal. We have to blame Ryan and Sanchez, and even a partridge in a pear tree would do nothing to make us feel better. So please, Jets fans, don't start thinking about if the Bengals lose or if this team or that wins, because it is over.

Deflate the blow-up Jets player on your lawn, throw all those green cups and plates into a bag, and hang up your Jets jerseys and hats in a dark closet. Tom Coughlin and the Giants taught us all a terrible lesson on Saturday, but Ryan may be the only one who learned nothing from it.

There will be no playoffs this year and a long time before next season. Hopefully, Ryan will take some classes on public speaking, start rethinking his offense and defense, and maybe owner Woody Johnson will do what needs to be done and offer as much money as possible to a new QB who can really lead this team. Can anyone say "Peyton Manning" without picturing him wearing a green uniform? Now THAT would be a great belated Christmas present for Jets fans.

Photo Credits: Gleason - hark.com; Ryan - Daily News

As Gang Green Turns: The Ryan Express Continues to Derail

Article first published as As Gang Green Turns: The Ryan Express Continues to Derail on Blogcritics.



The once hallowed Jets defense, head coach Rex Ryan's version of The Maginot Line, is looking more and more like Swiss cheese. How did Tim Tebow lead a 95-yard drive (and carry the ball for a 20-yard touchdown run)? The answer is the same as how the Germans overcame that supposedly impregnable French barrier in World War II: they simply went around it.

Ryan has made many promises to the fans and his players, but now it seems he just has miles to go before he sleeps - the promises have already been unkept. The 5-5 Jets are in no position to take the division and probably have very little chance of making the playoffs.


Yes, the defense didn't do its job on Thursday night against the Denver Broncos (5-5), but the more important story is Mark Sanchez and the offense. Sanchez still seems like he is treading water out there, while Tebow is doing his best Fran Tarkenton impersonation and making his fans believers. In fact, when Sanchez starts looking around for someone to catch his pass, the opponents are probably happier than the Jets' wide receivers. Chances are just as good for Sanchez to throw a ball that will be intercepted rather than a completed pass. It is starting to get that bad.

A great quarterback can be a game changer. Look at Indianapolis this season. They are 0-10 without the services of Peyton Manning. No one can underestimate how important that great quarterback is, for if he were playing in full health that team would no doubt be 8-2 now. It goes without saying that Manning is that terrific; however, the Jets with Sanchez are 5-5, and at this point it would be hard for us to say they would be doing much worse without him.

Yes, the Jets' offensive line has been taking a lot of blame for this Sanchez meltdown, but most Jets fans should see the truth by now. Sanchez is no great quarterback and struggles to be even moderately good. Ryan always gives him support and that is all well and good, but when does the coach finally face the fact that Sanchez still doesn't seem to have his head in the game? Maybe when he is sitting home watching the playoffs.

The great Ryan defense, the supposedly unstoppable express train to the Super Bowl, has been derailing this season. Ryan's offense is not much better, and the truth is that this train is probably not making it into the station. So for all Rex's promises and all his bluster, we face the reality of what will probably end as an 8-8 (or worse?) season.

If this happens again, Jets fans are going to be grumbling all the way through the playoffs. We then have to face the facts and perhaps Ryan will too: maybe Mark Sanchez never becomes the next Joe Namath, and then we have to start thinking about who is QB in 2012? Chances are that the Colts will not sign Manning and he will be a free agent? If Woody Johnson's deep pockets can pull out thirty or so million dollars, the Jets may indeed have a great quarterback again, a game changer, who could finally lead them past the Patriots to take the division. Wouldn't that be a great way to get the Ryan Express back on track?

Photo Credits: Ryan & Sanchez - Daily News; Peyton Manning - ESPN.com

As Gang Green Turns: Jets Miss Revis in 31-16 Loss to Giants

Okay, Jets fans, it's the morning after the big game against the Giants. Keep telling yourselves, "It's only a pre-season game; it's only a pre-season game." Maybe if you close your eyes and wish real hard, Darrelle Revis will appear in a cloud of smoke, and he'll be back on the team. Yeah, that's about as likely as Francisco Rodriguez ever pitching another inning as a Met again.

The truth, the hard sobering truth, was visible in the first football game ever played at the New Meadowlands Stadium on Monday night. Antonio Cromartie, who has earned the number one spot in Revis's absence, was beaten in one completion by Hakeem Nicks, but he also missed two interceptions. Kyle Wilson, the first round draft pick taking over Cromartie's position on defense, went untested in the game.

The real worry was seen in the lack of depth now apparent, with both Dwight Lowery and Drew Coleman looking like they were in big trouble last night. Especially even when Eli Manning left the game because of an injury, these guys were burned by the Giant's back-up QB Jim Sorgi. Not a pretty picture to be sure.

All of Rex Ryan's bluster about the team being headed for the Super Bowl suddenly seems more ridiculous than ever now. With this real weakness exposed, it doesn't matter how great Mark Sanchez and the offense looked in the first half. If the defense is going to be like this come September 13, Ryan's going to be drowning his sorrows in large Mickey D shakes soon enough.

Hopefully, Woody Johnson was watching this game carefully. The Giants beat the Jets and made the D look bad. Revis is no doubt at home watching ESPN and grinning from ear-to-ear. As Rex Ryan removes his big foot from his big mouth, Woody should be taking the wallet out of his back pocket. A Jet fan's homemade sign at last night's game sent the message loud and clear: "Pay Revis!" Come on, Woody, you know you want to. It's going to be a long, tough season if Revis sits it out because you wouldn't do what was right for this team.

As Gang Green Turns: Revis and Butthead

This article first appeared as As Gang Green Turns: Revis and Butthead on Blogcritics.

As the drama continues in the la-la land known as Jets training camp, owner Woody Johnson was the one doing more talking than his coach Rex Ryan. It seems that negotiations between the team and super-talented cornerback Darrelle Revis are going nowhere fast, and Johnson is only to happy to talk about the situation on ESPN.

The problem is that it looks increasingly more likely that Revis will sit-out the entire season. When asked directly about Revis playing even one quarter this year, Johnson said, "My gut feeling is, I would say no." If that is the case, Woody, can we actually keep up the facade about the Jets being bound for Super Bowl? Can someone, anyone, get Rex Ryan to stop predicting this trajectory as he blathers on about it day after day?

Ryan has to know that the defense is going to suffer big time without Revis. He acknowledges Revis's absence in camp on a daily basis, but did say that if Revis comes walking through the door, "Somebody will kiss him on the lips probably." Did you hear that, Darrelle? Rex is carrying around his breath mints, so that alone might keep the guy away for good.

If we want to do a little finger pointing (and why not at this point?), should we blame Revis or Johnson for the stalemate that has taken place? Revis, no doubt taking a page from his uncle Sean Gilbert, who sat out the entire 1997 in a contract dipsute with the Washington Redskins, could be the one to blame. We could cite utter greed and total disregard for his teammates and the fans here. No one, especially someone who is struggling each day to get by, wants to hear another spoiled sports player complaining that his million dollar contract is not enough. For a million dollars, I'd put on a uniform and run around the grass all day. Who wouldn't?

But there is the other side of the story. Woody Johnson doesn't seem to care too much about the team or its fans either. Shouldn't Johnson want to field the best team possible? Isn't there something in that family vault that could be pulled out, dusted off, and spent to keep Revis happy and get him out there on the field, moving the team closer to Ryan's bold promise of a Vince Lombardi Trophy?

Forgive me, but as I think about this situation, images of the iconic MTV idiots Beavis and Butthead keep dancing in my head. In the end, I see this inability to come to terms in contract negotiations as the fault of both parties. Come on Revis, share your remote control, and Woody, don't be such a butthead. Sit down, watch a little ESPN together, have some popcorn, and then get the job done.