This is where it’s at for the Jets as they prepare for an appearance under the bright lights of NBC’s “Sunday Night Football.” If reputation means anything, it’s a precarious position to be in. In terms of NFL regular-season platforms, none is bigger. The Jets’ mission, obviously, is to beat Miami. They have some control over that.
What no one in the organization can control – not Ryan, Woody Johnson nor Mike Tannenbaum – is how NBC will portray the team during nearly four hours encompassing a pregame show and the game itself.
When the tilt is over, how will America view the Jets?
Will the team’s image take a further beating?
– Bob Raissman, N.Y. Daily News.
Follow-up question: Who cares?
Look: DWI is a stupid thing to do and it sure seems like everyone involved knows that by now, or at least says they do. But since when have the Jets — the Rex Ryan, middle-finger Jets — cared about the way America viewed them?
And even if they did, what difference does it make?
The first two pages of the Daily News’ sports coverage were dedicated to more coverage of Braylon Edwards’ crime, the top half to Woody Johnson’s disappointment over the incident — he’s disappointed!? No! I thought he’d be thrilled! — and the bottom half to Mike Lupica’s disappointment with due process and the nature of the American judicial system.
There’s also Raissman’s page, with this screed wondering how NBC will choose to portray the Jets, two pages of fantasy-football advice that could be ripped straight from the pages of Duh! Magazine — stay away from Reggie Bush?! — and a Jets notebook piece mostly dedicated to the Edwards thing but with one item about Mike Nolan’s new defense in Miami:
There is a notable difference in the approach of the Dolphins defense. Mike Nolan was hired on as defensive coordinator and has instilled his aggressive 3-4 sets to unsettle opposing quarterbacks with cornerback blitzes and varying packages.
“I’m still going to try to beat him like he stole something,” Ryan said of his former co-worker with the Baltimore Ravens.
Last week, Nolan’s unit forced four turnovers (three interceptions, one lost fumble) against the Vikings and the week before limited the Bills to 166 yards of total offense.
Wait! That only gets like two inches and there’s a whole page speculating about what Bob Costas might say about Braylon Edwards? I want to hear more about that. That’s actual football stuff! I haven’t seen the Dolphins at all this year, and I had no idea they were running a different defense.
And look, I know all about how Raissman’s paid to be a media critic, and all the other writers at the Daily News are just doing their jobs, selling papers. I get it. I’m certain if we had more content streaming in here at SNY.tv I’d be begging columnists for more Braylon coverage, more Jets, the people want Jets, it drives traffic.
I just fantasize about a utopia in which I could spend my morning commute reading about actual football stuff.
Tedquarters 
See I think this is where Jets fans get a blinded by being Jets fans. From your post Ted, I can basically just sense that you are frustrated at all the negative talk about your favorite team and just want to move past it.
You say “does anybody care?”. And that question of “whats the big deal” is probably asked by many Jet fans. But the answer to that is pretty clear to non Jet fans, and that is alot of people care, and the team itself cares.
When a coach runs his mouth and makes Super Bowl predictions, and signs the team up to be on an HBO special etc, thats brings the national spotlight onto the team, and draws tons of attention, wanted or not to the team. The jets by portraying themslevs as a wild and cocky in you face bunch have made them disliked.
Basically you just cant have it both ways. The Jets cant talk trash and have a TV show and welcome the media spotlight when its positive, and then not expect the scrutiny to be higher during the negative times.
Its much the same as why negative stories are blown out of proportion more for the Mets, because they are a big market in the spotlight.
What exactly have Jets players and coaches said thats so offensive? That they feel confident that they can win games? That they feel they can win the Super Bowl? Whats the big freaking deal? This is how they’re supposed to think! Trash talking is some of the best parts of the game if you’ve ever played sports. This is supposed to be enjoyable. So freaking enjoy it when they lose or enjoy it when they win. Just stop with the hand wringing. And for the record, the Jets have some of the least criminal and civil complaints of any team in the league over the past decade. Less than the Pats or Giants, let alone the likes of the Vikings, Raiders, and Bengals.
Who said the Jets cant feel like they are super bowl contenders? There is a difference between feleing it and talking about it in the preseason.
I personally never said I cared about it that much, but people do. They way the coach and the team act, it portrays somewhat of a cocky undisciplined bunch, and when players them get in trouble, the perception is that the inmates are running the asylum. Whether its right or wrong, thats the perception it gives off.
Here’s what I don’t understand: NFL teams have pretty clearly established a protocol that a first-time DWI offense does not result in a suspension (Kareem McKenzie, Ronnie Brown, Vincent Jackson, Jared Allen, etc).
I happen to disagree with that, but that’s how it goes. If Miami wants to bench Ronnie Brown this week, I’d be happy to sit Braylon.
The media seems to be acting as if Jets players deserve harsher punishments because they were on Hard Knocks and their coach likes to brag, which is one of the dumbest things I’ve ever heard.
And this is the pros. It all comes down to winning and losing. If the Jets sat Braylon this week and they lost a close game, then missed the playoffs at 9-7 or got knocked out in the first round b/c they didn’t have home field, do you think blowhards like Lupica/Francesa would refrain from criticizing Rex because he did the “right thing” in Week 3?
You point about “The media seems to be acting as if Jets players deserve harsher punishments because they were on Hard Knocks and their coach likes to brag”…. I agree that is dumb on the surface, but Francessa does make some good points here and there.
I dont think its that the guy should be punished because the coach is a jerk or the team was on hard knocks, I think the backlash comes from the fact that intentionally or not, the Jets have created somewhat of a wreckless and cocky attitude surrounding the team.
That being the case, when players now get in trouble, like the hot reporter thing or this Edwards DWI, people now look at the culture of the team, which they created as part of the problem, and rightfully so I guess.
I think what the talking heads are saying is that the Jets, more than other teams need to send a stronger message that this type of thing is unacceptable, since people now have a perception (justified or not) that the Jets dont have control over thier team.
I agree that this case has gotten more attention because of the Jets high profile, and that’s reasonable. They’ve courted the attention and you have to take the good with the bad.
What I can’t stand though, is how everything has to fit into a narrative that’s easy for the media.
They lose Week 1, they don’t have control of the team. Too much talking, they put a bull’s-eye on their back, etc. But then that stops after they beat the Patriots. So they had control of the team on Sunday but then it disappeared on Monday?
Well yea, but thats just how the media works. Its always just what have you done for me lately.
“… but Francessa does make some good points here and there.”
You lost me here.
Hold Vincent Jackson. He’s unchanged in my rankings.