On Mike Florio’s Outright Disdain for the Jets
ProFootballTalk.com is an undisputed source of information about the NFL, and add in the fact that I have a tender place in my heart for two writers there — FanHouse’s MDS and Josh Alpher. But everytime I read Florio’s take on the Jets it turns into that scene from Dumb & Dumber about the world’s most annoying sound.
Dude can barely keep his outright disdain for the team in check.
Mike … Mike … think we could listen to the radio or something??
We fire it up FJM-style.
FAVRE FLIRTATION FURTHER PROOF OF JETS DESPERATION?
We’ve believed that the Jets’ entire approach to the 2008 offseason was driven by desperation. Caught between the Pats in their own division and the Giants in their own city, the Jets spent like drunken pilots in an effort to improve the team.
Those would be the first drunken pilots I’ve ever heard of trying to improve their team. Oh! I get it, it’s a simile … rememeber learning those in third grade?
My stomach growls like a lion.
Similes were awesome, and have proven to be an inane staple of sportwriting everywhere!! If I were going to use a simile there, I’d go with “the Jets spent like drunken sailors on shore-leave in Bangkok.”
Oh right …
Yes, the poor poor Jets, how dare they trying to improve their team in the offseason, especially like drunken pilots?
They apparently though they were taking a page from the Pats’ 2007 offseason, during which the system of building through the draft was supplemented by the pursuit of veterans like Adalius Thomas and Wes Welker and Randy Moss and Donte’ Stallworth.
Building through the draft? Let’s cream ourselves on how the Patriots built through the draft in 2007. Apparently the Patriots draft has the aura of the Giants cosmically sensitive 2007 draft. The Patrionts had 12 picks, of which they traded away three, part of which gave them Randy Moss. Of the rest of those picks, only two players (Brandon Meriweather, Mike Richardson) are still with the team just over a year later. As a comparison, the Jets ended with four picks in the same draft, two of which are defensive starters (Darrelle Revis & David Harris), one will likely be the team’s third receiver (Chansi Stuckey) and the last is a long-term project at line (Jacob Bender) .. not to mention trading for RB Thomas Jones.
Still, the Patriots were far more methodical a year ago; the Jets essentially busted open the owner’s safe and started handing out rolls of cash once the clock struck 12 on the first day of free agency.
How very willy nilly. The Jets needed to fill two offensive line positions, defensive tackle, get another outside linebacker to push Bryan Thomas down the depth chart and improve their blocking skill players … check, check check, and check. If you look into the contracts, it seems that most are deals that can be ejected from after two years with little long-term damage to the team.
Harvey Araton of the New York Times also perceives desperation – and he thinks that the recent reports linking quarterback Brett Favre to the Jets is further proof of it.
Line him up for the Pulitzer. You’ve nailed it. The New York tabloid columnists (who know nothing about the Jets) making impassioned pleas to fans and pressuring the Jets to be interested, combined with Tannenbaum picking up a phone call from Packers GM Ted Thompson and in the process procuring permission to speak to Brett (which reports seem to indicate he hasn’t used) equals desperation, unequivocally.
“[A]long with the Jets’ receiving permission from the Packers to speak with Favre,” Araton writes, “comes the smell of desperation from their newly opened training camp, an S O S, the abbreviation for Save Our Season.”
Amen.
Good teams look into as many options as possible to address their roster and try to get better. I’m sure the Jets weren’t thrilled that this all got leaked to the media (mostly likely by way of Favre), but a well-run team will consider every option put in front of them. The Jets were recipients of a phone call from Packers’ GM Ted Thompson and make it clear that if they were to proceed, it would be with agreeing with Favre on what would be expected / negotiated. Once word was leaked to the press, it seems the Jets trail got cold, coincidence or not, who knows, but it’s just proof the Jets hearts weren’t in it, either way.
Now Favre is trying to spin it as he’s in control by saying via Mort “[Favre's] open to a trade but not just to the New York Jets or Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
Oh boy Bretty! The gates are gonna swing wide now!! [Rolls eyes]
Araton also thinks that this move to make the Jets a lot better quickly traces to last year’s Spygate shenanigans, when Jets coach Eric Mangini ratted out the Pats based on things about which Mangini knew while working in New England and remained silent until after he parlayed such tactics into a head-coaching job of his own.
Yes, Spygate is clearly the culprit!
Here’s a novel idea … maybe the team needed to get better at a few key positions, and spent accordingly.
The team has been in cap hell since the Bradway regime ended and they have been trying to dig themselves out of painful contracts like those for DeWayne Robertson and other cap-hostage takers. Now free and with around $30 million to spend, they’ve done it. Funny how organizations like the Bidwells’ Arizona Cardinals get killed for not spending enough to field a good team, and when other teams get aggressive, then it’s desperation based.
“You wonder how Mangini and Tannenbaum are viewed around the [NFL] after setting off the saga known as Spygate last season, outing Belichick for his secret taping practices in violation of league rules. Did they score for delivering Belichick his comeuppance, or are they scorned for breaking an honor code?
I can’t find them now, but I do remember coaches throwing out some stuff on the issue publicly. Some unabashedly said that they experienced radio technical difficulties in Foxborough amongst other incidents. I’d imagine there’s a split amongst coaches.
“Mangini, in particular, would seem to be at risk of being cast as a hypocrite and an ingrate, given that he raised his coaching profile in the system he subsequently turned against and brought dishonor.”
Ouch.
Yes ouch indeed. Hey Harvey, how about a quote from an anonymous coach or “NFL source” to buttress your presumption? Yeah I didn’t think so. To your credit though, I’m sure you could get us a doozy from the gritty world of recreational middle-aged female soccer leagues.
But Aranton is right. More than a few league insiders have speculated that Mangini’s current NFL job will be his last one, and that to continue coaching after his tenure with the Jets ends, he’ll have to take a job in the college ranks.
Whether the stink of Mangini’s antics attaches to Tannenbaum remains to be seen. If it does, Tannenbaum’s only option might be to become an agent.
And that’s why it makes Mangini and Tannenbaum a GM and Coach that fans respect. They re fully dedicated to their current posts, rather than Jim Mora Jr-ing for a job at their alma mater, or Herm Edwards-ing their way out of town to Kansas City. They’re more concerned about the here and now, and know that by being a good coach or GM in New York will: 1) Keep their current jobs 2) Build a sufficient resume for them should they need one down the road.
23 Responses to On Mike Florio’s Outright Disdain for the Jets
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RK says:
That is a truly annoying sound but does it have to take up the whole home page?
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18andOne says:
Who cares what these guy’s think? Everyone has a different opinion. If the Jets win 12 games and go deep in the playoffs then everyone in the media is talking about how Tangini are the greatest GM/Coach combo ever. If they win 4 games then they are the worse ever. We’ll see what happens, but I think Tangini realizes they have a limited amount of time to win in order to keep their jobs, so why not spend some money to improve your chances of winning.
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CaneJet says:
Mike Fluoride needs to brush his brain.
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subwayfare says:
“…he raised his coaching profile in the system he subsequently turned against and brought dishonor.”
Oh, you mean like the guy who’s profile was skyrocketed working in Parcell’s system, then handed the keys to the ship only to stab his mentor in the back when, without notice, he resigned as “HC of NYJ?”
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Pete57 says:
Mike Florio has really got a problem with the Jets. Something must have happened where he feels the Jets mistreated him in some way. That article is worse than most of the stuff that goes on between the Democrats and Republicans.
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Funny how once again how people forget the stunt Baby Bill pulled on the Jets years back when he promised his mentor (Parcells) and took a cool million from Mr. Hess that he would take over when Parcells left. Then he ran to a division rival…..Somehow Mangini gets killed for leaving the Pats and then for Spygate. Mangini and Mr. T are working their tails off for this franchise and I could not be happier. Thanks for calling out another sucker
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Exactly 18andOne, I’ve never heard of the media begrudging a team for trying to improve like they have done with the Jets.
What the hell? Isn’t the point to get better and win “now” as in every damned year every chance you can?
To me the lack of fines and punishment is a slap in the face of the NFL but yet that story disappears and instead the Jets are rats and trying to save their jobs.
Methinks someone is trying to brown-nose an interview in the future with a specific SB winning coach.
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subway and drew, thanks for noting that … I had meant to include that, but forgot … cheers.
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swizzle81 says:
What a horrendous article, he clearly has a problem with the Jets. What New York sports fan actually reads the sports section in the New York Slimes anyways? I’m sure thats exactly what drove the Jets to sign the FA’s, they were thinking about the Pats and Giants, this guy Florio is a tool. How about the reason filling needs thru Free agency is because all the needs couldn’t be reached through the draft, isn’t that what free agency is all about.
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ED says:
Mike is OK, but his ego is running wild these days. Since the Jets methodically filled many holes of need, I must assume Mike doesn’t know all that much about the Jets.
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NO matter what the Jets ever do, it is never good enough…
If we go 10-6, we over achieved and if we go 4-12, then we under achieved. Its always a lose lose situation for the NY Jets and their fans.
We just have to keep our heads up, play football, and let everything else fall into place.
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BubbyBrister/shovelpass says:
you are absolutely right, Najy. That’s why I love this site so much. Unlike other sites, guys here are realistic and fact-based about the Jets, their chances, and their media coverage and not a bunch of over-zealous, green-Koolaid-swilling, drunken pilots (…or something like that)…yup, I passed 5th grade english too! (but just barely!).
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Here’s what I love about national NFL media coverage of the Jets:
Joe NFL Media, day 1: The problem with the Jets is they spent all that money on players to ‘win now’ but don’t really have a winning QB on their roster.
Joe NFL Media, day 2: The Jets are desperate and crazy for even thinking about signing Brett Favre.
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Harlan Lachman says:
Just want to add that not only are Bassett, Bent et. al. on target much of the time, look at all the intelligent posts in this thread. Not only do folks stay on target and add relevant information to the thread, most are well written.
Those reading Florio deserve to be abused. OTOH, let’s hear it for the Jetsblog.com.
harlan
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Florio’s point about the Jets spending like drunken pilots is based on their history – this is what they do with considerable frequency, most notorously in their 1996 spending binge of $70 million that produced a roster of players knocked out for the season by Week Six and a 1-15 record; keep in mind also Parcells and his less-than-stellar cap management. Further, given that the Jets have had three losing seasons and a coaching change over the last five seasons, Florio’s point (and apparant disdain) are made more credible.
Also, NO good team will waste their time looking at Brett “Mister Interception” Favre; any team looking at him as a quarterback is by definition desperate and without any kind of credible plan.
Finally, Eric Mangini was in effect demoted from Patriots D-coordinator in the second half of 2005 because his defenses were pedestrian the first half of that year and cost them the games against Carolina, San Diego, Denver, and the Colts; his defenses the last year were pedestrian again and helped produce yet another 4-12 season. Don’t elevate Mangini or Tannenbaum quite as highly as you do.
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Mike Daly-
What is the relevance of the spending history of previous management in 1996 to a discussion of moves made by a completely different ownership and management team in 2008?
That’s sort of like blaming Victor Kiam and Rod Rust for the Pats unprecedented implosion in the most recent Superbowl, isn’t it? Talk about a pedestrian defense, by the way.
And, I wouldn’t be so sure that, “NO good team,” would look at Brett Favre if they happen to have question marks at QB. If the situation evolves to where it’s an open sweepstakes for a very reasonable entry fee, I guarantee that there will be many teams in the league looking at the 3-time MVP.
No one with a reasonably critical mind is elevating Mangini and Tannenbaum higher than is deserved but if doing due diligence on the availability of a HOF QB who got his team to the NFC title game six months ago, when the team clearly has QB concerns, is bad management, I’ll take some more, please.
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SackDance99 says:
I just laugh at everyone who calls Favre out for his interceptions: he has every QB record! Wins, yards, TD passes, completions, attempts and has never missed a start, which is truly amazing. Yet, to Mike Daly, he’s “Mr. Interception.” Unbelievable.
Let’s posit the possibility that Favre would replace Chad with a negligible additional cost. How is that desperate? Sounds like a smart allocation of resources to me, especially since I’m not sure that Chad has more left in his tank, after all of his injuries, than Favre.
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Steve says:
“spending like drunken pilots..” Ok now I live in the UK and perhaps this expression hasn’t crossed the pond yet, but…. wtf?? Seriously, what does that even mean?
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subwayfare, here’s the difference – Patriots ownership changed and with it ultimately changed the team’s business practices. The relevence of the spending history is this – Jets ownership has changed but the organization’s business practices (other than cap management where the chaos of the Parcells years is finally cleaned up) haven’t. If you wonder why the Jets always seem to fall on their face whenever they should be surging forward, there is a place to start looking.
And Favre is not the 3-time MVP people make him out to be – he is now the outdated gunslinger who is driven by a sense of entitlement, is not as versed on how the game has changed as other, younger quarterbacks, and will ALWAYS cost you big games (NFL Network just re-aired one earlier this week). This history is too obvious for any good team to waste any time considering him as their quarterback.
And SackDance – 12-10 playoff record, the one SB he won was given to him by Desmond Howard and by Parcells and his ego-driven feud with Kraft, and Favre is the all-time NFL leader in INTs.
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LAJetsFan says:
Mike Daly – There’s only one thing that matters in this discussion: is Brett Favre better than Chad Pennington or Kellen Clemens? Nothing else matters, and I think the sorriest person on this website is the one who thinks Brett Favre doesn’t have the best shot to win between those three.
What does desperation have to do with it anyway? Everyone wants to make that out to be a bad word. A team is bad one year, so the next year, desperate to win, they make moves that, maybe, they didn’t have the balls to make otherwise. A man stuck in the desert for three days is desperate for water and drinks the moment he finds it…and lives to fight another day.
I understand the connotation: the Jets are making bogus moves out of desperation. But what I hear rather is that the Jets are spending too much. Nobody is going to tell me Faneca’s not a wise acquisition, and people like Calvin Pace – it’s the MONEY. But let’s forget the money for one moment and assess the situation from an unbiased perspective. The Jets acquired players, who exhibited noticeable talent, to fill large holes in the offense and defense. And they’ve now been tied to a gunslinger of a QB to possibly solve their QB controversy. Is Favre Peyton Manning or Tom Brady? Of course not. Nobody’s saying he is. All that matters is whether or not having Brett Favre on the Jets increases their chances for success. THAT’S IT. Anyone honestly think adding Favre to a 4-12 team with no starting QB (yet) will hurt their chances? Anyone?
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Is Mike Daly Florio’s alias?
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This is the reason why I love this site!! Thank you for calling those morons out! That was the most idiotic post ever over on PFT and though I like their constant updates I am officially no longer using their site after that. For all the information they get they lack something extremely important, FOOTBALL KNOWLEDGE! They know nothing about football and just ride other people’s off base opinions… keep up the good work and thanks for calling them out!