Cowher Not In It to Win It
Like lotto you’ve got to be in it to win it, and it seems that Coach Chin might not have been as enthused about coaching as many seem to think he was. Either way, the Jets might have just gotten a hold of the PR tiger … and not just by the tail. See the info and our thoughts after the jump.
According to a league source, Cowher’s representatives spoke with the team last Tuesday about the opening. They told Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum that the former Steelers coach was 95 percent sure he was not going to return to coaching.
Cowher’s reps then told Tannenbaum that Jets owner Woody Johnson should call him, insinuating if Johnson offered an exorbitant amount of money, Cowher might change his mind.
Johnson, who was out of the country, felt a phone conversation with Cowher would just be a money grab by the coach.
Instead, Cowher’s people were informed that he would be happy to meet with Cowher when he returned to the country this week.
It was then that Cowher withdrew his name from consideration, something that indicated to the Jets he never had serious interest, anyway.
In truth, I don’t doubt that it happened much like this. For anyone that asked me, I said that Cowher wasn’t likely to come back unless it was the perfect situation for him … to Cowher it probably did mean control of the team and a Scrooge McDuck level of cash. Perfect means different things to different people. To me it means Charlize Theron in The Italian Job, to Bent it means Charlize Theron in Monster …
Look I’m not here to judge Bent on his taste of women … what I am here is to do is tell you that this was a brilliant stroke of PR. I am here to tell you that Cowher’s actions didn’t indicate a guy who was rip-roaring to go back into the coaching ranks but more in line with the quotes above.
No offense to author Brian Costello, he’s a hardworking writer, and good at his job, but he’s the newest guy on the beat as far as I can tell. I’m not sure what’s going on, but the senior guy at the Post is normally Mark Cannizarro, and it looks like he’s taking some time off … I’m not sure. Anyway, the new guy on the block breaking a story like this is worth noting. Nothing against Costello, but I’m just hard pressed to believe that it’s just that easy. Maybe they called Mark, and Mark told them to talk to Brian .. I don’t know … I just know that something is fishy.
Why does this matter? It matters because if you were trying to make Cowher look bad to your fanbase who thought he could walk on water, who better to do it than someone who doesn’t have the history (and thus cynicism) that would color telling your story?
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King had a note in one of his MMQB’s a month or so back that Cannizaro was in the hospital. I’m not sure what it was for though, but he mentioned it right after he talked about Dr. Z’s stroke.
i think this is an accurate story and cower wanted the bank w/ power and woody just blew him off. Good job woody now go get our man rex
Cowher never wanted the job. He just wanted to be romanced.
Uh burn on bent…unless he loves her acting
Screm Cowher, why should we want a guy that doesnt want to be here. I think hes scared of the NY Media.
*Screw Cowher
Sounds like Cowher thought he was too important to talk to Tanny or was it that he wanted him out of the way all together. Obviously he was not interested, otherwise he would have waited a measley week to meet with Woody. I am tired of the lambasting by the idiots on WFAN, Carton and Benigno, if any ownership listened to them the Jets would be like the Lions under Millen.
Benigno uses being a Jet Fan as his gimmick. Its almost like he wants the jets to lose so he can say “I told you so” To me he is what’s wrong with Jet fans, too much negativity. You cant expect to win if youre always expecting to lose…
You said it much better than i did JesusRevis.
Cowher doesn’t want to coach in the NY market or for the Jets. He was just fishing to see how much the Jets would offer him. I am sure if he showed any REAL interest in coaching the Jets… Woody would pay him well! Remember Woody has PSL’s to sell and Cowher would create a huge buzz. Cowher was just using the Jets! Then he gives that Blow Hard Interview on WFAN with Carton this morning to win over the Jet Fans….. What a buch of CRAP!!! I don’t believe one word he say’s.
The Jets and Jet Fans deserve a coach who want to be here for reasons other than money!
Cowher should go and coach Detroit! I am sure they will fire their coach again after the 2009 season. Nobody will bother him there. Detroit is a low pressure position.
At least my choice is attainable. Aww…who am I kidding, I’d still probably get the brush-off.
That’s what I get for comparing Bassett to Bunsen Honeydew.
Well, I didn’t think we can go to a SB with this guy, we need a young guy, but not too young, then we would be making the same mistake like we did with Mangini, like Rex, he can probably take us to the promise land or have a below .500 career record, one or the other. Rex Ryan has risk all over him, but it’s a risk I’m willing to take
If Cowher wanted to coach, he would interview with multiple teams and create a bidding war. He didn’t want to coach and his implying that maybe there was a chance that he would have sort of shows that what Costello wrote could be more true than Cowher’s self-serving slobbering.
I have no idea what NFL coaches think of the Jets job. Let’s see, you’re in New York, you play to a 100% sold out stadium, you have probably the most lavish practice facilities outside of Dallas and an owner willing to spend up to the cap to add talent to win. The Jets have made the playoffs 5 times since 1997, and had 8 winning seasons during that time (1/2 the total amount of winning seasons in Jets history). The Jets just had 7 players named to the Pro Bowl and even if the most conspicuous (and undeserving) Jet retires, the Jets team has lots of talent on both sides of the ball…besides the QB position, IMO, the Jets have far more talent than either the Broncos or Browns. The BC guy just, in effect, quit his job for a chance to coach the Jets and every “hot” coordinator is interviewing. I think it’s ludicrous that the Jets fan perception is that coaches don’t want to come to the Jets. Cowher didn’t want to coach and the Jets will have their pick of the candidates…I doubt that Denver or the Browns will take the Jets first choice away.
I don’t think the Jets will take the BC guy but it would be awesome if they could make him our offensive coordinator,
Is that possible? Would he do that?
what happened to the drose post?
haha yes they took off the worst post ever
Thank God some rational Jets fans have showed up on this post. I am so sick and tired of hearing about how the Jets messed up this Cowher situation. Its a joke, this guy didn’t want any part of the Jets.
If he is such a head case and a diva that a meeting with Woody next week wasn’t good enough or a phone call, than this guy is not meant for New York. Go blow your next round of AFC playoff games at home with someone else, Chin.
This is so funny reminds me of the favre aquisition everyone loved the idea before the season then jumped off the bandwagon after he flopped SAME thing with Cowher now all of a sudden because he’s not coaching at all this year everyone’s like screw Cowher GEDI UP ALL YOU BANDWAGONEERS….
what I believe is that cowher was never really interested in the job and also I think the jets should go after john gruden if he were to get fired by the bucs but the next best thing I think would be a defensive minded coach like Rex Ryan, a choice like Ryan would be brilliant because as we all know defense wins championships
C’mon, Woody?! Would Wayne Huizinga or Robert Craft fire there coach and take a vacation?
NO
Get “**IT” Together!
Okay, I mispelled Their, but I was typing out of passion for ….. Hold It…. Hold It….. Charlize Theron!!!
Hooray! I finally found some rational Jets fan on this site! I agree Woody probably should have put off his vacation until they got a new coach but this idea is being WAY overblown by the media. I think him going on vacation would not have gotten much play if Cowher had just said a few weeks ago that he didn’t want any jobs this year and not talked with anyone from any team. Even so Cowher likely did not want the job anyway, so Woody postponing his vacation would not have helped us on that front, though he should have been around for the Spags interview.
Jets Will always be chumps as long as they hire chumps dont go from one to another.Even though we’re belichick haters cause he snubbed us boygini was a backstabber…that s like a rat in the mob.I’m glad fat boy is gone