The Inability to Discern Repetitive Shapes
Checks, plaid, even the mighty houndstooth … it means nothing in NY Daily News columnist Gary Myers’ eyes.
In his latest, Myers writes a hitpiece on the Jets and Mike Tannenbaum’s method of constructing a team. And if you care, yes it’s three years later he’s still kissing Matt Leinart’s ring.
By the power of Ken Tremendous!!!!!
I have the POWWW – ERRRRRR!!!!
OK … here’s a few of the choicest cuts …
One day the Jets will figure out free agency and realize champions build toward the Super Bowl, they don’t buy it. Instead of using the Colts, Giants and Steelers, the past three champions as their model, the Jets curiously have embraced the big-money spending plan preferred by Washington’s Daniel Snyder, the architect of champions.
Yeah, if the Jets were smart, they’d not spend the money at all! Since now being broke is this season’s latest accessory, I’ll blast them on trying to better their on-the-field product.
Teams always overspend in free agency for players. There’s not enough players at any one position, most teams have space to pay a guy they need and they do it. All the same, which veteran has Tannenbaum backed the truck up for that hasn’t delivered?
Who’s the Randle El is on this team? Who’s the Brandon LLoyd? Who’s the Jeremiah Trotter? Who’s the Adam freaking Archuleta? There’s not been one guy that they’ve paid from whom they haven’t gotten decent production.
Woody Johnson and Snyder have one thing in common in the years since Snyder bought the Redskins in 1999 and Johnson bought the Jets in 2000:
Wait wait don’t tell me! They’re big Tom Cruise fans?
Neither has come close to the Super Bowl.
Oh, so close! Well by that logic then, and definining “close” as deep run in the playoffs since 2000, that would mean that Buffalo, Miami, Cinci, Cleveland, Houston, Detroit, Minnesota, Dallas and San Francisco should be ashamed too. Oh wait, that’s 1/3 of the whole league? Nevermind.
Snyder took the year off from free agency in 2008, but then made Albert Haynesworth the first $100 million defensive player in NFL history. He gave him $41 million guaranteed. How long before Snyder tries to get out of that deal?
But that whole Jason Taylor trainwreck didn’t register worth mentioning? No, of course not.
Do you not research your own articles? Are you the only one who doesn’t know about the poison pill in the fifth year? You do realize how mind-bottling it is for me to have to admit that there’s a single person less qualified on this planet than Mortensen at doing his job, and that’s you.
The way to build a champion has always been through the draft. Bill Belichick found Tom Brady in the sixth round and won three Super Bowls with him. Even with Brady hurt last year, the Pats won 11 games with Matt Cassel, who was picked in the seventh round and could soon be swapped for a first-round pick.
But let’s not mention the fact that Cassel was being protected by a vaunted line and was throwing to TWO Pro-Bowl receivers, both of which were brought in by trade and paid hamdsomely for their services by the way …
The best teams keep the best players they drafted and then use free agency to fill in holes. They don’t use it to set the foundation for the franchise. The Jets are so impatient and so unsure of themselves they change their approach every year. They started off free agency this year by signing Ravens linebacker Bart Scott to a six-year, $48 million contract. The Ravens signed Scott as a rookie free agent in 2002. Why can’t the Jets find players like Scott on their own? Why are they always spending big for other teams’ players?
No discernible pattern whatsoever!!!
Wait … they do?
2006 — First year of Tannenbaum’s reign, the team deals with losing a host of talented players (John Abraham, Wayne Chrebet, Curtis Martin, Ty Law, Kevin Mawae, Jason Fabini) for a multitide of reasons and basically are in a rebuild mode. They sign a number of low-level free agents (Kimo von Oelhoeffen, Matt Chatham, Matt Kassell) and set a plan to build through the draft, drafting their needs by finding D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, Kellen Clemens, Leon Washington and Brad Smith. During the summer they trade for Kevan Barlow due to Martin’s inability to recover from his knee condition. Jets beat the Patriots on the way to a 10-6 record and get bounced in the first round of the playoffs by Belichick’s boys.
2007 — Keep in mind going forward that according to Myers … there is no pattern. With limited cap space, the team overpays for a needed player to bolster their defensive line, Kenyon Coleman who has played well in the Cowboys 3-4. Coleman goes onto have a productive year in tackles because D-Rob can’t make a tackle if he tries. The team trades to fill the void for Thomas Jones of a 20 carry-a-game back in what nets to basically a 3rd rounder. In the draft, the team consolidates their picks in a weak class and fills two more needs in Darrelle Revis and David Harris and a project in Chansi Stuckey.
2008 — Flush with cap room, the Jets overpay for three players (Faneca, Woody, Pace) to fill gaping needs on the team on both the offensive line and OLB (due to Hobson’s free agency and sheer inability to play outside in a 3-4). The team also filled a need by trading for Kris Jenkins, one of the team’s most valuable players. Heading into the draft, the team is able for the first time since Tannenbaum took over in 2006 to draft the consensus Best Player Available with the sixth pick, Vernon Gholston. The team then traded back into the first round to draft a need that Brian Schottenheimer had been crying about for two years, a new-breed true receiving threat at Tight End.
2009 — After purging space from the cap, the Jets overpay for one player where the Jets have a need in the front seven named Bart Scott to help alter the defense. To bolster the secondary, the Jets trade for cornerback Lito Shepphard, filling a need at CB#2.
During that time, the team also extended existing players that were holdovers from the previous roster like Kerry Rhodes, Jerricho Cotchery Brandon Moore, Bryan Thomas and others.
The result? Just look at the roster up and down at starter, all players that fit the plan are bolded:
OL: D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Alan Faneca, Nick Mangold, Brandon Moore, Damien Woody
QB: Kellen Clemens (projected)
RB: Thomas Jones, Leon Washington
TE: Dustin Keller
WR: Jerricho Cotchery, Chansi Stuckey (projected)
DL: Shaun Ellis, Kris Jenkins, Kenyon Coleman
LB: Bryan Thomas, David Harris, Bart Scott, Calvin Pace
CB: Darrelle Revis, Lito Sheppard
S: Kerry Rhodes, TBD
And to add, when you look at the above list, every player not bolded with the exception of Shaun Ellis has been extended since Tannenbaum took over.
The Jets spent six years developing guard Brandon Moore. Then because he was due a $7 million roster bonus and the Jets didn’t want to pay him even though he is their best run blocker, they cut him. He was one of their own. They were ready to sign Pittsburgh’s Chris Kemoeatu to a four-year, $16 million deal until he decided to stay with the Steelers. Then they re-signed Moore to a four-year, $16 million deal with $10 million guaranteed. They got lucky. Moore is a better player than Kemoeatu.
Cutting Moore and re-signing is something that Myer’s idols in Foxborough do all the time … they even did it with Patriots demigod Troy Brown.
I was sad to see Moore go … don’t get me wrong and I know the difference he’s using here … it is that Moore was an in-house developed player, I get it and now’s the time for his payday. But I love how after talking about overspending for players, Myers then chides the Jets for avoiding paying Moore a $7 million bonus. In the end, I think they should have just converted the bonus in the first place, but it wasn’t like the market was as strong for Moore’s services as thought.
The successful teams draft well and keep their best players.
Thanks for the newflash, I thought the key was for the Jets to re-sign players like Anthony Schlegel and Jason Pociasck to huge deals.
They don’t try to build their teams with veteran free agents who have played their best football in another uniform.
So Leon Washington, Darrelle Revis, David Harris, D’Brickashaw Ferguson, Nick Mangold, Dustin Keller … they’re … what?
As far as veterans, that would have been the case if they signed Ray Lewis. They didn’t … they signed a player who’s four years younger, vastly more versatile and a better fit for this locker room.
Filed under: Main Page
While Myers is right about teams that usually win superbowls build their teams through the draft, I have a hard time respecting anything he says since hes never said one good word about the Jets in his entire existence.
Myers is a complete tool who I am still amazed get paid by anyone. Does the guy do any research before he writes about this team??
[Redacted] God I hate this guy!!
I think Myers is still reeling from being turned down for the jets GM job. That could be the only reason this guy has continued to kick the jets over and over when he has a chance.
Cimini, Cannizzaro, and a couple of others who covers the jets always seem to have some what of a doom and gloom edge to them when they’re writing or talking about the jets. I get it, it’s their job to criticize and analyze the orginization. None of them has ever ran an orginization or played the sport to have a complete understanding of the whole. I can only imagine if the jets had lost 16 games like the Lions, no we didn’t so why continue to bash just a average franchise that continues to try and do something to appease their fan base by doing whatever they feel is right at the time. Does anybody use a crystal ball in the NFL, I doubt it. Some teams are lucky and others just try to put a viable product on the field.
I’ve noticed that the Daily News is like “fox news” when it comes to the Jets.. They look to trash the team any chance they get.
He’s been around way too long to do his homework. That’s why the guys worth reading are Cimini, Boland, Hutchinson and Canizzaro.
Myers is nothing more than an old Giants beat writer, who’s been around soooo long, people think he must be good at what he does, because he lasted. When the opposite should apply. When you are good, you should move on to bigger and better gigs. Notice he hasn’t?
BTW: He worships Reese, but the plain truth about Reese is, he took over the team that Ernie Accorsi built. He had one draft under his belt before the Super Bowl and they annointed the guy king. What a crock of BS. Ernie Accorsi built that team himself. If Myers did his homework, he would have reallized Accorsi was the guy who built 90% of the damn team. Also, it might be a technicality, but they did not draft Manning, they traded for him!
Thank you, Bassett. Much needed smackdown!!
david i –
thats right they did trade for eli manning. AND they got porked in doing so.
eli< rivers marriman
It wont let me post it for some reason, but I was trying to post an article of him saying that theres no way in hell Eagles can beat the Giants in the playoffs. Still makes me laugh.
Bravo Bassett, brilliantly written.
That article by Wallace Matthews Hack of the year winner Gary Myers was an absolute joke. My favorite part was how he said you use free agency to “FILL NEEDS” I’d love the Mensa member Gary Myers to explain what qualifies a free agent signing as a “filling the need” signing versus a I guess “Overfilling a need” signing”.
Keep up the phenomenal work
You tore this up quite well.
The whole “you can’t buy a championship” thing is only relevant if you can’t draft. That’s something the Jets have been able to do under Tannenbaum.
over the last 3 years, the jets have been one of the best drafters and thats including the gholston pick
I can sort of understand the FA complaining but A) We have drafted well to go along with the free agents and B) Most of the FAs are working out fine. Also, the Vilma thing is hilarious, if we filed a grievance it’d be thrown out immediately. Everyone knew this was gonna happen when we traded him anyway.
Well done Bassett, well done.
Bassett, great stuff!
And while we’re on the subject of building with the draft, the Patriots had forty picks in the last five drafts. From that entire batch, they’ve gotten 19 players (eight starters) and cut 21. Of those, only two or three have made it to a Pro Bowl.
Even their first round picks haven’t been spectacular: Watson, Maroney and Merriweather, for example. Their second rounders since 2004 include Marquise Hill, Chad Jackson and Terence Wheatley. Hardly a stunning array of talent and only one still with the club. Of their other picks past the second round, only Ellis Hobbs, Nick Kaczur and the kicker, Gostkowski, have had any serious starting time.
In that same period, the Jets have drafted 2004: Vilma, Cotchery and Derrick Ward, 2005: Nugent, J Miller, Pouha, Rhodes, 2006: Brick, Mangold, Clemens, B Smith, Leon Washington, 2007: Revis, Harris, Stuckey, 2008: Gholston, Keller, Lowery, M Henry and Ainge. That’s 20 players still in the NFL out of 31 picks and five have gone to the Pro Bowl.
At a way, Myers. You sure know your stuff.
You did a pretty good job tearing this up. The problem with any pieces like this is that these writers pay no attention. The jets have tried to build a team in free agency with pieces that fit with the club other than maybe the Favre move. When you look at our FA signings you see guys who blend in with the philosophy on offense and defense. Teams like the Redskins just sign guys to sign guys. They will sign a free safety and make him play strong. They will sign a free safety to play corner and find a 34 LB to plug in to a 43 defense. They will bring in a zone blocking lineman and force him into the wrong scheme. They will sign a possession receiver and run an offense that requires use of the sidelines down the field.
Spending money to fill holes isn’t a negative around the NFL. New England has been doing it since the original core finally started to show some chinks in the armor in 2005. I would not be stunned if they do it again this week with their new cap space. The only thing you really have to draft in this league if you want long term success is a QB.
All great points, but we didn’t so bad in the draft when Mike T became GM, so far he did a solid job, the thing is we need to get a QB and a playmaker WR, then we have a team built for a SB, and I’m not saying Ratty or KC are good enought, they can be the star QB’s we are looking for, but that is what we need a a QB and a guy who can catch the ball anytime, and we need Gholston’s sorry as to earn his money like everyone else does on the Jets
Great bassett that was really good and myers stop hating ight
The only reason Myers has a job is that we love to hate him for his idiotic commentary.
If we stopped paying attention, he’d wind up where he belongs, on the unemployment line.
Bassett I hate to agree with Myers but Tyson wrote something kind of similar last week about this:
http://www.jetnation.com/?p=2141
I think the spending spree is more related to getting the fans excited and selling PSLs. It’s always about the PSLs.
UGH.
This guy is a hoser…any time I see his snarky face in the paper it makes me feel dirty. What a tool.
Bassett;
I posted a couple of days ago that This owner is looking and acting more, and more like Al Davis and thinking like Dan Snyder. The only thing he’s missing is the polyesther sweat suit and sunglasses. And, if we don’t win this year we shall forever be known as the NY Jetskins.
After everyhting is said and done and all the $$$$ spent we are ( I believe ) five games UNDER 500 during this Gestapo!.
Only about three more wins than the Redskins in the last TEN YEARS !!!!
YOU CANT ARGUE WITH FACTS !!!!!
you cant say the jets are acting like the redskins, or just trying to sell psl’s bec. if that was the case, we would have signed lewis instead of scott
ronnie:
To satisfy those that spend the $$$$$. They are highly skilled at business and PR work. The first TWO seats were AUCTIONED at what $200,000 ea?
Why are you getting on Myers’ back about his article? He is only speaking from experience. The Jets have not been remotely close to winning a Super Bowl in 40 years.
Besides, Jets fans all said the same garbage when Parcells was hired. You overrate your chances all the time when one positive thing happens.
Woody is NOT Snyder or Jones. Snyder spends just to spend. If there is cap room, he uses it, often with long term deals that border on ridiculous and hang over the team like an albatross. Jones just likes to see his name in the papers.
Woody/Tannenbaum has only made one deal like that and it was the Favre deal. At the same time, it cleared the cap space Chad was taking up. If you remember, they kept having to restructure Chad’s contract, tacking on years to spread out the cap hit. Favre’s one year rental cleared that from the books. After a 4-11 season, there were a lot of holes to fill, so I have no problem with the money spent last year. We had the space & used it.
All those in favor of Myers article, please name me all the big time free agent busts the Jets have signed up Tannenbaum? Where are they exactly?
Ror, why don’t you stick to reading blogs of whatever team you root for. If you are going to comment please have a clue what you are talking about. The Jets history is not littered with success but they have actually been in a few AFC championship games which kinda negates your arrogant “remotely close to winning a super bowl” comment. And in the last 12 seasons the team has been 500 or above in 9 of them. Which happens to be among the best in the league. So please go comment on your Giants or Pats blog and get a clue
And as far as this year is concerned, we still have some holes to improve. We didn’t sign Scott to a $100+ million contract. We might have overpaid for him, but not wildly overpaid. He has more value to us because of the connection with Rex, so overpaying is ok here. Sheppard is a proven corner. Moore would have cost us $7 million this year if we didn’t cut him and that is not his market value. We would overpay him at that price & Myers would be screaming about it. The 4 year $16 million deal works out to about $4 million per year–sounds like market value to me. Moore himself said there was no time when the Jets were not in contact and seemed to indicate that he wanted to test the waters a bit when the Jets wouldn’t pay him the $7 million. Myers has no clue.
do we get a pick by the Saints at all now since they did this? If we don’t, then Myers is right that we should file for grievance. That may be the only thing that I liked from reading his nonsense columns.
GregNJ,
We still get a third round pick from the Saints as compensation for the Vilma trade.
What Myers is saying is that the Jets and Giants should file a grievance because by resigning Vilma on the first day of free agency, it looks like the Saints had a deal with Vilma to cut him & re-sign him through free agency to avoid the escalator in the compensation pick the Jets would get. Normally this wouldn’t be an issue except that the Giants traded Shockey for the Saints 2nd round pick, so if Vilma re-signed before the free agency deadline, the 2nd rounder would go to the Jets for the escalator and the Giants would then get the Saints first round pick by rule.
YO SCREW THIS GUY HE NEVER HAS ANYTHING GOOD TO SAY ABOUT THE JETS!!!EVER!!!! I USED TO OCCASIONALLY WATCH THAT FOOTBALL SHOW ON THE YES NETWORK AND EVERY WEEK HE HAS SOMETHING NEW TO COMPLAIN ABOUT AND WHEN WE GOT ELIMINATED HE WAS SOOOOO HAPPY HE SAID “OK THE PAPER SAYS WERE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL NOW WE JUST HAVE TO SHOW UP….WHATS WRONG WITH THEM??”
THE ONLY REASON HE THINKS WE TRY TO BUY A TEAM IS CUZ OF FAVRE DATS IT!!!! IT WAS A 1 YEAR EXPERIMENT THAT FAILED……NOW IF THEY GO OUT AND GET ANOTHER FREE AGENT QB THEN HE CAN COMPLAIN BUT EVERYONE KNOWS YOU BUILD YOUR TEAM AROOUND THE QB
NOT TO MENTION TANNENBAUM DID PRETTY WELL IN THE DRAFT CONSIDERING HE KNOW JACK ABOUT FOOTBALL…….NOW WE GOT REX AND I HAVE FULL FAITH IN HIS CHOICES………SORRY FOR THE CAPS LOCK RANT PEOPLES BUT IM MAD
I didn’t happen to read it, but if he said something about Super Bowl teams building through the draft, he’s absolutely right.
Gary Myers needs to some new material because I’ve never read an article of his with more holes and omissions of the facts. He paints a very scewed picture using manipulations of the truth.
He throws around the term “overpay” to loosely because its hard to say that when you dont know exactly what his market value was based on what another team would pay for said players services.
I think he should reserve judgement on Woody as a Dan Snyder clone until Favre comes out of retirement again and Woody sends the private Jet down to MIssissippi to pick him up. Until then Gary should pipe down
The three players we overpayed for
-Faneca went to the Pro Bowl
-C Pace was an alternate to the Pro Bowl
-Woody held up the strong side for the AFC’s leading rusher
All guys with a new team, system and city in year ONE
Bassett -
You were way tamer than I would’ve been with this unresearched, reactionary nonsense. Myers is a complete tool and hopefully no one pays any credence to his opinion. He knows nothing. Thanks Bassett for tearing this absurdity up. My only suggestion is to be more ruthless next time. Soulless morons like Myers will be on board the minute we put together a winning streak, so I sincerely hope no one acknowledges their punkassness in March.
Myers is a pathetic tool, always has been and always will be. I have a hard time deciding who is worse, him or schein. I imagine that Bassett would defend schein because of the great support that SNY gives to this blog (and I wouldn’t blame him), but to me they both suck and are in the wrong business.
This is a great thread. Old Giant beat writer, thats a little geeky with some sort of axe to grind. I want a team that leaves no stone unturned, I want a team that fully utilizes the cap, I want a team that will do everything it can to win this year and not always building for the future, I want a team that will take prudent risks . The Jets meet that criteria.
Dear Gary, the Jets have drafted well, have Undrafted Free Agents and very little Dead Money against the cap, how do these facts support your position.
we’ll prove him wrong over the next couple of years.. rex and mike will make gholston into something special.. this guys an idiot he hasnt noticed the change in culture for our football team
Haven’t we been to the playoffs like 5 times since 2000? And haven’t we been to the divisional round twice since 2000 (2002 and 2004)? Is that such a terrible record that Myers has to totally rip us apart?
Everybody knows that you build a team through the draft and FA. Of course you don’t try to sign every big name FA out there, but some strategically placed signings can speed up the process, and yes, FA’s are more expensive then dfart choices. I don’t see how anyone can complain what Tanny has done the last few years, it seemed smart to me.
i would say that only newsday has fair coverage of our beloved team. this guy is almost as bad as francesa. dont even post his nonsense on this great site.
Can we keep a running tab of Jets Bashers like Florio and Meyers so that when we win the SB, we can shove it in their faces?
The site gets better and better as The Jets Blogger takes apart Gary (the Jets can do NO right) Myers. Bassett does a Jane Hamsher (of Firedog Lake) on New England’s #2 Buttboy. Number one will always be Peter King-both are pretty much loathed by Jets fans everywhere. Great stuff Brian.
hank/naples, under Woody, the Jets have 6 winning seasons, 4 playoff appearances, an AFC East Championship and the Flight Crew. The Jets regular season record in 2 games under .500 because in the 3 losing seasons (out of 9 overall), the Jets were 20 games under .500. Woody’s ownership period has been so much better than Leon Hess’ that I’m always puzzled by alleged Jets fans that bash Woody. There are negatives…Rex is the 4th HC, but Tanny has been with the franchise for a long time and I’m hoping that Rex can have a good long tenure as HC. Comparing Woody to Dan Snyder is ridiculous. The Skins in the last 9 years have 2 winning records and playoff appearances and are 12 games under .500.
Bassett, Clemens as the projected QB?!? I just vomited into my mouth!
Sack,
It’s ok, don’t worry, I’ve been reading reports of Clemens off season training, turns out he had a late growth spurt, sprouted 3 whole inches!! He’s now fully qualified to be a successful NFL QB!
Thank you, Bassett. I’ve been reading the garbage spewing from Myers’ pen for years and it never gets any easier. Between him and Mike Lupica I’m starting to wonder if they get a bonus at the Daily Snooze every time they bash the Jets. This is the same, tired argument we’ve been hearing since last offseason. If Free Agency was the root-of-all-evil, as Myers would make you believe, than why is it such an important day? Why would Rex and Pettine fly a private Jet to pick up Scott, at his home, and fly him to Florham Park?
If you’re Tannenbaum, you have one job, build a team that can win. I don’t care if you capture martians with a net, if it makes the team better, than you do it. What Myers doesn’t seem to bring up, because it would take insight to do so, is that drafting players is extremely risky. Yes, signing a veteran to a huge contract is also a risk, but at least you’ve seen them perform, you know what they’re capable of in the NFL. Drafting a player, you have no idea. I’m not saying free agency is more important, but to say they’re mutually exclusive and using free agents to build up your roster is the ‘wrong way’ to do things, is ignorant.
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF Myers.
Sack and sec,
great exchange about KC! I laughed out loud. I swear, you guys are like Abbott and Costello sometimes.
Bassett – Like Lupica, Florio, Fat-sessa, Gary Myers (and sometimes Cimini) just doesn’t have a clue. It is too easy of a target to rip these rubbaheads…
SackDance99:
No doubt about it SD, you know your stats but let me ask you. Do you consider The Cowboys, Raiders Skins and Jets winning organizations? Do you consider them stable organizations the promote growth within ( see Moore)? If you look at the nubers objectively, you will note that ALL FOUR have several things in common All have Billionaires that LOVE/ NEED Media attention and all 4 have have thrown billion$ trying to buy FA players …. my guess is about the summ total of the rest of the NFL…… and ALL 4 have losing recors during the last ten years. If this doesnt tell you anything, then I don’t know what to tell you
Now, if you’re implying that I’m a ’so called Jet fan’ let me tell you again…. I’ve been following the Jets since BEFORE Namath, Lived less that 1/4 mile from Shea, and walked to my season tickets on Sundays.
That was a great read this guy myers sounds like a crying yankee fan trying to knock the mets
Every person who is posting on this thread agreeing with Myers is either not a fan of the Jets, or Hank/naples. Any Jet fan who knows his/her stuff knows that Myers is a joke and doesnt take this seriously.
Oh, and Gary Myers is probably the ugliest most disgusting person I have ever seen, I cant stand looking at his face. ……
Thank you for writing this. These were all the thoughts I was having when reading Myers article. He has about 50 comments on his article now, all of which completely blast the guy. Its nice to see Jets fans unified under the cause of hating this moron.
i cant wait for myers next article about how the jets need to go more traditional and stop playing defense/running game and just throw the ball all game
Sarcasm off
Hank,
I’d take Jerry Jones as an owner, since he has won how many superbowls? You cannot be serious in trying to use the Raiders, one of the most dysfunctional franchises in all of sports, as a comparison. The Jets have a very business-like approach and handle things thoroughly. Yes, they make mistakes, but nothing even remotely close to the way the Raiders constantly shoot themselves in the foot. And Dan Snyder overpays for talent that doesn’t deserve it. The Jets have overpaid (some cases, just slightly) to get players that they targeted as must-have’s. Woody doesn’t handle the football decisions, he has input obviously, but he lets Tannenbaum (and in the case of this offseason, Rex) do their thing and go out to get the guys they feel the team needs. I don’t care if he keeps writing checks, because with a salary cap, the ‘buying a team’ argument is somewhat pointless. Lock up big time free agents all you want, you still have to be under a certain dollar figure, which the Jets are because of wise (read: the anti-raiders) business decisions.
Brendan:
Maybe you misread my info. I am comparing the teams approach to Media/PR and building teams through “buying” players during the last ten years. I believe the last time the Cowboys even smelled the SB was in ‘96. I will give Jones credit for firing firing Landry, that WAS a very gutsy move but again, that was back in (i think) ‘93.
If you don’t think the Cowboys have been a dyfunctional team since 2000 with all the (negative) press during the last decade I don’t know what to tell you.
Hank,
I understood what you said. I also think you’re overweighing the spotlight aspect. Yes, Woody is a visible owner. He roams the sidelines and has input on this team, but I think he genuinely cares about this team. Look up the video of the tunnel celebration after the Pats win, and you’ll see Woody in there congratulating every player and celebrating just as much as the team. The guy grew up a Jets fan and just wants this team to succeed.
You don’t need to school me on how dysfunctional the cowboys are, but that’s more a result of the players not respecting the coaches and a lack of a ‘team’ atmosphere. Woody keeps his input to a minimum, although he does have his occasional man-crush (like Favre). He isn’t a meddling owner who has commitment issues (Al Davis), isn’t a spotlight-seeker who unwisely throws his money around like he is the NY Yankees (Snyder), and he’s not a wannabe superstar who thinks he is a GM (Jones). He may have similar traits to each of those men, but he is clearly different. I think the comparisons to 3 of the most notably awful owners in the league can end now.
Brendan:
You said: …… ” You don’t need to school me on how dysfunctional the cowboys are, but that’s more a result of the players not respecting the coaches and a lack of a ‘team’ atmosphere ” Who do you think purchased all the not so respectfull, Not so Free Agents. Does the name “Pacman Jones” ring a bell? And I’m not trying to school you, just bringing up some points.
I think on the whole, this just about covers Mr. Myers.
I love it, they call us cheap when we don’t spend, they call us crazy for rewarding tenured players, and every player that puts a Jet jersey on is not good or over priced, example, if Bart had the same contract but in a Giant uniform would have been genus- That’s bull, keep throwing fuel on the fire haters,
“The JETS are coming” Rex Ryan 2009