When Curtis Martin was here, the Jets had some of the classiest, team first players around. Guys like Curtis Martin, Wayne Chrebet, Jason Fabini, and Chad Pennington, these guys were classy, very respectful and represented the Jets organization very well. They didn't win a lot of games as these new Jets have, but they still have the class and were loved by the fans. But ever since Curtis Martin retired, the Jets slide down to what they are now, a joke with a bombastic coach and owner, and perceived by many fans of having no class and a circus, here are some examples of this: Lying to Chad Pennington, saying "he going to be part of this team" and cutting him as he boarded a plane a couple days later. Lying to Leon Washington, saying "he going to be part of this team" and trading him to Seattle a few days later Lying to Jericho Cotchery, telling him he can compete for a starting job yet the Jets signed Derrick Mason and Plaxico Buress a few days later. Brett Farve scandal with Jenn Sterger. Mark Sanchez's relationship with a underaged girl (allegedly) Cutting Aaron Maybin at a Jets charity event (allegedly) Rex Ryan embarrassing moments, like the foot video and the viral shut the F up to the fan. Anonymous leaks from inside the organization is at an all time high. And the biggest of them all (to the casual fan), allegedly lying to Tim Tebow, his fan base and the Jets fanbase about his usage and his opportunity to become the starting/backup QB, basically reaping the benefits of Tebowmania (financially and PR wise) without playing him. All these things happened after Curtis Martin retired, I see a connection. Also most of these things revolved around Mike Tannebaum, who became the GM of the Jets after Curtis Martin retired. Hopefully this class can come back, and the fans will once a again love this team for their character as well as their performance.
Some might consider you a darksider for bringing these things up. Repeat after me: "These things never happened. Its all the media's fault."
I thought Sanchez's relationship with a minor was in College? Also Maybin Leon and Cotchery leaving the team never really hurt us. Its a business I don't care if we hurt their feelings. Also people use the word classy too much. Why the hell are people so worried about being classy. The 49ers and Seahawks sure as hell are not classy. I don't think the Ravens right now are worried about looking classy. They just cut their OC 3/4 a way through a season where they were about to go to the playoffs. Emperor Satan Belichick wasn't worried about being classy just winning when he ran up scores and video taped practices. So fuck being classy. How about lets be winners again.
Being classy doesn't get you anywhere in today's league. Look at the Patriots and Giants. They aren't classy at all. Steelers same thing, pretty much a bunch of thugs in football unis lol
This isn't your Dad's NFL anymore. Its about the money and wins anyway you can get them. Cheating is ok as long as you don't get caught doing it. Fans are crazy for rooting for the players as they change unis usually as soon as their contract runs out. I root for the uniform now. If I could, I would get a Jets jersey w/o any names or numbers or perhaps velcro strips for changing names and numbers.
I agree with everybody, classiness dosn't win football game, though you having good class is good PR, something that this franchise seems to be lacking right now.
You left out another egregious one, the Tebow-related Drew Stanton fiasco. There's a difference between being classy and being a straight shooter. I could care less about the former for the most part, but I'd rather at least be the latter. You can be a heartless ***** without being duplicitious about it. And having constant leaks never improved any organization. I want the Jets to at least be a professional organization again instead of a clown show.
Some of this is highly speculative conjecture that is likely rampant with oversimplification, but regardless, none of this means anything because it is either A) non-football related with no direct bearing on the "class" of the organization (Sanchez's relationship with a "minor", Brett Favre sexting, etc) OR B) inherent to the cold reality that the NFL is a buisness (Cotchery, Pennington, Washington, etc)
What im saying is that these thing can rub the fans the wrong way. Look at the Tebots, they will always see the Jets as an "evil" organization for now on. Im saying these thing can devastate a team's PR.
Agreed, just the perception of lieing about it makes the Jets look bad, and all the Tebots will hate the Jets forever, and there are many of them.
Right and what I'm saying, among other things, is that your post is highly speculative. For example, how do we know that Leon Washington was lied to? How do we know that Cotchery was lied to (Btw, it seems to me that the Jets did a pretty nice thing by agreeing to release him, they certainly didn't have to do that)? A lot of this "rubbing the wrong way" happens based on highly tenuous, unconfirmed information.
That's part of the way the NFL is these days, it's a business. Every team has examples like this. Leon wanted a ridiculous contract, which was not deserved. Don't love the way they treated Cotchery, but they had different opinions on his injuries, so Cotchery asked to be cut. Turns out they were right, as he's done very little since leaving. Fair enough. Internet gossip? Nobody besides Jets fans know this, and if they waited til after the charity event was over, you'd also complain. Can't argue here. Can't argue here. They got DESTROYED PR-wise from day one to bringing in Tebow. There were no benefits except for more attention, which torpedoed the season and killed the Jets reputation. And maybe if he didn't suck, he'd play. I don't understand why the Jets needed to spell out to everyone what his role would be. There were a few other examples you can use (Pete Kendall & Chris Baker saying the Jets lied, Holmes's blowup last year). However the best example that you didn't mention is the Sal Alosi thing. That's the most embarrassing one. Clearly, the classiness of the team has gone down. Mangini brought in character guys, but he ran the team like a cold business. Rex brought in some less than stellar character guys. He's had success, but when it goes bad, it goes bad. But every team has things like this. Look at the "classy" Giants, with Osi Umenyiora complaining about his contract all the time, Brandon Jacobs throwing his helmet in the stands, multiple DUIs, letting Jake Ballard leave for no reason, the Amukamara hazing video, etc. And I don't follow that team nearly as closely as I do the Jets. Rex brought much of the attention onto himself, and then Tebow became a huge story when we got him for obvious reasons, bringing the microscope even closer to us. At that point, the clown narrative got out of control, and everything the Jets did is spun to fit that narrative, including by our own fans.
I think if you rephrased the OP by replacing 'classy players' with 'respected leaders' you'd have a much better point. Rex is a good players coach, but he is most effective as a team general when he has lieutenants that keep the players in line and focused. He can be as nice as he wants and motivate, as long as guys like Thomas Jones are in the locker room breaking noses when guys act like selfish pricks. We've replaced CMartin, Cotchery, TJones, Pennington, Damien Woody, TRichardson etc with guys like Holmes types who are me-first guys, Mangold type guys that are good but not vocal leaders, and a QB who seems like he'd rather be buddies with everyone than win games - not a leader. When we had guys like VinnyT, Mawae, CMartin etc that the rest of the O would respsect and listen to it made a difference. Hell, even Hunter had the stones to yell at Holmes when he was being a bitch. We need a couple of vocal, 'character' leader on the offense to gel around. I'd bring TJ back as the fourth back just to have him smacking people around again.
Op- does it make feel better to lose with classy players or with the current crew? Losing is losing to me and Curtis, Chad, Wayne have the same amount of rings as Mark, Shaun and Dustin.
