Q-and-A with Eric Mangini By: Hoss Aultman / Date: Jun 7, 2006 Jets coach Eric Mangini is a man of few words. Getting him to say anything quotable is a chore for the media. But this shouldn't come as a surprise, since he learned the art of being evasive from his mentor, Patriots coach Bill Belichick. Here is a recent chat with Mangini: Q) Talk about the type of players you were looking to add this off-season . . . Mangini: I've talked to you guys a lot about the characteristics of the players that I'm looking for. You've heard it a dozen times. Now it's important for these guys to understand the culture and the atmosphere that we're trying to develop here. I want a smart team. I want a tough team. I want a hard working team. I want a competitive team. These rookies need to understand that that's what we're looking for. You know, it doesn't really matter what they did at the places they were at. Doesn't matter what they did at Ohio State, Virginia, any of those places. What matters now is how they fit in to the New York Jets, how they can help this team win. That's something that it's part of the learning process for them. Q) Now that the rookies are working with veterans, what is the biggest shock for them? Mangini: I think at [this] point the rookies really understand how different the NFL is, how much faster the game is, how much stronger these guys are, how much more experienced they are. You can tell them, but it takes a little while, and they need to see it and experience that. I've explained that to them. I continue to explain it to them. They're behind. They need to close the gap and they need to close it quickly. Q) How hands-on are you going to be in practice? Mangini I enjoy teaching. I enjoy helping the players get better. I think in any area that I can help them get better, I'm going to. Maybe offensively, giving some insight into how defenses operate, how they attack them, the technique they play, that type of thing. Defensively giving some insight into the way I've done things and the way I envision things. I think it's important they hear from me, "This is what I want." There's no way you can make that clearer than if you're telling them yourself and showing them yourself. Q) Anybody standing out in the spring? Mangini: No, nobody I'd like to single out at all. What I liked in practice is the fact that 11 people on defense were working together, that 11 people on offense were working together. It's not about the individuals; it's about the team. If one person is outstanding and the rest of the group isn't, or if one person is doing their job and the rest of the group isn't, it really doesn't matter. It doesn't matter. > http://jets.scout.com/2/537901.html
another interview where he says nothing. I like the fact that he isnt a media hoe like Herm, but at least say something interesting once in a while.
so I guess I'd better prepare for an indefinite future of pointless news conferences. Hopefully counterbalanced by winning games.
I think he actually did say something interesting .. "No, nobody I'd like to single out at all. What I liked in practice is the fact that 11 people on defense were working together, that 11 people on offense were working together. It's not about the individuals; it's about the team. If one person is outstanding and the rest of the group isn't, or if one person is doing their job and the rest of the group isn't, it really doesn't matter. It doesn't matter." this is interesting because I think he is saying that these Jets are not going to be about the name on the back of the jerseys, but more about the name on the front of the jersey. The team is the goal.. sorry John Abraham, but it never woulda worked out.
exactly, i dont know why they even talk to the guy he spews out the same rhetoric a pee wee league coach could say. although its better than herms soap opera's, i guess you cant have your cake and eat it too.
Maybe it'll be like the situation here in NE. I get a kick out of the hatred that media types have developed toward the Patriots and Belichick since they've had to go to work for their pay instead of being spoon fed everything from team officials looking to suck up. Expect the same vitriol in New York against Mangini eventually as the reporters really won't care whether or not Mangini is doing a good job--they only care that he makes their job harder and they'll be doing their best to run him out of town because of it. My wife and I like to watch Belichick's press conferences to see just how long and drawn out an answer he can give without actually saying anything. It's an art form that too many chatty NFL coaches can't master to their detriment, IMO. Chatty coaches are just feeding their own ego and providing their upcoming opponents with information to use against them. The Jets and their fans should have had enough of media suck ups like Edwards. It's time to get down to football and only football.
Yeah, but this isn't new. I, like the rest of you, am very happy with the way he has handled the media, so far. But, as someone else posted, it would be nice to hear a little football talk from the guy. What direction he sees the team going. Maybe his aproach towrards offensive or deffensive game planning. Something.
I think we need to get used to this type of low key no straight answers interview. It's Belichik's MO also and Mangini is going to be a Belichik clone until he has some success.
You have to remember something. Everytime Mangini tells you something, he also tells Belichick, Saban and Jauron. I think back to last year when Brian Billick announced to great fanfare (including diagrams, the idiot) that the Ravens were bringing back the 46 defense. As a result, they got nothing out of it. The Ravens opened up against the Colts last year. Think if the Ravens had kept the 46 underwraps how it would have blown Peyton's mind to come out in the first series and find 8 guys up on the line of scrimmage looking to get him. Instead, Billick got to look good in the media for a day and now his job, not surprisingly, is on the line this year.
At this point, I no longer care about the theatrics. I'm fine with Mangini being a useless interview if the team does well.
i really liked that answer too. it's very Eastern philosophic almost Zen-Buddhist; no one stands above the rest, and everything you do is for the greater good. i don't know if, in sports (or anything else for that matter), you can have a better attitude and approach. cheers
