What's wrong with an owner trying to field a team that can win so that he can make MORE money? Fielding a team with Favre that goes 4-12 the next two seasons isn't exactly going to have Jets merchandise flying off the shelves.
Does no one remember the Heir-apparant talk. Wow, shocked at that. Anyway, the naive people are those of you who don't see or understand football as a business. This year is the cash-in year for Woody with the new stadium being built - thus Favre, Faneca, and the rest of the "win now" old guys. Now that they've missed the playoffs, a big name ,retread coach is a last chance effort before the PSL paperwork goes out in the spring. It's naive not to recognize this.
Am I ever anything but? The news stories NEVER discussed how Belichick was upset because Mangini was his heir apparent. There were a number of theories - Belichick hatred for the Jets, Belichick thought Eric needed more seasoning and resented that his advice was disregarded, all sorts of nice things. Nothing about this heir apparent theory. Since when does Bill Belichick get to pick his successor, anyway?
What's wrong is the "win now" mentality. I want long term competitiveness. Franchise QB? Fisher or Bill type log-term-coach? You see any moves in that direction?
Where did you get this 'heir apparent' talk? Was it actually attributed to someone within the Pats organization? Or was it idle rumors by hopeful Jets fans in 2006? BTW, I do understand the business aspect of the game, but I also understand the football aspect of it as well.
That's just not true (or not recalled by you, actually), this was talked about alot. You're second point is true, as well. Hatred of the Jets is just silly though - I'd venture these guys think a bit more deeply than "hatred" of a uniform.
Revisionist history. A new way to slant an old story. Not that that's even the point here. Eric Mangini would have twiddled in New England as "heir apparent" these last three, and presumably, four years. I wonder when the heir-part of this arrangement was supposed to become more apparent.
Naw, seems clear enough you're just stretching the original story. With Belichick, animosity toward the Jets is not silly at all. Gutman essentially called him psychotic to the world. And, in maybe the ONLY time he's gone off the page from the robotic text is when he went out of his way to slam back at Gutman for big mouth and absence of success. His departure from the Jets was bitter to the nth degree, and it didn't leave with Gutman. It also filters down. The Jets are the one team you'll hear Patriots players talk about with any personal animosity.
Look, we can debate Mangini/Bill all day, the bottom line is we had young smart coaching talent, still largely untested (much like others being lauded around the league) and we dumped possible long-term competitiveness this past year for old players and now an old, short-term retread coach (trust me on this one). Where's the future? Not in this organization yet, I can tell you that. $10,000 for the rights to watch another couple of desperate shots at the title with old guys from other teams? I'll pass, but Woody's counting on many of you thinking this is a smart move. We're the new Washington Redskins! Hooray!
PSLs? Really? That's the best you got? I'm opting out of my lower seats because our team isn't worth paying that amount of money for. Period. There is nothing Woody can do to make the Jets worth $20,000 extra of my blue collar money. Businesses are going to buy the tickets whether we win or not. Many of the players blame themselves for Mangina losing his job, and they are somewhat correct. I think had we beaten Seattle this would all be moot and Mangini would play out his contract. The problem is who do we get now. Cowher for two years tops? No thanks. How about the guy from San Fran who did wonders with shit?
That' what I have been saying all day. This was a business decision by Woody. Tanny had nothing to do with it. Mangini would be our coach today if not for the PSL's. Woody new if he kept Mangini, he risked pissing off the fans who turn could finally have a say and pass on the PSL's and yes, 20k, 10k and 4k is a lot of money, even for people on the waiting list. He want's a big name QB and coach. Problem is, its Cowher or garbage
You know, there was time I believed that, but after the coaches club sale fell flat, I'm not so sure. Football is an outdoor, cold weather sport - not your corporate box kinda crowd. I think they need a good amount of fans to opt in.
Did you here their press conference, they said nothing but good things about Eric. I'm glad they fired him, but it sounds like the only reason he's gone is because they desperately want Brett Favre back. I just hope the guy they hire will be the one who approves of Favre or tells him to beat it and not the other way around.
I think you've got it. This is all about the PSLs. But I think what Woody's financial advisors are missing, and in this particular economy is, it aint' gonna help. I don't give a shit if you bring in Jesus Christ himself to coach the team and John The Freakin' Apostle as the QB, I'm still not shelling out $30,000 for 4 seats, much less subject myself to $800 per ticket per game. If this is what this firing is all about, Woody needs better financial advice, because it ain't gonna help.
The majority of us did not want Chad anymore. The majority of us did did want Mangini anymore. What is the problem with changing things up when they do not work? PSL's are a fact of life. We don't like it but have to deal with it. Woody needs to make the Jets better. He needs to make money from PSL's. The fans want a winner. All goes hand in hand. Cowher in '09.
We just signed a bunch of fat FA deals last offseason for $140 million over just a couple years. We're already committed to the "win now." To act like we're not and pretend we're rebuilding with all that short-term payroll bulge would be twice as bizarre as going for "win now" in the first place.
This is what I find odd about sports, mere thousandaires taking sides in disputes between millionaires and billionaires.
