Just when Jets fans thought things couldn’t get any worse

I’m no NFL general manager.  Heck, I don’t even play fantasy football.  But one thing I can say with absolute certainty is that Michael Vick to the New York Jets is a very bad idea. 

Let’s take a few steps back and taste the waters of sanity, shall we?  It wasn’t all that long ago that the soon-to-be exiled Mark Sanchez led the Jets to consecutive AFC championship games.  By no means am I suggesting that the Jets keep Sanchez.  He has clearly worn out his welcome… but Michael Vick?  Why add to an already dysfunctional quarterback situation?  Are they that out of options?

A little over three years ago, the Philadelphia Eagles took a big chance on Vick when few others would.  That move didn’t turn out like they had hoped.  Now the Jets want to join the fracas and I bet the Eagles couldn’t be happier.

2011 and 2012 were seasons New York and Philly would soon forget but Vick to the Jets just seems like trading drama for drama and the Jets already have that department covered.  The off-season signing of Tim Tebow turned the Jets into a circus overnight.  All they needed to fit the bill was players in uniform piling out of clown cars during introductions.  ESPN’s minute-to-minute coverage of all things Tebow-tastic upped the pressure on a coaching staff ill-equipped for the attention.  Rex Ryan finally stopped promising Super Bowl wins when it became obvious his team could barely win a game and we all watched as Mark Sanchez devolved into one of the league’s worst quarterbacks (13 TDs, 17 INTs).

Just when Jets fans thought things couldn’t get any worse, cue the Michael Vick rumors.

I’m not here to break down the X’s and O’s of why Vick would be a bad fit in New York.  Some things are obvious to the keen eye.  He’s 32 years old, inconsistent, injured, interception prone and in case you hadn’t heard, comes with a fair amount of baggage himself.  At least Jets General Manager Mike Tannenbaum, whose seat is hotter than Sanchez’s, can take comfort in the fact that if his successor brings in Vick, the hire won’t fall on his own chopped head.

The currently sidelined and frequently concussed former Falcon, who by the way has two fewer career playoff wins than Sanchez in seven more years of playing time, is still technically under contract with Philadelphia so a lot of this Vick talk is hopefully gossip.  It has to be, right?  Doesn’t anyone in New York want a day off from drama?

The Sporting News’ David Whitley likened Vick on the Jets to “showing “The Towering Inferno” on the bridge of the Titanic.”  I wholeheartedly agree.  In fact, I almost feel sorry for Jets fans.  The team they cheer for has gotten progressively worse with no end in sight.

Perhaps I’m wrong.  Maybe the Jets will land Vick and he’ll turn everything into roses and fairy tales (notice how I didn’t say puppy dogs and ice cream) but at this point, who knows whether Tannenbaum, Ryan, Sanchez or Tebow will even be around to pick him up at the airport.

Or whether there will be fans around to see him play.  Why would they when the circus is a much better ticket?


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37 Replies to “Just when Jets fans thought things couldn’t get any worse”

  1. Pingback: Just when Jets fans thought things couldn’t get any worse - BallHyped Blog Network, NFL | BallHyped Sports Blogs

  2. I can’t imagine that with their receiving corps and all the issues that New York media brings tot the table that Vick would be a good fit with the Jets. Vick needs to go to a place with a very good offensive line most importantly and somewhere we he can concentrate on football first. He’s probably not anyone’s franchise quarterback anymore but he’s worth taking a chance on. Probably not for the Jets though

  3. The Jets need to strip that team down to it’s working parts and rebuild. That would require new management from top to bottom. Their window has closed and it’s time to start over.

  4. I’m just sayin’, CR, the guy is 32 and still playing the position like he shouldn’t.

    I figured most readers would agree with my take but I was surprised to see that early on, out of 9 voters, not a single person thinks Vick to the Jets is a good idea.

  5. Michael Vick is more than a reformed dog killer, he’s a very active coach killer. ANY NFL head coach who has had the pleasure of putting his hopes on this character has paid dearly and now it’s Andy Reid’s turn… Whoever picks him up will only get more of the same.

    George Allen proved a long, long time ago that an NFL team can come close, but you can’t buy a championship. The winning formula has been proven over and over again, build a team through the draft. It takes time and that’s the rub. Many of these NFL owners want to win now. The Redskins’ Dan Snyder (I believe) has finally seen the light and allowed Mike Shanahan to put together a draft based team and look where they’re headed.

    The owner of the NY Jets needs to take a deep pull on a drink called reality and quit throwing money at veteran players. He needs to can the GM, Rex Ryan and his whole staff and do it right now so a new regime has a chance to evaluate the talent currently on hand. Bring in draft disciples and coaches good at recognizing talent and then teaching their system. Then the owner needs to have some patience. He needs to be willing to sit back and watch his team get molded into winners. It’s a cinch what they’ve been doing doesn’t work. If the owner can’t handle doing that the team will simply continue to flounder until he sells out.

  6. I don’t know. This is a tough one to figure out. On the one hand, you’ve got a 32 year old QB (Vick) who can run the ball. Is that the wildcat offense or wild dog? On the other hand, you have a 25 year old QB (Tebow) who can run the ball and he has Jesus on his speed dial. Its a tough one to pick but given Tebow’s new commercials pimping TIVO, I’m going with Jesus on this one.

  7. The day anyone within either the Jets’ or Eagles’ front office has an original idea when it comes to their personnel . Well that’ll be the day that Congress an idea of its own or perhaps the sounds we hear won’t be coming out of their @ss ! .

    People calling for Tebow to become a starter? Why ? What is he going to show the fans that he can do ? His stats in latter part of 2011 speaks volumes as to his ineptitude !

    Somewhere to hang one’s hat .

    Tophatal ………….

  8. Vick’s skill-set is on the decline or , are the fans incapable of realizing that fact ?

    I wouldn’t put Vick to be in charge of a kids’ lemonade stand at a charity event , much less ask him to be a quarterback with a game on the line , not based on his play in 2012 , much less in the latter part of 2011 .

    It’s the lyric in R Kelly’s song ” Wind for me ” ….. “Whine with me ” .

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Rt3Hikejsc

    Tophatal ………

  9. Well said, Dwin. I can’t say I disagree with any of that.

    The problem with the Jets is, perhaps they feel they did that with Sanchez, drafting what they felt was going to be their franchise quarterback, obviously not paying attention to the fact that he only played one full season of college.

    I’m no Jets fan so I could give a damn whether they succeed or not. Hey, if they continue to screw things up, at least it’ll give us something to talk about.

  10. Snake…

    For whatever reason, Timmy couldn’t crack that lineup.

    They’ll probably cut him and there will be a bidding war for his services for next year.

    The question is still whether he has the tools to become a quarterback that can consistently win in this league.

    Jesus is usually busy on Sundays.

  11. Al…

    I’m not sure these two teams will be able to pull off that sort of trade. Not sure the numbers add up.

    I mean, who the hell can afford the contract Philly gave Vick and why would anyone want to?

    Remember two years ago when most everyone was saying that time Vick did in the joint didn’t allow for NFL wear and tear on his body?

    Yeah, right.

  12. The Jets are a mess… and they should really just think about cleaning house and starting over and that starts with Rex. His whole way grows old and cold when the team is struggling. Sanchez and Tebow need to be out the door… and Tebow needs to go to the Jags and nowhere else. New York should try and deal for a veteran, while drafting a rookie. But when I say veteran, I mean a capable vet and not Vick. The Jets should do all these things, but they’ll be lucky to do half of that.

  13. Chris

    There’s now talk that the Jets will offload Tebow to the Jaguars as team owner Shahid Khan says wants Tebow. Now the next time I go to purchase parts for my vehicles I’ll have to make sure that they’re not made by Khan’s automotive company , as they could be defective , as his decision making if he’s serious about this decision .

    Dog and pony shows seem to be popular in the NFL this season .

    Dropped these two .

    They haven’t got a pot to piss in , much less a window to throw it out of ….. ideas of grandeur , baseball style .

    Somewhere to hang one’s hat


    To you and your patrons and the immediate family , have a safe and wonderful Christmas and a prosperous New Year !

    Tophatal ……………..

  14. The Jets need to get rid of everyone except for Revis, Greene, and possibly Cromartie. Have they ever considered getting a good WR? Other than Santonio Holmes I can’t even name a receiver on their roster. Bringing in Tebow didn’t help at all either. Osi Umenyiora was right, the Jets care more about headlines than wins.

  15. KP…

    I think the pressure with any New York team in any sport, more so than in any other city is to win and win now, not that that’s anything the Jets have known since Joe Namath skipped town.

    I don’t disagree with you one bit but how would Jets fans take it if (or rather how will they take it) when ownership tears down the walls and they realize it’ll be a long ass time before they’re relevant again?

  16. Al…

    Thanks for your holiday wishes.

    I’ve long thought that Tebow and the Jags are a good mix.

    Heck, if that guy wants to make money back on his investment, why not bring Tebow into town?

    Winning games would just be the icing on the cake but at least he’d sell some tickets.

    What do they have to lose, right?

    I just hope they have enough sense to get the right staff to coach him up as need be.

  17. Chris

    If you were the Jags’ owner would you bring Tebow in ? I know that at the qb position the team hasn’t great deal but why make bad thing even worse ? Too many damn rodeo clowns as it is already . But then again the stench of the St John’s River hasn’t been enough to hide the even worse stench emanating from EverBank Field concerning the Jags play this season .

    The Jags are a really bad team , bringing in Tebow would make things even worse and you know it . The Jags can’t hang with any of the teams in the AFC South , and anyone who believe to the contrary had better stop watching the NFL .

    So DeMarcus Cousins of the Kings threatens , actually threatens bodily harm to his coach , Keith Smart , by stating he’d cap his a$s , by shooting him in the head . All because the coach said he disliked his lack of effort ? Anger management you think for Cousins ?

    So this is what we should now expect from the malcontents and prima-donna athletes in the NBA ?

    NBA ” thug mentality ” brought to you courtesy of David Stern . In the late nineties and early 2000’s Stern wanted to sell the NBA , as an rap imbued vehicle that young African American youths and suburban white teens could buy into . And the cluster f$$k that came with it as a bye product made the NBA change course but someone forgot to remind the players of that as well .

    You had ‘melo with his asinine statement caught on tape that went viral that snitchin’ wasn’t cool and that anyone who snitched deserved to be capped. And need we forget the idiocy of what went down with Wizards players Tarvaris Crittenton and Gilbert Arenas . Normally , it’s bring your son or daughter to work day , not bring your ####ing gun to work day . Or am I mistaken ?

    Mike Woodson of the Knicks had better watch himself with Rasheed Wallace don’t you think ? ” ‘sheed I don’t like your on court attitude” ! Mike Woodson

    “What’d you say mutha-$$#ker ? I’ll rip your heart out and pis$ down your throat ” . Wallace’s response

    You can see that scenario arising can’t you ?

    LaPierre is an idiot if he feels that putting officers in over 250,000 schools will actually stop such atrocities such as the Newtown , Connecticut tragedy . The NRA chairman is a bonehead !

    Tophatal ………

  18. If this upcoming game is to be Reid’s last in charge as the Eagles’ head coach , then I hope that the team can send him off with a victory at least ! Personally, I believe he should’ve stepped down the moment things started to spiral out of control , but he let his pride and valor get in the way , rather than reason.

    Now you have Vick behaving like a petulant child , and that whole organization simply bereft of creativity and intelligence !

    Tophatal ……

  19. Al…

    How much worse could the Jaguars be? They’re already the worst team in the league at 2-14. You mean to tell me with Tebow at quarterback they’re going to less that two games next year?

    Their new owner is a businessman and that team is already one foot out the door on its way to Los Angeles or some other city that will support a team. Why not make money by selling tickets in the meantime? And get a coach that can game plan an offense for the kid.

    At this point, man, they don’t have very much to lose.

    I haven’t followed too much of the Cousins drama but it doesn’t surprise me all that much. One of his teammmates should have just knocked him on his ass.

  20. Al…

    That’s another team that’s a mess. I imagine Jeffrey Lurie is going to shake things up this off-season because what they’ve done that last few certainly hasn’t worked.

    Here’s wishing you a healthy and happy Christmas, man.

  21. I look at the Jets , Jags and Mets whose fans are blinded by sheer stupidity .

    Mets lost $40 million last year , they’re projected to lose in excess of $65 million this upcoming season , they turned down a $ 200 million cash infusion from billionaire hedge fund manager but yet their dumb a$$ fans are suggesting that giving Wright that contract will make things better . LOL,LOL !!

    If Wolfgang Puck were in a kitchen cooking up a recipe for disaster , could he have done any worse than the Jets have done this season ?

    If I’m a Jags’ season ticket holder , I’m now revoking all allegiance to the franchise no matter how likable Shahid Khan (owner) just happens to be .

    Chris , Tell me Schiano will now look for someone else to helm the Bucs at quarterback for next season ? Freeman’s play this season has been an unmitigated disaster , and the majority of the time and his statement about making better decisions during games is merely a band-aid covering a gaping wound in player’s game , that has completely regressed without the added incompetence of the defense and offense .

  22. Look if Couins is threatening to “cap ” the head coach , which teammate do you see stepping in to stop that ?

    Do you not remember what went down at the Verizon Center (home to the Wizards) concerning Gilbert Arenas and Tarvaris Crittenton ? And that was merely an argument between two players (teammates) over a frigging gambling debt . C’mon Chris , if I’m stopping someone / especially two friends who are in the midst of ” throwing down” , I’m not putting my life at risk , if both are armed or in Cousin’s case the threat is for real . How immature is that kid to begin with , and it’s obvious that while at Kentucky , Calipari couldn’t give a sh#t , what his players were doing , just as long as they were winning .

  23. If there’s one thing the Jets’ management loves, it’s getting that “big name” quarterback. We’re with you Chris, even though we love Vick, if he wasn’t healthy in Philadelphia and wasn’t successful with better receivers, being in New York certainly won’t help him at all. It probably wouldn’t be the right move, but knowing the Jets, we wouldn’t rule it out.

  24. Al…

    One thing at a time.

    I don’t know what options the Bucs have at quarterback. Do you honestly see this franchise going after a big name free agent or giving someone a good look in the draft? Maybe, but I honestly think they’re going to give Freeman one more season at it and if he doesn’t pan out, then it’s off to the races to find his replacement.

    Mets and Jets fans are an established fan base but Jags fans have no choice but to root for that team, for if they don’t, they’ll be waving the franchise good-bye as it skips town.

  25. Al….

    Calipari had one year with the kid so I can hardly blame him for Cousins stupidity and disrespect for authority.

    Again, I haven’t followed the Cousins case but if he threatened his head coach, then he should have been suspended for more than one game. But it’s the Kings, Al. Does it surprise you in the slightest that there’s any dysfunction in the Maloof kingdom?

  26. After seeing the Vick circus up close here in Philly…be careful what you wish for fans of other teams. He can still play, but only “his way.” Which won’t give you a full season with him as your starting QB…but will give you some fantastic, kick-ass highlights to live for before he gets broken again. It doesn’t matter how good or bad your O-Line is. Trust me. He knows only one speed and one direction. Fast…and into the nearest brick wall. The PR baggage is also very much still there depending on where he goes. Some people literally will stop following any team he goes to because of his prior issues. Not sure anyway who is going to want this still spectacular yet part-time signal-caller. Truth be told, I think for him personally he’s best off staying here and competing for an NFL job instead of trying to start over being “the man” somewhere else. And Chris…Happy Holidays.

  27. Chris

    One year was probably enough , considering the problems John Calipari had with Cousins at Kentucky . But simply look at Calipari’s track record as a head coach in D 1 basketball , and the repeated allegations of player behavioral problems . Coincidence ? Think about it ? Remember the allegations of Derrick Rose’s SAT’s ?

    You do realize that it was one of Calipari’s assistants who drove “Derrick Rose” (or the person presumed to be Rose) to the venue to take that test , and vouched for him . It was only after an in-depth investigation by the NCAA , were Rose’s test scores were invalidated, but it was all too late as the damage had been done . So you tell me why John Calipari doesn’t or shouldn’t have to bear any blame when he shows no real intent to make sure that the players in his charge grow to be individuals of integrity .? Or is that all you want to see as a sport’s fans , is a player who in this case can ball ?

    The Kings have done the right thing to suspend Cousins indefinitely. The sad thing here, is that an @sshole such as David Stern sits in the background , says and does nothing . Yet he’s supposedly always been concerned with allegedly ” with the image of the NBA ” ? This coming from the same idiot who sought to use “gangsta rap” as a way of marketing the NBA brand to the urban youth in order for the NBA to gain wide acceptance and popularity ? Are you kidding me ? Stern is an imbecile and remains one to this day !

    Dysfunction with the Maloofs is nothing new , nor is is with the franchise as the league hierarchy will assist them in screwing over the idiots on the Sacramento City Council .

    Chris , both you and I know there’s not enough intelligence within the Bucs’ front office to even make a sensible decision . And you’re asking me that question ? C’mon man !

    The Bucs have issues all over the place concerning the team , but the biggest concern has to be the regression of Freeman’s game over the past two seasons .

    Of this list of free agent quarterbacks due up in 2013 , bearing in mind we don’t know the future of Sanchez , Tebow and Vick . Which of the following do you see as the best fit for the Buccaneers in 2013 ?

    Left you a response to my latest piece .

    I trust that you and the family enjoyed the Christmas festivities ? And presumably you’re looking forwards to ringing in the New Year in style ? Just take it easy on that account , ‘ cause I hear the Orient Road Jail isn’t that amenable .

    I’ll be hitting South Beach with the girlfriend and her brood (family & friends) as we’ve rented a couple of condos down there to ring in the New Year .

    Tophatal……….

  28. SA…

    Now that Philly has their man in Kelly, I wonder what sort of leash they’re going to give him with Vick.

    Sorry, man, but those jokes never get old.

  29. Al…

    I was never a fan of Cousins to begin with. It goes back to our discussion of an organization carefully drafting what sort of people they want to represent them.

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