Tipsheet : Divided Jets ready to fall ?
In the latest episode of “As the Jets Turn,” running back Shonn Greene called for the benching of quarterback Mark Sanchez."You feel bad for Mark, but at the same time, you want to win games,” Greene told Yahoo! Sports. “We're not here to protect people's feelings. If you want to win games, you've got to try something. If somebody's not getting the job done, you see if somebody else can do it. It's the same with coaching, or any position. You don't mean to belittle someone or say, 'He (stinks).' That's just the harsh reality.”At the same time, reserve quarterback Tim Tebow was reacting to a ringing vote of “no confidence” unnamed teammates gave him in a New York Daily News story.
How did he react to reading that he was a “terrible” quarterback ?
“I think some frustration and I guess some sadness,” Tebow told reporters at the Jets practice facility Wednesday. “It's never fun to hear criticism, but at the same time, it's something I've always used as motivation, and you try to get stronger from it. That's how I approach it. I always find the good and the positive from every situation. The positive from this is (I've) got to work a little bit harder and improve and build better relationships with your teammates.”Greene, for one, doesn’t believe Tebow would be a terrible option – despite his errant throws on the practice field."He does (struggle)," Greene told Yahoo! Sports. “I'm not gonna lie. His mechanics, his throwing . . . not looking like a normal NFL quarterback. But you know what? He's a football player. He makes stuff happen.”Beleaguered coach Rex Ryan added to the fun by labeling the anonymous Tebow criticism as “cowardly.” Tipsheet can’t wait to see how all this hubbub translates on the field Sunday when the Jets face the Rams.Will the Jets play inspired football ? Or will they come up flat again, as they did in Seattle ?
The Big Apple pundits don’t seem optimistic :
Ian O’Connor, ESPN New York: “So some New York Jets think Tim Tebow is a sorry excuse for a quarterback, the same Tim Tebow who last year beat the sorry excuse for a contender known as the New York Jets. Anonymous teammates quoted in a Daily News report apparently believe the trade for Tebow -- again, the guy who beat them in Denver last November -- was dumber than Mike D'Antoni over Phil Jackson, dumber than Phil Simms' most recent evaluation of
Eli Manning, and dumber than the sex, lies and audiotape defining the Gen. Petraeus case. One Jet was quoted in the News report describing Tebow as ‘terrible.’ And if the world's most famous second-stringer had even one mean bone in his body, just like the rest of us, he would've come out swinging Wednesday at the offending phantoms in the locker room. He would've reminded everyone about his conquest of the Jets in 2011, the one that helped ruin the losers' season and helped notarize Tebow's standing as an amateur-hour passer with a magical endgame talent for rising above his own limitations.”
Tim Smith, New York Daily News: "It’s obvious that the Jets have had a talent drain, but what is more disturbing than Tebow’s teammates trashing him is that the front office has a problem recognizing top-shelf talent. The first-round picks on defense the last three years have not turned into dominant forces. The talent drain has dropped the Jets into a hole at 3-6. Whether they will be able to climb out with Sanchez manning the shovel is questionable. If this season ends in disaster, coaches and members of the front office will be looking for cover. It looks like the sides are already starting to line up. Whoever called the receivers ‘garbage’ has already thrown the first shot at the player personnel department."
Mark Cannizzaro, New York Post: “Like so many Jets head coaches before him, Rex Ryan stood at a podium in a crowded interview room yesterday and played the part of the unconcerned leader in a time of crisis. In an effort to refute a report quoting several anonymous Jets players and team ‘officials’ ripping Tim Tebow, Ryan did what Joe Walton, Bruce Coslet, Pete Carroll, Rich Kotite and even Bill Parcells, Herman Edwards and Eric Mangini all did in times like this: He dialed up the spin cycle so furiously it left you a bit confused and queasy. When it was over, like many of his predecessors, Ryan sounded like a man whistling past a graveyard in the dark — doing his best to be oblivious to the demons.”
POINTED OBSERVATIONS
Some thoughts on the wonderful world of sports :
■Turnovers, cold shooting, defensive breakdowns . . . SLU’s game against Santa Clara started bad and didn’t get better until it was much too late. Imagine what sort of practice Rick Majerus would have run in the wake of such a debacle.
■Interim coach Jim Crews has some work to do with point guard Kwamain Mitchell sidelined. A healthy Mitchell could have stabilized the Billikens Wednesday night by taking charge and getting the ball to the rim again and again.
■On the other hand, Santa Clara guard Kevin Foster would have worn out many teams with the way he played. He delivered a NBA audition reel.
■New Illinois basketball coach John Groce nailed an impressive first recruiting class, landing five solid recruiting filling each need on the court. He hit Chicago and he expanded the Illini’s recruiting range to the East Coast. Well-played.
■On Jeff Fisher’s watch, wayward rookies Janoris Jenkins and Chris Givens faced the media Wednesday and appeared contrite about their missteps. Accountability is a beautiful thing.
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