Namath on Sanchez

Good 'ole Broadway Joe.  Granted, he hasn't exactly been winning Rex's "favorite guy award" the last 12 months, but Namath's criticism has been pretty much on point.

Here's part of what he had to say about Sanchez, which I also think is pretty much on point:

Saturday at noon!

Showdown time!

Of course, by showdown, I mean a thorough ass-kicking of the Johnnies. Hopefully they can keep it within 20 or so to avoid total humiliation.

C'mon Ravens

So far Ravens D has done its job, if only the offense could step up. 3-3 right now. I'd imagine Ravens will need at least 24 to win, possibly more than 30. For some reason teams find it tough to keep Pats below 30. Which is strange, because at the end of the day when you strip it down to basics, all they have is Gronkowski and Welker. Their RBs are not standout, Deion Branch is 37 years old, and while Hernandez is good he's not the matchup nightmare that Gronk is.

Tomlinson on this season

A great interview, with some very telling quotes from a guy who's been around, y'know?

Tomlinson said quarterback Mark Sanchez and wide receiver Santonio Holmes, in particular, had a rocky relationship. “It is as bad as I’ve ever been around, honestly,” Tomlinson said of the locker room. “And I’ve been around some locker rooms and quarterback-receiver situations and what-not. But it was as bad as I’ve been around.”

This is the type of football team that they wanted,” said Tomlinson, the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher. “Mike Tannenbaum, Rex Ryan are both brash, in-your-face type of style—say whatever you want, just get it done on the field. And then it leads to other things, as guys are calling each other out and saying, `I’m not getting the ball’ or whatever it may be.”

Tomlinson was asked if he would bring back both Sanchez and Holmes, given all the problems. “Whew, that is a tough one...”

OK, so I can read between the lines there. LT's take on Holmes?

“In all seriousness, Santonio, obviously, he is a great player,” Tomlinson said. “There are some things that obviously he needs to work on as far as being a leader.”

His take on Sanchez?

“He is not a lazy guy,” Tomlinson said. “He puts in the time after practice in the film room. He can get it done. He just has to have pieces around him to help him get it done.”

Playing for Rex?

“I love playing for Rex,” Tomlinson said before adding that he wished the coach would tune down the bravado.

“I don’t mind every now and again saying we are going to win a championship,” he said. “Maybe at the beginning of the year just saying, `Hey, our goal is to win a championship.’ But at the same time every week if you are calling out a team on certain things, I think it puts a little extra on your team. Guys really want to go out there and say, `Let’s shut this guy up. Let’s shut these Jets up, just end their season.”

In retrospect... (re Mark Sanchez)

Would Jet fans rather have not made that trade (1st, 2nd, 3 players) to move up and draft Sanchez and instead draft Josh Freeman at the 17 pick (coincidentally TB got that pick, the Jets' from Cleveland.)

Take into account Sanchez unheralded 4 road playoff wins and Freeman's great first full season and subsequent "sophomore" slump in his 2nd full season. Would love to hear thoughts. As a football fan I believe Josh Freeman has the brighter future and has yet to pose shirtless, in skinny jeans for GQ... so he clearly has my vote.

Ding dong, the Schott is gone

While I was never as rabidly anti-Schott as a lot of the jets fan base, I was also strongly in the camp that didn't care for all his fancy play calling and thought he was holding back our offense. IMO he had to go, and possibly so does Sanchez. I'm willing to give Sanchez one more season under a new coordinator and system, but to say he's on thin ice is an understatement,

In any case I look forward to a more straightforward offense next season that undertands our strengths and plays to them.

I also hope that tannenbaum and co. have learned their lesson that you can't just swap out that many pieces, especially solid locker room guys, and expect a cohesive team. They failed to observe the greatest lesson from belisuck - you don't need the best players at every position, but you DO need a team that is smart and plays together as a well-oiled machine. In contrast, the three ring circus that is the jets continues to be dragged out in the public spotlight.

After the progress in 2009 and 2010, last season was a real kick in the sack.

F-Mart has been closed for business

Well, there goes another classic Mets 5-tool prospect.

Fernando Martinez has been waived.

Unfortunately, this time they weren't able to trade him before his imminent failure as a major leaguer (unlike Alex Ochoa or Alex Escobar...).

Cotchery

Watching that TD catch by Cotchery I can't help but think we dodged a bullet there. Luckily we got rid of him...who needs solid receivers who have tremendous character and play through fierce injuries for you? That's certainly not the jets way, and not the type of locker room we're looking to build.

Close one indeed.

Should T be fired?

At this point I'd say no--he's primarily a capologist, and just one member on the team that makes personnel decisions. Keep in mind, T was just as involved in going out and getting the high character guys that Mangini wanted, as the, er, talent-at-any-price guys that Rex has coveted.

Guys that Tannenbaum drafted or brough in as undrafted FAs working with Mangini:

Where there's smoke, there's fire

Leave it to the wide-eyed college kid, the one who knows something about winning after his team took home a BCS championship at 'Bama, to see things as they are and lay it out there:

Another example of Rex culture in action

From ESPN NY:

 Cornerback Antonio Cromartie, asked if the New York Jets gave full effort in Sunday’s season-ending 19-17 loss to the Miami Dolphins, took a thinly veiled swat at the offense.

“Maybe on one side of the ball,” Cromartie said

I just can't believe this is true

Are the Jets serious about bringing Santonio back next year?

A sampling of quotes:

The Jets had a Defensive Coordinator?

Bang up job, sir. What does it take to not get promoted in this league?

Per the NY Post, Schott will not be fired

Link.  He will be interviewing for some HC jobs (Jacksonville is mentioned), and if hired, would necessitate a replacement.  If Tannenbaum thinks Schott is doing a good job, one must assume there are going to be some players shipped out of town.  I'd have to think Santonio will go.  Who else?

I don't know if it's just me, but I really hope LT re-ups at a reduced salary as a 3rd down back.  He was extremely effective in that role this year, and is clearly a good guy in the locker room.

Also, if this is true that Tannenbaum wants Schott back, where did this come from?

Jets done with Holmes?

I sure hope so, after reading this article.  I guess with Tomlinson's career likely over, he's not afraid to go on the record.   But it's telling that at least one other player corroborated Tomlinson's opinion.  From the article:

Post Mortem on the Jets Season

Michael Vaccaro did a nice job cataloging the failures of this year's edition of Gang Green. And, IMO, he ultimately places the blame in the right place:

D.C., SHK, and Raekwon: Need comments

Interested in your opinion on this post from last week.

Schott

Could be end of the road for Schott...

One more 'attaboy

Mentioned D Hurley earlier, and an attaboy needs to go out to Tom Crean.  He took over an IU program that, by all rights, should be a national power, but had spent the better part of a decade mired in misery and saddled with sanctions.

But Crean, who is by all accounts a good guy who likes to play "straight up" (as Teddy KGB might say), has righted the ship just when they were starting to run out of patience in Bloomington.  He's beaten #1 Kentucky and #2 OSU this year.

Nice to see good guys #winning.

More on the ACC downturn

Ivies have been giving it to the ACC this year:

Harvard 67, Boston College 46 (@ BC)
Wake Forest 72, Yale 71 (@WFU)
Princeton 75, FSU 73 3OT (@FSU)

and some other notable results of the past week:

Hawaii 75 Clemson 68 (@ Hawaii)
Fordham 72, G Tech 66 (@ Fordham)

with Penn v Duke coming up today.  O boy, I hope K had a tight curfew on the boys last night.  The Ivies will probably vault the ACC in RPI if Penn wins today.

Hurley brothers doing work

Seton Hall alumnus Danny Hurley took over at little Wagner College on S.I.  a couple of years ago.  The Seahawks were coming off something like a 6-22 season or some such sewage.

Danny hired his brother Bobby (whose Devil 11 stables had just flamed out in bankruptcy) as an assistant,  and the results have been nothing short of amazing.

They beat Pitt at Pitt a couple of weeks ago, and now this @ Santa Clara.  What a crazy ending:

Link

The Seahawks have beaten teams from the Big East, West Coast Conference, Mountain West, Colonial, Ivy, Patriot and MEAC.

“We are a good road team because we defend and play hard,” Hurley said.

Good on Danny, who had some real difficulties at the end of his playing career, IIRC. Growing up in Bobby's shadow, with an inspirational but incredibly type-A dad (who was recently inducted into the basketball HOF, BTW), I believe he had some battles with depression.  It looks like he's found his place and a role that really works for him.