Jets linebackers Bart Scott has had enough of people making fun of his head coach. And Scott, who rarely refrains from expressing his opinions, unloaded after Sunday night’s game on those who would criticize or take pot shots at Rex Ryan.
“I love him,” Scott told Albert Breer of NFL Network regarding the man who showed up at Scott’s house as the clock struck twelve at midnight on the first day of free agency in 2009 to lure Scott from Baltimore to New York.
“I’m so tired of seeing people taking shots at him. It’s one thing to criticize his coaching ability, his time management, but when people go at his weight, stupid stuff like that? I’ve never seen anyone go at [Mike] Holmgren, never seen anyone go at Romeo Crennel, never seen anyone go at Andy Reid.
“But everyone thinks his weight, and that type of stuff is comical. It’s free game. You don’t see that on the back page about other people. What part of the game does that have to do with anything? Judge the man by what he does in his profession. I can look at anybody and find something to criticize physically.”
Part of the reason for the jokes and the back pages is that Ryan operates in a city that has multiple daily tabloids that try to craft compelling back pages. And Ryan invites the scrutiny with a gregarious, brash personality that loves attention.
Scott seems to realize this -- and he seems to think that the Jets own the legal rights to being edgy and controversial. Consider his remarks regarding Patriots receiver Wes Welker’s foot-filled press conference.
“It was out of character,” Scott said, per Breer. “That’s not what he does. It takes a lot of balls to put that out there. What happens is you put a bull’s-eye on yourself, everyone wants to see you put your foot in your mouth.” (Scott probably didn’t intend that one.)
“And now he gets the opportunity to step out of character, tries to be us. There’s enough New York Jets in the world, we don’t need anyone else trying to copy our blueprint.”
To summarize, it’s OK for the Jets to make wisecracks or personal attacks, because that’s what they do. But players from teams who don’t do that, aren’t allowed to start.
Maybe the concussion problem is a lot worse than anyone realizes.