If controversy is what ESPN covets, Rex Ryan is providing it. He has gone on a rip-a-thon over the past week, making it personal for no good reason.
Last week he called Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper, one of the league’s good guys, a “turd.” Ryan apologized after being roundly criticized for his word choice.
On Wednesday, he drew Geno Smith into a debate about whether Tom Brady or Bill Belichick was more important to the Patriots’ success.
“Let’s give [Belichick] somebody else; let’s give him Geno Smith; let’s give him whoever, and let’s see how many Super Bowls he would have won. We saw the answer was zero in Cleveland,” Ryan said on ESPN.
Smith responded on Twitter with a series of tweets, though he never directly mentions Ryan by name.
“My momma never liked dude he been a snake. . and y’all glorify it. . should’ve got fired after yr1. . truth is we won 8 games after ESPN had us winning two and he got his job back. .somehow I’m caught up in a feud and I’m the scapegoat. . Same guy that drafted me. #TheBusiness”
Smith followed with, “I could easily go on and on about the bs I see but truthfully I’m so happy I don’t even bother. God put me in this position where even my enemies gotta mention my name . . so I just sit back and watch the show!”
Presumably, Smith didn’t mean watch the show literally, as in watch Ryan on ESPN.
“Where I’m from if a man talk about another man while that man isn’t present, a man don’t listen!” Smith later wrote.
Smith played for Ryan for two seasons before the Jets fired the coach. Smith was 11-18 as the Jets went 12-20 in 2013-14. Smith left the Jets after four seasons.