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Adam Gase just staged an effective bloodless coup in Florham Park.
While some might view what he did as somewhat sleazy, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to lead to gloom and doom for the Jets.
The action is one thing, the long-term impact is an entirely different entity.
There is an old song called “All the Way” and a lyric in that song says, “Who knows where the road will lead us only a fool would say.”
So true.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini quoted an unnamed NFL personnel man on Gase’s coup.
“Gase is a shark, and he got bit in Miami,” a longtime NFL personnel man said. “I’m sure he said to himself, ‘If I don’t get it right now, I’m going to drown later.'”
Totally agree. Gase knows that Christopher Johnson isn’t going to fire him after he just signed his long-term contract. So clearly the fights with Maccagnan and Brian Heimerdinger was more apt to get them bounced then him.
He played this perfectly.
Of course some people will rip him for being nefarious, but what the heck does he care. If he wins, most fans will forgive and forget. If he loses, he will get blasted anyway. Perhaps the coup will lead to the criticism being a little more harsh, but so be it.
However, I think he will get some of the media to back off because he’ll work with them, give them stuff. I can assure you he will play that game a lot better than Maccagnan and Todd Bowles. You give reporters stuff, most will back off. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you. Gase knows how to play the game.
And nobody, and I mean nobody, knows how this is going to turn out.
Christopher Johnson’s decision to replace Maccagnan could turn out to be one of those decisions in history that gets ripped up front and then looked back upon favorable.
Han-Gwon Lung wrote a feature for Business Insider on unpopular decisions by CEO’s that lead to them turning around their companies.
“Ultimately, they were willing to do something unpopular in the short term because they knew that, in the long run, it would be the right thing for their company. I think all business leaders (myself included) can learn a lot from them,” Lung wrote.
Look, I have no idea if Johnson’s decision falls into this category, but neither does anybody else.
But one thing is pretty clear, Gase isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, so Johnson better hire a GM he has a background with and likes. This might sound like appeasement. I don’t look at it that way. I look at it as the reality of the situation. Gase has a temper and will go after people he’s not getting along with. Just ask Stephen Ross.
The new GM can’t be an a shot-gun marriage between Gase and a stranger.
The Jets need to pay what it takes to get the rumored candidates in here – Eagles executive Joe Douglas as GM and Daniel Jeremiah as his right hand man.
Clearly Gase wants those guys. The media surrogates are pushing those names – where there is smoke there is fire.
They are both good candidates. I wouldn’t just say they should appease Gase and bring in two suspect candidates because he’s friends with them.
No, they are both really smart and are alpha dogs, along being guys Gase likes.
Jets can not have another arranged marriage. That didn’t work with Rex Ryan and John Idzik, or with Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan.
Or with Mike Macagnan and Gase.
As the coup proved.
Yes, Johnson made the decision to fire Maccagnan, but it was Gase’s Machiavellin actions that contributed heavily to it happening.
May 17, 2019
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