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The New York Jets are trying to change their football culture this off-season. You could see that in the release of some players (not talking about Nick Mangold), and the additions they made in the draft.
So this Robby Anderson news was a setback.
Think about it. You have a draft loaded with leaders and character, and you are clearly charting a new course, and then a player gets arrested.
Now the Miami New Times had some unkind things to say about the police officer, Javier Ortiz, who as involved in the incident, but let’s not forget the police were called in after Anderson was fighting with security.
This story is awful for the Jets.
This is a team that is constantly the media’s whipping boys, whether they deserve it or not. So when they add to the fodder, it only makes things worse for them.
And when you are in a mission in the off-season to change your football culture, and then this happens, it’s a punch in the gut to their “new” program.
And it also tests their leadership.
The Jets’ football brass needs to make it clear to their players that this kind of nonsense isn’t going to be tolerated.
And like I wrote yesterday, of course due process is important, but clearly Anderson wasn’t Mother Theresa at this music festival.
By the way, this musical festival was pretty rowdy. At one point, ESPN’s Radio’s Peter Rosenberg, who was one of the emcees, told the crowd, “This will get shut down.”
Somebody like Anderson, who still is on his rookie contract, and has a lot to prove, perhaps should think to himself, “I better get out of here – I got too much to lose – this scene is bad news.”
“According to the police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, Anderson was fighting with security after being told to leave,” wrote TMZ Sports. “He refused and that’s when a Miami PD lieutenant got involved and told him to sit on the ground. That’s when things went from bad to worse.”
Does it sound like he did ZERO wrong?
Todd Bowles and Mike Maccagnan need to show some big-time leadership on this issue. You are trying to establish a new culture, and this is a setback.
If it’s proven that Anderson was in the wrong, but the Jets decide to keep him nonetheless, they need to punish him in some way, to send a message.
Often, teams scare players straight by releasing guys after incidents like this (if they are guilty of an indiscretion), to make it clear to the players, this will not be tolerated.
According to the police report – “[Anderson] was fighting with security after being told to leave. [Anderson] refused to leave and was told by (officer) to sit on the ground. [Anderson] tensed his body and pushed (officer). [Anderson] was redirected to the ground and continued to fight with police and security. He was arrested.”
Robby, why put yourself in a position for this to happen, whatever caused it, with so much to lose?
And it’s the Jets culture that will lose some if they their brass doesn’t send a strong message in the aftermath of this story.
May 9, 2017
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