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This was perhaps a teachable moment for the Jets’ new brass. Maybe they need to learn from this, and avoid this scenario moving forward . . .
When speaking to the media or fans, you need to be on the same page at all times.
The Jets created a stir when they didn’t have to.
Chan Gailey did his first press conference on Thursday, and told the media (and fans) that Geno Smith is the starting quarterback.
And then he was surprised at the media being shocked at his answer.
Q)Will Ryan Fitzpatrick and Geno Smith have an equal opportunity to start?
Gailey: Right now Geno’s the starter and to me, Coach Bowles has said it, I’ve said it, I think everybody has said it, that’s the way it sits and that’s the way we expect it to be. Unless something happens that you get an injury or something like that that you don’t foresee, that’s how we anticipate it going.
Q)Is the quarterback position an open competition?
Gailey: Not going in, no.
Q)Why it’s not an open competition?
Gailey: Because Geno is the starter.
Q)Will will it not be an open competition?
Gailey: (Geno has) done enough good, quality things (while) he’s been here and he’s done enough quality things that he deserves the opportunity to be the guy. We told Fitz (Fitzpatrick) coming in that’s the way it was going to be. We didn’t try to pull the wool over somebody’s eyes. That’s exactly how we told (it to) him.
This was Gailey’s first press conference as Jets offensive coordinator with the mainstream media. He talked about saying this before. Perhaps he told the team controlled website. If so, I didn’t see that interview.
And since this was Gailey’s first interview with the Jets’ beat reporters, the team’s brass needs to make sure that he is on the same page as the GM and coach. Perhaps they should all meet to make sure he stays on message.
Any of you out there that work in the corporate world, or in politics, you know the importance of any people speaking on the entities behalf, having the same message.
For Gailey to say that is what Todd has been saying isn’t entirely accurate.
Here is what Bowles said at the NFL’s owners meeting breakfast – “You can’t have even first team reps at quarterback – Geno will start out taking them, but that doesn’t mean Ryan can’t take his spot. But I’d be sitting here lying if I said they were going to have equal reps.”
Does that sound like the same thing Gailey said?
And after the bizarre view of competition from the previous regime, where they essentially re-defined the word, do you think it’s a good idea to playing games with the word again?
I could not believe what I heard from Gailey yesterday. I can’t believe we are going down this bizarre competition road again.
How do they roll Gailey out for his first real press conference, and try to sell this to the public?
Look, I’m not writing Smith off. He was put in a terrible spot his first two years, forced into a action before he was ready. He did the best he could. Perhaps this trial-by-fire in his first two seasons will help him, and he will take a big step in Year Three. We will see.
But the premise Gailey is pushing, “He’s done enough quality things that he deserves the opportunity to be the guy,” is a somewhat faulty premise.
When Bowles said what he said in Phoenix, I’m thinking to myself, “Fair enough – it’s hard to split the reps evenly, but Fitzpatrick can still beat him out, even though he’s not getting the same amount of reps.”
But then Gailey said what he said, I’m thinking, “What the heck if going on here?”
Yesterday wasn’t a good day for the Jets’ new brass.
They need to get on the same page.
May 21, 2015
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