Content available exclusively for subscribers
Not to flog a dead horse, but this issue does warrant a little more analysis. It’s getting a great deal of publicity across the football world.
Of course I’m talking about the Darrelle Revis feature in Sports Illustrated.
Before I continue, I want to make it clear that Revis is a special talent and should help the Jets a great deal this year.
We got into the quote about Mark Sanchez on Wednesday, so we will leave that alone today, but let’s start with the first part of the paragraph that led into the quote about #6.
“At one point during his tour of New York, Revis mentions how this year’s Jets will have to win the same way those past New York teams did, with defense and an unproven quarterback, now Geno Smith,” wrote SI’s Greg Bishop.
Man does that sentence bother me.
Is it accurate? Hey, there is a good chance it is, but for a guy to sign as a free agent for big money, and say this, I think it’s out of line.
To be so dismissive of a teammate, and basically say you will have to win by working around him, is just wrong.
You just go back in town man, don’t analyze your new teammates. Just pipe down and focus on being the best cornerback in football. Leave the offense to Chan Gailey and Todd Bowles.
In the article, Bishop wrote, “To those who believe Revis plays football only for money, here was proof that he does not: He took $12 million from the Patriots, and they won a Super Bowl together. Both sides got exactly what they wanted.”
To this paragraph, one Jets scribe commented, “Yeah, Revis must have been on food stamps last season.”
Revis signed a two-year $32 million deal with New England last year. Most assumed he would never see the second year of that contract, and they were right.
But one year for $12 million is darn good money for a cornerback. I’m not aware of any cornerback in football who made more.
The Jets would have given him that money, but weren’t given that opportunity. They had to pay more than New England to bring him back. Woody Johnson said they would have paid market value.
Revis also got into the NFL labor situation.
“We’re fighting against 32 billionaires,” Revis said in the SI story. “A lot of guys are brainwashed, feeding into the system. It’s genius how the NFL did it.”
Who is brainwashed?
I don’t get that.
It’s a lousy CBA. Players know that. It has nothing to do with being brainwashed. What is a rank-and-file player supposed to do? They have to work within the framework of the labor deal. What choice do they have?
Revis is really into the money topic.
We all know that.
Some wonder if he’s just in this to get rich and isn’t that much into the team stuff.
My answer to that is – maybe, but he also is very prideful and wants to be considered the best cornerback in the league. So even if he’s a man on an island, so to speak, into his own thing, he doesn’t want to be embarrassed on the field. So if you really think about it, whatever he’s in this for, he wants to go out there and shutdown the other team’s best receiver, so the Jets will take that, whatever his motives are.
July 23, 2015
Premium will return by 9:30 pm on Friday.
