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Remember, on the last day of minicamp, Tim Tebow got some reps with the first team.
And in his press conference, Rex Ryan went into full spin mode regarding this short sequence in practice.
“One other thing I noticed and I’m sure you guys noticed, is the fact that (Tim) Tebow ran with the ones just like I said yesterday. (joking, laughter) I told you he’d be getting reps with the ones. (joking),” Ryan said. “Apparently, I need to be in more offensive meetings, so I missed that one. But really, we talked about it. Obviously, he’s going to get some work when we go to wildcat with the ones and when Tony (Sparano) thinks to put him in there some plays. I just wanted you guys to know that it’s not a quarterback controversy. This is the way it’s going to be. It’s Sanchez that’s starting at quarterback and Tim’s behind him.”
Rex brought this up on his own, in his opening statement. He and the team’s PR director clearly anticipated questions about this.
This is probably not an ideal approach. This is showing you are worried what the media thinks. Who gives a darn about them?
You run your team that way you deem fit, and don’t give a hoot about the press.
#2 quarterbacks get first team reps at times in practice. This goes on everywhere. They need the reps in case they are forced into action.
And this Rex tact of pretending he doesn’t know what is going on with the offense is getting old.
Remember, this is a coach who claimed he did know Santonio Holmes was pulled from a game in Miami, or pulled himself from practice in OTA’s.
Now, he claims he wasn’t aware Tebow was going to get starting reps in practice.
This is just weak. He needs to be the head coach of the entire team, not just the defense.
But honestly, as for Tebow getting some reps with the first team, Rex not knowing this shouldn’t be a big deal.
The wildcat is part of the Jets offensive plan this year, so of course the man running it is going to work with the first team, on occasion, in practice.
Brad Smith did, and now Tebow will.
For Rex to go into spin move, in his opening statement, is showing weakness.
Rex, Neil Glat, Mike Tannenbaum and Woody Johnson better come up with a better plan to deal with this media full frontal assault coming to Cortland on July 26, and then following the team to Florham Park. There are people in the media ranks who want to tear this team apart.
And coming into press conferences, and trying to explain reps in practice, before your even asked about it, is playing right into their hands.
Think about this?
Do you think Bill Parcells, Bill Belichick or Tom Coughlin would come into a press conference attempting to spin reps at a certain position, before even being asked? That is not the way to handle this. These kind of coaches don’t care about what the press thinks.
And by the way, not only did Rex spin this, a PR guy came in the press room, and did the same thing.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, if the Jets don’t come up with a good plan to deal with this three-ring circus, it’s going to add a few rings, and perhaps divide this team.
July 30, 2012
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