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When asked about Santonio Holmes, Marty Mornhinweg offered effusive praise for the former Jets’ wide receiver. It sounds like he’d like to have him back.
“Santonio is one of my favorites,” Mornhinweg said last Thursday. “Let me tell you, that guy, Santonio is fantastic. And I don’t talk about too many people that are not on our roster, but I’m telling you Santonio is a heck of a football player, Super Bowl MVP, heart of gold. I enjoyed Santonio.”
There was laughter in the press conference.
Mornhinweg didn’t understand why.
In fact, he went a PR guy down shortly after the press conference, to find out what was going on.
You know what, I don’t expect him to be critical of Holmes, publicly. That isn’t how Marty rolls.
That is fine. You can respect that.
But to offer praise this far over the top was a bit much.
Did Holmes have a “heart of gold” when he insulted the Carolina Panthers secondary prior to the Jet’s loss in Charlotte?
That made the job of Marty and company a little more difficult that day. Remember, one of the players who was livid at Holmes, was cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, who had a Pick Six late in this December game. The game was in December, a month that led to high praise from Marty, Rex and company for the team’s quarterback. The month wasn’t all wine and roses.
Remember when Holmes made that comment in Baltimore a couple of years ago, basically saying the offensive line needs to block better for Mark Sanchez.
Brandon Moore was livid.
Moore could not stand this guy.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the finest organization in the NFL, consistently successful, felt they needed to get this guy out of the building, and traded him to the Jets in 2010. If they couldn’t get a draft pick for him, from what I understand, they were prepared to cut him.
They couldn’t take his moodiness, his blown assignments (one led to Pick Six and loss against Cincinnati), his off-the-field issues (he had two strikes in the NFL program in Pittsburgh). Mike Tomlin and Dan Rooney basically said, “we’re done.”
The Jets decided they were done after last season. It was a good time for Ira and company to get out of that contract.
For five years this guy was unbelievably nasty to the press. I don’t care if players hate us, they have that right. We bring a lot of the rancor on ourselves, but if you are public eye, and paid good money by a team, suck it up and act civil. You are reflecting poorly on the NFL and your employer.
A lot of public figures – mayors, governors, Senators, head coaches, can’t stand dealing with the media, but they don’t cop an attitude during their press briefings.
Look, this isn’t all about the media – it’s just part of the big picture.
And one former team employee called him, “Jekyll and Hyde,” to the staff.
But the way Marty spoke about him, you would think the window is open to bring him back.
Look, I hope Santonio Holmes has a great life. I wish him the best.
But for Mornhinweg to portray him like the Dalai Lama, I’m sorry, I can’t just sit here and just call it “coach-speak.”
And then for him to send a publicist down stairs to find out why some people laughed, to me, was just doubling down on a bizarre perspective on a guy who was not good for the karma of this team’s locker room.
June 24, 2014
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