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New Jersey – Rex Ryan has something going for him that is so important in the modern era of coaching. Things aren’t the same as they used to go . . .
I do a show on SiriusXM NFL Radio once a week on Saturday from 11-2.
As I was walking to Penn Station to take a train home, you would not believe who I ran into on the streets of Manhattan.
Rex Ryan.
It was on corner of 42nd Street and 6th Avenue.
He was in the city with his nephew, showing him some sights and sounds of the city.
They were on their way to the NHL Store when I crossed paths with them. His nephew is a former hockey player, who now is coaching hockey in college.
Imagine having an uncle like Rex Ryan.
He has awesome uncle written all over him.
It’s funny, Bart Scott used to call him, “Uncle Rex.”
That nickname is so apropos.
I was talking to him for a few minutes, but then I said, “I better let you go, you are a sitting duck here.”
You see, fans kept coming over to us and asking for pictures and autographs.
That is okay, but if you are public figure like Rex, it’s probably not pragmatic to be standing on the corner on 42nd and 6th Avenue for an extended period of time.
But one thing I observed during our few minutes together – this is the one of the most “Average Joe” coaches in sports.
How many professional coaches, take the train in from New Jersey to go to a New York Rangers Rally, the NHL store and for a walk around the city like a tourist?
And just seeing how he interacted with the fans that came over to him, was impressive. He was very happy to pose and sign. There was no annoyance or hesitancy. He did it all with a big smile on his face.
As you have read over time, I’m very critical of Rex on certain things, like his “loyalty to the point of defiance,” and some other matters.
But one thing I’ve always felt about him, and this was re-iterated during this chance encounter on the streets of Manhattan, with his personality, people skills and down-to-earth nature, players are willing to run through a brick wall for him.
This isn’t an era where you really don’t want to hire a martinet coach – a belligerent dictator. That stuff really doesn’t work anymore in this PC Era.
Bill Belichick, with tons of Super Bowl jewelry, and his longevity, gets a pass due, I guess, due to a grandfather clause. He’s been doing it so long, and been so successful, he can still get away with it in 2014.
But look what happened with Greg Schiano in Tampa Bay. It didn’t work.
Rex’s personality and approach is ideal for this era.
No question he has some shortcomings related to strategy and personnel decisions, but in the coaching persona department, he gets an A+.
June 2, 2014
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