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Premium – You have to give John Idzik credit.
Even though Geno Smith received an “apology” from Virgin America Airlines, the GM made it clear on Saturday, during an appearance at Jets House, he wasn’t happy with what went down.
“I don’t view any free passes,” Idzik said. “We hold our players to a high standard — on the field and off the field. That’s part of acting like a Jet. It’s not only playing like a Jet, it’s acting like a Jet.”
Good for him.
Usually, Idzik would say something like, “That’s a private matter, so I will not address that publicly.”
But he didn’t go down that frequently traveled road this time.
He publicly made it clear he wasn’t happy.
Geno Smith also appeared at Jets House on Saturday, and had this to say about the airline incident.
“Rex basically explained that he and I, because of the position we’re in — head coach and quarterback — we’re looked at differently,” Smith said. “I understand and I knew that prior to the conversation, but it’s always good to get more light from him. He was understanding, so it was all good.”
To me, in that quote, Geno Smith was taking no responsibility for what happened on the airline.
And by him saying, “I knew that prior to the conversation,” he’s saying that he didn’t need to be reminded on how to act.
But you know what, last time I checked, he got thrown off a plane, and then asked to leave the gate while trying to rebook because he was cussing at the airline rep.
So for him to act like he was innocent is a reach.
Did Virgin American go overboard?
Perhaps.
But for anyone to think Geno was a 100 percent innocent, and a victim here, is naive.
So kudos to Idzik for coming out publicly and say, “I don’t view any free passes. We hold our players to a high standard.”
Where there is smoke there is fire, and Idzik has been on many planes, and he knows darn well it’s not commonplace for somebody to be tossed from a plane, and then from the gate.
But Geno being so dismissive of this situation is a little bit of a red flag.
And it reminds me once again of what Nolan Nawrocki said last year.
“Has an enormous ego with a sense of entitlement that continually invites trouble and makes him believe he is above the law,” said Nawrocki.
But like I’ve said before, the whole obsession with the cell phone is a concern.
“He’s buried in his phone,” said one long-time Jets observer. “How can you lead when you can’t stop looking at your phone?”
The two Super Bowl quarterbacks have amazing work ethics. They are the hardest workers on each team. They open their team complexes and close them. They are obsessed with doing everything possible to be great quarterbacks.
I just get the sense from talking to people that Geno does work, but he’s not at the aforementioned level of guys like Wilson and Manning.
One Jets player who knows Drew Brees was raving about how hard the Saints quarterback works. He said the guy never stops.
Playing quarterback in the NFL is so difficult.
You have to work so darn hard it, and even then, there are no guarantees.
So if Geno is going to take that next step, he’s got to take the work ethic to an even higher level.
So that means more QB-related work, less texting.
February 4, 2014
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