Joe Namath: New York Jets Legend Sends More Mixed Messages About Former Team

Broadway Joe can never seem to get his story straight.

According to Rich Cimini of ESPN New York, Joe Namath "feels awful" about his relationship with the New York Jets, though he somehow remains staunchly unapologetic about recent comments he made criticizing the state of affairs with the franchise he led to victory at Super Bowl III. Said Namath of the situation at the premier of his HBO documentary "Namath":

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I feel awful about it, I feel awful about my relationship with the Jets right now. I don't want them upset with Joe, but damn it, I have to say what I see, what I think, what I feel. I think they can do some things better, no doubt.

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Hey Joe, here's a hint for you: if you want to mend fences with Gang Green, you'd do well to keep your thoughts to yourself. At least refrain from sharing your judgments with the media.

I'm no expert in public relations, but I hear airing your griefs and frustrations with the press rather than those directly with those who have the power to do something isn't the best way to earn points in the books of others.

Not that Namath necessarily has any ideas to share, much less good ones. Namath also came out in support of Mark Sanchez, the beleaguered Jets quarterback who's come under fire for his putrid performance during his third NFL season. His support of Sanchez was strange to say the least, first claiming that he deserves more time:

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Mark made some mistakes this year, no doubt, but he can play. It's only his third year, man. You see guys out there who have played longer than that, making those same mistakes. He's going to learn from his mistakes and he needs the help around him.

He presses at times, he wants to do things because he's expected to, and I think he got a little tired of being, "The kid this, the kid that." Hey, he's made it through three seasons now, and he's not a kid. He's a man out there. He's a man and, if they get the people around him, he's going to be fine.

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And then suggesting that Sanchez needn't be a leader in the locker room:

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I didn't push any kind of leadership. Lead by example as a football player, as the quarterback: to know the plan frontwards, backwards; be able to answer; know my guys; convince them I was ready and would give it my best. But no taking over a locker room. You have to have someone with the strength of the guy over in Baltimore -- maybe Ray Lewis -- you've got to be a beast to do that kind of thing, man.

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Ah, yes. Sanchez is young and makes mistakes, but should still be considered a "man" on the football field. He should lead by example, but the locker room? Nah, who needs it?

I can almost envision the response coming from team owner Woody Johnson, head coach Rex Ryan and/or GM Mike Tannenbaum: "Thanks for the input, Joe. Now go back to kissing Suzy Kolber or something. We have work to do here."

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