Why Rex Ryan and the New York Jets Deserve Admiration

Opinions vary widely about the New York Jets, but both their detractors and their fans can agree on one thing—the Jets definitely aren’t a boring bunch.

Ever since Rex Ryan came to New York in 2009 as head coach, he’s been making headlines for his boldness, swagger and larger-than-life personality.

When he wasn’t writing “Soon to be Champs” on the ESPN tour bus, Ryan was talking about how his matchups with Peyton Manning and Bill Belichick were “personal,” making comments about how the Jets were the best team in the playoffs and picking fights with Channing Crowder.

Jets players Antonio Cromartie and Bart Scott were making memorable quotes of their own before and after their game against the New England Patriots.

I’ve read articles from respected commentators saying that last week’s war of words detracted from the game.

I would imagine that many youth coaches probably engaged in many speeches reminding players that trash talk isn’t good sportsmanship. 

Maybe it is, maybe it's not, but some of the greatest athletes of all time, such as Michael Jordan, were notorious trash-talkers. I never read any articles written about how he was bad for the NBA, though.

I would venture to guess that some fans who no longer have a horse in the race are rooting for the Pittsburgh Steelers simply because they are turned off by the Jets’ outspokenness. 

I can imagine that if the Jets lose today, many commentators will write articles about how they should talk less and practice more and how they’re glad that the Jets’ antics won’t distract from the pageantry of the Super Bowl.

I disagree.

I think the Jets are one of the best things to happen to the NFL in quite some time.

Why?

Before you respond, separate their non-football antics from their football-related activities, and bear with me.

What are the most famous Super Bowls and Super Bowl teams in history?

The Indianapolis Colts vs. Chicago Bears' snoozer in 2006? No.

That’s a game you watch when you need something to put you to bed at night.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Oakland Raiders' borefest in 2003? No.

The only reason anyone remembers that game is because sportswriters always point to it as the last time the Raiders were successful.

The Jets vs. Baltimore Colts in 1969? Yep.

Joe Namath’s guarantee will forever go down in history, and the Jets’ upset of the heavily favored Colts will always be remembered among football fans.

The Bears vs. New England Patriots in 1985?  Sure, even though the game was a blowout.

My point is that big and memorable personalities are the ones that fans remember. 

They keep fans interested, motivate casual fans to tune in to the games and maybe even bring in some new fans.

Even casual fans know about Namath’s pregame guarantee and Mike Ditka and the “Super Bowl Shuffle.”

They create intense rivalries that help build anticipation and excitement up to a fever pitch in the days leading up to the game. 

I wasn't rooting for or against the Jets or Patriots, but you better believe that I was chomping at the bit for 4:30 p.m. to roll around last Sunday because I knew it was going to be a great, heated, passionate game. 

The downfall of many nationally-known rivalries has left an opening for new rivalries to fill the nation’s collective consciousness. Another heated season of conflict between the Patriots and Jets could etch this rivalry in the minds of many for years to come.

Rivalries, excitement, passion and intensity are the lifeblood of football.

That lifeblood will motivate the owners and players to sit down and hash out a labor agreement and they make a football fan’s heart begin to race towards the end of July because they know that the best months of the year—the NFL season—are coming soon. 

It's the reason millions of fans watch the clock tick down Monday at work in anticipation for Monday Night Football. 

It's the reason devoted fans lay their heads on their pillows Saturday night, eager for Sunday football with the same anticipation that young children go to bed on Christmas Eve.

It’s not just football—the same goes for baseball, basketball and every other major sport. 

I love my Cleveland Cavaliers, but the love-fest that occurred between the Cavaliers and LeBron James upon his return to Cleveland was nothing short of disgusting.

Sure, later reports stated that the words weren’t all friendly, but the message that the world took away from the evening was that the Cavaliers had complete amnesia of what occurred July 8, 2010, and no after-the-fact reports will change that perception.

Imagine if Ray Lewis left the Baltimore Ravens for the Steelers on national TV, or if Troy Polamalu left the Steelers for the Ravens.

What if Derek Jeter left the New York Yankees for the Boston Red Sox because he said the Yankees weren’t good enough to win titles.

What if Alexander Ovechkin went to Pittsburgh because he wanted a stronger supporting cast?

I can promise you that the only words that would be spoken to those guys would be words that are unprintable in this space. They would have gotten a cold shoulder, and perhaps much worse, from their former teammates.

I’m not endorsing trying to hurt other people, and I’m not advocating unsportsmanlike conduct on the field.

What I am advocating, though, is meaningful, authentic and passionate rivalries and truly competitive games—the type of heated, adversarial games in which every player takes it personally and wants nothing more than to vanquish his or her adversary. 

I'm celebrating the type of game in which fans are afraid to miss a snap because the amount of passion and intensity running through the veins of players and coaches on both sides can mean that any one play can turn into a dramatic, heroic, game-changing play.

Fans love them, players love them and the networks love them.

In a few short hours, we’ll know if the Jets will have the opportunity to show their swagger on the world’s biggest stage or if Rex Ryan’s prophecy will have to wait at least another year to be fulfilled. 

However, what we do know right now is the Jets have helped make football fun again. 

After an era in which the tight-lipped Bill Belichick and relatively stoic Indianapolis Colts franchise nearly turned the recipe for playoff success into an academic exercise, the Jets have helped every football fan remember how enjoyable an intense, full-throttle approach can be and how passionate competitors can invigorate the game.

For this, we should all be grateful.