Jets vs Giants: Is Rex Ryan or Tom Coughlin King of New York?

The Battle for the Big Apple kicks off tonight with the New York Giants taking on the New York Jets in their Week 3 preseason matchup.

With it, comes the obligatory comparisons between the two teams at every position. But what about the coaches? Who runs football in New York City—Giants head coach Tom Coughlin or the Jets' Rex Ryan?

It's clearly Ryan, and it's not even close.

Coughlin has had success in New York, coaching the Giants to a Super Bowl victory in the 2007-'08 season. But he's never been a media darling in New York, nor a particularly charismatic guy.

This is the kind of thing that shouldn't matter in any other NFL market in the country (in fact, in many places these qualities would be a boon), but in New York, it matters immensely.

You can't rule New York while being a disciplinarian obsessed with punctuality and fine details, especially since your team's best year appears to be behind you.

You need to be an over-the-top, easily recognizable, infinitely sociable and veritably successful character. You need to be Rex Ryan.

He commands a dominating Jets team that has made it to the AFC Championship game two seasons in a row. He surrounds himself with players nearly as captivating as he is—players like Antonio Cromartie, Darrelle Revis, Plaxico Burress, LaDanian Tomlinson and photogenic quarterback Mark Sanchez—who are as taken with Ryan as the media that covers him.

He even tosses a smattering of controversy into the mix (feet, anyone) without coming off as an unlikable fellow.

Only in New York would a coach have to be an entertainer as much as he is an effective leader, and it does seem to be a strange standard to hold. But to rule New York, you have to rule all aspects of your position, just as a team needs to dominate both sides of the ball to win games—Ryan clearly does.

Does this mean Ryan is the better coach? Of course not. But is he the most New York NFL head coach in the city? Most certainly.

The hearts and minds of New York football fans aren't just won on the gridiron, they're won in the press box as well. If there can be only one king of New York football, it's Ryan.