The dynamic between the Jetsand the Browns this season will be interesting to follow. Some Jets players told the Los Angeles Times that they’re relieved to have Rex Ryan instead of Eric Mangini because Mangini’s rules were so stifling.
Jets safety Kerry Rhoades said under Ryan players "can say what you want and speak your mind.”
He continued: "I think it's always best if you can do that, because if you don't you can end up holding so much stuff in that at the end of the day it can be combustible. That's how we ended up with the last coach."
Guard Daminen Woody didn’t name Mangini by name, but “said not being afforded … respect ‘is almost degrading.’
‘Here I am 31 years old, I've got my own kids, and I'm married, and here's someone that's not that much older than me — or whatever the case may be — telling me what I can and can't do,’ Woody said. ‘It's so regimented where the game is just not a game anymore. It's not fun. Even when you win it's not fun.’"
Folks will scoff, say it doesn’t matter if you win. And there’s an element of truth to that. But … and go ahead and say I’m bashing unnecessarily ‘cuz I can deal with it … in my experience the regimes that don’t treat players like men and allow them the freedom to act like men usually do not succeed. And let’s not compare Bill Belichick to Mangini. Not yet at least. Belichick can do it his way because he backs up his talk. His plans and schemes and preparation help teams win rings, and his players know that. So they buy in. Mangini has yet to prove himself on a scale anywhere near Belichick. He may emulate him, want to be him, but he’s not him.
Regimes that stifle players, that control things with rules … they usually fail. Now, there are many teams that do not control players and lose too, and the Jets may fall in that category under Rex Ryan. But as immature as these players sometimes seem, they do not thrive in a controlled environment. Nobody does. In any job. Think about it. Most folks chafe under a restrictive environment that does not allow the employee to feel part of the process, to feel he or she can contribute with suggestions and effort. My way or the highway usually leads to the highway. It’s human nature, as Michael Jackson would say.
The Browns may win with this new approach. And one preseason game does not indicate a trend. But it will be interesting to see how things develop.
{ 12 comments }
"Even when you win it's not fun."
Maybe not for the players…
In reality, it doesn't matter if the coach runs their camp like a gulag or a resort…if you don't have decent players, you're not goona win anything.
Two points. When the Jets were 10-6 under Mangini I didn't hear anyone complain about his methods. And after they beat Arizona to go to 8-3 I didn't hear a single person complain. And no one had a bad thing to say about Romeo Crennel. And just because everyone loves the new coach doesn't mean they'll win.
I agree with the posting above. talent, talent, talent. A coach can take a mediocre team and make it representative, but I don't know anyone who can take a clearly inferior roster and make it a champion, whether the players love him or hate him.
"And after they beat Arizona to go to 8-3 I didn't hear a single person complain."
yep, and when mangini took over the playcalling from brian schottenheimer shortly after you heard lots of complaining. the fans and media were wondering who was behind the baffling play calls and why the running game was abandoned so a sore-armed qb could toss interceptions all game.
well, brian schottenheimer is still with the jets and mangini is coaching one of the worst franchises in the nfl. there's going to be a lot of complaining before this coach is through.
What a laughably flawed point, Patrick. "Most restrictive regimes fail…oh, but don't count Belichick." That is like saying, "No men are evil but don't count Hitler." Ridiculous.
What is more, have you ever heard of Bill Parcells or Tom Coughlin? My memory is perhaps a little fuzzier than yours but what I recall is that both run extremely restrictive regimes and both have Superbowl rings. How many does Rex Ryan have as coach? Sure, all players love playing for coaches who let them speak their minds and express themselves, Romeo Crennel did that, remember?
As for me, I think I will go ahead and side with Mangini's tactics, for they fall in line with successful coaches in the past – Parcells and Coughlin to name a few (but not Belichik, remember?).
another guy who thinks coughlin won playing the "tough guy" role.
wrong!
http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/playoffs07/columns/story?columnist=garber_greg&id=3200779
From the article: "… "He tweaked a few things," said right guard Chris Snee, who happens to be Coughlin's son-in-law. "He's established a better relationship with the players. Now he'll hear both sides of an argument.
"But he's still the same at the core."
Indeed, the strident rules are still the rules — three minutes early is still two minutes late — but Coughlin, by all accounts, has been less peevish and petty. He's still hopelessly anal-retentive — just no longer to a fault."
Doesn't sound like a Romeo-esque country club to me….bottom line is football is a team game and someone has to be at the top of the heap setting the rules to keep everyone pointed in the same direction.
It is amazing how the people around here are already getting on Mangini's case. He's going to be here for a couple of years no matter how bad the team is so quit your crying, put down your pitchforks and torches and relax.
I remember when Coughlin took over the giants and all of the whining and crying that came from the players….. and the media. I would much rather have a coughlin , that some of the players dislike to a , Romeo who got nothing but complements from the players but whose team was undisciplined and never played together as a team.
yeah, there's only two ways to coach professional football players. completely hands off like romeo or micromanaging piss breaks like mangini.
give me a break. read the article frank. coughlin had to change his style. of course he didn't become a clown but the man had to make concessions to keep his job. the marine corp version of tom coughlin was a failure.
To me, Mangini seems like the fat kid everyone picked on at school, and now he's trying to get back at everyone by showing he has ultimate control. And you know what usually happens to little punks like that? They get their face punched in by someone who quickly gets fed with dealing with a snot-nosed jerk who hasn't proven a darn thing in the NFL.
A little humility and humor might serve this coach well.
yo terje they didnt beat arizona to go 8-3 they beat tennessee, arizona was like week 5 douche
yo chris, i was quoting the guy above me. that's what " " means…douche.
*sniffle*
poor nfl players
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