New York Jets Tickets - Jets Get Feisty in Preseason, Starting with Rex Ryan
August 27, 2010 by Stub_Hub
The New York Jets faced off against the New York Giants in a preseason opener that saw Eli Manning exit the game with a bloody wound, but even with a kick to the head the Giants still managed to trump the Jets with a 31-16 victory in the Aug. 16 matchup.
The Jets are the talk of the town already this season due to the team's flashy offseason acquisitions and Rex Ryan's outspoken claims, and even though their second string of players got beat by the Giants' twos in the preseason, the Jets still aren't a team to give up on the season just yet.
The New York Jets have made headlines this offseason for several reasons, one of which being HBO's profile on the team for the series "Hard Knocks," which documents NFL teams through training camp. It's no secret that Rex Ryan is one of the most boisterous coaches in the league, and he's currently under fire for the overwhelming number of bombs he drops on the show.
"Hard Knocks," which has a quick turnaround time and is currently documenting the Jets' training camp, recently shed light on Ryan's coaching tactics, with many of his words bleeped out by editing crews in order to be shown on television. After watching the first episode of the show, Ryan was heavily scrutinized for his use of foul language, for which he apologized - sort of.
In a statement to USA Today, Ryan said, "My mom is the only one really disappointed that I care about. I'm going to be myself. I know you guys have been around me when sometimes you get rolling, that's just what happens. I don't know why. I apologize if I offended more people than I usually offend. I apologize for that."
Still, as much as they're criticized Ryan's fiery words and outspoken antics have helped pump up his Jets for the regular season. Last year in his first season as head coach for the New York Jets, Ryan helped turn around the team's dismal 9-7 record and playoff miss in 2008 under coach Eric Mangini, rounding out the 2009 campaign with a 9-7 record but going all the way to the conference championship in the playoffs, ultimately losing to the Indianapolis Colts just one game shy of the Super Bowl.
The Jets are certainly a team that sells more NFL tickets than most, and perhaps Rex Ryan is to credit for some of this pizzazz and also the confidence the team exudes. One thing that's been clear from the beginning is that Ryan has earned the respect of his football players, evident from their comments about him.
Speaking on-camera during a segment of "Hard Knocks," Jets linebacker Bart Scott said, "You know a lot of guys say, 'Man, if I go in a dark alley you know I would take Warren Sapp or I would take Ray Lewis' but I'm taking Rex Ryan. He talks like us."
So far this offseason, Ryan has already proclaimed that the Jets will be Super Bowl champions in 2011. He takes pride in banging up other teams' offenses, and this year the New York Jets have scored a running start to the season by signing so many big names to the team's roster. All eyes are on the New York Jets this season, and Rex Ryan doesn't mind one single bit.
