The Jets need support from Joe Namath, not endless stream of criticism

Aside from their overt dysfunction, the New York Jets are hardly a noteworthy team. They have a solid defense, but their offense lacks a triggerman that can make sound decisions and put the ball where it needs to go. Still, dysfunction is a good story line, and as it turns out, the Jets still haven’t hit rock bottom.

The latest incident comes from the great Joe Namath, who appeared on “The Rich Eisen Podcast,” and he couldn’t resist giving his opinion on Rex Ryan’s decisions to play Mark Sanchez late in a preseason game.

“I wish [Ryan] would just say it was wrong – ‘I made a mistake,’” Namath said. “But instead he was talking about the competitive feelings of wanting to win. That's just beating around the bush. My man made a mistake, Rich!

“You do not put your quarterback in there in that situation, not the guy that is probably going to be your starter behind a makeshift offensive line in a preseason game,” Namath continued. “Come on. There was no rhyme or reasoning to that.”

Joe Namath has been a proponent of Mark Sanchez in the past, especially during the Tim Tebow saga, but he also needs to understand that he’s harming his former team by being outspoken about his feelings. The only reason Namath is even invited on shows like “The Rich Eisen Podcast” is to provoke him into providing a sound bite for listeners.

The Jets have enough trouble actually keeping it together without former players piling on. By all accounts, the Jets are still the same circus show that we remember from last year minus Tim Tebow. Unfortunately, the problem seems to start at the top with Rex Ryan, who has been ineffective at diffusing controversy in the past, and the added distractions can only hurt the team.

Right now, the Jets need support from guys like Joe Namath. We all know that Rex Ryan made a big mistake by playing Sanchez late in the Jets’ third preseason game, but frankly, injuries can happen at any time. As a coach, decisions aren’t often made based on the chances a player will get injured. No, Sanchez shouldn’t have played, but what’s done is done.

If Joe Namath really wants the best for the New York Jets, and I can only assume he does, he needs to quietly sit on the sidelines and support his former team instead of venting on air about how the Jets have mishandled various situations.

About Shane Clemons

Shane Clemons came from humble beginnings creating his own Jaguars blog before moving on to SBNation as a featured writer for the Jaguars. He then moved to Bloguin where he briefly covered the AFC South before taking over Bloguin's Jaguars blog. Since the inception of This Given Sunday, Shane has served as an editor for the site, doing his best not to mess up a good thing.

Quantcast