GIANTS - JETS 2010: CLASS vs CRASS

by
John Fennelly

In the never-ending press conference that has become the new Jets culture, someone is bound to say the wrong thing sooner or later.

The Colts were not happy with the loquacious nature of the Jets this past week and made it known to the world after the game (illustrated by the comments made on the victory podium by Jim Irsay, Jim Caldwell and Peyton Manning).

But even those not-so-subtle hints and a sound thrashing apparently cannot stop the garbage-laden diatribe of Rex Ryan. Yesterday he took a swipe at the Giants, who are innocent bystanders in this Jet whirlwind.

“Let’s play this game in front of our fans and our stadium, the new Jets stadium,” Ryan ranted. “I can’t wait. We get our own stadium and we are not visitors in our stadium. This is our stadium. We are the biggest show in town, and that’s what it’s going to be.”

Most old-time Giant fans refuse to get dragged in to this sophomoric exercise of trash talking. The Giants themselves are taking the high road. They have too much class.

When asked about Ryan’s comments, Giants’ VP Pat Hanlon simply said: “The Jets had a very good season, and we congratulate them.”

It’s crass vs class at the Meadowlands these days. Ryan is an excellent bovine scatologist. He is drawing a line in the sand where one does not need to be drawn.

The Giants and Jets are not rivals. They are co-tenants and business partners. They rarely play each other and when thy have, the game has been for menial stakes.

Ryan does not understand that the Giants are not the enemy. The Giants are not the reason why the Jets have not been to the Super Bowl for the past four decades.

Had he done some research, he would know that the Jets were up against teams with Hall-of-Fame caliber coaches (Don Shula, Bill Belichick, Marv Levy, Jimmy Johnson, Chuck Knox, Bill Parcells) over that period.

The Giants had nothing to do with the hiring of Joe Walton and Rich Kotite; the drafting of bust after bust; taking Ken O'Brien over Dan Marino etc. etc etc.

The Giants had their own problems. They managed to overcome them, much like the Jets are doing now. But Ryan is crossing a line here that should not be crossed.

As a student of New York football for 45 years, I believe he will one day be eating his words if he dosen't tread more lightly in New York.