Guest Instructor Mr. Favre? (But I thought Mangini hated Favre, Jeff?)

Former New York Jets Coach Eric Mangini - now Cleveland Browns head coach - told the New York Daily News that he and Favre have been text messaging since they last saw each other December 29, the day the Jets fired Mangini and the day after Favre played his final NFL game. ... "I don't think it would be anything formal," Mangini told the newspaper. "It's not like we are hiring him to run the scout team. I don't think he would be interested in that. He would be more like a visitor. An open invite."

Mangini brought in a ton of motivational speakers while he was at the Jets. I guess this squelches the talk about Favre and Mangini not liking each other, eh...you bunch of dumb assholes (I'm talking to you, Teddy Atlas!).

"We had a legitimately good relationship," Mangini said. "He's a good guy. I like Brett a lot. That was a tough situation for him to come into and I thought he handled it incredibly well."

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"The slings and arrows suffered by QB Brett Favre". Or "KISS MY ASS!".

I've been meaning to address this but lost track of time. And I know I have a habit of repeating myself, but I've done that since I was 9. So you may have read a few of these items in other posts but I wanted to put them all under one heading - the KISS MY ASS post.

It was reported by several sources (including the douches at FoxSports.com) that "unnamed sources" said Brett Favre didn't participate in off-field activities and that he kept to himself AND that THAT contributed to the fact that he and the other players didn't gel. What? Here's a summary article from Sporting News on some of the slings and arrows thrown in the path of New York Jets' QB Brett Favre after the Jets went from 8-3 and a possible play-off berth to 9-7, losing to Miami in their final game (meaningless loss, as both New England and Baltimore won). Click on the links within the above-mentioned article for more information.

Didn't gel? Here's the article written in Sporting News about Brett's chemistry with the Jets. Jets' tackle Damien Woody said Brett had just what the Jets needed: "Every championship team that I've ever been on, the one constant was that the chemistry was there," he said. "You've got to have the right chemistry in the locker room. I've been on teams that have been talented but we didn't have the chemistry and it just didn't come together...That's one thing I love about this locker room. We've got really good chemistry and it's only going to get better and I think that's going to carry us a long way this season."

And suddenly it's all Brett's fault that the chemistry disappeared as the Jets' team went 1-4 at the end of the season? Gimme a break. Offensive Coordinator Brian Schottenheimer stated recently, "I never got that sense (on if he sensed there was a lack of chemistry between Favre and his teammates). The way the offensive guys worked, prepared and interacted in the meetings was very professional and also light and loose. I never got that sense. If asked about that, I would not have thought anything other than what I witnessed."

Brett not getting along with teammates? An "anonymous" Jet said Brett Favre had been a "distant" presence in the locker room, according to a Newsday reporter. "There was a lot of resentment in the room about him," the anonymous teammate told Newsday. "He never socialized with us, never went to dinner with anyone." So what. That statement says nothing about Brett. Brett not having dinner with guys affected their play? If that's the case, maybe those players shouldn't be in the NFL. Jets' Center Nick Mangold took issue with the perception that Favre caused any dissension. "We had a good joking and playful banter, but at the same time, he's 39 and I'm 24 , and I'm not expecting him to come over and get a game of Halo in right after practice," Mangold said, referencing the video-game series. As for the charge the anonymous player made about Favre not going to dinner with teammates, Mangold stated, "The reality is he was just going home to be with his kids," he said. "There's a huge difference with that ."

There was also talk Brett spent a lot of time in a private office. Yeh - well, that's what a QB does when he's played under one offense for 16 years...trying to learn the Jets' offense, you dumb asses.

On Bill Cowher shunning the Jets coaching job because he wants no part of coaching Favre? No one ever proved that assertion. One of Cowher's stipulations was that he wanted to bring in his own personnel AND he was fairly certain he wanted to wait to coach until 2010.

In that same Sporting News article, Teddy Atlas claimed (Atlas is a boxing trainer/motivational speaker/special asst. coach/douche bag and friend of Coach Eric Mangini) that Jets owner Woody Johnson "forced" the trade on Mangini, and called Favre "basically a selfish guy", AND that Mangini and Favre had a strained relationship. Mangini denied all of that once he took the Browns' coaching job...as a matter of fact, here's exactly what Mangini stated about his relationship with the Jets. What does "strained" mean anyway? Did Mangini and Favre perhaps disagree on some things? Probably. But it's funny how Mangini could have such a strained relationship with Brett so much so that he (Mangini) named his 3rd son after Brett.

Mangini: "I really enjoyed my time with Brett. I think Brett's obviously a Hall of Fame quarterback. He came into a really challenging situation. I respected how important it was for him to be one of the guys, to fit into the team. I really liked the time that I spent with him...There were definitely things that I could have done better as a head coach. There were definitely things that the coaches could have done better. There were definitely things that we could have done better as a group of players...But it's never one person, it's never one play. It's everybody collectively doing a better job than we did during that stretch.''

I know. "Well what's Mangini gonna say?". Well Teddy Atlas isn't Eric Mangini and I know for a FACT that THIS is what Mangini said. Atlas' comment is heresay and, therefore, douche-esque.

When all is said and done, Jets' owner Mike Tannebaum, new Jets' Coach Rex Ryan and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer all said they want Brett back. Now you can say, "well that's what they SAY NOW, but..." Fine. But THEY SAID IT. Not an anonymous source. No unnamed sources. So don't listen to half-ass media reports or knee-jerk reactions by one or two players who shouldn't be mouthing off in the first place. If Brett decides to come back, he has a place with the Jets and we'll all know about it when he makes his decision.

All that other bullshit? Has nothing to do with anything. Just mindless dribble to get noticed. It's just LOAD TALK.

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Colin Cowherd just contradicted himself. "Nuff said about the media.

While commenting on the coaching carousel in the NFL (Jets, Browns, Colts) this morning, ESPN's Colin Cowherd mentioned that the firing of Eric Mangini by the New York Jets was "rightfully so".

Interesting. A couple weeks ago, he stated that Brett Favre was a "coach killer". So how can Mangini's firing be "rightfully so" if Cowherd believed it was Favre's fault that Mangini got fired in the first place?

'Cause they're idiots, that's why.

Just proves my point that the media doesn't know what it's talking about half the time and that anything said by, in this case, sports commentators, must be taken with a grain of salt.

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Colin Cowherd of ESPN is dead WRONG. And I want a retraction.

Colin Cowherd of ESPN Radio hosts "The Herd", which I get on KSPN-710 in Los Angeles weekday mornings. He's hated or loved - nothing in between. OK, I like him. He does come across pompous-ish. But he made one comment this morning that I vehemently disagree with - and he's wrong.

And I want a public retraction.

He called New York QB Brett Favre of the New York Jets a "coach killer". That was it. Nothing to back up the statement. And he made it sound as if a precedent had been set with past Favre coaches. All this on the heels of the Jets firing of Head Coach Eric Mangini today and - well, Cowherd spouted his mouth off and if he had done his research (he always states how he does his homework) he would have never made the comment in the first place. He went on to say - without actually saying it - that Favre is responsible for the Jets starting out 8-3, then dropping to 9-7; thus, a "coach killer".

Favre played under 4 coaches at Green Bay:

1. Mike Holmgren, who left GB because he wanted to become a coach/GM at Seattle. No coach killing there. He nurtured Favre from the beginning and they won a SB together. Shoulda been at least 2 more.

2. Ray Rhodes came on aboard and lasted one season. Rhodes killed his own career.

3. Mike Sherman coached from 2000-05. He had an overall winning record but in the end, couldn't finish the job. Believe me as a Packer fan all my life (until I boycotted them this year in favor of Favre and the Jets), you poll GB fans and 99% will tell you Sherman killed his own career.

4. Mike McCarthy - 2006-present; one of the three, now famous, 3 Wise Monkeys of the GB management team who thought it best for the team to "ride the train outta town" without Brett Favre this past season. The Packers, who were 13-3 the previous year and one win from the SB, fell to a 6-10 record this past season under the leadership of their new QB, Aaron Rodgers...and the 3 Wise Monkeys.

So you see, Mr. Herd, Brett Favre is NOT a "coach killer" as you alluded to on your show this morning. If anything, he's been an asset to coaches throughout his career, as well as their own careers. How can you make such an irresponsible, blanket statement like that without checking your facts? Notwithstanding Mangini's firing this morning (and, as I've said, even when the Jets were 8-3 I constantly questioned much of Mangini's coaching moves/strategies), I want a retraction and I want it done on your show for the nation to hear.

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NY Jets' Rumor Mill - Coach Mangini is out.

Heard on ESPN Radio in LA this morning on my drive in to work. I've questioned his coaching all season - even when the Jets were sitting pretty at 8-3.

Also, QB Brett Favre will have an MRI on his shoulder today. Whether he comes back to the Jets next year is unknown. I hope he does; it'll be his 19th year and I believe he and the Jets have can build on something great.

The Jets lost yesterday to the Miami Dolphins, 24-17. Miami wins the AFC East. Jets go home, and since Baltimore won, the New England Patriots go home even though they had an 11-5 record. Good.

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"Strip, Scoop & Scamper" - and a Miracle in the Meadowlands! Jet beat Bills, 31-27; Jets 9-5 / Packers 5-9 & Out.

With 2 minutes left, the Bills led by 2. Then came the strip by Abram Elam...

...and the scoop and scamper by Shaun Ellis for an 11 yard TD and Jets' lead.

Brett sweating the last minute or so of the game. After Ellis' TD, the Jets intercepted Losman, that should've been the game. But the Jets couldn't get a first down - running 4 rushes and not one pass play. Bills had 1 minute to try and get a TD. Brett stated that the Jets are still in the lead with a 9-5 record and a win's a win - unfortunately I think Coach Mangini buys into that too much. A player saying that and a coach feeling that are two different things.

Helluva way for the Jets' defense to come through when they ABSOLUTELY NEEDED TO. I almost walked out of the room at 2:00 left in the game - Bills had the ball. All the Bills needed was a first down and the Jets' hopes to get into the playoffs would have crashed and burned.

Thank you, Mr. Ellis and Mr. Elam! Elam sacked Bills' QB JP Losman, stripping the ball from him and Ellis scooped up the fumble and ran in for 11 yards and a TD. Donovan and Maria screamed and we woke Baby Grace. I thought D was gonna wet himself. It truly was a remarkable moment. But the Jets' defense is in a sorry state and I blame Coach Mangini for it. I'm thinking it'll be difficult for the Jets to win the AFC East division with an inept, "show up" defense such as the one they have. For more on this, click READ MORE!

(WAIT! There's more...)

So the Jets stand at 9-5...as do the Patriots and the Dolphins. Jets have the tie-breaker so they're still atop the AFC East. Patriots play Buffalo and Arizona (who have already won their division and, oddly, were a "shitty" team when Favre through 6 TDs against them earlier in the season), Miami plays Kansas City and the Jets (final game of season at NY), and the Jets play the 3-12 Seahawks away and Miami at home).

I feel VERY uneasy. The Jets' defense has played maybe 2 full games - otherwise they play a half or a quarter of good ball. And I'm uneasy about Coach Mangini's play-calling and defensive schemes. I not not confident, at all, in the Jets either winning the AFC East division and/or going past one game in the playoffs, should they get there. Maybe it's Mangini's experience, I don't know. The Jets have one of the top-ranked rush defenses but it was no where to be seen yesterday. Granted, Bills' RB Lynch is a monster (really - the man looks like he hides under bridges and eats children), but still.

Favre had his longest rush in 10 years - a 27 yard scamper. Very nice - and a hand-off fake that was picture perfect. The Jets started out strong with a 14-3 lead, but that Jets' defense....so inconsistent. Can't win games that way - or make it deep into the playoffs. Being "lucky" only goes so far. The Jets were very lucky that Elam stripped that ball and hot just sacked Losman. Very fucking lucky.

And that fumble that Ellis scooped up, caused by Jets' teammate Ellis? Jets should've just fallen on it. What would've happened if the Bills had recovered it. Remember, it bounced around a bit with at least one Jet having the opportunity to fall on it. Luckily it bounced right into Ellis' hands and he runs it in for a TD. Fall on the fucking ball! Same shit happened in the NFC Championship game last season with Green Bay and New York. Blown opportunity when the GB defensive player tried to pick it up and run with it. They practice it both ways. Fine. There's a time to jump on it and a time to pick it up. Use your freakin' head!

The New York Post's reference to Ellis' recent arrest for marijuana possession, driving without proper vehicle registration and erratic driving (crossed the center line). I don't think it's funny. If the NFL hands down a game suspension for Ellis and the Jets get into the playoffs, we're without our sack leader.

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Jets Make Titans look...less Titan / Jets 8-3, Packers 5-6.

Favre celebrating with G Brandon Moore. The Jets beat the undefeated 10-0 Tennessee Titans on the Titan's home turf, 34-13. I was in the "bush" and unable to watch the game live. The suspense was killing me (but I maintained). Didn't find out they won until Monday morning, then watched the game later that evening on TIVO. I don't ever make predictions - particulary public ones. However, I DID say that if any team could beat the Titans, this game was in the Jets' hands to lose.

Damn...they executed well. Favre had a 103.6 QB rating - throwing record TDs number 500 and 501. He also surpassed another Dan Marino record, winning now in 32 different stadiums. Amazingly the Jets have scored on their opening possession in 6 straight games AND are ranked #1 in the NFL for the most drives lasting over 5 minutes (among other rankings).

GO JETS!!! GO FAVRE!!!

Coach Mangini and Favre.

RB Thomas Jones jawing with his teammates.

Brett is currently #1 in Completion %, #4 in TDs, #6 in QB rating, #10 in Passing Yards...oh, and #1 in INTs. But really - do I care? The Jets are 8-3 when they were 4-12 last year and they're atop the AFC East. Oh - he threw TD # 500 and 501...besting his own NFL record.

NEXT WEEK: Denver Broncos (6-5) at New York Jets (8-3)

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AFC Defensive Player of the Week = Jets' Kris Jenkins!

Kris Jenkins and the JJJJJJJ-Jets' defense (like that....the JJJJJJJJ?) helped limit the Bills to 30 yards rushing in Sunday's 26-17 win.

Nose tackle Kris Jenkins was named AFC Defensive Player of the Week after his performance Sunday. A scoring change gave half of one of the sacks to Kenyon Coleman, so Jenkins had 1.5 sacks - but he had something like 5 tackles and a bunch of other things they keep stats on for defensive players.

Jenkins is a "beast", according to Jets' Coach Eric Mangini. Thanks for that trade, Carolina Panthers!

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Jets play complete game; Defeat Bills, 26-17. Jets 5-3 / Packers 4-4

A perfect NFL football weekend for me. Divisionally - the Jets beat the Bills, Patriots lost to Indy, Miami lost. And the Packers lost to Tennessee in OT. The only thing that was disappointing was Brett had no TDs. Not that stats matter (particularly when you win), but they sorta do to Favre fans, you know. With the win, the Jets move into a tie with New England for 1st place in the AFC East.

Favre registered his 260th career consecutive start - since 1992, the longest streak by any QB ever and 2nd of all players in the history of the NFL. Statistically, Favre didn't have a Favrearian day - 201 yards or so, no TDs and one INT (his 300th, also an NFL record by the way..well, he DOES have EVERY QB record you can attain). But up until that INT, which put the Bills within 6 points of tying the game in the 4th quarter, Brett managed the game well. After the win, Brett said something about how odd it was not throwing any TDs - "at least, not to my own team".

But the overriding factor is THE TEAM jelled and played an entire game. Together. They didn't panic.

"He's a beast," Coach Mangini said of Kris Jenkins (above), who registered two sacks on the day. "He's tough to handle. He plays with very good technique and he's able to control the gap and he's got another gear when he's getting off the ball in a pure pass-rushing situation. And he just causes a lot of problems internally for our opponents."

After the INT, Favre responded by efficiently producing a 14-play, 65-yard drive that ate up nearly 9 minutes and ended with Jay Feely hitting a 31-yard field goal to clinch the victory. I have reservations about Feeley - missed a 37-yarder yesterday and another last week or the week before. Looks squatty, like a running back. And his kicking style bugs me - like I'm not confident he'll make it through the uprights.

Abram Elam intercepted the Bills deep, deep in Jets' territory and ran back a TD for 92 yards. It took the wind out of the Bills' sails after a questionable coaching call by Jet Coach Eric Mangini, but...the defense did their thang. WHOO!

NEXT WEEK: St. Louis Rams (2-6) at Jets (5-3).

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Jets Scalp Chiefs in Nick of Time, 28-24. Jets 4-3 / GB 4-3.

Brett Favre and Laveranues Coles huggin' it out after hooking up on a 15-yard fade-stop TD pass - caught one-handed by Coles. The Jets retook the lead with 1:00 left and won the game.

Favre threw to Coles' back shoulder and the receiver quickly broke off his route, made the pivot and pulled in the pass using just his right arm. The drive, which was set up by Leon Washington's 37-yard punt return, went four plays and 46 yards in two minutes, one second. 28-24, Jets.

Favre had rough day, throwing for 3 INT's, so I'm certain he was as thankful to Coles for digging him out of the hole he and the Jets found themselves in as much as for the win. The passes poor choices by Brett (good Brett/bad Brett syndrome) - though the announcers agreed one was thrown to the spot Brett's receiver should've been had the receiver not cut his route short.

The announcers also echoed the sentiment that the Jets were relying heavily on the pass against the Chiefs who are last in the NFL on rush defense. And the Jets had something like 150 rushing yards so it wasn't like their backs weren't gaining yardage.

Which leads me to say that Favre shouldn't have been put in two positions to throw two INT's when the Jets were looking at a 3rd and 2 yards (on both possessions) deep into KC territory (somewhere between the 20 and 30 yard lines).

Favre passed on both - both were INT's. Passes = not good. But he had an open backfield - not even an attempt to keep the Chief's defense honest. And no back to pitch it to if Brett wanted to call an audible. I think they were both bullshit calls by the offense coordinator and Mangini should've stepped in and altered the plays - especially after the first time it happened. Hell, if the Jets don't run for a 1st down, you kick a field goal and get out of it with 6 points (as long as Feeley actually makes his FG's - he missed a 37 yard one earlier).

On Favre's 4th quarter comeback, Coles said, "I believe that's why they brought him in here," said Coles, who played after suffering a concussion last weekend. "No matter what the circumstances are, he always gives you a chance to win. I know he's a little old, but he still can play."

At the end of the day though, a win is a win and people who dwell on Brett's INT's can lick my lingum. Favre managed to joke, "(The interceptions) seem to follow me wherever I go."

Broadway Joe Namath and the rest of his teammates from their Super Bowl team were on hand for a reunion and Nammath went on the television broadcast in the third quarter and expressed some concern "about the overall concept of our team, not the quarterback, right now." Namath continued. "A quarterback is gonna get hit, no doubt about that, but the accumulation of the bumps and bruises must have (Brett Favre) at the most fragile as at any point in his career."

NEXT WEEK: Jets (4-3) at Buffalo (5-2).

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Jets' Coach Mangini's 3rd son born today - on Jets' QB Favre's Birthday.

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Jets coach Eric Mangini’s third son was delivered at 7:43 a.m. Friday. His name: Zack Brett Mangini. And he was born on Brett Favre’s 39th birthday.

Said Favre, "The odds of the child being born the same day as my birthday, I don’t know what the odds are. He told me that today was the day and I asked, ’Well, is he still going to be Brett?’ He said, ’Yeah, Zack Brett.’ I thought it was pretty cool. First of all the odds, in some respects, are a lot like me. What were the odds of me ever coming to the Jets? It is a pretty cool thing."

"I’m not inherently superstitious," Mangini said. "But I like the way it felt."

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