I will be the first to admit that I have not been a staunch fan of Ryan, as I take issue with coaches in any sport who trash talk, particularly when the talk is directed at other players. I find it unprofessional. But my fellow blogger The Captain, over at An A-Blog for A-Rod, wrote this interesting piece in response to ESPN's Andrew Marchand's assessment that Joe Girardi should coach more like the Jets Big Man. In the piece, The Captain points out that football is really a game of emotion and intensity and that the "rantings" of Ryan are actually a positive in terms of getting his players "riled" up to go hard.
I never saw it that way; I'm a child of the "Torre Era." In my own perception, managers or coaches should stay calm, show no heightened emotion, have a "quiet" confidence and focus only on their teams' own shortcomings to make improvements. I see this same Torre-like quality in Joe Girardi and it suits me as a fan.
But, as The Captain also pointed out, baseball managers have to be that way because their teams play everyday; it doesn't work in their favor to work up their players' emotions from one day to the next because with every game should come a new focus. Football players only play once a week, so they need to have that emotion and energy carry them through to the next game. Obviously it works because the Jets defense made Tom Brady look like a second-year quarterback last night. Ryan spoke openly of his want to shut down "brash" Brady who, in his mind is no Peyton Manning and the Jets responded. Trash talk can be a positive. I understand that a little more now.
Will I bill Ryan now as my favorite football coach ever? Not a chance. That honor goes to "The Tuna" Bill Parcells. But am I willing to maybe overlook Ryan's rhetoric as it has been a factor in catapulting the Jets to the upcoming AFC Championship? Absolutely. If the formula works, I'm all for it. Go Jets!
Follow Rasheeda Cooper on twitter: @ra_cooper
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