I don’t fault most fans for their blind devotion to a team or an organization even if they have provided little more than a lifetime of frustration. I’m as guilty of that as anybody, especially since I still maintain somewhat of a liking for the New York Jets. I’m part of an ever-shrinking minority of its fan base that was actually alive and coherent on January 12, 1969, when they shocked the football world by becoming the first-ever AFL team to win a Super Bowl; and they’re still one of only a dozen teams that have yet to win one as an NFL team.
But after the events of yesterday, I am honestly giving far more pause to continuing my allegiance. Mind you, I’m not defending the track record of Robert Saleh, the head coach who was surprisingly dismissed yetsterday, as was reported by many outlets, but perhaps none with the detail and connectivity than THE ATHLETIC’s troika of Zack Rosenblatt, Dianna Russini and Mark Puleo:
After five games of the 2024 season, Jets owner Woody Johnson decided Saleh wasn’t good enough anymore, firing him on Tuesday, two days after the team fell to 2-3 with a loss to the Minnesota Vikings in London. Defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich will be the interim coach.
On a conference call Tuesday, Johnson said this Jets team was the most talented he’s ever seen assembled in New York, and he fired Saleh to give the team the best opportunity to win.
“This change I made today I believe will bring new energy and positivity that will lead to more wins starting now,” Johnson said.
Johnson did not consult with other members of the Jets’ front office, including general manager Joe Douglas, before making the decision to fire Saleh, team sources said.
And hence is the far bigger problem that the Jets, and frankly their fans, have. Woody Johnson’s skill sets are at best limited to big pharma, and certainly his track record as a football owner is arguably weaker than Saleh’s. As YAHOO! SPORTS’ Frank Schwab reminded this morning:
Woody Johnson bought the team in 2000, and the Jets are 170-222 since then. The Jets won the AFC East one time in his first 24 seasons as owner. Johnson is generally considered one of the NFL’s worst owners, and that can wreck a franchise.
And yesterday those qualities were front and center. And they naturally set certain factions of reporters off. FOX NEWS’ Jackson Thompson:
The New York Jets’ firing of head coach Robert Saleh came just one day after a meeting between owner Woody Johnson and quarterback Aaron Rodgers, the owner said on Tuesday.
Johnson said he met with Rodgers on Monday night, just prior to the firing, but that Rodgers had no input in the decision made Tuesday morning, the owner told reporters on a conference call later in the day. Johnson also said no one had any input on the Saleh firing except for him.
And JETS WIRE’s Nick Wojton:
The finer details are a bit conflicting, however, it appears that Robert Saleh was aiming toward making some sort of change to the New York Jets’ offense before being fired by the team.
On Tuesday, the Jets decided to move on from Saleh.
Prior to that, reports indicate that Saleh had wanted to make some changes regarding New York’s offense moving forward. That appears to be certain, but exactly what the change would have been is what’s in the gray.
According to CBS Sports, Saleh had been toying with the idea of firing offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett.
It might be easier to take Johnson at his own word about this, except for a reality check which a CNN article from 2020 reveals, courtesy of their troika of , and
The billionaire NFL owner who serves as President Donald Trump’s ambassador to the United Kingdom was investigated by the State Department watchdog after allegations that he made racist and sexist comments to staff and sought to use his government position to benefit the President’s personal business in the UK, multiple sources told CNN.
Robert Wood “Woody” Johnson, the top envoy since August 2017 to one of the United States’ most important allies, made racist generalizations about Black men and questioned why the Black community celebrates Black History Month, according to exclusive new information shared with CNN by three sources and a diplomat familiar with the complaints to the State Department inspector general.
His comments about women’s looks have been “cringeworthy,” a source with knowledge of the situation said, and two sources said it was a struggle to get him on board for an event for International Women’s Day.
“He’s said some pretty sexist, racist,” things, the diplomat with knowledge of the complaints made to the IG said of Johnson, an heir to the Johnson & Johnson fortune and one of the owners of the New York Jets.
Asked about the specific allegations reported by CNN, Johnson did not deny them. He called it an “honor of a lifetime” to serve as ambassador and “to lead the talented, diverse team of the U.S. Mission to the United Kingdom.” Johnson called the team “the best in diplomacy” adding, “I greatly value the extraordinary work that each and every member of the team does to strengthen and deepen our vital alliance.”
On Wednesday afternoon, Johnson tweeted, “I have followed the ethical rules and requirements of my office at all times. These false claims of insensitive remarks about race and gender are totally inconsistent with my longstanding record and values.”
Indeed, Saleh’s hiring came as Johnson was winding down his tenure as ambassador–technically, he was hired by Woody’s younger brother Christopher. Christopher was also responsible for the tenure of Adam Gase, so at least Woody can claim some sort of pyrrhic sibling victory in that DNA battle of wits.
But we also know Rodgers’ track record of honesty and integrity. We also know who he hands out with in the political world. He nearly was summoned by the “greater good” to become Robert F. Kennedy, Junior’s running mate. We know who RFK, Jr. is aligned with these days, let alone the depth of his upstanding moral character.
And then there’s this little nugget that was rediscovered by THE SPORTING NEWS’ Teddy Ricketson:
While Saleh’s firing was due to team performance, the internet will find a way to stir up controversy. During the team’s game against the Vikings in Week 5, Saleh wore a team sweatshirt featuring a Lebanese flag patch on his arm. That caused some fans to wonder whether that display played a role in his firing.
Saleh was born in Michigan but is also of Lebanese descent. He was the first Muslim head coach in NFL history and is the fourth Arab-American head coach in history, joining Ed Khayat, Rich Kotite and Abe Gibron, all of whom are also of Lebanese descent.
Both of Saleh’s parents were born in Lebanon and emigrated to the United States ahead of his birth in 1979.
Saleh decided to wear the Lebanese flag on his arm during at least two NFL games as a nod to his heritage.
Ricketson offered a half-hearted “explanation” for why he’s not convinced that the “internet” has anything of substance in this case:
The firing of Saleh came as a surprise, but it wasn’t the actual act of firing that was shocking — it was the timing. Saleh was fired just days after the Jets’ loss to the Vikings in London, England.
Yep, the very country that Woody was ambassador to and resided in. And on top of losing, he actually had the audacity to wear a patch of the flag of the country that just happened to have a few exploding pagers go off in recent weeks. An act that a certain still-good friend of Woody Johnson’s–a person he still contributes to financially–seems all to eager to remind the world he fully supports.
So sorry not sorry, I’m not buying any of the denials coming from either party. Witness what else the ATHLETIC’s trio had to say:
Johnson informed Saleh of his dismissal Tuesday morning. Saleh told the owner he understood the season’s expectations but that he thought he’d have more time to see it through, and emphasized the defense’s impressive performance during his tenure. But the decision had already been made — in a formality, Saleh was escorted out of the building by Robert Mastroddi, the team’s head of security and a friend of Saleh’s. Johnson said Tuesday he did talk to Douglas about the firing, “but at the end of the day, this was my decision and my decision alone.”
The ironic part of all of this is that this comes on the heels of a Monday night Meadowlands showcase matchup that just happens to be against the Buffalo Bills, the very same matchup that began the 2023 season that lasted all of four plays. In a weak AFC East, despite all that has gone done, this will be a battle for first place, and should the Jets emerge victorious they will actually have the tiebreaker that will allow them to be listed number one.
But I just can’t get all that excited about it when the guy in charge is an obvious number two.
Courage…