Why do people love to hate Rex Ryan?
Upon becoming the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, Rex Ryan told a real estate agent to find him local housing, “wherever [the] snow dumps the most.” Then he got a big Ford pickup with oversized tires and a customized Bills paint job to prove the point. A photo of that truck was the one that welcomed Ryan’s heralded arrival in Western New York.
Soon we’ll reportedly see his departure, as ESPN says he’ll “probably” be fired after the season and that Ryan is “aware of the situation.”
Here’s guessing if/when that happens, social media will explode with that oddball picture of Rex and his twin brother Rob riding on a two-man bicycle.
It’s a funny photo. Everyone will laugh – laugh not just because of the absurdity of the scene but to laugh at Rex Ryan because he’s somehow become a joke these days, an example of big talk, little action that football finds worthy of scorn. There is nothing the NFL likes more than to snuff out the non-conformist.
Ryan’s Bills are 7-7. They host Miami before wrapping up at the New York Jets. A 9-7 record isn’t out of the question and 8-8 feels likely. Last year, his first in Buffalo, they went 8-8.
Apparently in Buffalo they see a roster that should be dramatically better than that, worthy of dumping Ryan for underachieving. Ryan isn’t denying reality.
“I don’t know what my future holds,” Ryan said after the Bills beat Cleveland on Sunday. “I just know that I’m going to get this team ready to play on Saturday, on Christmas Eve. And I’m excited about that.”
This isn’t a column saying Ryan deserves to keep his job. After more than a decade and a half without making the playoffs, Bills fans deserve better than apologies for .500 football. It’s not like the team is showing a lot of promise. And this certainly isn’t a column signaling that Canton should get ready for Rex Ryan’s enshrinement speech. He hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2010 with the Jets.
He is what his record says he is.
Yet, isn’t it worth noting – even if this isn’t some full-throttle defense of the guy – that Rex Ryan’s record says he isn’t that bad of a coach. All things considered, he’s all right, certainly better than perception. He’s 61-65 overall, but that is dragged down by his final, doomed-to-fail 4-12 season with the Jets.
Go consider the rest of his peers. It’s not exactly like there’s an overabundance of sideline geniuses out there.
Look, Ryan talks a lot. He jokes a lot. He likes to be the center of attention, sometimes because it takes pressure off his team and sometimes because that’s just his nature. The bold words and actions through the years earned him more publicity than he deserved. The backlash comes when he isn’t winning enough. His antics back up the perception that he runs a loose ship.
What’s strange is the speed in which the Bills apparently want him gone – the team hasn’t even been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet. Not to mention the joy that seems to come from seeing Ryan “fail”.
Fans rail against the “No Fun League” but having Ryan ridiculed serves as a lesson for a generation of coaches to stick to the conservative script of mumbling clichés and injury reports. That does a lot more to dull down the sport than throwing a flag when a guy jumps into a giant Salvation Army bucket.
Yes, Ryan put a bull’s-eye on his back. Once, when the Jets were going to play Cleveland, Rex attended a press conference dressed up like Rob, then the Browns defensive coordinator, and proceeded to make fun of his brother. Another time in Buffalo he got on a media teleconference, pretended to be “Walt Patalski of the Buffalo News”, and asked New England’s Julian Edelman if he was going to play quarterback while Tom Brady was suspended.
This violated the coaching cardinal rule of taking yourself and the game of football too seriously. In some places he was mocked for both. Shame on him, apparently.
Ryan is a solid NFL coach, though. He won four road NFL playoff games at the beginning of his career, twice reaching the AFC championship game. He beat New England in New England in the 2010 playoffs, never a small accomplishment.
If anything he’s been haunted by the unmovable object that is the Bill Belichick machine in Foxborough. Ryan took over the Jets and added spice to the rivalry by declaring on WFAN: “I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s, you know, rings.”
That he dared to speak (sort of) ill of Belichick was his first mistake.
That one playoff victory aside, Ryan never got any of his teams truly past New England. The two coaches have spent eight years competing against each other and the AFC East championship’s scoreboard reads as such: Belichick 8, Ryan 0. Then again, who else in football has gotten the better of BB?
And the Patriots quarterback all those years? Tom Brady. (Buffalo actually shut out New England in September when Brady was suspended).
Ryan’s starting QBs with the Bills and Jets? Tyrod Taylor, EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel (technically), Geno Smith, Michael Vick, Mark Sanchez, Greg McElroy and Kellen Clemens.
Give Ryan a real QB and who knows? Sanchez was his best and he’s now the third stringer in Dallas. He was told to win with Taylor in Buffalo, yet it’s unlikely the quarterback will return to the team, either.
It’s indicative of decent-at-best talent. Tim Graham of the Buffalo News found that after four seasons under general manager Doug Whaley, the team has just 22 of its own draft picks on the active roster and 31 overall (counting injured reserve and practice squad). That’s the lowest in the league (even 0-14 Cleveland has 32). As an extreme comparison, Green Bay started 20 draft picks Sunday.
So the Bills draft poorly, which makes them overly reliant on signing free agents. This would be a risky strategy in Miami or L.A. Recruiting great players with multiple options to Buffalo? (This was an actual plot point in the HBO series, “Ballers.”) Let’s just say they better really, really like beef on weck.
“It doesn’t really matter to me,” Ryan said Tuesday if he wished ownership would tell him one way or the other. “Right now we know we have these two games and, man, I’m excited.”
It may be the last two as a head coach. If so, so be it. Perhaps Ryan goes back to being a defensive coordinator, as he was with the legendary Baltimore teams a decade ago. Maybe he slides into a broadcast booth and gets people to laugh with him again.
Either way, it won’t take long before plenty of folks are wondering why everyone wanted him gone in the first place.
Upon becoming the head coach of the Buffalo Bills, Rex Ryan told a real estate agent to find him local housing, “wherever [the] snow dumps the most.” Then he got a big Ford pickup with oversized tires and a customized Bills paint job to prove the point. A photo of that truck was the one that welcomed Ryan’s heralded arrival in Western New York.
Soon we’ll reportedly see his departure, as ESPN says he’ll “probably” be fired after the season and that Ryan is “aware of the situation.”
Here’s guessing if/when that happens, social media will explode with that oddball picture of Rex and his twin brother Rob riding on a two-man bicycle.
It’s a funny photo. Everyone will laugh – laugh not just because of the absurdity of the scene but to laugh at Rex Ryan because he’s somehow become a joke these days, an example of big talk, little action that football finds worthy of scorn. There is nothing the NFL likes more than to snuff out the non-conformist.
Ryan’s Bills are 7-7. They host Miami before wrapping up at the New York Jets. A 9-7 record isn’t out of the question and 8-8 feels likely. Last year, his first in Buffalo, they went 8-8.
Apparently in Buffalo they see a roster that should be dramatically better than that, worthy of dumping Ryan for underachieving. Ryan isn’t denying reality.
“I don’t know what my future holds,” Ryan said after the Bills beat Cleveland on Sunday. “I just know that I’m going to get this team ready to play on Saturday, on Christmas Eve. And I’m excited about that.”
This isn’t a column saying Ryan deserves to keep his job. After more than a decade and a half without making the playoffs, Bills fans deserve better than apologies for .500 football. It’s not like the team is showing a lot of promise. And this certainly isn’t a column signaling that Canton should get ready for Rex Ryan’s enshrinement speech. He hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2010 with the Jets.
He is what his record says he is.
Yet, isn’t it worth noting – even if this isn’t some full-throttle defense of the guy – that Rex Ryan’s record says he isn’t that bad of a coach. All things considered, he’s all right, certainly better than perception. He’s 61-65 overall, but that is dragged down by his final, doomed-to-fail 4-12 season with the Jets.
Go consider the rest of his peers. It’s not exactly like there’s an overabundance of sideline geniuses out there.
Look, Ryan talks a lot. He jokes a lot. He likes to be the center of attention, sometimes because it takes pressure off his team and sometimes because that’s just his nature. The bold words and actions through the years earned him more publicity than he deserved. The backlash comes when he isn’t winning enough. His antics back up the perception that he runs a loose ship.
What’s strange is the speed in which the Bills apparently want him gone – the team hasn’t even been mathematically eliminated from the playoffs yet. Not to mention the joy that seems to come from seeing Ryan “fail”.
Fans rail against the “No Fun League” but having Ryan ridiculed serves as a lesson for a generation of coaches to stick to the conservative script of mumbling clichés and injury reports. That does a lot more to dull down the sport than throwing a flag when a guy jumps into a giant Salvation Army bucket.
Yes, Ryan put a bull’s-eye on his back. Once, when the Jets were going to play Cleveland, Rex attended a press conference dressed up like Rob, then the Browns defensive coordinator, and proceeded to make fun of his brother. Another time in Buffalo he got on a media teleconference, pretended to be “Walt Patalski of the Buffalo News”, and asked New England’s Julian Edelman if he was going to play quarterback while Tom Brady was suspended.
This violated the coaching cardinal rule of taking yourself and the game of football too seriously. In some places he was mocked for both. Shame on him, apparently.
Ryan is a solid NFL coach, though. He won four road NFL playoff games at the beginning of his career, twice reaching the AFC championship game. He beat New England in New England in the 2010 playoffs, never a small accomplishment.
If anything he’s been haunted by the unmovable object that is the Bill Belichick machine in Foxborough. Ryan took over the Jets and added spice to the rivalry by declaring on WFAN: “I never came here to kiss Bill Belichick’s, you know, rings.”
That he dared to speak (sort of) ill of Belichick was his first mistake.
That one playoff victory aside, Ryan never got any of his teams truly past New England. The two coaches have spent eight years competing against each other and the AFC East championship’s scoreboard reads as such: Belichick 8, Ryan 0. Then again, who else in football has gotten the better of BB?
And the Patriots quarterback all those years? Tom Brady. (Buffalo actually shut out New England in September when Brady was suspended).
Ryan’s starting QBs with the Bills and Jets? Tyrod Taylor, EJ Manuel, Matt Cassel (technically), Geno Smith, Michael Vick, Mark Sanchez, Greg McElroy and Kellen Clemens.
Give Ryan a real QB and who knows? Sanchez was his best and he’s now the third stringer in Dallas. He was told to win with Taylor in Buffalo, yet it’s unlikely the quarterback will return to the team, either.
It’s indicative of decent-at-best talent. Tim Graham of the Buffalo News found that after four seasons under general manager Doug Whaley, the team has just 22 of its own draft picks on the active roster and 31 overall (counting injured reserve and practice squad). That’s the lowest in the league (even 0-14 Cleveland has 32). As an extreme comparison, Green Bay started 20 draft picks Sunday.
So the Bills draft poorly, which makes them overly reliant on signing free agents. This would be a risky strategy in Miami or L.A. Recruiting great players with multiple options to Buffalo? (This was an actual plot point in the HBO series, “Ballers.”) Let’s just say they better really, really like beef on weck.
“It doesn’t really matter to me,” Ryan said Tuesday if he wished ownership would tell him one way or the other. “Right now we know we have these two games and, man, I’m excited.”
It may be the last two as a head coach. If so, so be it. Perhaps Ryan goes back to being a defensive coordinator, as he was with the legendary Baltimore teams a decade ago. Maybe he slides into a broadcast booth and gets people to laugh with him again.
Either way, it won’t take long before plenty of folks are wondering why everyone wanted him gone in the first place.
Today at 5:02 pm by Rocky
» MM&C 11/14/24 Central Bank Governor Urges Türkiye to Open Accounts for Iraqi Banks
Today at 5:00 pm by Rocky
» utube 11/13/24 MM&C MM&C News-Private Sector- Electronic Payments-Reconstruction-Development-Digit
Today at 5:17 am by Rocky
» utube 11/11/24 MM&C News Reporting-IRAQ-USA-Financial Inclusion up 48%-Money Inside & Out of Iraq
Today at 5:16 am by Rocky
» Al-Mandlawi to the UN envoy: The supreme authority diagnosed the problems and provided solutions for
Today at 5:15 am by Rocky
» Saleh: Government strategy to boost gold reserves as part of asset diversification
Today at 5:14 am by Rocky
» Prime Minister's advisor rules out oil price collapse: Trump's policy will not sacrifice petrodollar
Today at 5:09 am by Rocky
» Tripartite alliance between Iraq, Egypt and Jordan to boost maritime trade
Today at 5:06 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Committee reveals date of entry into force of Personal Status Law
Today at 5:03 am by Rocky
» Al-Fatah warns against US blackmail and Trump's intentions for the next stage
Today at 5:02 am by Rocky
» A leader in the law: If the Americans do not leave on their own two feet, we will expel them in fune
Today at 5:00 am by Rocky
» MP: Next Sunday's session will witness the passing of "important laws"
Today at 4:59 am by Rocky
» There is a financial aspect.. Al-Zaidi rules out voting on the real estate law
Today at 4:57 am by Rocky
» "Promising" economic opportunities in central Iraq open doors to investment, trade and unemployment
Today at 4:55 am by Rocky
» Minister of Transport: Arab interest in the development road project
Today at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Bitcoin Fails to Maintain Its Meteoric Rise
Today at 4:51 am by Rocky
» Amending the retirement age on the parliament's table.. This is the latest that has been reached
Today at 4:50 am by Rocky
» Launching the Health Unit Initiative in Iraqi Schools
Today at 4:49 am by Rocky
» Will Iraq be the savior of the countries of the region if oil prices fall?
Today at 4:48 am by Rocky
» Regarding electrical energy.. Government moves to meet the needs of next summer
Today at 4:47 am by Rocky
» {Retirement age} sparks debate in parliament
Today at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Minister of Transport to {Sabah}: Arab interest in the development road project
Today at 4:45 am by Rocky
» Planning: Two important pre-census activities start today and tomorrow
Today at 4:43 am by Rocky
» Next week.. contracting with 2500 applicants on a {contract} basis
Today at 4:42 am by Rocky
» Service Effort: Opening 30 projects in agricultural areas next month
Today at 4:41 am by Rocky
» The House of Representatives issues a clarification regarding its tenders and official invitations
Today at 4:36 am by Rocky
» Issuance of (3000) new decisions for politically dismissed employees and non-employees
Today at 4:34 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani discusses cooperation in the field of energy and development of the oil and gas sector wit
Today at 4:32 am by Rocky
» Trade: Transferring 400 billion dinars to pay farmers’ dues for the remaining wheat for the northern
Today at 4:31 am by Rocky
» Iranian Minister of Trade and Industry Injured During Trip to Kurdistan
Today at 4:29 am by Rocky
» Chairman of the Integrity Commission: Corruption negatively affects reconstruction and development a
Today at 4:28 am by Rocky
» Strengthening judicial cooperation on the table of Judge Zidane and his Turkish counterpart
Today at 4:26 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani directs the Ministry of Oil to communicate with Shell to implement projects that serve Ira
Today at 4:25 am by Rocky
» One of them is "protocol".. A politician determines the extent of the difference between Al-Sudani's
Today at 4:24 am by Rocky
» Iraq confirms its keenness to support OPEC unity to ensure oil price stability
Today at 4:22 am by Rocky
» It may drop to 40%.. Al-Kanani warns of a sharp drop in oil and directs an urgent call to the govern
Today at 4:21 am by Rocky
» Distribution next week.. The region will receive nearly 533 billion dinars to finance its employees’
Today at 4:20 am by Rocky
» Iraq expresses interest in cooperating with major international oil companies
Today at 4:19 am by Rocky
» Criticism follows the performance of the Minister of Foreign Affairs in international positions.. Wi
Today at 4:18 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani's election "embarrassed him"... Will Al-Sudani implement the ministerial reshuffle?
Today at 4:14 am by Rocky
» Will the "dollar crisis" topple the central bank governor?
Today at 4:11 am by Rocky
» The Oil and Gas Law Returns to the Forefront... Will Al-Sudani Be Able to Resolve the Disputes Over
Today at 4:09 am by Rocky
» Oil Licenses in Basra: An Environmental Disaster That Raises Cancer Rates and Suffocates the Populat
Today at 4:08 am by Rocky
» Iraq begins intensive campaign to deport illegal foreign workers and regulate the labor market
Today at 4:06 am by Rocky
» Government advisor explains Baghdad Metro project specifications and confirms its continuation witho
Today at 4:05 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani to the 188 Alliance delegation: The best solution is to give people the freedom to cho
Today at 4:04 am by Rocky
» Parliamentarian: Ambassadors and representatives of foreign missions came to Parliament to prevent t
Today at 4:03 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani's advisor reveals the reasons for the lack of gold in the government's reserves
Today at 4:02 am by Rocky
» New fortifications close the most dangerous border gaps between Iraq and Syria
Today at 4:01 am by Rocky
» "Baghdad breathes a sigh of relief" .. Closing of 144 illegal factories that emit toxins into the ai
Today at 4:00 am by Rocky
» Iraqi oil prices continue to decline amid global price decline
Today at 3:59 am by Rocky
» “The War of Leaks” Confuses the Political Scene... Blackmail or Expose of Corruption?
Today at 3:56 am by Rocky
» Government sends budget amendment to resolve differences with region
Today at 3:55 am by Rocky
» More than 800 “dual-job” employees work at Najaf Airport
Today at 3:54 am by Rocky
» Slight rise in dollar prices against the dinar in Iraqi stock exchanges
Today at 3:49 am by Rocky
» Where did the parliamentary discussions on the "retirement age" reach?
Today at 3:48 am by Rocky
» The region "mobilizes" for the first census in 37 years: It will increase the budget share and the n
Today at 3:47 am by Rocky
» "Thousands of them are suspended" .. Draft laws challenge the remainder of the life of the current p
Yesterday at 5:00 am by Rocky
» Population, oil and salaries...hot files in the meeting between Al-Sudani and Barzani
Yesterday at 4:56 am by Rocky
» Political attempts to obstruct it.. Personal Status Law on its way to legislation
Yesterday at 4:54 am by Rocky
» MP: Al-Sudani has reached the conviction of the necessity of removing some ministers
Yesterday at 4:53 am by Rocky
» Central Bank announces progress in dollar control procedures
Yesterday at 4:49 am by Rocky
» Baghdad.. Closing 144 informal metal smelting factories to reduce pollution
Yesterday at 4:47 am by Rocky
» Private Banks Association: Iraq to adopt advanced trade finance system by end of 2024
Yesterday at 4:46 am by Rocky
» Severe imprisonment for former Minister of Transport for deliberately violating his job duties
Yesterday at 4:44 am by Rocky
» 4 new pharmaceutical factories
Yesterday at 4:43 am by Rocky
» Iraq's move to attract $250 billion in investments welcomed
Yesterday at 4:40 am by Rocky
» Financial inclusion and banking restructuring
Yesterday at 4:39 am by Rocky
» Iraq records 4% economic growth, moves towards sustainable diversification
Yesterday at 4:38 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani and Barzani discuss finding solutions to common issues "according to the constitution"
Yesterday at 4:33 am by Rocky
» Requesting Iraqi mediation.. US delegation arrives in Baghdad to follow up on the "hotline" with Teh
Yesterday at 4:32 am by Rocky
» Iraqi oil continues to decline for the third day in a row
Yesterday at 4:31 am by Rocky
» Population census in Iraq: social and political importance and a major challenge for the government
Yesterday at 4:30 am by Rocky
» Next Thursday.. the start of the first phase of the census
Yesterday at 4:28 am by Rocky
» 11 international companies compete to operate Faw Port
Yesterday at 4:27 am by Rocky
» Baghdad conveys Trump's message to Tehran: Stop proxy wars... and confirms removing the opposition f
Yesterday at 4:24 am by Rocky
» Iraq contracts to purchase defense systems and helicopters
Yesterday at 4:23 am by Rocky
» Has Al-Sudani's government succeeded in keeping the fire away from Iraq?
Yesterday at 4:22 am by Rocky
» Justice announces the Ministry of Finance’s approval to appoint contract employees in all judicial d
Yesterday at 4:20 am by Rocky
» Expert: Traders’ dealings with sanctioned markets trigger demand for dollars on the black market
Yesterday at 4:19 am by Rocky
» Anbar.. Al-Waleed District summarizes the completed and under-construction projects for the current
Yesterday at 4:17 am by Rocky
» A government delegation reviews the work stages and completion rates at Nasiriyah International Airp
Yesterday at 4:16 am by Rocky
» Al-Mashhadani to the Sovereignty Bloc delegation: The necessity of turning the page on differences b
Yesterday at 4:15 am by Rocky
» Al-Hasnawi: Iraq will benefit from green climate funds to improve the environment
Yesterday at 4:14 am by Rocky
» New decisions approved by the Council of Ministers during today's session
Yesterday at 4:12 am by Rocky
» The Chairman of the Trade Bank of Iraq reveals to Alsumaria the interest rate on loans
Yesterday at 4:10 am by Rocky
» The 10 cheapest countries to pay electricity and gas bills.. Where is Iraq?
Yesterday at 4:07 am by Rocky
» Al-Sudani and Nechirvan Barzani at one table in Erbil
Yesterday at 4:06 am by Rocky
» Here are the dollar prices in the Iraqi stock exchanges
Yesterday at 4:04 am by Rocky
» Parliamentary Committee Reveals to Alsumaria Latest Developments in Israeli Violation of Iraqi Airsp
Yesterday at 4:02 am by Rocky
» The largest of its kind in Iraq.. Launching a pioneering medical conference for professional develop
Yesterday at 4:01 am by Rocky
» A source explains the circumstances of transferring 75% of the Ministry of Interior’s civilian emplo
Yesterday at 3:59 am by Rocky
» Weapons are becoming more "loose" and the Interior Ministry is "politicizing"
Yesterday at 3:58 am by Rocky
» Government messages to citizens regarding the population census in Iraq
Yesterday at 3:56 am by Rocky
» What is Iraq's ranking in the Artificial Intelligence Index?
Yesterday at 3:54 am by Rocky
» utube 11/9/2 MM&C News Reporting-Sudani Art IV IMF-Port Faw Open-CBI Governor-No Room for Tw
Tue 12 Nov 2024, 7:08 am by Rocky
» Finance Committee discusses revenue enhancement and investment budget allocations with governors
Tue 12 Nov 2024, 7:06 am by Rocky
» His advisor: Al-Sudani's visit to Kurdistan focuses on these files
Tue 12 Nov 2024, 7:03 am by Rocky
» Al-Tamimi explains the importance of the real estate return law
Tue 12 Nov 2024, 7:02 am by Rocky