It was a very un-Jets-like moment.
When Boss Scribes gave Darren Mougey the opportunity to shoot back at Aaron Rodgers’ unflattering portrayal of his final February meeting, where the quarterback complained about having to fly across country on his dime for what amounted to a 15-minute session, the Jets GM took a pass — twice.
“I understand the question,” Mougey said at a Monday press conference. “I addressed that at the combine, but today I just want to talk about the draft and Jets players.”
While the answer was short and innocuous, it was significant.
Jets history, going back to Rex Ryan, and way back to Joe (Willie) Namath, provides ample evidence the organization is much about media splash, not backing down, and wanting to be the center of attention despite not making the playoffs since 2010.
What better way for the new combination of Mougey and coach Aaron Glenn to seize the moment, and uphold tradition, by blasting Rodgers, who used his nationally televised spin zone (ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show”) to tell the Free World the Jets did not shower him with love and affection during the meeting.
If Mougey or Glenn had voiced their beef with Rodgers the retaliatory soliloquys would have set the Valley of the Stupid on fire and lit up spaces where they still cherish back pages. Instead, Mougey took the mature route; a path known as the high road, rarely taken by the Jets.
So, Mougey’s decision not to provide oxygen to Rodgers bloviating was a small turning point for the way the Jets are setting their “culture.” If it’s not just a false start, it’s a key moment for Gang Green.
It collides with a reality far different than the past two years with Rodgers as the face of the franchise. The Jets won’t likely be playing as many nationally televised games under the bright, but stressful, spotlight of prime time. This is one of the benefits of not bringing Rodgers back.
And in his first year as coach, Glenn won’t have any uncertain media moments that Rodgers regularly instigated.
Neither the sane or insane would ever guarantee an entire Jets season could pass without any controversy, especially with Woody Johnson still around.
Nonetheless, the way Mougey handled the Rodgers’ question provides a residue of hope. And that’s a good thing.
FINDING THE GAMES
Can’t complain about finding NBA playoff games?
Next season will be a different situation.
This time around, if you’re not sure when a game starts just flip to TNT, ESPN, ABC and you will find a game. If Knicks-Pistons is what you are searching for, add MSG to that list. Next season? If the Knicks or Nets are in the playoffs, local outlets (MSG, YES) have been eliminated from carrying first-round games.
Money is the reason: By banning local carriers from playoff coverage, Adam Silver believes the league can maximize revenue for its new TV partners by making the first-round games exclusive to them.
After the 2025 playoffs TNT is also out of the mix, but there will be plenty of networks to deal with to further confuse viewers.
So, NBA fans will be playing Hide and Seek with Amazon, Peacock, NBC, ESPN and ABC. The outlets will all be in the NBA biz.
Good luck.
STILL MADD ABOUT AROD
His life as a baseball writer at the Daily News, how he navigated the world of Boss Steinbrenner and still made it to Baseball’s Hall of Fame, are compellingly presented in Bill Madden’s “A Baseball Memoir: Yankees, Typewriters, Scandals and Cooperstown.”
There’s plenty more. Like when Madden worked with the News’ I-Team helping to cover MLB’s steroids scandal and how it all turned out for Alex Rodriguez. Madden writes the I-Team, led by then sports editor Teri Thompson, were “right there in the middle of all that” [covering A-Rod’s scorched earth assault on MLB and the MLBPA].
“So, imagine my surprise when [Bud] Selig and [Rob] Manfred expressed no opposition to FOX Sports hiring A-Rod as a full-time TV analyst in 2017 or then a year later when ESPN hired him to be the lead analyst on Sunday Night Baseball,” Madden writes.
And he reacted with disgust.
“I found myself shaking my head in consternation as to how the man, who Selig and Manfred went to such lengths to convict as the most grievous steroids cheat of them all, wound up as one of the primo faces of baseball only three years later,” Madden writes. “It was as if those five years of all those A-Rod lies and legal assaults of the baseball establishment had never happened.”
Well, they did happen. But as Madden concludes, the Foxies and ESPN suits didn’t give a damn.
EXTENDING DRURY CRITICISM
If anyone thought Chris Drury was leading a charmed life, they can point to the Rangers GM getting a “multiyear” contract extension, despite the seeds of chaos he planted in the Garden contributing to the Blueshirts finishing out of the playoffs.
While Drury has been mostly Teflon when it comes to the media, PIX-11/WFAN mouth Marc Malusis has been a consistent Drury critic. The past two weeks Malusis has hammered Drury for his role in the Rangers demise.
Wonder how he will react, on his Sunday radio show, to James (Guitar Jimmy) Dolan rewarding Drury with the extension?
AROUND THE DIAL
ESPN’s coverage of Day 1 of the NFL Draft turned in to the Shedeur Sanders Show. Yet at some point did the focus shift to become more about preserving draft analyst Mel Kiper’s reputation? For weeks Kiper had Sanders going No. 1 in the draft. … TNT’s Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller and their production team brought much needed clarity to the end of Game 3 Thursday night. After the game ending buzzer sounded prematurely, before the ball was even touched, giving the Pistons another chance, albeit slim, to tie the game, Harlan and Miller said timekeepers for the NBA playoffs are from neutral teams. This was a blunder, not home cooking. … Just wondering if Shannon Sharpe’s decision to “step aside temporarily from my ESPN duties,” to deal with sexual assault allegations, was more the Bristol Faculty’s decision than his? Sharpe indicated he would be back on “First Take” by the start of the “NFL preseason.” How can Sharpe be so sure? … TNT’s Ian (The Bird) Eagle in the 3rd quarter of Pistons-Knicks Game 2 after players hit the Garden floor diving for a loose ball, Eagle asked: “What year is it?” Very nice.
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DUDE OF THE WEEK: CASSIDY HUBBARTH
She recently wrapped up her ESPN sideline reporting career. Hubbarth, who is headed for Prime Video, distinguished herself in a job that can be demanding and tricky given it’s always live and often on the fly.
DWEEB OF THE WEEK: BOB NUTTING
The Pirates owner is in contention for the worst pro sports owner in America. He has a superb pitching staff, a couple of engaging stars and a loyal fan base but refuses to spend. Stashing the cash is not a recipe for winning.
DOUBLE TALK
What Tom Thibodeau said: “It’s playoff basketball. We have guys that have been in a lot of big games.”
What Tom Thibodeau meant to say: “We had to win Game 3.”
