Is It Time For Woody Johnson To Face The Masses?
By Tyson Rauch
Things are getting ugly within Jets nation as the team is a mired in an 8-game losing streak. Fans are calling for immediate changes including a small group that raised enough money to put up billboards near MetLife Stadium demanding that New York Jets general manager John Idzik be fired. The negative aura seems to increase around the team each day and will continue to get worse as the media and fans scrutinize and analyze every mistake that the franchise has made. So now the question is: Is it time for Jets owner Woody Johnson to address the team’s followers?
Head coach Rex Ryan does his best on almost a daily basis to explain the team’s shortcomings while trying to provide a ray of hope for the future. General manager John Idzik failed the organization miserably with an embarrassing mid-season press conference that created more outrage than answers. At this point it seems quite evident that it is time for the team’s owner to take some pressure of his front office and address the questions surrounding his team.
What should Johnson address?
The first step for Woody Johnson is to acknowledge and admit the failings of the team. Double talk and cute sayings will do nothing to appease the New York Jets fans. The Jets put a plan in place and it is not working as of this moment. Following that admission then address the performance of Gang Green’s front office and coaching staff.
What will this solve?
The goal for the press conference will be to assure the fans and media alike that the organization is acknowledging their mistakes and holding everyone accountable. In addition Woody Johnson could calm the masses including the group that is currently considering protesting outside the stadium. This situation could get much worse before it gets better in terms of fans revolting. Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Steelers will feature MetLife Stadium filled with fans wearing black and gold. Talk about an awful environment for the diehard Jets fans that will be attendance not to mention the players on the field.
Face the music
It is time for Woody Johnson to face the music as his team is one of the worst in the National Football League. It is time to address the fan base that continues to support your organization year after year spending a tremendous amount of money while doing so. It is time for Woody Johnson to acknowledge his team’s poor performance while demanding improvement for the rest of the season. Mr.Johnson must make it be known that a losing culture is not acceptable within his organization and put everyone throughout franchise on notice. These words may not do much initially to change the play on the field, but they would surely change the perception of the team off of it. Right now the New York Jets appear to be a rudderless ship captained by a general manager that is in over his head.
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Tyson Rauch is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.
