He comes off as a cross between Tom Arnold and Chris Farley with a touch of Biff from "Back To The Future" thrown in for good measure. Love him or hate him, if you play for Rex Ryan, you'll run through a wall for him. On Sunday, at around 10pm eastern time, all of New York and the Tri-State area may run through a wall for him as well. Why? Because the New York Jets need just one victory to get them to a place they haven't been to since 1969. That would be to the promised land and the quest for that testosterone Holy Grail known as the Lombardi Trophy and victory in the Super Bowl. This is like the '69 Mets and the '94 Rangers all over again. Starving franchises and loyal fans hungry for a Championship. Will it happen? Is this finally the year?
Two years in a row now Ryan has molded and motivated his New York Jets to the AFC Championship game, a place they have only reached two other times prior to his hiring as chief cook and bottle washer. He wouldn't have it any other way. These aren't the "same old Jets". These are his Jets with his stamp on the team. BELIEVE, says the wooden block sign that adorns the desk of his office. "Play like a Jet" is his mantra to his team. Not a throwback to disappointing days gone by, but something to be proud of, a badge of honor if you will.
Mark Sanchez, maturing right before our eyes, is displaying the type of leadership skills in the huddle seemingly reserved for the likes of Brady, Manning (Payton), and Rothlisberger. The task seemed insurmountable, to beat this storied Mount Rushmore trifecta of quarterbacks. But in this season, which started out with the spotlight dead on the Jets from pre-season (Hard Knocks) to the ultimate and somewhat surprising defeat of Belechick and Brady and the ghost of Patriots Past, all Sanchez has to do is beat Big Ben and the Steel Curtain once again for all hell to break loose in the Big Apple.
The team is peaking at the right time, just as Rex told you so, all season long. It's he that calls it the tournament, not the playoffs, conjuring up visions of the NCAA's Final Four. The excitement and confidence he brings to the table is just what the doctor ordered for this franchise and this city. No one roots for the underdog harder than New York fans. You can look it up. Second class citizens no more, New York is ready and waiting to embrace Rex's Jets.
The wait is almost over. The clock is ticking down to kickoff. If last weeks ratings are any indicator, the nation will be watching Jets-Steelers. As T.O. says, bring your popcorn. If the Jets win, Rex may as well be Godzilla, having destroyed each AFC team within his sight during these playoffs. My popcorn is ready.
Prediction: Jets lose! Well, not really. However the past two weeks I have picked them to lose and they've won, so why mess up a good thing?
P.S. If the Jets win, I'm lobbying H.B.O. to replay the entire "Hard Knocks" series leading up to the Super Bowl. I'll bet you in New York, it just may beat out all of the boring pre-game hoopla that most never watch. Stay tuned.
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