Maybe it is Rex Ryan who truly doesn't know when to, as he likes to say, "Shut the (BLEEP) up!"The Jets boastful head coach of Super Bowl proclamations and division championship dreams was caught red handed in a scene that might be good enough for a sequel of Hard Knocks. While coming off the field at halftime, and still seething from Mark Sanchez's knuckleheaded time out, a fan leaned over and told Ryan: "Hey Rex, Belichick is better than you!"
Ryan, who was not looking in any particular direction as he entered the tunnel yelled back, "Shut the F --- up!"
The foul language at the fan could cost Ryan a heavy penny, and the NFL is investigating the matter. Ryan was fined $50,000 for his middle finger display at an MMA event in Miami nearly two years ago. Bud Adams, owner of the Tennessee Titans was fined $250,000 for flipping the bird at Buffalo Bills' fans during a game in 2009; so the precedent has been set.
Ryan apologized for his nasty tongue, but in truth you can't blame Ryan for cursing at the fan. Like the fan in Miami, he was trying to get a rise out of Ryan and succeeded. We have a propensity to forget that the men and women between the lines of athletics are indeed human beings too and can get sensitive when thousands of drunk people start heckling them. Plus, it's not like Ryan pulled a Ron Artest, when the then Pacers forward lept into the stands to beat up a bunch of Detroit Pistons' fans back in 2004.
That being said, Ryan should have ignored the fan, as rude and probably as drunk as he was. Ryan needs to know that when you make as many bold statements as he has and not come through on any of them, Ryan should know that criticism is bound to happen, sooner if not later. This is New York, not St. Louis.
If fans really want to protest their displeasure at this floundering Jets football team, the plan is very simple: don't fork over hundreds of thousands of dollars on PSL's and single game tickets! That will send a stern enough message for sure.
Comments