E-Boland & Gang Green

I guess when yer talking about cats & sweatshirts, not much interesting happening in Jetslandistan.

Could you elaborate on the inexperienced coaching aspect you alluded to? What alarmed you?

Great exclusive on the toe-touching, Ken.
I suspect a Pulitzer aint far off... congrats in advance. I knew ya had it in ya, hombre!

Why do reporters keep commenting on the youth of the coaching staff? Some of the coaches have 20 and 30 years of experience. The coaches they continue to refer to (Anderson, Lyle and Cox) are ASSISTANT coaches! I feel this is a very biased and limited view of the staff in general. I see as a good blend of very experienced and young coaches. If Mangini did not hire these young coaches then all the reports would be about how old and out-of-touch coaches like Wise, Westhoff, Raye and Marcin are.

Just my 2 cents.
Jumbo Jet

Riveting stuff, Ken. Can't wait for your next installment.

Lets not forget Defensive Coordinator Bob Sutton has tons of experience as well. I just think that a lot of coaches did not want to work for a rookie head coach. Maybe because of ego. But the young assistants we do have are all ex players and that gives them instant respect with the current players.

Screw the haters, Meisterblogger. I thought the report hit on some interesting stuff:

1) Mangini's similarities to Belichick, right down to the appearance, which speaks to the level of attention Mangini paid to Beli during his apprenticeship.

2) The reason for Washington's decline at FSU, though I must admit to some skepticism at the fact that a star baller at FSU wouldn't have been reaping a hefty booster-based stipend in the first place. Maybe his family could have moved in with Reggie Bush's family on the reservation.

3. Good news about Clemens. Maybe some of Gary Myers' Leinart angst will subside if Clemens is the real deal.

As for the cat, it suffered the same demise that every player who played for Herm did--It got fat, lazy and eventually committed career suicide. It's not all bad news, though. The cat is now living in Cabo, spending the remainder of the 5 year, $52 million dollar contract that Terry Bradway signed it to.

Mangini is dressing like Belichick? Would you rather he dress like Parcells with his fat gut hanging over his too tight football shorts?

While I think the age thing is irrelevant, not so for the inexperience thing. And they, as do inexperienced players, have a lot to learn.
It's another reason, we have to keep in mind that this is just the beginning of the program.

For me, I really don't care about this season's record, as long as we're competing, and everyone
(the coaches included) is learning.

I like that the coaches & players are starting together... I think it will help develop a chemistry.
And I love what Mangini said about the player's past, having no relevance on the present... kind of a gauntlet thrown down. It should help create some
great competition, and a tough young team.

Love the blog, Ken, but please! Enough with the self-pitying about lack of access for the media. Both Parcells and Belichick have kept the press at arms length, and both are proven winners. I don't know for sure that there's a correlation, but I for one will gladly sacrifice some mini-camp practice dirt in May for wins in December (and dare I say - January).

Sounds like Mangini's ship is being run tight and right!! Everyone better come ready to play and focus or the screen door in the backside will be there future. I believe thats how a football program is run...fairness to all ..special priviledges to NONE!! I see light at the end of this Jets Tunnel!!

Any reaction the the Woody interview with Steve on Sports Net? He basically said that Mangini's reign will be different than Herm's because there will be crystal clear accountability, more attention to detail and better x's and o's.

That's another thing that's looking very positive... Woody has been showing signs of life.

As our last game ended last season, I thought that Bradwards would be back, to continue the team's demise. Surprisingly, he awakened, and had enough of the Preacher's excuses & incompetence... and since, has taken a new interest in the team.
I'm ecstatic that he's talking about account accountability, details, and football... all things ignored by the previous regime, and Woody.

Hey Ken, is it possible to do an in-depth with Woody,
and ask him what led to his new awareness & interest?

I think Woody got taken advantage of as a rookie owner who got Tagliabue's star pupil from his Minority Hiring program shoved down his throat. I wouldn't be surprised if hiring Herm (or another minority) at HC was a pre-condition towards Woody getting league approval to own the Jets. Now, it's Tags that should owe Woody.

Ken, Your correct about the QB job. Its Chad and Ramsey for this year. Clemens will be a work in progress and they might have found a good one. In the meantime if this new offense is geared towards passes to go too the rbs and tight ends it just might be perfect for Chad. They must get a fullback because i dont think Askew is the answer. Look at the role Lorenzo Neal had with the Chargers. We have now one on that roster right now. Maybe they p/u somebody after June 1st.

Ken, Sorry, forgot to agree with you about Leon Washington. Maybe he will be the next Bruce Harpur. He should be fun to watch this summer.
IRA

Burf writes: "Hey Ken, is it possible to do an in-depth with Woody, and ask him what led to his new awareness & interest?" Given that other events will be slow for the next few weeks, this would be an interesting blog subject for the here and now. For one thing, Woody really needs to open up a little bit...he needs to stick his neck out and share some insights not only on his gutsy decision to go youthful coach wise but also to give us fans a little insight into the 99 year Jersey deal..and abandoning NY..someone's got to get through his publicity shield..maybe your the man to do it Ken!

hey rich cimini, i mean ken berger. thanks for the "mini" mini camp update. damn mangini giving the fans no access!

i liked the tidbit on washington and the chargers offense, i am glad the daily news, oops i did it again, i mean newsday let you write that tidbit. i guess they thought that it would be more understandable with you explaining it.

"Jet Boo"? What the hell is that? That's not a name...It's an attitude! And haven't we had enough negativism surrounding this team since Joe Willy stepped on a plane for L.A.?
Ken, I'm sorry that the Jets are making it difficult for you to get the information you need to do your job, but last time I checked, this is what reporters are supposed to do, find out the information that isn't readily available. You know, dig a little...maybe talk to some players outside the locker room, climb trees and peer in windows? Hang out in bars and strip joints (perk of the job)with players...maybe even some good old fashion stalking is in order? This information by appointment thing doesn't sound very journalistic.

Seriously, a 99 year lease to play, and likely practice in NJ. What a joke. Who signs a 99 year lease? The only thing I can think of is when Lucy and Ricky signed one with Fred and Ethel.

As for Jet Boo, he can shove his racist crap about Herm up his rear. Herm was not perfect, but he's a great coach, gameday mishaps notwithstanding. He won way more games for us with his inspiration and teaching than he lost with his mistakes. Jet Boo was probably hoping for leftover white bread like Haslett to get the job over Herm. Blame a bad GM (Bradway) and an overrateed predecessor (Parcells - the 2000 draft class ain't looking so hot now, is it? Where's the story on that?) for not getting good players.

I can drop a white bread crack if I also reference "I Love Lucy." It proves I'm white bread!!

Ok, back to the Parcells thing. The problem I have always had is that all of Herm's success was always attributed to Parcells, yet Herm's failures were always his own. So, had Parcells stayed and coached the Jets, they would've gone all the way, right? Baloney. We can also thank him for signing Mo Lewis (and Marvin Jones?) to bloated contracts that Herm was stuck with.

But let's focus on the 2000 draft. Becht stinks, stanks, stunks. I really like Ellis, but you know who he reminds me of? Marvin Washington. Decent players, but not special. Same goes for Coles. I love Chad and Abraham too, but they just don't play. Injury prone players are only good for one thing - "What if?" conversations. At least they got a 1st rounder in return for Abraham. Is that a great draft? What the grade? B- I say. That's average, and like I said before, overrated.

the coaching staff is too fat what kind of example is that.the head coach looks like a bloated wood tick

The Mac,

If you're not intelligent enough to work through a post on the Bergermeister's blog without name-calling, then you're definitely not qualified to discern that my supposition was "racist." That's a big word to throw around, so be sure you know how to use it and when.

As to your other inane "point," if Parcells' acquisitions were so awful, then why did they have to serve as the foundation for the "great" Herman's success through his entire tenure? Curtis, Chad, Abe, Ellis, Coles, etc. Herm had to rely on them while "his" players fell off the chart.

Why people want to talk about the past is beyond reason. LOOKING FORWARD here fella's, looks like to me the Jets are quite a different organzation NOW. Mangini seems focused on making the Jets a winning program as opposed to "great Quote Guy". Hey the press is not running around the halls of Weeb Ewbanks and should'nt be. Of course we all want the inside story, but I like the way Mangini and Tannenbaum are running the show here. I believe the word is PROFESSIONALLY!!!!

I would hardly base Mangini's career path on a two-day rookie minicamp. My only hope is that he's a better clock manager than Herm was.

That being said, Clemens calling Chad "Mr. Pennington" was one of the funniest things ever.

can we talk about the dolphins? We always used to beat up on them..what about now? What's Dante's knee looking like..how about more coverage on the AFC East..

Jet Boo, I'm not going to waste my time searching the blog for the proper context for your comment. I re-read it and although racist was a harsh term to use so flippantly and I retract it, your comment is still certainly moronic and stepping on the borders of bad taste.

As for Parcells, except for Cutris and Mawae, it really is just a collection of average players he assembled. Like I said before, Abe and Chad didn't play and help enough, and Parcells is way overrated. Any Jet fan pining for the days of Bill Parcells has lost his way. Doesn't loyalty count anymore?

The Mac, you are a living, breathing waste of time.

No offense.

Hey Mac, nice comments on the Parcell years and I agree with you on all but one point. I don't think Parcells is overarted. First off, you can't argue with the guys track record, but more importantly there is something to be said for his iron fisted rule by fear tactic. Afterall, these are a bunch of wet behind the ear college kids that now have walletts and egos to match the size of their biceps. A kick in the ass goes a lot further than the preachers words in that world...

Classy move to retract your comment, but obviously, Boo hasn't come around yet...

Hey Art, the word down here in Florida is that Dante will be ready for week one but speculation is that he won't be 100%, hence the Joey Harrington insurance policy. You know, kinda like the quarterback parade we had last year waiting for Chad to be 100%!

I'm sorry..."come around"? To where?

Btw, how quickly we forget where the franchise was prior to Parcells' arrival. Now, some of you homers want to disparage his legacy in order to somehow elevate Herman's? And then to cite the word loyalty in doing so? Your boy Herman was negotiating with the Chiefs as far back as September of 05, while his team--our team--was in the toilet, and you want to comment on Parcells' loyalty? Are you kidding me?

As far as Parcells bringing in "average" players, that's equally as ridiculous. It was Herm that played Abe at DE where he got consistently beat up. It was Herm that played Chad with a torn rotator cuff-twice. It was Herm that ran Curtis Martin into the ground year after year, despite having a promising second rounder on the bench. How about Mawae? Fabini? How about Herm playing Ellis at DT, causing him to lose not only an entire year getting his weight back in line, but also losing all the time he could have used learning how to better play DE in the pros? Him and Abe looked pretty stellar as rookies under Parcells. They looked average under Herm, so that's naturally Parcells' fault. What player didn't look average under Herm, btw?

And, to revisit my "racist" comments that Mac now declares aren't "racist," I'd ask him to apologize not only to me, but to Ken Berger for his unfounded and juvenile personal attacks on this divine blog!

Ken, it seems the Jets areenamored with the Wonderlic once again. Any chance of finding out what Ken O'Brien's score was back in 1983 compared to that of Marino's. I always heard O'B was a smart guy and Walton's playbook was huge. I also read that Marino scored a 16.

Just weighing in on Herm/Parcells:
Parcells is a Hall of Famer, Herm never will reach his level. Parcells is a winner and played to win and wasn't afraid to take a chance. Herm: just look back to the Pitt OT loss in 2005. He coached scared and had Chad take a knee, losing a yard to set up a 42 yarder on grass at 8:00 at night. Herm was one of the most overrated coaches in NY history. He had a good personality but lacked the work ethic and acumen needed. He was like Barry Switzer, without the college resume. Parcells called the plays for the Jets in 98 when vinny had his best year. Herm didn't have that ability. Herm has Aaron Glenn playing ZONE! Herm and Bradway took over a team that went 9-7 in 2000 and missed the playoffs because John Hall had a meltdown and ended up losing his job for the week 17 heartbreaker against the Ravens. Amazingly, Herm and Bradway acted like they took over a 1-15 team. Herm inherited a playoff caliber team and left a 4-12 disaster. Parcells took over a team that won 4 games in 95 and 96 and was 9-7 in 97 and 12-4 in 98. In 99, he lost his qb in week 1 but still managed to win 8 games with Tupa, Mirer and Ray Lucas. Herm had similiar adversity this year and lost the team. There is no debate. Woody begged the Tuna to stay and thankfully showed Herm the door. Any football fan would want Parcells coaching their team because he's a winner, period.

For the record, Mike, I agree with you. But it was The Mac who chose to attempt to defile the Parcells legacy by comparing him to Herm. Parcells made a bunch of mistakes, to be sure, but mentioning him in the same breath (or sentence) with Herm is outrageous.

ken, yell at glauber for me. he stole my user name. look at the first john doe message, dated: Posted by: John Doe | May 13, 2006 at 05:06 PM. look at the email address under that john doe, its glaubers email.

who does he think he is stealing my name?

I think it's obvious. Bob Glauber is the devil.

Hold on, my original point was that Herm did not get as much credit for the Jets' success as he deserved. We hadn't had a string of playoff appearances and excitement like that in 20 years. I cited the average jobs done by Bradway and Parcells as GM (not coach). Obviously, Parcells is a HOF coach and Herm is not (although I would argue that their success as Jets HC was very similar).

To respond to Brendan's comparison of 99 to 05, the circumstances were far different. Yes, both teams lost the starting QBs. But last year, half the team seemed to go down with injuries - 18 QBs, the O-line, Barton, Curtis and I forget who else. Plus, in 99, Curtis was 6 years younger (and still great), and Keyshawn and Chrebet in 99 were worlds better than Coles and McCareins in 05.

Jet Boo, this is my last comment on your minority hiring comment, but jeez, how can you defend what you said? Plus Abe and Ellis never played under Parcells as rookies. That was Groh. And I don't think Klecko had a problem being named an All-Pro at all 3 DL positions. Ellis = Marvin Washington. Oh, and Fabini stinks.

Jet Boo: I really can't understand your affinity for Herm. Did you hear Herm's post game press conference after the Pitt loss in 2005? Herm talked about Brien making the kick to put the Jets in the playoffs in 2002. One small problem: John Hall made that kick. Herm's a good motivator and the players seemed to like him, but so what. He was a poor gameplanner and was an awful gameday coach as evidenced by the Pitt playoff loss. What other coach needed a "clock management specialist"?. Herm played not to lose and was too conservative. You cannot win a championship with that guy unless, you have talent like the 95 Cowboys. He was a disaster for the first month of the season and September of 2002 was probably the worst football I ever saw the Jets play. Herm was then forced to play Pennington and caught lightning in a bottle. PS: Chrebet broke his foot in 99 and Elliot and Fabini, the starting tackles missed substantial time. That team did not quit because it had a Hall of Fame coach.

Boo, Come around the corner to the mirror and look in to it. Go back to your original statement on Woody and Herm and the NFL and read it...and try to understand what you wrote, just like everyone else who has read this blog has. I don't think you need to be asking anyone else for apologies at this point, accept maybe yourself.
Oh, and Fabini really did stink, Abe is a Defensive End, Chad is a Quarterback and Curtis is the starting running back. The bottom line is that Fabini was average, Abe and Chad are fragile and Curtis carried the load for every coach he's ever played for and he's aging. Not bad drafts, not bad players but, in the end, poor results with an aging and broken down team. Time to clean the slate, what's left here has very little to do with Parcells from six years ago. And the number 4 slot in the draft speeks to the fact that, right now, we're one of the worst teams in the league.

Hey Ken,
Keep giving us all the info. and your take on all the mini-camps, etc. I do enjoy how you sprinkled info./opinion with levity and humor. I love the part about the cat. I think is time for the Tangini Jets to get a new cat; maybe signed him/her to a new guarantee contract. I am most interested in your opinion, as an observer, as to whom do the player's look up to for leadership in the offensive side and in the defensive side. For example: do the players perceive Chad as the leader of the offense (i.e. Klemens - "Mr. Pennington") or not necessarily because of his perceived "fragile" state. Also, how comfortable are the established players running the "Chargers" style offense? What are the Jets doing to beef-up the running back/TE position(s)? I do enjoy the blog. I like how EVERYONE conducts himself with civility and decorum.

there is FINALLY an article about the jets on newsday after a week without anything, and guess what?

berger didnt even write it. its an associated press article. at least he didnt copy it.

come on ken, give us something new to chew on!

The Edwards years are over. You can make the argument for why he did or did not have success. It does not mattter, bottom line 5 years 3 playoff years. The 2 he missed Chad missed significant time. Its all in the past and its time to move on. Mangini will need sometime to grow but the road will be to a championship because he is a smart,hard working, determined man with a bright future head of him. GO JETS.
IRA

There you go IRA,talking about the future. Can we get over Parcells, dude's been gone half a decade. mark my words "Eric and Mike are going to get the job done here",young, smart, hard working and know what they are doing. It's about having a plan and sticking with it and making adjustments as you see fit. Jet fans want a consistent winner and a competitive team that doesn't make silly mistakes in the coaching dept or on the field..that's what you getting. GO JETS!!

I couldn't agree more with glenn212. People, it's 2006 and we actually have a coach/GM combo that seems to know what the heck they're doing. Let's move the past where it belongs. IN THE PAST. The future is now and I like where the J E T S Jet, Jets, Jets are headed. This might not be the year for us Jet fans to glory in their Super Bowl win, but I would wager that that a SB win is not too far away.

Hey, if you're being shut out of practices, can you call a player and do a feature story on him? We need some news, any news.

Hey, if you're being shut out of practices, can you call a player and do a feature story on him? We need some news, any news.

OK, time to call this Berger's Bog.
It's been two weeks and nada.

Hello...Ken...Anybody in...Hello...

Ken, any news (now that a day of passing camp has been completed)?

I guess Berger is following Mangini's lead and closing his observations to outsiders.