The (blank) List
By Tom Rock
We had one of the oddest conversations of the season with a Jets player today as reporters huddled around LB Matt Chatham to talk about his foot injury. Chatham missed part of practice on Wednesday and was listed as questionable on the injury report. Here’s a transcript from part of the conversation:
Q: Was there a setback with your foot? You’ve been listed all year and now your listing has gone from probable to questionable.
A: Hmm.
Q: Did it get a little worse?
A: I have no idea why I showed up on the list. I think they like to play with that list. I don’t know.
Q: So nothing has changed with you?
A: Nothing has changed.
Q: From two weeks ago or last …
A: You’ll have to ask Eric. He does the list and I have no idea where …
Q: But did anything happen in the last game to you.
A: No. Again, not that I’m aware of it happening (laughter).
Q: You were not at practice yesterday?
A: Wasn’t I? I guess so. Again, ask Eric. I forgot. The five-second rule, I don’t even remember.
I’m not calling out Chatham on this. I understand there are rules pertaining to players discussing injuries, and even Chatham recognized the absurdity of having the hedge comments about his own health. If something had happened to his foot, Chatham would not only be aware of it, he’d be the first to know.
But it’s kind of silly to list players on the injury report without at least giving them a heads-up. Last week Bryan Thomas wanted to know why everyone was asking him about his shoulder. He had to be told that he was on the injury report, which was news to him. He’s listed as questionable with a shoulder again this week, though the shoulder seemed fine on Sunday when he had five tackles and 1.5 sacks with a forced fumble. I think we’ve learned that the Jets injury list is just a tool the coaching staff uses to confuse opposing teams. Chad’s been on the list nearly the entire season with a calf injury. Think he’ll play through it this week?
Mangini may not discuss the injury report with Chatham, but they’ve likely argued about stem cell research, government spending and the war in Iraq. “He’s a die-hard conservative, and I think he writes for some conservative paper,” Mangini said, describing his own political beliefs as more liberal.
“I’d definitely be a democratic coach,” Mangini said – meaning that he is more behind the Democratic Party and not that the team is a democracy, because it obviously is not. That’s a pretty odd political slant for an NFL coach, most of whom are straight-laced Lombardi-type Republicans. Told that he might be out-voted 31-1 among his colleagues, Mangini smiled: “You’ve got to stick to your beliefs.” The Jets may wear green, but as long as Mangini is here this is a blue state.
Leon Washington had a PlayStation 3 in the locker room today. He said they were going for between $4000 and $10000 on eBay (though did not divulge how much he spent on his). We were surprised to see him leaving the valuable game system in the locker, nearly unprotected. “I’ll mess them up on sight if I catch them,” Washington said of anyone who dared go near his new toy.
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Comments (10)
Tom,
Your Blog today is ABSURD! What is your obsession with getting completely detailed injury reports out of the players? It seems to me you are interested in helping out the Jets' opposition in any way you can. You are equally obsessed as the Jets are about avoiding that. What will any one but the opponents gain any thing by having the EXACT goods on Chatham? If you are surprised, as you sound you are, you must be dense or something. Then that nonsense about Mangini's political affiliation?! What are your intents? You are really grasping at straws trying to CREATE controversy. I thought Cimini was bad that way. You are getting ridiculously childish.
Al: All I'm saying is that if you are going to make stuff up -- and I have no problem with doing that within league rules regarding the injury report -- at least make sure everyone is on the same page with the fib. By the time I was 8 I had learned to get my story straight with my brothers before my parents started asking questions about who broke the lamp!
Al,
Tom is giving us a wonderful look inside the locker room and went out of his way to avoid controversy. These tactics are relatively transparent, anyhow. Yeesh.
Keep up the good work, TR.
Don't hate on the Rock..It's his blog so he can say whatever he wants..and believe me I caught Mangini's press conference on SNY, it's so dry that the writers got to find some fun with something..
on a different note I don't like all this talk on major media outlets about Mangini as coach of the year and the Jet's grabbing the last WC spot..as a Jets fan I only have a pessimistic outlook on the team, and all this talk is just going to jinx it all..But the team seems to have their heads on straight, so let's just beat Buffalo
Al brought up a good point questioning your intentions regarding the political BS. Why bring politics into a football blog? Totally uncalled for and a cheap shot. Geez can we bring back Ken Berger.
You can only turn Jet fans who are die hard conservatives against Mangini.
You don't understand that it's not about you or an interesting story line. It's about football. Jets football. Mangini coaches to win the game. Good HC's do not provide information that could possibly help the opponent.
Well, this is one die-hard conservative who's not going to flip out about Mangini (after all, there is Chatham, you know).
I also think Tom makes a good case on the injury report. If Mangini wants to use it to confuse opponents, it works a lot better if the players themselves are in on the act. Disinformation campaigns only succeed if every disinforms the same way.
You did make one mistake, Tom. Vince Lombardi was a "Kennedy Democrat" his entire life.
Please read the Lombardi biography "When Pride Mattered". Lombardi was definitely a Democrat and big backer of the Kennedys particularly Bobby.
DJ and KD -- Thanks for the Lombardi note. I'll definitely pick up the bio after the season.
Rock,
Do yourself a favor and find someone besides Cimini to hang out with. It's pretty clear that the process of osmosis couldn't be any less impedede between the two of you.
T-Rock, you're doing a great job covering our beloved Jets. Keep it up, man!