Will Rex Ryan Get 'Personal" With Roethlisberger?

It's hard to believe the soft and cuddly person on the podium yesterday, extolling the virtues of Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots, was New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan.  Ryan, who had been the NFL's version of Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globes, was now speaking fondly of last week's vanquished foes and acted like Dr. Phil when asked about the upcoming AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

No war of words between the Jets and Steelers.  The only blip on the No Fun League's Polly Purebred meter came from Patriots receiver Deion Branch who called the New York team "embarrassing" and "classless."  That's pretty tame stuff in the Jets universe.

The Jets head coach has been saying 'it's personal' about a lot of things the past few weeks beginning with the foot-fetish videos, which popped up on YouTube, and calling out opposing team's proven leaders the week before they meet.  Now the boastful Ryan has become...boring.  It makes one wonder why he would tone it down and tinker with success now?

Ryan and the Jets have been winning after targeting a prominent person on the opposing team and turning it into a personal vendetta.  Could the Jets actually respect the Steelers or are they afraid?

First, it was Ryan's old thorn-in-the-shorts tormentor Peyton Manning of the Colts who got the Jets skipper yapping.  Then last week, it was Mr. Personality, Belichick and a side order of Tom Brady, who got Ryan riled.  The Jets won both games.

The closest Ryan got to insulting anyone yesterday, after showering the Steelers with everything but candy and flowers, was ask whom he was gunning for this Sunday.

"Give me somebody you want to call out," said Ryan.  "I guess Hines Ward, Casey Hampton."

The Steelers wide receiver and nose tackle make good adversaries but what about quarterback Ben Roethlisberger?

The Jets have had one of the toughest roads to the Super Bowl.  If they succeed, they will have faced, and beaten, the holy trinity of NFL quarterbacks--Manning, Brady and now Roethlisberger.  No small feat, but that task just got bigger--a lot bigger.

Big Ben is the largest and strongest quarterback of the three and could set up the fiercest challenge for the Jets defense.

Roethlisberger may not have the statistical clout of the the other two but he makes up for it in pure size and toughness.  The brutish, 6'5", 240-pound Steeler can flick a pass 50 yards, can pound the defense on the ground and improvise a play-in-progress with the best of them.  The Jets D will have their hands full.

"You can't prepare for what he naturally does," said defensive-end Trevor Price.  "How do you prepare to tackle a guy as big as a polar bear?"  How do you prepare for a guy who wants to win like he wants to win?"

Ryan agrees.  He said, "I've never seen a guy take the hits he can take and also make people miss the way he does and be as accurate on the run."

The Jets beat the Steelers 22-17 on December 19 in Pittsburgh by executing their "Plaster Rules."  It was a zone scheme which turned into man-to-man coverage after Roethlisberger was chase out of the pocket.  On the plays where Pittsburgh started in a man coverage, it usually ended with Steelers gaining large chunks of yardage.

The Jets rough-and-tumble road to Dallas must continue through a solid Steelers team.  The Jets have exorcised the ghosts of their arch-enemies-- the Colts and the Patriots.  Now they face the daunting task of beating an experienced and playoff-tested  team.  Can they do it without puffing out their chests and flapping their gums? It seems unlikely.

If anyone can find a way to rile the Steelers with trash talk, it is Ryan. Many have called him and his team loud-mouthed braggarts.  The Jets 4-1 playoff record over the past two seasons have been partially attributed to the blustery head coach whom his players adore.  Many have called the Jets uncouth but they seem to be winning when everyone expects them to lose.

The Jets have been winning by getting under the other team's skin and making it 'personal'.  The bragging, mocking and seven-letter words are what set the tone for this squad.  Something just doesn't seem right with this new fuzzy-puppy version of the team.

The NFL is probably happy about the eerie quiet.  The networks, not so much.

Anyway, there are still five days to go.  An eternity in Rex Ryan press conferences.

Rex Ryan Is A Ophiuchus

People have called New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan many things--some too vile to be put in print.  Now you can add Ophiuchus to that list.  It's not as bad a word as it sounds.

New Age freaks and superstitious fools had their world turned upside down the other day when it was revealed that the western version of the Zodiac is wrong and after over 2,000 years of following the twelve astrological signs a new one has popped up--The Serpent Bearer or more formally known as Ophiuchus.   Serpentarian would be better.  It rolls off the tongue easier, but you can't argue with those Babylonians.

Ryan, who blessed this world on a 13th of December, is now one of the many people scrambling to reschedule weddings, change their pre-picked, lucky Lotto numbers or having that giant crab tattoo removed from their back.

Compatible signs are now combustible ones.  "What was your sign?" is the new "What's your sign?"  Destinies have been altered by the earth's gravitational pull.  Even Dionne Warwick is in hiding.

The sign, which comes after Scorpio and before Sagittarius, fills the astrological dates between Nov. 23 and Dec. 17.

Ophiuchus is associated with the healer Asclepius who was skilled at bringing the dead back to life [insert Jets reference here] and originated after Hades was angered by his talent he had Zeus kill old Asclepius with a lightning bolt.  I see fate in the Jets stars. Didn't LaDanian Tomlinson wear a lightning bolt on his helmet at one time?

Ryan is good company with people who now have to change their personality traits and astrological sign to a man grasping a snake because of a wobble in the earth's axis.  Brad Pitt, Brittney Spears and Ozzy Osbourne are all members of the 13th sign.  Even Ryan's nemesis, Patriots head coach Bill Belichick, has gone from the ram-headed Aries to a mellower Pisces.

A quick glance at the characteristics of the Ophiuchus seem to show a person who is a good overseer of work and is ambitious, modest and optimistic.  Nice positive attributes but, after more research, the zodiac charts claim the Ophi (short version) wants fame--either grand or misunderstood.  Hmm...sounding a little more like our brash coach.  There's more.

The serpent holder is partial to outrageous behavior, green is an Ophi's lucky color and the No. 12 [Tom Brady?] holds great significance.  It's true.  It's all there on the horoscope chart and, after more delving, we find the Ophiuchus is partial to sweater vests and soft, tiny feet.

Jeanne Dixon, I'm now a believer.

Rex Ryan Or Bill Belichick: It's Hard To Like Either

Rex Ryan, is at it again.  The larger-than-life head coach of the New York Jets has opened the castle gates for war, against the New England Patriots in this Sunday's AFC Divisional game, by specifically targeting head coach Bill Belichick and calling it 'personal.'  This routine is getting boring.

Ryan called out the three-time Super Bowl winning coach by repeating his tired mantra, the P-Word.

"This week, this is about Bill Belichick vs. Rex Ryan," the rotund Jets coach said, " There's no question.  It's personal.  It's about him and myself, and that's what it's going to come down to."

"Personal."  We've heard that word come from Ryan's mouth too many times the past couple of weeks.

First, "It's personal" was repeated six times by Ryan at a press conference when news of a foot-fetish video, allegedly narrated by the head coach, was brought up.  The usually boisterous Ryan hid under the P-Word like a grilled suspect would plead the fifth. 

Next it was Ryan's tireless quest to beat Peyton Manning and the Colts had him uttering those those words.  Ryan was tired of losing to the quarterback and used the P-Word as motivation for his team.

Now, Ryan kicks the shins of Belichick, as the Jets prepare to face the Patriots at Gillette Stadium this Sunday, and calls it motivation.  Again, it's "personal."

Belichick, ever the, ahem,  jester, uncharacteristically volleyed back, " I might have a little quickness on him," he joked.  "He probably has a little strength and power on me."  That's about as much comedy styling as you'll get with the dour coach wearing his trademark dingy hoodie.

Ryan has uttered inflammatory words at the Patriots coach a few times.  Before their first game against the Patriots, he said, "I'm not here to kiss Belichick's rings." Even after last month's 45-3 beat down, Ryan came out with this tidbit, "Trust me, we will remember this."  Really?  How could you forget?

I can't think of any two people it's harder to root for.  It's like deciding who would you rather be stuck in an elevator with: Rosie O'Donnell or Joy Behar?  I'd rather be stuck in a locked men's room with a drunken Andy Dick if I had to make the decision between any of them.

Ryan's season long escapades have been widely publicized from his foul-mouthed episodes on "Hard Knocks," his wig-wearing press conference,  his handling of criminally-charged Jets players to the kinky foot tapes.  He continues to rock the boat and claims it takes the pressure off his team.  Picking on a coach with a 15-5 playoff record sounds like plopping a fatter early-season Ryan on the shoulders of the Jets.  Oh yeah, Ryan did finally exorcise the Manning demons last week--even though the Colts had 18 players listed on the injured reserve.

At the opposite end of the publicity-seeking spectrum is the hooded, personality-void, Belichick.  The sour-puss coach says about as much as the mute guy in Penn and Teller and he is about as funny as Dane Cook.  Belichick's insincere, two-finger handshake with former Jets coach Eric Mangini told you everything you care to know about the future Hall of Famer.  Everyone calls the Pats coach a genius but too many of his CIA tactics come into question. Remember the Spygate scandal?

Neither Belichick or Ryan are really well-liked by anyone but their own players.  They have split their four meeting since Ryan took over as the Jets' head coach and if history is any indicator, the two teams will be charged and ready to go all out for their coaches.

Ryan continues to give his verbal wet-willies to the Patriots.  He couldn't resist criticizing their quarterback, Tom Brady,  for attending to a Broadway play instead of watching the Jets play last Saturday.   Meanwhile as expected, not one mumble has been heard from Belichick.   

"It's a level playing field," Ryan said.  "Now, it's coming down to me raising my level."

Maybe if he was raising his fork in a chili eating competition, I would bet on Ryan.  Oh wait, he had lap-band surgery.  I'll bet on Belichick in that contest too.