The Jets' coach has come under fire for his nonchalant dropping of F-bombs on HBO's Hard Knocks, and he initially said that he was only affected by the fact that his mom was upset. After Super Bowl-winning coach Tony Dungy said that he wouldn't have hired Ryan for all the swearing, Ryan is once again disappointed.
"I'm always going to be myself, and I'm a good person," Ryan said at his Wednesday news conference, according to the New York Post. "Just because somebody cusses or whatever doesn't make him a bad person, and just because a guy doesn't cuss doesn't make him a good person. I'll stand by my merits."
The Post noted that Ryan was emotional while defending himself.
"I've been a big admirer of Tony Dungy, and I'm sure a lot of people are," Ryan said. "I felt that he unfairly judged me, and that was a disappointment to me."
Dungy, who built a reputation as one the most honest and likable men in the NFL, said on The Dan Patrick Show on Tuesday that commissioner Roger Goodell should ask Ryan to tone it down when the cameras are on.
"I've been around F-bombs, so it's not like it's new," Dungy said. "I just don't think that has to be part of your every-minute, everyday vocabulary to get your point across."
Earlier on Wednesday, Ryan's father, Buddy Ryan, defended the language.
"It's none of Dungy's business," Buddy Ryan said in a radio interview, according to Yahoo.
Rex Ryan also said at his news conference that he called Dungy to invite the former coach to the Jets' facility, but had not received a call back yet.
However it turns out, Dungy — like the rest of us — will be tuning in Wednesday at 10 p.m. for the next episode of Hard Knocks.
