The Jets wide receiver, who has never been one to shy away from a controversial comment or two, has again opened his mouth. And again, he's left inserting his foot. (No, that's not a Rex Ryan pun; those jokes are old.)
Holmes' most recent comments are as frustrating as any yet, as they involve labeling himself a "scapegoat" for what happened during the Jets' season finale, when he was benched and New York was officially bounced from postseason contention following its third straight loss to end the year.
"It was playoffs on the line and your best receiver doesn't get but two passes thrown his way in 60 minutes of football," Holmes said on ESPN 1050 radio on Monday. "That's just hard to understand when you want everything just as bad as everybody else does and it just doesn't happen. And nobody has the answers for it … but the scapegoat is answer. And that's what happened."
This is just the latest in a long line of "there he goes again" moments when it comes to Holmes. In addition to publicly criticizing the Jets' offensive line last season, "the scapegoat" spoke out this offseason about the Jets' two-quarterback system, and took a shot at the New York media, blaming reporters for not being positive.
Admittedly, reporters aren't always the most positive bunch, especially in a tough New York market. But when you're talking about a talented team going 8-8 and failing to deliver on a Super Bowl guarantee, there isn't much room for optimism. If you factor in the apparent dissension stemming from Holmes' antics, it's actually downright foolish to think there's going to be anything other than cynicism coming out of the reporters.
Even if Holmes was the recipient of some undue heat — which is hard to believe given his role in last season's collapse — there comes a point when he's got to hold himself accountable. Rather than doing that in his latest interview, Holmes instead seems to be operating on this bizarre notion that he was simply being too honest when criticizing his teammates last season. What a guy.
However, that's not the part that's truly flabbergasting. Instead, it's what Holmes isn't doing that makes the least sense of all. There's already plenty of added hoopla surrounding the team this season because of Tim Tebow's arrival. Why add to the media circus by drumming up controversy related to the past? The past wasn't a kind period in time, so it's not worth harping on, or else you immediately open yourself up to even more criticism before this season's opening snap. That doesn't seem to sink in for Holmes, though.
Sure, Holmes admits that he has to be more critical of himself than of others, but it seems like that's a struggle for the mercurial receiver. He appeared to take a subtle jab at former offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer on Monday as well, while also insisting he needs to hold his tongue going forward. The Jets public relations staff apparently decided even that's too much for him to handle, and they reportedly decided to limit Holmes' access to reporters to once a week during training camp and the rest of the season.
Once a week, huh? If the past — a period in time Holmes is so hell bent on focusing on — is any indication, that's plenty of time to stir up controversy.
