While the New York Jets have had enough problems in recent seasons, on top of it all, one of the team’s most famous alumni just won’t stop criticizing New York.
During the 2012 campaign, Joe Namath became one of many Jets fans to wonder why Tim Tebow wasn’t playing more, putting more pressure on an already-tense situation. Then, earlier this month, Namath backed incumbent quarterback Mark Sanchez and said the team didn’t need to draft Geno Smith in the second round.
Now, Namath is up to it again, although this time with much harsher, more general criticism of the Jets organization.
“The team’s declined while we fans are being told how good they are constantly, how this new player’s so good,” Namath told WFAN. “They haven’t played up to how they’ve been touted. And so I think they’ve misled the fans more or less. They’ve made some bad decisions on personnel the last couple of years.”
Moreover, Namath revealed that, unsurprisingly, he isn’t exactly on good terms with the Jets front office.
“No. No, no, no, no,” Namath said when asked if he was on speaking terms with Jets owner Woody Johnson. “I wouldn’t say bad terms, you know? Uncomfortable. Because I was saying earlier, you don’t like to hear negative things, negative vibes, and Woody I’m sure doesn’t like the criticism. I mean, when we’ve brushed shoulders in the past it hasn’t been the same as it was originally. We don’t talk — ‘Hi, how are ya?'”
Now, Namath certainly has a point that the Jets have made numerous bad decisions in terms of personnel over the past few seasons. However, what does he expect the team to do, admit that its players are bad and not try to get the fans excited?
In any case, perhaps Namath is just setting himself up for a Brett Favre-Packers-style reunion some time down the line.
Photo via Facebook/Joe Namath
