Best for Jets to spare Eric Mangini
December 24 New York Daily News Columnist Tim Smith
"It is hard to read the emotions of Jets coach Eric Mangini. Win or lose, his expression stays the same. He may be a seething pool of rage over the team's unfortunate late season collapse. Or he might as nervous as a turkey a week before Thanksgiving over his job security. How would you know?
His team dropped a must-win game at Seattle, and all he could register was, "I'm disappointed." No kicked-over Gatorade buckets. No smashed lockers.
That is not Mangini. He doesn't publicly express anger. So when he says he is "disappointed" with that emotionless expression it strikes the rabid Jets fan as apathetic.
Mangini was asked about his apathetic appearance, particularly coming off such a devastating loss at Seattle on Sunday.
"I have never, ever, ever accepted anything but what is our best possible performance," Mangini said with as much passion as he could muster. "To me there's no sense of being content with losing, ever. Nobody here is content, nobody is happy about it. Nobody is satisfied with where we are."
They are on the brink of playoff elimination, and people are screaming for Magini's head. And they couldn't be faced with a worse worst-case scenario. The Jets face a Dolphins team that was the 2007 version of the 2008 Detroit Lions - the NFL's laughingstock. A victory by the Dolphins will complete their remarkable turnaround and provide quarterback Chad Pennington, who was jettisoned by the Jets in favor of Brett Favre, sweet revenge.
If any of that bothered Mangini, you couldn't tell during his press conference at the team's Florham Park practice facility. He brushed off any concern about his future with the team, saying he and owner Woody Johnson haven't discussed such matters yet.
It is hard to argue against the "Fire Mangini" sentiment, particularly considering the Jets spent $140 million for talent in the offseason and they were 8-3 and cruising toward a division title and the playoffs.
You can argue that the Jets may never see things as good as they had it this year, not with Tom Brady returning as Patriots quarterback next year. And if Mangini couldn't lead the Jets to the playoffs this year, then when?
Everyone should take a deep breath, and step back. Don't be so quick to make Mangini walk the plank. Win or lose against the Dolphins, the non-fiery Mangini shouldn't be fired just yet.
Didn't we learn something from Tom Coughlin's situation with the Giants last year? The man was standing in front of the wall with the blindfold and been offered the final cigarette before Giants management gave him a reprieve. And what did he do? He guided the Giants to a Super Bowl championship and has them on the way again."
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