I didn't go to Jets minicamp to listen to Rex Ryan Tuesday. Decided to go Wednesday instead. But it looks like I missed all the fun. During his news conference, the Jets' trash-talking head coach fired back at Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder for comments Crowder made last week about him."I don't know this Channing Crowder," Ryan said, unprompted, in the middle of his opening remarks to the media. "But all I know is that he's all tatted up so I need to be nervous about him. He's right about one thing. I am a first-time head coach. But I've been around the game all my life. I'm no different now than I've ever been. It's just that more people are listening."
Ryan made headline last week with his tough-talk remarks about not planning to kiss Bill Belichick's Super Bowl rings, and the word leaked down to South Florida, where Crowder's defending AFC East champion Dolphins didn't take kindly to them.
"Oh he's going crazy. He's going absolutely nuts," Crowder told South Florida reporters on Friday. "I know it's his first chance to be a head coach, and I know he's excited about life. But I've never played a football game in June in my life. So congratulations to him. He's the OTA Super Bowl winner."
Perhaps Ryan was emboldened by the presence of his father, legendary NFL coach Buddy Ryan, in the audience at Tuesday's news conference. Perhaps he's just the kind of dude who isn't going to back down or stop talking trash. Perhaps it's both. But he made it clear that he's ready to take on Crowder along with Belichick if they both want to come down to Florham Park, N.J., and make anything of it.
"The other thing is, I think he's wrong," Rex Ryan went on. "I think you do win in June. You win with your preparation and all that kind of stuff.
"If I was younger, I would handle him myself. He's a good player. It is fun to ruffle some feathers. I have no problem doing that. Again, I'm confident in my football team. I'm confident in myself. I'm confident in our players, coaches and this entire organization. That's why I say the things that I say."
He also felt compelled to at least clarify last week's comments about Belichick, while making it clear he wouldn't retreat from them.
"My comment about him is that realistically I'm not going to concede anything," Ryan said. "Do I recognize the fact that Belichick is a heck of a coach? Absolutely. My thing is that I'm not going to be intimidated by him or anybody else in this business, period. And I don't care who it is. My football team certainly isn't going to be intimidated either. If there are some issues with that, then so be it."
How did Pops take all of this? Well, somebody apparently asked Buddy Ryan whether he feared his son might rub some people the wrong way.
"Well, you can't worry about that," Buddy Ryan said. "I can't imagine how many I rubbed the wrong way, but I got my point across."
Rex seems to be making sure he does the same thing. If nothing else, he makes for good offseason theater.
I know I'm going Wednesday to see what he has to say ...
Official Claims White House Wasn't Involved In IRS Scandal
BuzzFeed Reporter Dies In Car Crash At Age 33
House Passes Major Anti-Abortion Bill
4 U.S. Soldiers Killed In Attack On Afghanistan Air Base
REPORTS: Patriots TE Questioned By Police In Murder Probe
Same-Sex Couples Face Significant Housing Discrimination, Historic Government Study Says
Google Is Using The First Amendment To Push Back Against The NSA
Huge Savings Predicted From Immigration Bill
Fineman: Bachmann's 'Got A Point' On Syria
U.S. To Start Talks With Taliban
WATCH: 'Daily Show' Skewers Evangelical's Claim That Gays Bully Christians
LOOK: Iran's New President Makes Important Statement In New Tweet
Mika Admits 'Hypocrisy' Over NSA Scandals
Walmart PAC's Political Spending Revealed
Hadiya Pendleton's Parents Discuss Addressing Chicago Gun Violence
PHOTO: Brazilian Officer Pepper-Sprays Female Protester In The Face
The Next City To Legalize Weed?
Bobby Jindal Has Had It With All The Self-Reflection That He Demanded
Cameron: WWII Bomb Found At G8 Summit
Senate: Don't Build The Danged Fence
Anti-War Bomber Says Obama Should Be Tried For War Crimes
Gang Of Eight Senators Shrug Off John Boehner
Funds Pour In For Hacker Who Helped Expose Steubenville Rapists
GOP Congressman: I Oppose Abortion Because Male Fetuses Masturbate
LOOK: Westboro's Chilling Response To Child's 'Lemonade For Peace' Sale
Trio Enslaved Mother And Daughter For 2 Years
GOP: Sick Leave For Me, None For Thee
'We Can Just F*cking Ignore Her'
Boehner Says Abortion Bill Won't Make GOP Unpopular With Women
Man Faces Felony Charge For Allegedly Sending Death Threat To Cruz
Mayors Urge Congress To Limit Food Stamp Use For Soda
