When the owner speaks, we wonder why somebody allowed the owner to speak.
Apparently not content to merely bask in the success of his team earning five primetime games in the 2024 season, Jets owner Woody Johnson offered the New York Post an exclusive interview as the team’s season concluded with a Week 18 win over the Dolphins.
The interview included a rebuke of a recent article suggesting Johnson’s teenage sons play a role in the team’s football decisions.
“He has no role in the organization,” Johnson said.
Johnson did acknowledge that he brings his sons around to learn the business, just as his great grandfather did when he was running Johnson & Johnson.
I think it would be fair to question the validity of that comparison. I’m not sure how much “learning” is taking place when one observes the current operation of the Jets.
This statement is also at odds with one a Jets team spokesman made on the record for The Athletic article in question.
The Jets spokesperson disputed the idea that Brick and Jack’s observations impact the organization’s decision-making process. “It is used as a reference point; it is not determinative.”
So which is it? Does he have no role or are his observations reference points?
Of course there are possible middle grounds here, such as Johnson being so foolish and incompetent that he actually doesn’t understand the impact of bringing his son around and raising his ideas to his football people.
In any event, Johnson also looked back on his decision to fire Robert Saleh.
Johnson was asked if he regrets firing Saleh when he did.
“No, not at all,” he said. “I was very, very sure that I was making the right decision. I didn’t do it to spark or anything like that. I didn’t do it for that reason. I just knew everything that I needed to know about that situation.”
These comments seem to contradict what Johnson said to explain Saleh’s firing at the time of the decision.
I wanted to give this team the most opportunity to win this this season. I feel that we had to go in a different direction and that’s why I did that today. The change that we made today, that I made, I believe will bring new energy and positivity that will lead to more wins starting now.’
I guess he didn’t technically didn’t use the word “spark” back in October, but it sure sounds like he was saying he made the firing to spark the team. The story seems to have changed after things went further south with Jeff Ulbrich.
Based on all of this, it might be a tad distressing to hear Woody say he is more hands on with this coaching and general manager search than he is typically.
“This is the first time I’ve been through it to this extent for a long time,” Johnson said. “Much more hands on in terms of getting really involved in the interview process.”
Oh boy. This could get interesting.