Yesterday provided yet another chapter of bizarro world moments in Jets’ history.
Early in the afternoon on Long Island, you had Jets GM Terry Bradway finally surfacing from behind the closed doors at Weeb Ewbank Hall, conducting a 56-minute press conference that featured a significant amount of spin regarding the messy Herman Edwards divorce from the team.
Bradway’s session included an uncomfortable amount of genuflection – “Contrary to what some people might think, I’ve done a pretty good job here for five years,” he proclaimed with some defiance.
Bradway, too, was caught in an alarming gaffe when talking about the three playoffs Jim Haslett led the Saints to, when Haslett actually brought the Saints to the postseason once – in 2000, his first season in New Orleans. When corrected, Bradway actually began to argue before realizing he’d best shut it down.
Later in the afternoon, some three hours after Bradway was finished, Edwards was introduced as the new Chiefs head coach in a lovey-dovey news conference in Kansas City, where he said only this about his departure from the Jets:
“What happened in New York stays in New York. Any questions about what happened there stays in the family. Ask about the Kansas City Chiefs, because I’m the head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs.”
Meanwhile, back in New York, home for Edwards until what seems like just a few hours ago, the most significant news coming out of the Bradway session – other than the fact that he all but conceded that he never asked Edwards what he wanted to do when the Chiefs came calling – was a listing of prospective replacements for Edwards.
They included Haslett, who interviewed yesterday and last night, Rams interim coach Joe Vitt, who was scheduled to interview today; and fired Vikings coach Mike Tice (insert your own Circle Line or ticket scalping punch line).
Murderer’s Row this is not.
Bradway, meanwhile, sounded lukewarm about a candidate such as former Packers coach Mike Sherman, who has the most impressive resume of anyone available right now with a 53-39 regular-season record, including four playoff appearances and three division titles in six seasons in Green Bay.
While Bradway didn’t rule out Sherman, he has not yet been contacted.
Then you had Bradway refuse to comment about any interest in Eric Mangini, the Patriots defensive coordinator and Bill Belichick disciple, when asked specifically about him during the press conference.
Yet then, just a few hours later, Bradway blabbed in a radio station interview that the Jets have asked for permission to speak to Mangini and will travel to Foxborough this week to interview him.
How’s that for disingenuous? The man is either of vindictive spirit or is simply not very bright and cannot remember what he says from one moment to the next. Take your pick.
Bradway did acknowledge that the Jets have received permission from the Giants to interview Tim Lewis, their defensive coordinator. Bradway also said he’s planning to interview Jets defensive coordinator Donnie Henderson, who was in the New Orleans area yesterday interviewing with the Saints.
Offensive coordinator Mike Heimerdinger and special teams coach Mike Westhoff are tentatively scheduled to interview on Thursday.
“I’m excited about the future,” Bradway said, sounding almost giddy to have Edwards gone.
If only Jets fans, petrified about this franchise falling into a “Same Old Jets” abyss, were that excited.