Raissman's Upon Further Review: Fox curses Geno Smith, too
A quarterback under siege cannot purchase thick skin. He can buy a supply of earplugs.
Judging by the heat he took Sunday, even before he lost to the Lions and then cursed out a fan, Geno Smith is going to need both - and more - to handle what's coming his way. Some of Smith's critics were not satisfied offering analysis. They were out to embarrass the quarterback, too.
At halftime, with the Jets down 17-3, Fox aired a highlight of Derek Jeter returning to the Yankees dugout after his final at-bat in Boston. 'Jeter is now retired,' Curt Menefee said. 'Some Jets fans wish that Geno Smith would do the same thing.' Retire? The guy is in his second season in the league. Menefee was never recognized as the King of Sting. That bit of wit and wisdom puts him in the running. Congratulations.
Jimmy Johnson attempted to soften that cheap shot, er, blow with another angle. He said if Rex Ryan eventually replaces Smith with Michael Vick, he could damage the young QB's future. Michael Strahan squashed that theory, saying Ryan can't be shackled by either Smith's future or his emotional state.
'It's professional football,' Strahan said. 'Who cares about your feelings?'
Bart Scott certainly doesn't. Before the Foxies dumped on Smith, Scott compared Vick to a 'Ferrari who shouldn't be kept in the garage' and compared Smith not to the little engine that could, but to a 'Toyota Camry.'
'...(Smith) is a second-round draft pick. He's expendable,' Scott said on CBS' 'The NFL Today.' 'You are lying to your football team if you tell them Geno Smith gives you the best chance to win right now. Rex has one foot out the door and another one on a banana peel. He's coaching for his job. He better get it right, right now.'
Remember, Scott, the former Jet who was always so gracious to the media, delivered his soliloquy over an hour before Smith turned the football over two more times in the Meadowlands. Incredibly, Vick, an innocent bystander here, took heat. Bill Cowher , the jaw-jutting know-it-all, said: 'Michael Vick is not a Ferrari....He's an antique. And he looks good where he is as a backup quarterback.'
If Cowher said this, it must be true. Either that or he was just looking to one-up Scott.
For Smith, it will only get worse. As we have all been told, over and over and over again, the Jets now have to run the Rivers-Manning-Brady gauntlet. You have probably been informed, mostly inside the Valley of the Stupid, they will definitely lose all three games. So the only thing left for Gasbags to blabber about is whether Ryan should give Smith the hook.
Either that or just beat up on Smith, who, with his postgame act, has made himself easiest of targets.
Not only was the Jets quarterback situation being pushed, ESPN raised the specter of more dysfunction and dissension inside the organization.
On 'NFL Countdown,' Adam Schefter reported 'disenchantment inside' the Jets organization with GM J ohn Idzyk 'lingers' over the GM's decision not to spend money the Jets have on talent, especially in the secondary. Gee, we wonder exactly who inside the organization would be the most ticked off about that (Rex)?
But the bigger Jets bombshell on ESPN (surprised this scoop was not saved for 'Outside the Lines') was delivered by Cris Carter who exclusively revealed that Jets DB's 'couldn't even cover Chris Berman .'
TAKEN TO TRASK
Counting all forms of media, there are probably thousands of cats paid to be NFL analysts. Coming up with original material can't be easy.
That's why Brandon Tierney, a member of CBSN's 'That Other Pregame Show' panel, deserves credit for his take on Jacksonville quarterback Blake Bortles - we think. Uh, at least it was different.
When explaining Bortles' attributes, Tierney spoke of the quarterback's presence on and off the field, which includes 'his beautiful fiancé.' Judging by the quizzical/disgusted look on her face, Amy Trask , another TOPS analyst, found Tierney's remark chauvinistic.
She asked what does 'the beauty of a player's girlfriend or fiancé have to do with anything?'
Tierney: 'A man with the confidence to pursue then eventually secure a beautiful woman, well, I feel pretty good about that guy in the huddle telling 10 other guys what to do.'
Why? Is this some new form of fantasy football. Does the QB bring pictures of his girlfriend or wife into the huddle for motivational purposes? Tierney did not reveal whether NFL scouts ask college quarterbacks to produce photos of their girlfriends before the draft. That could trigger another NFL investigation.
Trask was not amused by Tierney's take.
'Wow, wow,' she said. 'I don't even know where to begin with you on this, to quantify a woman. Beauty takes on many forms.'
NOT SO STERLING
During his broadcast career, Sterling Sharpe has been a contrarian. That's a polite way of saying he is a ...
So it's no surprise Sharpe's not going gaga over the Giants performance in Washington Thursday night. When asked, on NFLN's 'GameDay First,' whether the Giants were legitimate NFL East contenders, Sharpe gave a thumbs down.
'No. Right now, no,' he said. 'I haven't seen the consistency. ...I want to see more consistency.'
The bet here is that won't change his mind, either.
FOCUS ON THE FIELD
CONTROVERSY? WHAT CONTROVERSY?
For the first time in three weeks, the pregame shows were all about the game and not about off-field situations surrounding it. Not even a mention of Ray Rice , domestic violence or the future of Roger Goodell.
Gloria Allred didn't even get face time.
Those in charge of the NFL Network's 'GameDay' pregame show, whose analysts did not offer many opinions on the scandals, must have been breathing a sigh of relief. They did not have to deal with controversy. They also had Richard Sherman in studio to glom their airtime.
The way Michael Irvin & Co. fawned over Sherman made it seem as if he was their boss.
Or a future threat to take their job.
SACK THAT
Fox's Johnson obviously has no sympathy for Peyton Manning.
During a debate on whether the OT rules should - again - be changed (to give a team a chance to match a first-possession touchdown), Johnson said there would be no debate if a superstar QB was not involved.
'Opportunity? He (Manning) had 60 minutes of opportunity,' Johnson said, referring to last Sunday's Broncos-Seahawks game in which Seattle took the OT kickoff down the field for the winning TD. 'He had plenty of time tio win it in regulation.'
Agreed.
BARBER CHOP
Rob Riggle , Fox's alleged pregame funny bone, can be cruel.
Why else would he say: 'Retiring from the NFL has its perks. It allowed Michael Strahan to live out Tiki Barber's dream.'
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