Monday, December 29, 2008

Punt, Pass & Kick

Those three words apply to Mike Francesa's Mike'd Up show last night. Let me explain:

PUNT: Mike obviously spent the most time on the Jets. However, you never heard the words "collapse," "disgraceful," or "choke." Instead Mike told you all about the two key plays in the game - a Pennington TD and a Favre pick. He talked a lot about the inadequate play of the Jets defensive backs. He told you that Favre was bad. He told you the team didn't look like it had any life with six minutes left in the game. But what Mike really did was he punted away responsibility for declaring this Jets season an utter collapse. He wasn't going there. He has had no problem doing that to the baseball team that calls Flushing home. But Mike instead wanted to focus on the Jets DBs.

PASS: Eric Mangini? Did he do a poor job the final five games of the season? Did he reside over a team that was once 8-3 and in Mike's words "a lock for the number two seed"? Did that same team collapse against a weak schedule and stunningly miss the playoffs? Was Mangini in charge of all of that? The answer is yes, but from watching Mike'd Up last night, you would have never known. To say that Mike gave Mangini a pass might be the understatement of the year. Mike thought there was a 50/50 chance that the Jets bring him back. But what Mike didn't do was offer HIS opinion of what the Jets SHOULD do with the head coach. Now, anyone who has followed Francesa for years knows that Mike NEVER has an issue giving his OPINION. So why didn't he offer one up last night? Simple. He knows that he would look foolish. He wants Mangini back. He wants him back for selfish reasons. He wants to be the guy three years from now that says "everyone wanted Mangini out, but I supported him, just like Coughlin and now look where he is..." He wants to give that speech. In order to give that speech, he needs Mangini around for another year or two or twenty. But even FRANCESA couldn't come on the air last night and say that. I mean earlier this week, he told us for the head coach to stay the Jets had to come out and "crush" the Dolphins. Not win a tight game by a point or two. Dominate them. Throw everything including the kitchen sink at Chad. Show ownership that you want to fight for the head coach. Well, that didn't exactly happen, and while much of the blame certainly rests in the hands of number four, isn't the coach accountable? So last night after the Jets did the opposite of what Mike said they needed to do to save Mangini, Mike decided to go easy on Eric. He gave him a bigger pass than Favre has given any of his receivers the past month and a half.

KICK: If you also tuned in to Mike'd Up last night, you were treated to something else that only Francesa can do. In analyzing the game last night, Mike talked about the poor play of Brett Favre, he talked about the awful play of the Jets defense, but he also extended his leg and took a kick at Chad Pennington. In talking about Chad's deep passes yesterday, Mike told you that they were terrible passes, and that he got lucky because the Jet corners misplayed those balls so badly. Now, here's the thing - Francesa might actually be right about that BUT last night was neither the TIME nor the FORUM to be taking swipes at Chad Pennington. Even if those balls weren't the prettiest of passes, he led the Dolphins to the playoffs. Period. He came up to New York in a must-win game and threw zero interceptions. A negative thought should not even be muttered about Pennington. Not once last night did you hear Mike question Mangini's coaching the final five weeks of the season. Not once did you hear Mike call this an utter collapse. Not once did you hear Mike call the Jets a joke (though he did use that word to describe the Cowboys). Not once did you hear Mike condemn the embarrassment that was the end to this Jets season. But you did learn that Pennington tossed some really bad passes yesterday. Kudos Mike. Job well done.

15 comments:

gman26 said...

I can't believe I have to miss MIke's open today. Hopefully he'll be on the same theme later this afternoon. To add to your theory, I think that he wants to take it easy on the Jets because he thinks he has some sort of friendship with Mr. T.

Anonymous said...

THERE IS ONLY ONE MR T. I DONT KNOW WHY EVERYONE KEEPS CALLING THIS FAT WHITE CLOWN THIS.

Anonymous said...

I pity the fool who think Tannenbum deserves to be addressed with a respectful title such as mister. I'll admit I'm a Giants fan who was happy to see the Jets and Pats both fall, but that was definitely a choke job. After the run that team went on, this is not the time to sit back and say they overachieved past the expectations heading into the season. I hope we find out early that Favre is done. I don't need another ESPN Favre-watch while my baseball season is heating up!

Anonymous said...

Also on Mike'd Up last night he said the Jets would ("would" not "should") wait 10 to 14 days to decide what to do about Mangini - and as you pointed out - this, after saying the week before the Jets were playing yesterday to save Mangini's job - which they obviously didn't do!

Rock said...

Mike is a fool. We all know this by now.

I've heard him say the jets choked and collapsed on WFAN but just not on his crappy TV show.

Fuck him.

Sucks that Russo is gone all week. Nothing to listen to.

Bill.... from Hauppauge said...

I CAN'T STAND that he uses "Mr T" for an relative new comer about young enough to be his son. What is that all about anyway. And Dog being off all this time can't be good for business.He is just starting out,should be there every day, to "build his brand." If he says Mr. T one more time.......

Bill.... from Hauppauge said...

He is 17 years younger than you and has been an executive for a grand toatl of 3 years. STOP IT!! GIVE ME A BREAK!!

Bill.... from Hauppauge said...

Where is Dog? What the hell is going on with him? His wife must have put him up to this.

Anonymous said...

Once again Mike has been proven wrong by standing by Mangini only to see him fired today.

Mike needs to realize that sometimes it's ok to go with the peoples thoughts and not always take the opposing view/side.

I completely agree Bill.... It was very uncomfortable to hear Mike call this kid "Mr. T" so many times.

JD

Bill.... from Hauppauge said...

Besides just annoying to hear him say it, what makes it so bad is that in his own arrogant, obnoxious,know it all, self serving mind there is some purpose to it.

Anonymous said...

After reading B from H's dismay I am glad I missed this interview. Did Mike take it easy on him or did he hammer him on Favre and Gholston? That Mr. T sounds more creepy than anything else. I wonder what the personal relationship might be...

Bill.... from Hauppauge said...

He didn't hammer him at all, He was too busy sweet talking him and calling him.......you know what

Anonymous said...

Michael Kay was pretty tough on him earlier (well, as tough as Michael Kay can get) but Francesa basically kissed his ass.

Hope you are all have a great holiday season.

Anonymous said...

I can't believe that. I heard Mike T. going on and on about what a good job Mangini did and then praise Favre for winning 5 more games than last year. Then, pat answer after pat answer about the move away from Mangini. Jets are worse than the Mets. Thank goodness for the NYG.

Anonymous said...

I do not know why anyone bothers watching NBC's Mike'd Up if they also listen to him on WFAN. Hasn't everyone realized that all he does is serve up a dress rehearsal for his Monday afternoon opening? It is a total waste of time, unless you are unable to catch him at 1:00pm on Monday afternoon. But, talk about skating through a show, as he is able to regurgatate everything 14 hours later.