Joe Namath is the only link the New York Jets have to any form of championship or Super Bowl conversation.
Namath and the Jets aren’t on the best of terms, and the New York legend doesn’t have a rhyme or reason for it. During an appearance on the Rich Eisen podcast, Namath said his “relationship with the Jets is clumsy and awkward right now.”
“Clumsy, awkward. Expressing myself and giving my opinions … none of us when we’re in position to be critiqued, if it’s not good we don’t like to hear it,” he said. “And I know it’s been uncomfortable for the Jets, Mr. (Woody) Johnson, Rex or whatever. It’s uncomfortable for me, it has been for me since I’ve been around and noticed a subtle change in our relationships.”
Namath then gave his opinion on the state of the Jets as a franchise.
“I wish (Ryan) would just say it was wrong — ‘I made a mistake,’ ” he said in that unmistakable Namathian drawl. “But instead he was talking about the competitive feelings of wanting to win. That’s just beating around the bush. My man made a mistake, Rich!
“You do not put your quarterback in there in that situation, not the guy that is probably going to be your starter behind a makeshift offensive line in a preseason game,” Namath added. “Come on. There was no rhyme or reasoning to that.”