SIGN OF TROUBLE: Jets fans got their wish yesterday with the firing of general manager Mike Tannenbaum, but the organization continues to give off the stink of circus stunts and mismanagement. (Charles Wenzelberg/New York Post)
(
)
An insidious virus has engulfed the Jets for too long, and it must be cured or the step-right-up circus dysfunction and 6-10 seasons will keep coming — like the periodic fevers and nausea their fans experienced this season.
The virus — call it organizational arrogance — has been rotting the Jets franchise from the inside out, and it was on display yesterday as clear as another Mark Sanchez pick-six when owner Woody Johnson fired general manager Mike Tannenbaum and announced the move via a 248-word, five-paragraph canned statement.
Not only did Johnson, who is retaining head coach Rex Ryan, not make himself available on the day he fired his most trusted executive of the last seven years, but the Jets inexplicably canceled Ryan’s scheduled afternoon press conference.
VOTE: WHO SHOULD THE JETS BRING BACK IN 2013?
So, one day after the Jets’ miserable season ended in a pathetic 28-9 loss at Buffalo, not a single member of the franchise’s hierarchy was made available to reporters to show accountability for the 6-10 mess they delivered this season.
This on a day when seven head coaches were fired around the league and several of them spoke to reporters after they were canned.
I have a longtime Jets fan friend who has become so disgusted by the direction of the franchise he coined the term agnorance — combining arrogance and ignorance — which fits perfectly at the moment.
Shame on Johnson and Ryan, the so-called champions of transparency and “nothing to hide,’’ for cowering in their offices on a day that begged for them to be visible and accountable. And if they were advised by someone to clam up, shame on them for not dismissing the bad advice.
“Organizational decision,’’ was the only reason given by a media relations official for the cancellation of Ryan’s press conference. It would have been better termed “disorganizational decision.’’
Only the Jets can make a significant organizational maneuver that happened to be the right move and screw it up.
Johnson and his key management people should ask Giants owner John Mara to allow them to spend a week at the Timex Performance Center to observe and learn how a professional operation is run. They quickly would learn humility, accountability and class work a whole lot better than what was exercised at Florham Park yesterday.
Tannenbaum, a good man and a tireless worker who cared deeply about his job, needed to be let go, but not this way, not with his owner cowering behind a lame prepared statement and with his “transparent’’ head coach invisible.
Tannenbaum let too many valuable role players leave because he believed he could replace them as easily as buying another gallon of milk at the convenience store. He tossed away
too many draft picks to trade up to get players he coveted and then too many of them did not pan out. Too few of his draft picks have stuck with the team as key contributors.
He let the roster erode, particularly at the offensive skill positions, which ended up being the team’s downfall this season.
Tannenbaum’s final two — and most egregious — gaffes were the ones that finally cost him his job. First, he gave Sanchez an unnecessary contract extension that is now choking the team’s salary cap (the floundering quarterback is owed $8.25 million guaranteed in 2013). Then he traded for Tim Tebow. You know how that worked out.
Now the Jets, with the help of a head-hunter firm, seek a new GM to come in and inherit Ryan and a team that looks as if it will be replacing all three of its coordinators and might not have an NFL-quality quarterback on the roster. That’s a highly awkward predicament.
Two potential GMs they already have contacted for interviews are 49ers director of player personnel Tom Gamble and Giants director of scouting Marc Ross.
Gamble, because of his widespread experience in the league (he coached with the Jets, has been a scout and has done contracts and worked the salary cap), is considered one of the hottest candidates in the NFL and would be a good catch for Johnson, who desperately needs to find a cure for what ails his franchise and put an end to the organizational arrogance.
mark.cannizzaro@nypost.com