The animosity is tinted with green and white, blue and red. It has involved players, coaches and front-office executives, and it has lasted through different regimes, extended deep into the postseason. It has included The Big Tuna and Little Danny Woodhead. It has involved Gisele Bundchen and Michelle Ryan. It has incorporated “Hard Knocks,” slouches, resignations and ring-kissing — or lack thereof.
For the Jets and Patriots, who own one of the most intense rivalries in sports right now — and have for quite a while — it is pure hatred. Here’s a closer look at The Animosity:
THE BLESSING IN DISGUISE
Tom Brady has thrown three passes in his year-plus NFL career, but on Sept. 23, 2001, in Week 2 of his second season out of Michigan, Brady is forced into action. That’s because Jets linebacker Mo Lewis crushes Patriots QB Drew Bledsoe with a vicious fourth-quarter hit, knocking him out of action with internal bleeding. Brady finishes 5-for-10 for 46 yards that day but becomes the Pats’ full-time starter and legend.
THE REJECTION
After working as Bill Parcells’ defensive coordinator and head coach-in-waiting for three years, Bill Belichick is set to become the Jets’ head coach in January of 2000. But Belichick jilts the Jets, resigning as “HC of the NYJ” one day after he is promoted. He heads to the Patriots, creates a dynasty and has haunted the Jets since. Worse, former Jets coaches Charlie Weis and Romeo Crennel eventually join Belichick’s staff, and Scott Pioli, Parcells’ son-in-law no less, leaves the Jets’ front office to become the Patriots’ player-personnel genius.
THE CASTOFFS
Four days after the Jets release him early this season, sprite running back Danny Woodhead signs with the Patriots. It is hardly looked at as a big deal ‹ the 5-foot-8, undrafted Woodhead had produced totals of 15 rushing attempts and eight catches in two years with the Jets. In 14 games with New England, he racks up 547 yards rushing and 379 yards receiving (on 34 catches) and scores six touchdowns.
More than a decade ago, the Patriots also had gone after another Jets reject ‹ Pete Carroll was the Jets’ head coach for one year (1994, going 6-10).
Three years later, he is hired as the head coach for the Patriots, lasting three seasons in New England.
THE ACCUSATION
In 2006, the Patriots accuse the Jets of tampering with wideout Deion Branch, whom New England ultimately trades to Seattle. The NFL clears the Jets the next year. Branch is back with the Patriots, and the former Super Bowl MVP has become integral as Randy Moss’ replacement.
THE TUNA
After coaching the Patriots to a Super Bowl appearance in 1997, Parcells bolts New England and is hired by the Jets as a consultant, with Belichick serving as a temporary place-holder because Parcells isn’t allowed to be the coach. The Patriots protest — owner Bob Kraft is quoted as saying, “I don’t like the way the Jets do business” — but the NFL allows Parcells to coach the Jets, awarding the Patriots four draft picks from the Jets as compensation.
THE SLOUCH
Darrelle Revis (widely considered the NFL’s best cornerback) and Randy Moss (one of the NFL’s greatest all-time receivers) have memorable one-on-one battles throughout the 2009 season. Revis holds Moss to four catches for 24 yards in their first meeting, then five catches for 34 yards and a touchdown in their second. In the offseason before this year, Revis calls Moss a “slouch” in an NFL Network interview.
THE DECLARATION
Letting everyone know he won’t be intimidated, Jets coach Rex Ryan declares on WFAN that he didn’t come to Gang Green to simply “kiss Bill Belichick’s rings.” Ryan then goes out and wins his first game against the Patriots in Week 2 of the 2009 campaign.
THE SHOTS
Last week, Ryan takes an unprompted poke at Tom Brady, saying that the star quarterback “thinks he” studies as much as Peyton Manning. This week, Ryan adds that he took issue with what he believes is Brady’s celebratory pointing after touchdowns, calling it “Brady being Brady.” Ryan also cracks of Brady going to see a play the night of the Jets-Colts game, “Peyton Manning would have been watching our game.” During the week, Shaun Eills says to The Post that Brady “was taunting us” in the Jets’ 45-3 loss a month ago, and Antonio Cromartie is quoted elsewhere calling Brady an expletive.
THE STEAL
After one year with the Jets, Parcells and now-general manager Mike Tannenbaum pull off a superb swipe, signing splendid running back Curtis Martin away from the Patriots for six years and $36 million. Martin becomes the Jets’ all-time leading rusher, receives induction into their Ring of Honor and is a finalist for the Hall of Fame.
THE PROTÉGÉ
The rivalry takes a turn in 2006, when then-Patriots defensive coordinator Eric Mangini leaves to take the Jets’ head-coaching job, though Belichick urges him to reject it. This results in friction between the two, and after a game against each other the next season, Belichick offers Mangini a dead-fish handshake. In Mangini’s three years in New York, the Jets go 2-5 against the Patriots, including a playoff loss.
THE SPYING
After the Patriots maul the Jets in the 2007 season opener, the Patriots are found guilty of breaking NFL rules by videotaping Jets coaching signals. The incident is dubbed “Spygate,” and the Patriots are penalized by the league.
They’re fined $750,000 overall ($500,000 for Belichick and $250,000 for the team) and lose a first-round draft pick. The fine amount for Belichick and the draft pick revocation are unprecedented.
THE HIRES-FOR-INFO
Every time the Jets and Patriots have an upcoming game against each other, one team seems to sign a former player from the other that week, presumably to nab opposing secrets and game-plan info. Among the temporary hires: Kevin O’Connell, Ray Ventrone, Marques Murrell, Victor Hobson, Hank Poteat, Shawn Crable and Otis Smith.
THE OBSTACLE
The Boston Patriots are on the verge of appearing in Super Bowl I back in 1966, but on Dec. 17 at Shea Stadium, the Jets topple them, 38-28, ending their season. Joe Namath throws for 287 yards and three touchdowns, and Emerson Boozer (117 yards) and Matt Snell (124) both pass the century mark on the ground. Each also scores a touchdown.
The Patriots have gotten some postseason revenge for that day, beating the Jets in wild-card games in 1985 at Giants Stadium, 26-14, and 2006 at Gillette Stadium, 37-16.
THE TURN-OFF
The Jets are featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” this preseason, and Tom Brady can’t be less interested in watching it. Says Brady to WEEI, “I hate the Jets, so I refuse to support that show.”
THE INJURIES
Coming off an appearance in the AFC Championship game, the Jets enter the
1999 season thinking they can win it all. Not quite. In their season opener against the Patriots at the Meadowlands, Vinny Testaverde ruptures his Achilles’ tendon and is lost for what turns into an 8-8 season with Ray Lucas and Rick Mirer at the quarterback helm. Seventeen years earlier, Joe Klecko had ruptured his patella tendon in a Week 2 game vs. the Patriots.
THE COMPARISON
Ryan is joking — probably — but he compares his wife, Michelle, to Tom Brady’s wife, Gisele Bundchen, one of the most famous women in the world.
Ryan points out his wife in an NFL ad in In Style magazine, saying, “I’m also married to a supermodel.”
THE ALLEGATION
On the heels of the Sal Alosi punt-wall scandal, the Jets indicate that the Patriots were building sideline walls as well. Says special teams coach Mike Westhoff, “Were they teaching it? I have no idea. When they punted, were they back? Yes. When the other team punted, were they up tighter? Yes.
Absolutely. You can look at it. . . . I’m not accusing the Patriots of doing something wrong, maybe they are doing something smart.”