ORLANDO, Fla. — Jets owner Woody Johnson confirmed to The Post yesterday that he met privately with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell days after Johnson’s incendiary statement blasting the league over the new Meadowlands Stadium coin flip.
Johnson, who is attending the annual league meetings that officially begin today, wouldn’t describe his face-to-face with Goodell except to claim both sides have put the controversy behind them.
“I think we’re moving forward,” Johnson told The Post when asked Goodell’s reaction. “We’ve got a lot of [issues unrelated to the controversy] both pending and future that will come up, so we’re good to go.”
Johnson has been in hot water since last Tuesday when he released a statement blasting the NFL for holding a secret coin toss that ultimately decided the Giants would play host to the first regular-season game at the new $1.6 billion stadium.
Johnson confirmed to The Post that a handful of other owners had mentioned his surprisingly blunt public criticism of the NFL when he spoke with them at the league hotel yesterday.
“A couple of [owners] mentioned it, but I haven’t heard any negative comments — but maybe it’s selective hearing,” he said, smiling.
League sources say several owners were irate over Johnson’s statement last week and might try to punish him by denying the Jets and Giants their joint bid to play host to the 2014 Super Bowl.
Johnson scoffed at such speculation, describing it as a leap of logic that would end up undeservedly punishing the Giants, too.
“The Super Bowl stands on merit,” Johnson said. “You’re not going to take it away because on something unrelated. That wouldn’t make any sense.”
In line with similar comments from the Giants, Johnson said there is no bad blood between the teams over the coin flip. He also said he remains confident the joint bid to bring the Super Bowl to New York will be approved by fellow owners when the vote is held in late May.
Despite reservations over the possibility of the first snowy Super Bowl, New York is considered the frontrunner over Tampa and South Florida for 2014 after Arizona pulled out of the bidding last month.
“I’m not presumptive in any way of the other owners, that’s for sure, but it’s a strong location, and the fact it represents two teams in a self-financed stadium would add to the allure of doing it in New York,” Johnson said.
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Johnson and Rex Ryan both told The Post yesterday that the Jets are likely to vote against the proposed modification of the NFL’s postseason overtime rule when it comes up this week.
“It’s working pretty well the way it’s going now,” Johnson told The Post yesterday. “We’re going to look at it until the final moment, but as of right now, we’re kind of leaning toward keeping it the way it is now.”
Giants co-owner John Mara is in favor of the change, which would allow the team that loses the coin toss to get a possession in OT in the playoffs if the other team doesn’t score a TD on its first drive.