No mobsters, no bar-room brawls ... you call this a Jets QB drama?
Quarterback drama is part of the franchise's DNA, from Joe Namath's
diva days to Geno Smith's broken jaw. The current situation? It's hardly
unique for the Jets. Yes, Ryan Fitzpatrick's
prolonged contract standoff and the suddenly crowded quarterback room
are making headlines across the country, but nobody is talking about
mobsters or bar-room brawls -- two storylines from previous quarterback
soap operas. Uncertainty at the game's most important position has
clouded many an offseason and preseason.
In the summer of 1969, a
few months after the Jets' one and only Super Bowl victory, Namath
tearfully announced his retirement at a news conference inside a
Manhattan nightclub called Bachelors III. He was a part owner of the
popular Upper East Side hangout, which attracted organized-crime
figures. That concerned the NFL, so commissioner Pete Rozelle told
Namath he'd be banned from playing unless he sold his interest in the
club.
Rather than submit to Rozelle's demand, Namath, only 26 and
rebellious, quit football. He was the biggest name in the sport, so you
could imagine the fallout. It would be akin to Stephen Curry saying
goodbye to basketball after the playoffs.
After weeks of intense
speculation, Namath returned to the Jets, agreeing to surrender his
stake in Bachelors III. As it turned out, he threatened retirement in
1970 and 1971 as well, with many speculating he simply wanted to save
his famously bad knees from the grind of training camp. Contract
squabbles may have been a factor too, along with his fledgling career in
Hollywood. Let's see: A love scene with Ann-Margret or two-a-day
practices? Not a tough decision.
(ESPN.com)
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