EDITORIAL. PHOTOS BY AP NEWS
The legendary Bill Parcells once said, “you are what your record says you are.”
And while on the surface that saying might be brain-numbingly obvious, and as empty as Al Davis' heart, Tuna just may have been on to something. As of their Thanksgiving Day performance, the New York Jets boast a record of 9-2, good for first place in the AFC East.
Following last season’s run to the AFC Championship game against the Indianapolis Colts, the Jets have been the media darlings of the National Football League. Rex Ryan is always good for a quote (or two), and the team’s antics constantly have even members of the media in stitches. And then there was their appearance on HBO’s Hard Knocks series -- talk about exposure.
Living in Boston, it’s not rocket science to see that the New England Patriots have entrenched themselves as the toast of the town.
The numbers speak for themselves. Three Super Bowls in a four-year span. Four appearances in the big dance in the past decade. If we flash forward to the present, New England has put up more than respectable numbers this year, carrying an identical win-loss record as New York.
Patriots fans -- and while we’re at it, a lot of the media -- will be inclined to remind outsiders that New England’s record is identical to the Jets; even going so far as to imply that Rex Ryan’s team has gotten by on dumb luck.
Let’s face it: the Jets are not a perfect team; then again, no one else is either.
