02-27-2019, 03:44 AM
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. - From the moment Rex Ryan first strolled through the door, it was clear things would be different around the New York Jets.He was a larger-than-life character with a mouth that matched his size and swagger, starting with his declaration at his introductory news conference that his team would soon meet the president as Super Bowl champions.It never happened for Ryan and the Jets, and the losing eventually outweighed everything else, as owner Woody Johnson fired the popular and sometimes-controversial coach after six seasons on Monday, along with general manager John Idzik.While Ryans coaching decisions and no-holds-barred approach were often criticized, he could never be accused of being boring. Here are just a few of the seemingly endless entertaining moments that made Ryans time as Jets coach one of the most-talked about NFL tenures in recent memory:HERES REX: It took Ryan only a few seconds into his first news conference to win over Jets fans with talk of winning Super Bowls, fielding a tough team and changing the way outsiders looked at the franchise. The message to the rest of the league is, Ryan said, hey, the Jets are coming, and were going to give you everything weve got, and thats going to be, I think, more than you can handle.LORD OF THE RINGS: Never one to back down from a challenge, Ryan made it clear that he was aiming for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots when he declared during a radio interview that he didnt come to New York to kiss Belichicks rings. Well, Ryan won just four of 13 meetings with Belichicks Patriots, who were AFC East champions during all six years of Ryans tenure.WHOOPS: Ryan mistakenly announced the Jets were out of the playoff hunt in 2009 moments after they lost to Atlanta. Only problem? New York was still alive — barely. The Jets won their last two games of the season to squeak into the playoffs and go on the first of two straight runs to the AFC title game.SNACK TIME!: Ryan and the Jets were naturals on HBOs Hard Knocks in 2010, and the colorful coach delivered perhaps the line of the entire documentary series during a team meeting the night before a preseason game. Upset by his teams lack of professionalism on the practice field, Ryan lit into his players with an expletive-laced tirade — he had quite a few of those — and capped it by demanding everyone eat a snack.REX-PLICIT: Ryans foul mouth got him into plenty of trouble. After flipping off a fan at an MMA event in Miami in 2010, Ryan was fined $50,000. He shouted a profanity while walking off the field in New England the next year and was fined $75,000. Ryan got docked $100,000 earlier this season when he shouted another expletive to someone on the field at the end of the Jets win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.PERSONAL MATTER: When suggestive online videos surfaced in 2010 that appeared to feature Ryan and his wife, gossip and entertainment news outlets flocked to Florham Park to ask the coach about them. Ryan, clearly embarrassed, repeatedly replied: Its a personal matter, while never confirming or denying whether he and his wife were in the leaked videos.TATTS ALL: The coach showed up for the first day of training camp practice in 2011 sporting a tribal-style tattoo on his right calf, something he got while he on vacation in Hawaii earlier that summer. Turned out, Ryan was only getting started. While on vacation in January 2013, Ryan was photographed with a tattoo on his right arm featuring his wife wearing a Mark Sanchez No. 6 Jets jersey.SKINNY REX: Tattoos werent the only thing Ryan changed on his body while with the Jets. The once-portly coach weighed nearly 350 pounds during his first season, but he underwent Lap-Band surgery in March 2010 and has lost over 110 pounds — and counting — since.WIGGING OUT: Rex Ryan pulled off a perfect Rob Ryan, making fun of his twin brother during a news conference in 2010. With the Jets preparing to play the Browns, for whom Rob was the defensive co-ordinator, Rex walked to the podium wearing a blond wig, Browns baseball cap and T-shirt and stuffed a pillow under his shirt to imitate his brothers ample stomach. He then answered questions as if he were Rob: I think Rex is a great coach and I think hes a great person. Theres no question about that. Hes very handsome.SOON-TO-BE CHAMPS: Ryan often boasted that he believed the Jets would win a Super Bowl. During training camp in 2010, he put his guarantee in writing when he scribbled Soon to be Champs on ESPNs tour bus in Cortland, New York. Well, the Jets finished a win from the Super Bowl that season, and fans are still waiting.RUNNING WITH BULLS: Ryan spent part of his summer vacation in 2013 running from angry bulls, participating in the running of the bulls at the San Fermin festival in Pamplona, Spain. Ryan was photographed wearing white pants, a red T-shirt with a picture of a bull in the middle — with the words Bad Toro printed underneath — and a red bandanna around his neck.SIDEWAYS: Ryan was peppered with questions regarding his doomed decision to replace Geno Smith by putting Sanchez into a preseason game in the fourth quarter in 2013 — which resulted in the quarterback suffering a season-ending shoulder injury. An angry and defiant Ryan turned his back to a reporter at one point. I can say anything I want. Thats the beauty of this country. I can answer it 100 times. Ill stand backward and answer the question. Im going sideways.___AP NFL website: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP_NFL Wholesale Air Max 720 . Chris Johnson singled with two outs off left-hander Jerry Blevins (1-1), and Schafer pinch ran. With a 2-2 count, Schafer ran on the pitch and Upton dropped a single in front of Bryce Harper. Schafer already was rounding third when Schafer bobbled the ball. Cheap Air Max 720 Sale . Assistant coach Glen Gulutzan said Thursday that Edler, who played Tuesday in Nashville, is out indefinitely. http://www.cheapairmax720freeshipping.com/. 5 Trade Deadline is drawing closer and teams will be deciding on whether to buy or sell. Air Max 720 Free Shipping . Now the Minnesota Vikings have set their sights on soccer. Cheap Air Max 720 . In a matter of days, he went from unwanted to wanted, from fired to hired, from discarded by the Philadelphia Eagles with reputation tarnished to rock star treatment and a new fat contract from the Washington Redskins.MILWAUKEE -- Marcus Thornton knew he was getting a second chance with the Nets and he made the most of it in just his third game with his new team. Thornton scored 12 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead Brooklyn to a 107-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. Brooklyns Kevin Garnett missed the game with back spasms but wasnt needed as the Nets never trailed in the second half against the NBAs worst team. Thornton, playing in his third game for Brooklyn since being obtained in a Feb. 19 trade with Sacramento, came off the bench to make 8 of 13 from the field to help the Nets finish their seven-game road trip 4-3. "Im coming to a team with all these veterans, that know how to win, that have championship aspirations and have championships under their belts already, and a coach that has a championship, too," Thornton said. "I knew it would be a great situation." The 6-foot-4 guard signed a four-year, $31.2 million contract with Sacramento in 2011, but averaged only 8.3 points while shooting 38 per cent in 46 games for the Kings this season. Nets coach Jason Kidd wanted to see whether Thornton -- criticized by Sacramento coach Michael Malone for his defensive play -- could step up offensively and defensively at the end of games. "I want to find out coming down the stretch defensively can guys count on him, and then offensively can we count on him," Kidd said. "We know he can shoot the ball, put the ball in the basket, but coming down the stretch can he make plays? "This was a great opportunity to see that after a long trip, he stepped up," Kidd said. Milwaukee coach Larry Drew said his team struggled defensively, allowing 42 points in the paint. "Just too many defensive mistakes," he said. "Bad rotations. Going into the game one of the things we wanted to do was really try to affect them down on the block." Andray Blatche added 19 points and 13 rebounds for Brooklyn, including eight points and 10 rebounds in the fourth quarter. Jason Collins, who signed a 10-day contract with Brooklyn last Sunday, was held scoreless in 8 minutes. Khris Middleton and Ramon Sessions scored 16 points apiece for Milwwaukee.dddddddddddd. "We didnt get the stops we needed," Middleton said. "We let them get so many things too easy. Our room for error is very small." Brooklyn has gone 18-8 in 2014 after opening the season 10-21. The Nets (28-29) play Chicago at home on Monday night with the chance to get back to .500 for the first time since being 2-2 on Nov. 5. "I dont think we have to concentrate on that right now," Andrei Kirilenko said of getting to .500. "We have been playing pretty good games. We need to stick with our game plan. Thats the only thing." The Nets play seven of their next 10 games at home, where they have won 10 of their last 12. Thornton hit a pair of 3-pointers, Paul Pierce made another 3 and Blatche scored on a putback as Brooklyn used an 11-6 run to open a 100-91 lead with 2:46 left. "I kind of felt disrespected because he played so far back," Thornton said with a laugh of Milwaukees Jeff Adrien while talking about his fourth-quarter jumpers. "It was one of those things. I tried to make the shots when the opportunity presented itself." Milwaukee never got closer than six points the rest of the game. Mirza Teletovic hit a 3-pointer to cap an 8-2 run opening the fourth quarter, giving the Nets an 85-74 lead with 10:04 left in the game. The Bucks then had an 11-4 run to pull within 89-85 on a pair of free throws by Giannis Antetokounmpo before Thornton sparked the Nets down the stretch. Brooklyn used a 20-11 run to open the second half and took a 75-64 lead on Joe Johnsons 3-pointer with 4:27 to go in the third quarter. Deron Williams scored 13 points in the first half and the Nets took a 55-53 lead at halftime. Brooklyn took the lead for good, 43-40, on Thorntons 3-pointer with 7:29 to go in the second quarter. NOTES: Rookie Mason Plumlee made his third start for Brooklyn, scoring five points in 11 minutes. ... Garnett has missed six games for rest, but this was only the second one he missed due to injury. ... The Bucks honoured former player Junior Bridgeman, whose No. 2 is retired by the team, in the fourth quarter. ... Milwaukees Zaza Pachulia has missed 21 of 26 shots in the teams last five games ' ' '