Thanks for the history lesson. Though I lived through that and heard bits and pieces, I never heard all the stuff you mentioned. With this kind of "palace intrigue" going on - and apparently had been going on before and then after - I'm not surprised the Jets went on to be a sea of dysfunction for decades. The problem has never been the coaching or GM or players, although they were part of the problem, it's always been the ownership.I guess if you pay hundreds of millions of dollars for something you're entitled to play with it, but all that money doesn't mean you have the aptitude for it. It's no coincidence that team with good owners have had sustained success.
I lived in FL at the time it was during the summer of 1993 - the " pooper " also cracked the headstone. I remember all the nonsense talk and I found it hard to believe a person would do that simply because he was a fan of another team - we're not talking about Shula himself it was his wife who really stayed out of the limelight. It was most likely a loser vandal who recognized the name. By the early to mid nineties Shula was not exactly a God anymore in South Florida. Fans did begin to turn on him and I knew of somebody who was a neighbor of his who claimed Shula's house was pelted with eggs annually every Halloween......
Man, I guess I'm getting to this late. I wanted to respond to each post! Great stuff. The only two things I'll add is that I had a chance to meet a current NFL scout who had worked for the Jets, and what he told me about what happened after the Miami disaster corroborates the Kensil attack on the plane story. Prior to working for the Jets, Jim Kensil worked for the league offices, so Walt's tirade focused on his son. I suppose Walt assumed Jim Kensil was still close with those "out to get him" (even though he now worked for the Jets) as well as with Shula. The other part of all this that made me laugh was the bit about the phony phone call to the locker room as halftime being placed by a Queens bartender who had bet on the Raiders. That reeks of the sweet smell of 100% pure bullshit - but I love it. C'mon! Somebody made that up. But it also has inspired me to call the Patriots locker room at every halftime going forward, to speak with Belichick. Never thought to do that! Sourshoes, where are you???
Thanks ...yeah the early 80's sticks in my memory of a talented football team that just couldn't get over the hump. I always wonder what would of happened had Michaels been retained.... Most of the information was in a couple of books written about those teams...Nose to Nose a book about Joe Fields and Joe Klecko and the book that long time beat writer Gerald Eskenazi wrote Gang Green and Thirty Seven Years of Deflating Football...or something like that. Good Reads.....one piece of info I remember reading perhaps the most bizarre: The Jets boarded the plane to fly back to NY after winning the Super Bowl and actually forgot to bring the trophy. They had to send a staffer back to the locker room to get it........
If you want to know more about Walt Michaels or that time, find Gang Green from Gerald Eskenazi or Sack Exchange from Greg Prato...the latter book in particular has some interesting anecdotes about the '80's teams. Neither of those books were written recently though (the Eskenazi one was a history of the Jets book but it was written in the mid '90's).
Yes all of this is correct - only the Jets. I think the door knob was the excuse used the day before the game but in reality he arm wrestled Klecko. ( Bad idea ). Robinson managed to lead the Jets to a FG with about a minute remaining and yes his thumb by now was aching and figuring the game was over ripped off the bandage in celebration. The Browns moved into tying FG range thanks to a tipped bomb and a roughing the passer penalty on Mark Gastineau ( ironic huh ? ). There is a video of the NBC game broadcast circulating around and the broadcast shows Michaels absolutely livid on the sidelines clenching and unclenching his fists and exhaling in anger.......you can clearly see this temper of his and on this occasion who can blame him? The Jets literally handed the Browns the game....
It was during the Summer of '93, sounds like a camp fire tale or before a ship is about to capsize, hahaha. I came up with an odd fact that someone else confirmed. I am the Queen of weird third grade Social Studies facts, by the way. Go ahead, ask me anything. I can sort of go with pelting Shula's house on Halloween. . . kind of . . . secretly . . . in the dark. OK, broad daylight.
I had forgotten about that fumble, Tom. Thanks for reminding me. I was so pissed at the time I could have put my foot through the TV. If that damn ref had been there in my presence, I think I might have killed him I was so angry. That was an obvious cheat. No one is that blind.
I have always wanted to know what went happened on the plane ride home. I have heard that Michaels for lit on the ride home but NONE of the players or anyone has ever gone into detail as to WHAT HAPPENED on the plane . Until I read this thread I had never known that Todd was not on the plane home I would love to know what happened there ? Michaels was a very good coach and we got jerked that day in Miami , I remember that game like it was yesterday. That team would have won the Super Bowl they had talent.
I think Todd was simply embarrassed by his poor performance and wanted to disappear quite frankly........what happened on the plane was the final straw for Michaels fate. I guess suggesting to officially protest the game and then after being told no by your boss ( Kensil ) - threatening to kick his ass did the trick. But the seeds were sown in the locker room of the L.A. Coliseum after he went off about the phone call directly in front of Leon Hess who just stared at him in disbelief......
I was living in LA and at the game before the Mud Bowl second best Jet game I attended home against Jax in 1999 was the best. Both sent us to AFC championship game. I have heard many of the stories before, but not all the details. Keep in mind in 1982 there was no internet, no social networking, ESPN was in its infancy etc. Fans were not privy to all the everyday happenings and drama in sports like we have today. You really
Michaels is alive and well. 'Xs and O's Dont Mean I Love You' is a great read. Connie Nicholas Carberg, the first female NFL Scout. She said get Gastineau. They did. Maybe she needs to get re-hired.
You really? You really WHAT?! C'mon, guy, the suspense is killing me! You can't leave me hanging like this! In a thread that has political intrigue, government plots, airplane shenanigans, dysfunction, drnking, drugs, death threats, and pooping on graves, this is what you give me?! I want my money back!
Those 2 playoff games before the mud bowl were some great wins. Man, we kicked the Bengals ass in. Second year as a season ticket holder, I had the postcard from the Jets to pick up my super bowl tickets at there Ny office if we won the game. That's the last time I will get that close, I know it. DAMM!!!
