Todd Wright of NBC Miami did a fine job of catching readers up on the war of words raging between Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder and Jets coach Rex Ryan on Tuesday. In case you missed it, though, here's a quick recap.
It started when Crowder mentioned Ryan during an interview last Friday: "He's going absolutely nuts. I know it's his first chance to be a head coach, and I know he's excited about life. But, like I said, I've never played a football game in June in my whole life. So congratulations to him. He's the OTA, the OTA Super Bowl winner."
Ryan responded during his Tuesday press conference: "I don’t know this Channing Crowder," Ryan said. "All I know is that he’s all tatted up. He’s right about one thing. I’m a first-time head coach, but I’ve been around the game all my life. I'm no different than I’ver ever been, just that more people are listening. I think he’s wrong. You do win in June. You win with your preparation. If I was younger, I’d handle him myself."
Later Tuesday, Crowder fired back: "He says he'd take care of me if he was younger? I'd have beat the hell out of that big old joker. Or if he really wants to get retro, my daddy or my uncle could have handled him. Don't get big. Win with preparation? Start watching some tape and learn who your rival is. Come on now."
And on Wednesday, it was Ryan's turn again: "First off, Channing Crowder had a rebuttal. I love it. The only thing I can say is, and let's see if he can top this one: I've walked over tougher guys going to a fight than Channing Crowder.
And it is offically on! Parsing exchanges like this to find out who's right and who's wrong is useless. It's best to just sit back and enjoy the ride. Even if things quiet down for a while, there's sure to be a renewal of animosity before each of the games the two teams play during the season.
Ryan's addition to the Jets and his eternal willingness to say what's on his mind is just one reason why this promises to be a wild and crazy year in the AFC East. The Dolphins have a massive chip on their shoulder about a perceived lack of respect after winning the division in 2008, and Terrell Owens will surely keep Buffalo more interesting than it has been in ages.
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And, of course, there's the Patriots. They've been installed as favorites with Tom Brady back in the saddle, and have some scores to settle themselves. That makes for 12 games worth viewing and a season's worth of chattering to help set the stage.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City and is a contributor to FanHouse.com and ProFootballTalk.com in addition to his duties for NBCNewYork.com.
