Article on Jets website about Geno Smith doesn't utter the “F” word – NBCSports.com
Getty Images

The Jets may not have moved on from quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, but the team’s official website apparently has.

As noticed by Daniel Kaplan of SportsBusiness Journal, an article on the team-owned publication about quarterback Geno Smith never once mentions the 11-letter “F” word.

The article, which undoubtedly is aimed at unruffling the feathers of frazzled Jets fans by building up the potential performance of Smith, highlights his contention that the game has finally slowed down.

“In my mind, the game is so slow right now. I’m not playing super-fast,” Smith said. “I’m actually taking my time out there. I’m not rushing things. . . . The ball might come out faster, but it’s a result of me actually thinking faster and moving slower with my body if that makes sense. So the release is quick and the ball gets out fast, but to me it’s like everything’s moving in slow-mo.”

Smith also counts his experience last year (which resulted in no additional game experience due to the presence of you-know-who) as a positive.

“I think being able to watch the game from afar, watch how the mechanics of the offense work, game-planning throughout the week, the terminology, how to create different things within the offense — that helps out a ton,” Smith said. “Now you know what to do rather than trying to figure out what do, which is what I was doing myself.”

That’s fine. But how is there not a single mention of the possibility that Fitzpatrick will re-sign and potentially send Smith back to the bench? At a minimum, the possibility that Fitzpatrick may return but not win the starting job should at least have been addressed.

As a result, it’s hard not to wonder whether the article was written solely for the purpose of helping Jets fans get used to the idea that Smith will be the starter, or whether the goal was to apply pressure to Fitzpatrick by creating the impression that the team is ready and willing to move on without him.

Regardless of the motivation, it’s fair to wonder about it because the article was written by a Jets employee and appears on the website owned and operated by the Jets. No matter what anyone who works for team- and league-owned media may say, when the team or the league has bought the canvas and the paint, the final product is going to reflect this reality, directly or indirectly.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
Recommended article from FiveFilters.org: Most Labour MPs in the UK Are Revolting.