Bob Raissman: Jets' Woody Johnson is running NFL's most entertaining reality show

Bob Raissman, New York Daily News on Jan 11, 2025

Published in Football

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NEW YORK — While Woody Johnson is on the receiving end of much ridicule from assorted VOS Gasbags and mouths from other media precincts, he is rarely given credit for presiding over the NFL’s most entertaining reality show.

Johnson has even surpassed Jerry Jones. His production of “Dallas” works off a predictable script while Johnson runs a fun house with trap doors. He shocked the jock world by firing Robert Saleh on Oct. 8. Six weeks later he pushed the button on GM Joe Douglas’ ejector seat.

Now, that’s showbiz.

Yet, serendipity also sticks to the Jets owner. Stuff that fuels the chaos but is beyond his control. Like Rex Ryan, a perceived confidant of Johnson, using his ESPN platform to regularly hype his own candidacy for Gang Green head coach.

Ryan’s blatant campaigning is done at the expense of other football analysis he should be delivering. ESPN brainiacs have no problem with this blabbermouth because, in essence, Ryan is making news (totally slanted to benefit him) on a variety of ESPN platforms.

Is this Woody’s fault?

Then there is Mike Tannenbaum. Johnson hired the former Jets GM’s company to conduct his search for a new head coach and general manager. Tannenbaum also works for ESPN. So, on the Jets story he is conflicted up to his eyeballs. He can’t tell the truth because it would jeopardize his Jets consultancy. Again, ESPN doesn’t care because the situation makes them a direct “player” in the Jets reality show. The Bristol Faculty has not taken Tannenbaum off the air, right?

Moving (far) up the celebrity ladder we get to the star of Johnson’s Follies, Aaron Rodgers. Did anyone listen to what Fox’s Joe Davis and Greg Olsen had to say about Rodgers during the fourth quarter of the Jets win in the finale against Miami?

The two (emotional) voices verbally wrote the quarterback’s football obituary. If you had any doubts about whether Rodgers was playing in his last game, they were erased by the hearts-and-flowers sendoff Davis and Olsen gave him.

While the Fox broadcasters have no idea what Rodgers intends to do, they only added another storyline(s) to carry Johnson’s carnival into and through the offseason: Will Rodgers (who is still under contract to Gang Green) be a Jet in 2025?

That will be the first question asked during the new coach and GM’s introductory press conference. It will also be the question Ambassador Johnson is asked if he decides to talk to Jets reporters. So, until Rodgers makes a decision, or the Jets make it for him, the Hall of Fame bound QB is the leading man in Woody’s production.

There are also co-stars like: Garrett Wilson, Davante Adams and Sauce Gardner

They are passengers on Woody’s unpredictable caravan. It’s a tour with a twist, which has NFL pontificators howling at the moon. Johnson, whose team just finished the season 5-12, dared to applaud the Jets for winning the Miami finale.

“I don’t care about anything else, but a win at the end was good,” Johnson said. “They played well. They didn’t give up. Everybody showed up. We did some really nice things. I’m proud of the guys.”

While others — those who invented football — reacted to this with a disdainful “What?” Johnson again showed he’s familiar with some axioms of show business: Always leave them laughing.

Or in this case, crying.