Friday Notes
Edition #1207: Not a lot is happening, but Geno is in more trouble after a speeding ticket.
Good Morning ☕
I’ve really enjoyed working on the World Cup, but I would be lying if I said it hasn’t taken a toll in terms of my sleep schedule. As I approach my 38th birthday on Monday, I’ve come to the realisation that working through the early hours of the morning is for far younger men and women, so I’m rather pleased that the next World Cup will be held in Europe in 4 years.
Saying that, I think the US has been an outstanding host. Everything I’ve heard has been nearly universally positive. I never like to talk politics here, but I think events like the World Cup and the Olympics show that we’re not as divided as some people like to make us think we are. People from Europe, North America, South America, Asia, Africa and Oceania all coming together is always the best part of this event.
We’re getting to the business end of the tournament and while I’m looking forward to seeing who comes out on top, I’m also ready to get back to a normal routine and have some actual Jets football to talk about!
Geno Smith stopped for Speeding
While we wait on more news relating to the serious allegations made about Smith earlier this off-season, it was revealed that the Jets QB was stopped on Monday for going 75mph in a 40mph zone.
Shared by Rich Cimini on the Jets collective:
“There’s another development relating to Geno & I want to make sure we put this in the proper context because in a vacuum it would be no big deal, but given what allegedly happened a few weeks ago, I guess it all goes into the story.”
So while I understand what Rich is saying, this is not Geno going 5 or even 10mph over the limit. He was going 35mph over the limit, almost double.
This goes beyond the responsibility of being a famous athlete and QB for a NY team. Geno is a father, and going 75mph through a 40mph zone shows a complete lack of care and awareness.
He’s fortunate that the only result was being pulled over by the police and being given a $400 fine.
In my mind, Cimini is underplaying this. This could have ended a lot differently and if you’re currently being investigated for battery under some serious allegations, it’s probably a good idea to keep your head down, rather than fly through a 40mph zone.
We heard that Geno had matured. His charachter had evolved. But right now I see the same guy who got sucker punched for $600 by a teammate back in 2015.
Three Key Storylines
NFL.com recently released a piece on the Jets three biggest storylines heading into training camp:
Is the Jets defense better?
Geno Smith’s return
Can the Jets feed off the Knick energy
While the article is worth a read, I’m not sure it truly reflects the main talking points heading into camp.
The Jets defense finished with 0 interceptions and were ranked 31st in scoring defense, you can’t get much worse than that. They will have up to 8 new starters on the team, they have added leadership at all three levels and they’re now being run by a seasoned play-caller in Aaron Glenn. I don’t think it’s a question of if the Jets defense will be better, more how much better will they be?
We spoke about Geno above, and right now he’s causing more headaches. But if he is cleared of his legal issues and Frank Reich can tailor his offense to Geno’s skillset, he could at least keep us competitive. The Jets have weapons on the offensive side of the ball, more so than the Raiders did last year and they certainly have a better offensive line. But for Geno to make an impact he needs to be on the field, and right now that’s no guarantee.
As a Knicks fan, winning it all was incredible. But feeding off it is another thing for a team who haven’t won it all in over 50 years. Nobody really expects the Jets to compete for a title this season, that will come in 2027 or 2028 depending on where the chips fall for a QB next off-season, but at the same time they can take some comfort and hope from the Knicks process.
On the point of sports bringing people together, it is a great point between countries. I spent my career traveling with an international company and could not believe how much togetherness it created when we teamed with teammates in other countries on business opportunities. Breaking bread and actually working with each other brought so much good will and harmony. Only country I did not go to was Russia - so corrupt that it’s very hard for any U.S. company to do business in Russia. The Middle East was actually an incredible experience. Sports does this too. When people actually connect, amazing things can happen.
Only caution on Geno is that if this happened in Florida, there are many 3 lane highways with 40 mph speed limits that are extremely easy to go 75 mph without creating any danger. They do it because they are within city limits. I have no idea of the details of the incident - just throwing some caution out there.
As you approach your 38th OMG David you are still just a baby. My kids are older than you but I will agree that on the occasion I have long days and late nights recovering is much more difficult than days long past. Geno needs to get it together. I will say not knowing where he got his ticket but know some about driving in Florida there are area where the speed limit drops from 70 to 45 or less in a very short distance and in some areas there are even billboards warning of speed traps.