Forget about the other New York Jets. The prior MetLife locker room skippers are child’s play in comparison to Nick Mangold to the Giants.
Kareem McKenzie started it all.The outstanding right tackle for the New York Jets decided to skip locker rooms during the summer of 2015. He took his hefty talents to the blue side of East Rutherford and joined the New York Giants, later helping them to not one, but two Super Bowl championships.
This is why McKenzie started this trend. Of course, there were others before him that changed locker rooms while maintaining the same home address, but he did it in a way that led to gold for one side.
Today, as we get together while speaking about McKenzie, the topic has gotten completely out of hand.
This offseason has seen both Brandon Marshall and Geno Smith change colors from green to blue. An offseason ago saw Damon Harrison do the same.
Now, suddenly, a new name is being bandied about as the latest Jet to turn Giant — the name of Nick Mangold.
Former Jet Willie Colon is the person responsible for this thought. He mentioned the possibility on his show, the Dan Graca & Willie Colon Show on 98.7 ESPN New York earlier this week.
“There are rumbles of Nick Mangold right now. Rumbles,” Colon said. “He’s probably the smartest guy I’ve ever played with. . . Him going to be a Giant would be tough. That’s something I don’t think Jets fans could swallow. We’ll see.”
Should Mangold find his way to the other side of MetLife, every Jet fan you know needs to immediately be placed under 24-hour-a-day suicide watch.
B-Marsh, Snacks, Geno … that’s all child’s play in comparison to Mangold.
Nick Mangold is one of the greatest Jets to ever don the uniform. He is, arguably, the greatest Jets offensive lineman of all-time. In 164 games, Mangold earned himself seven Pro Bowls and two 1st-Team All-Pros. Alongside Kevin Mawae, he’s the best center to ever play for the green and white.
Now that Mangold, 33, is a free agent after the Jets notified him of his release, the possibility of signing on with the Giants is a clear one. Weston Richburg is a terrific center the Giants won’t be looking to move away from, but Mangold, understanding his skill-set, would work at guard no problem. He’d also work for less than market value.
In just two years in New Jersey, Brandon Marshall’s actions spoke louder than his words. He was a terrific citizen while compiling one of the organization’s most prolific receiving seasons. Fans instantly fell in love.
The same can be said for Damon Harrison, to a lesser more workmanlike degree. Fans understood just how underrated and invaluable the man they called “snacks” was to the team’s vaunted defensive line.
Even still, those two individuals skipping town for the big brother is all child’s play in comparison to Mangold — a novice thought and action. The man just wasn’t a Jet for a few seasons. He is a Jet, through and through.
While it’s only a rumor Willie Colon mentioned over the airwaves, the recent pattern of Jerry Reese scooping up Gang Green’s talent is tried and tested. Therefore, there’s no need to go crazy just yet.
If this rumor does start to grow legs, however, all bets are off. The already long offseason and 2017 regular season Jets fans were faced with will further intensify to the umpteenth degree.
Oh, the pain — a phrase only fully comprehended by Jets fans.
