"It beats me why they're here," said head coach Rex Ryan. "Everyone knows I like to talk a big game publicly, but I'm not an idiot. I know football. And this team has almost nothing going for it. Major issues at quarterback, no elite talents at the offensive skill positions, an aging and overrated defense. Those are the facts. There are so many other, better teams out there that should be talked about before us. I guess it just goes to show you how little the sports media knows about football."
Yet the Jets' impending lousy season has not prevented reporters being stacked five and six deep along the perimeter of every practice.
"At first I thought they were here to make fun of me and Tim [Tebow]," said quarterback Mark Sanchez. "But it seems they're covering us as an actual story. Like we'll actually have an impact on the 2012 NFL season beyond giving wins to a lot of teams. It's insane. Hopefully they'll move on when we're 1-4 in early October and let us lose in peace."
Yet not every Jets player is confused by the media attention.
"For whatever reason it is like this everywhere I go, so I just try to use it as an opportunity to give all the glory to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," said backup quarterback Tim Tebow, taking off his shirt. "Look at these pecs Jesus gave me."
Media coverage of Jets training camp should only grow in 2013 when Sanchez and Tebow will be joined in camp by a rookie quarterback the team will have drafted with their early 1st Round draft pick.
"That's going to be crazy," said Sanchez. "A three-way quarterback battle in the New York media market? I wonder if Rex will have been fired by then. Probably so. Too bad. He deserved to have a good quarterback at some point during his time here."
