Back Off of Darrelle Revis

May 24, 2012; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets defensive back Darrelle Revis (24) stretches during organized team activities at their training facility. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-US PRESSWIRE

All right everyone. Let’s talk about this situation for a few minutes. Specificially, the Darrelle Revis situation. Actually, the “situation”, because we really don’t have a problem yet. All we have are words. Words that Darrelle maybe should have chosen better? Sure. But we don’t have a problem right now.

We have one isolated interview, with a vague comment. That is it. What I want to do is really listen to the content of that interview, and see what is going on around it. Then, I have a subsequent video I want you to watch.

First, the footage of the comments that started all of this “commotion”:

Click on the following link: Revis in Locker Room

Next I want you to take a look at this next video, an interview that Darrelle did late in the day with Brian Custer on SNY for the TV show “Wheelhouse”, please click on the following link to see that interview:

Revis on Wheelhouse

Now, everyone, especially in the mainstream media, is taking the face value comment, that he won’t commit to coming directly in to training camp. I agree, he did not do that. Darrelle did not come out and say “I will be there for the first day of training camp.”, which he could have done. But, look a little bit deeper into the locker room thing.

He had just come out of practice, and was being bombarded with the same question, repeatedly. He has had to deal with this question before, and now he had to deal again, especially with Rich Cimini. Now I like Rich Cimini’s work, but he and his colleagues are beating a dead horse a bit. It is still a while before training camp, and he is getting hammered with the same questions.

No he didn’t say definitely that he would be in on time, but he didn’t guarantee a hold out either. Listen to his words “I’m not saying anything”, “You keep picking at the same thing”, “Why do I have to answer that with you?” These are answers not from a man trying to say he won’t come in, they are from a man frustrated that wants to talk about football. His answer was “Right now, I’m getting ready for the season.” The writers could have left it at that, but no. Cimini kept hammering. Finally Darrelle said “I don’t know, that’s all I’m saying”. To me, he was trying to put Rich off.

Haven’t we all said something in the heat of frustration, that maybe wasn’t the best answer, just to get someone to leave us alone?

To get to the real heart of the problem, listen to the Brian Custer interview really carefully, as he gets to the heart of it. He directly asked Revis, what his issue with his contract is. Darrelle responded by saying that there “really isn’t any issue”. That doesn’t sound like a guy who is giving serious consideration to a holdout right now. He went on to say that he is 2 years into a four year contract, and he is playing under that contract right now. He said that he is concentrating on football, and his representatives are working to get him a long term deal.

These are honest answers, folks. He is not guaranteeing a holdout, he is saying he is concentrating on football right now. There is no problem with that answer. No, he didn’t guarantee coming in on time, but he didn’t say it wouldn’t happen either. If the beat writers had allowed him to elaborate, maybe they would have gotten a similar answer. But the badgering went on instead.

Furthermore, Revis talks with Custer about the possible repercussions to his reputation if he holds out again. He alludes to the fact that he received some of the worst messages ever via Twitter and Facebook. He came off genuinely upset about how the fans thought about him, and that he doesn’t want to go through that again.

Let’s not get carried away. He didn’t guarantee his appearnce on day one, but didn’t dismiss the possibility either.

What is my point this morning?

Don’t get me wrong, I am not advocating Revis to hold out. In fact, I would be totally on the team’s side this time if he holds out again. It would be totally selfish on his part to do so.

The point, is, don’t take one comment, made in the heat of frustration, as the selfish act in and of itself.

The Jets have enough issues this offseason that actually are occurring. We should not make a big deal out of a situation that might happen.

Back off of Darrelle Revis. This is not a problem yet. Give him grief when it IS a problem, not when it MIGHT be a problem.

Unless of course, we want to drive him to hate NY so much that this:

goes to another team after his contract runs out.