Rex Ryan doesn't take the bait in response to President Obama

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on August 03, 2012 at 1:46 PM, updated August 08, 2012 at 1:25 PM
rex-ryan-new-york-jets-0803.jpg.JPGPresident Obama isn't a fan of the Jets' two-quarterback system. Rex Ryan's tame reply is that he respects Obama's opinion.

CORTLAND, N.Y. -- The old Rex Ryan would have taken the bait, telling President Barack Obama he'll see him next year, after the Jets win the Super Bowl.

The new Rex Ryan? He bit his tongue -- maybe literally -- and issued a demure response to Obama's skepticism over the Jets' two-quarterback plan.

"It shows how popular our game really is," Ryan said. "Every single person has an opinion, and it seems like they have an opinion on our football team. But it’s amazing, this is the president of the greatest country there is, and he’s talking about the New York Jets football team. I’ll say this, I respect President Obama, and I respect the fact that this is his opinion."

That's it?

"That's it," Ryan said, grinning.

A reporter tried again, knowing this is the same man that, in his introductory press conference as Jets head coach, declared his team would be visiting Obama in the White House as Super Bowl champions.

"Don’t get going with the president comments," Ryan said. "You know me."

Obama told 97.1 The Fan Thursday that he would be "pretty nervous" if he were a Jets fan, wary of a quarterback controversy between Mark Sanchez and Tim Tebow. He praised both quarterbacks but believes the situation will create "a lot of tension."

Ryan's response to external skepticism is that the Jets are a team, with a "clear-cut" starting quarterback, Sanchez, and an "athlete and a special talent," Tebow, giving them a dimension to their offense other teams don't have.

When the Jets first traded for Tebow in March, Ryan said he could play as many as 20 snaps per game. Yesterday's goal-line work, in which Tebow scored three touchdowns, was a reminder of the situational weapon he can be. Now that the Jets have worked on his package of plays, how often does Ryan think he'll be used?

Ryan hopes to keep opponents guessing, saying other teams won't know if they should expect Tebow on two or 20 or 50 snaps.

"All I know is they have to prepare for him, and I know what that does to your preparation time," Ryan said. "When you start running the Wildcat and what that does, you can't just slough it off. A lot of coordinators will be like, 'Oh, it's no big deal.' Yes it is. You really can't tell that lie, because I have been there in your shoes."

He added: "If you don’t prepare, then Tony (Sparano) is probably going to run it 50 times on you. And that's just the way it is. The great thing about our team is we just want to win, and if that means we have to run it 50 times, that’s what we’ll do. If we don’t have to run it, then maybe we don't."