Gangrene
New York Jets quarterback Joe Flacco says his kids don’t respect him because he plays for the New York Jets
We all know the pitfalls of playing for the New York Jets. You will lose. A lot. You will have your name dragged through the mud by the New York sports media. You will have to pay North Jersey property taxes, win over a new head coach every two to three years, and share a locker with some guy from another NFL team. But of all the downsides to being a member of Gang Green Gangrene, this one might be the worst. Papa Flacco, please take it away.
Flacco is a good sport here. He talks about how his kids tell him he “stinks,” won’t listen to his Little League advice, and generally disrespect his status as alpha and elder all because he plays for the Jets. He says it all with a smile on his face—after all, the man has Super Bowl ring that proves those little sh*ts wrong—but deep down you can tell it cuts him like a dull knife. Telling his kids to choke up on the bat is one thing, but what happens when those little Flaccos grow up and he asks them to have the car back by 11? He won’t be laughing when they pull in at 3 a.m. and tell him to pound sand because he gets his paycheck from Woody Johnson.
This man is expected to be the starting quarterback for Jets come Week 1 (and probably beyond), but behind those weary eyes you can tell the thought of pulling on that green jersey in front of his family makes him actively ill. How many other Jets players have experienced this same phenomenon over the years? Was Revis on an island in his own home? Was Sam Darnold treated like the Son of Sam at the dinner table? Without the same candor that Flacco shows, we may never know, but it’s a cautionary tale for free agents everywhere. We don’t care how much money Joe Douglas is bribing you with, you can’t put a price on respect.