Always looking for an edge in the ultra-competitive NFL, New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan decided to phone a friend during this ongoing NFL lockout, and dialed up none other than former Washington Redskins coach Joe Gibbs for advice. Via the NY Post:
"I called Joe Gibbs," Ryan said, according to the team's official website. "When they went through some work stoppages, the last two times the Washington Redskins won two Super Bowls. So I figured that would be a good guy to call."
As any Redskins fan can tell you, Gibbs and his Washington teams won both Super Bowl XVII and Super Bowl XXII after strike-shortened seasons. Seems Rex Ryan put two and two together and figured the coaching legend might be a good place to start. And what advice did Joe give Rex when he rang?
"He said take this time to get better," Ryan said of Gibbs. "Take time to gain an advantage on your opponents and whatever you think that is. He gave me some ideas and I followed them to a tee."
Solid advice, sounds very much like something Gibbs would say. Jets fans must be happy their head coach is not sitting on his laurels while the players and owners fight it out, instead choosing to pick the brains of a coaching great who has been through not one, but two, work stoppages.
Which makes me now wonder, who has Mike Shanahan called during this lockout? Miss Cleo, perhaps?