Jets’ Rex Ryan Won’t Acknowledge Wife’s Foot Fetish Videos
With the New York Jets trying to focus on nothing except making the playoffs this year, attention is once again diverted off of the field and into more personal matters.
Earlier this season, the NFL was investigating claims by Jets’ game hostess, Jenn Sterger that Minnesota Vikings quarterback, Brett Favre, sent her racy messages and photos when they were both on the Jets squad.
Now, coach, Rex Ryan, is the center of attention. The media wants to know whether or not his wife, Michelle, has posted foot-fetish videos on the Internet.
During a conference call with reporters from Chicago and later at in his own news conference on Wednesday before their game against the Chicago Bears, Ryan did not deny any reports that there are a number of videos on the internet
that shows a woman, who has a striking resemblance to Michelle, showing off her feet while the cameraman, who sounds like Ryan, talks to her.
When reporters asked if these reports could snowball into something more, Ryan replied:
"To be honest, and I get it, I know you need to ask and all that stuff. But it's a personal matter and I'm really not going to discuss it, OK?"
Ryan said that whether or not there were any videos of such an incident is a personal matter between him and his wife. He would not say anything more to elaborate.
At the press conference, he was asked again and again about the videos and replied over and over that, “It’s a personal matter.”
Reporters also asked if the video incident was taking away from the team’s concentration for their upcoming games against the Bears, which they need to win to make the playoffs.
"I'll be ready to coach Chicago, and I am ready," he said. "It's my job and I'm focused on the job at hand."
But are the rest of the Jets behind him?
"I don't know how to answer," Ryan said. "I would think I would have support. We're 10-4. I think we're playing pretty well."
When asked straight out if he and his wife were the subjects of those videos, he would not clarify the simple yes or no question.
"I understand I'm going to get asked this question frontways, sideways, backways, and all this, but it is a personal matter," he repeated.
When asked how his wife is doing, Ryan said, "My wife's beautiful. We've been married for 23 years. She's awesome."
A still image from one of the videos in question made the front page of a prominent newspaper in New York, showing a woman, believed to be Michelle, with her feet hanging out of an SUV.
In the video, she is then approached by someone off-camera who says to her that she has “really beautiful feet.”
Other videos show her sitting on a couch, reading a book and having a drink, while another shows her rubbing her feet on a porch.
Mike Tannenbaum, general manager of the Jets, said that he fully supports Ryan with the statement he made on Wednesday.
"Woody [Johnson] and I have met with Rex," he said. "This is a personal matter, and he has our full support."
Jets owner, Woody Johnson, has scheduled a news conference on Thursday, but not because of Ryan’s video allegations. The topic of the press conference was to be about suspending the Strength and Conditioning coach, Sal Alosi, for
tripping Miami Dolphins player, Nolan Carroll.
Several players said that they had seen the report about the videos, including Jets cornerback, Darrelle Revis.
Revis said that Ryan did speak to the team about the situation during last Friday’s team meeting.
"His message this morning was, you know, he said, 'You guys might know about this Internet situation, some of you guys might not know.' He said, 'You'll find out later on today.' He said, 'Right now, I feel embarrassed. ... Right
now, we need to focus on Chicago," Revis said.
Another player, who wished to remain anonymous, said that Ryan referred to the report in the meeting as "an embarrassing family matter."
The Jets will play against the Bears on Sunday, December 26th at 1:00 PM ET.
Stay tuned!
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