After the news today that the NY Jets had changed strength & conditioning Coach Sam Alosi's suspension to "indefinite" status following the admission that Alosi had ordered several inactive players beside him to form a blockade line, the BTPC gained this exclusive interview with Alosi.
BTPC: Do you recall why you put players in a line?
ALOSI: I'm sure I don't. I have many men in my charge, 'Pine, I make them stand in many lines.
BTPC: Do you recall an incident involving a blockade line with the Miami Dolphins and Nolan Carroll?
ALOSI: Yes.
BTPC: Did you report the line to the proper authorities?
ALOSI: I have two books at my bedside, 'Pine, the NFL Player Code of Conduct and the King James Bible. The only proper authorities I'm aware of are my Head Coach, Rex Ryan and the Lord our God.
BTPC: Did you report the Miami blocking line to your superiors?
ALOSI: I remember thinking very highly of Coach Westoff and Coach Ryan and not wanting to see their images tarnished by a formal charge of systematic cheating.
BTPC: You preferred it to be handled within the unit.
ALOSI: I most certainly did.
BTPC: Coach Alosi, do you know what a Code Red is?
ALOSI: Yes I do.
BTPC: Have you ever ordered a Code Red?
ALOSI: No, I have not.
BTPC: Did you order those inactive players to make sure that no Dolphin gunners would have room if forced outside?
ALOSI: That is a distortion of the truth. Those players were simply watching the game action, only during kicks, in a uniform fashion, side-by-side, as close to the white line as possible. I assure you that at no time were they trying to in any way effect Mr. Carroll's ability to cover that punt.
BTPC: I'm sure it was lovely for Mr. Carroll, but you did order those players to form that line and you did stick your knee out and trip Mr. Carroll.
ALOSI: Yes.
BTPC: Wouldn't this form of coaching be considered a Code Red?
ALOSI: Not necessarily.
BTPC: If I called the other 31 teams in the league and asked them to testify, would they call it a Code Red?
ALOSI: 'Pine, I believe in God, and in his son Jesus Christ, and because I do, I can say this: Nolan Carroll tripped and that's a tragedy. But he tripped because he had no code. He's tripped because we have no honor. And God was watching.
After the above, we secured the following interview with NY Jets Head Coach Rex Ryan:
BTPC: Coach Ryan, prior to the game against the Miami Dolphins, you had a meeting with your Special Teams Coach and your Strength & Conditioning Coach, is that right?
RYAN: Yes.
BTPC: And at present, Coach Alosi is indefinitely suspended without pay and has been fined an additional $25,000 dollars, is that right?
NY Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum: Surely you didn't ask for this interview for Coach Ryan to confirm that information.
BTPC: I just wasn't sure if Coach Ryan knew that the NY Jets organization had thrown one of his assistants completely under the bus. But I'll move on. Coach Ryan, at the time of this meeting, you gave Coach Westoff an order, it that right?
RYAN: I ordered Westoff that Carroll was not to be touched.
BTPC: And did you give an order to Coach Alosi as well?
RYAN: I told Alosi to tell everyone to stay away from the sideline.
BTPC: Why?
RYAN: I felt Nolan Carroll would be in danger if our players were too close to the sideline.
BTPC: Grave danger?
RYAN: Is there another kind?
BTPC: Coach Ryan, we have in our possession two playbooks, the NY Jets playbook and the NY Jets Special Teams playbook. Both of these two playbooks make no mention of the sideline blockade line.
Tannenbaum: I don't understand, you have two playbooks that prove a play that never existed?
BTPC: We believe it did. *Glancing over at Danny Woodhead and David Clowney* We're prepared to call Danny Woodhead and David Clowney, both former NY Jets players who played on the special teams units for the Jets.
RYAN: This is ridiculous.
BTPC: Coach, a moment ago...
RYAN: Check the playbooks for christ's sake.
BTPC: We'll get to the former players in just a minute. A moment ago, you said that you ordered Westoff to order the men not to touch Carroll.
RYAN: That's right.
BTPC: And Westoff was clear on what you wanted?
RYAN: Crystal.
BTPC: Any chance Westoff ignored the order?
RYAN: Not a chance.
BTPC: Any chance Westoff ignored the order?
RYAN: Ignored the order?
BTPC: Any chance he just forgot about it?
RYAN: No.
BTPC: Any chance Westoff left your office and said, "The fat man's wrong."?
RYAN: No.
BTPC: When Westoff spoke to the team and told them not to touch Carroll, any chance they ignored him?
RYAN: You ever played on a NFL team, son?
BTPC: No sir.
RYAN: Ever played special teams?
BTPC: No sir.
RYAN: Ever held hands with three other players and formed a wedge as 250 plus pound men running like missles came flying at you?
BTPC: No sir.
RYAN: We follow orders son. We follow orders or people lose their jobs. Are we clear?
BTPC: Yes sir.
RYAN: Are we clear?
BTPC: Crystal.
BTPC: Coach...I just have one more question before I call Danny Woodhead and David Clowney: If you gave an order that Carroll wasn't to be touched, and your orders are always followed, then why would he be in danger? Why would it be necessary for Alosi to order the players to keep away from the sideline?
RYAN: Nolan Carroll was a sub-standard gunner. We had to keep players from the sideline because...
BTPC: But that's not what you said. You said they had to stay away from the sideline because Carroll was in grave danger.
RYAN: Yes...that's correct, but...
BTPC: You said, "He was in danger." I said, "Grave danger." You said--
RYAN: Yeah, I know...
BTPC: I can have the transcript read back to you...
RYAN: I know what I said. I don't need it read back to me...
BTPC: Then why the two orders?
*silence*
BTPC: Coach?
RYAN: Sometimes men take matters into their own hands.
BTPC: No sir. You made it clear that your men never take matters into their own hands. Your men follow orders or people lose their jobs. So Carroll shouldn't have been in any danger at all, should he have, Coach?
RYAN: You little bastard.
BTPC: If Westoff told the players that Carroll wasn't to be touched, then why did the players have to keep back from the sidelines?
*silence*
BTPC: Westoff ordered the Code Red, didn't he? Because that's what you told Westoff to do.
Tannenbaum: Object!
BTPC: And then when it went bad, you two cut Alosi loose. You doctored the playbooks. I'll ask you again: You ordered...
RYAN: You want answers?
BTPC: I think I'm entitled to them.
RYAN: You want answers?!
BTPC: I want the truth.
RYAN: You can't handle the truth! Son, we live in a world that has games. And those games have to be coached by men with guts. Who's gonna coach those games? You? I have a greater responsibility than you can possibly fathom. You weep for Carroll and you curse the NY Jets. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know: that Carroll's trip, while tragic, almost helped us win the game. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, almost wins games. You don't want the truth, because deep down in places you don't talk about parties, you want me on that sideline, you need me on that sideline. We use words like sideline, blocking, players...we use these words as the backbone of a life spent cheating. You use them as a punchline.
I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and cheers the very games I lose, then questions the manner in which I lose them. I'd prefer you just said thank you and went on your way. Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a headset and coach a game. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you're entitled to.
BTPC: Did you order the Code Red?
RYAN: I did the job I was hired to do.
BTPC: Did you order the Code Red?
RYAN: You're goddamn right I did!
