By Josh Katzowitz

When Jets running back LaDainian Tomlinson talked to Showtime’s Inside the NFL and described the New York locker room as the worst he’s ever been in, he was asked about the relationship between quarterback Mark Sanchez and receiver Santonio Holmes.

“Everybody heard about the Santonio and Mark Sanchez kind of beef, so we called it East Coast-West Coast beef,” Tomlinson said. “Santonio being the East Coast from Florida, Mark Sanchez being the West Coast from California. So we poked fun at it being the East Coast-West Coast beef. But in all seriousness, Santonio, obviously, he is a great player. There are some things that obviously he needs to work on as far as being a leader.”

Already, coach Rex Ryan said Holmes would return next season, and Thursday, owner Woody Johnson gave Holmes his endorsement as well.

"I'm concerned, but I'm confident (the relationship can be fixed),” Johnson said, via Rapid Reporter Lisa Zimmerman. "[Holmes] is one of the best players we've ever had here ... One is good for the other."

Johnson said he would consider sitting down with both parties and try to mend whatever rift has grown between the two. He also said he didn’t think Sanchez was too protected or pampered, as Tomlinson claimed in his interview.

“You always take care of your quarterback,” Johnson said. “They probably coddle Tom Brady (and) all the other good quarterbacks in the league as well."

Asked if Sanchez and Holmes could work together peacefully, Tomlinson said, “Whew, that is a tough one.  I would really have to sit down with them and see if they can co-exist, honestly.  I mean that is a decision that I really have to make.  And if I really feel like they can’t, then you have to make a move.”

But no move seems forthcoming. So, it seems like Holmes and Sanchez will have to learn to live with each other for better or worse.



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Sanchez -- and maybe Rex Ryan -- will be out of excuses if he struggles in 2012. (US PRESSWIRE)

By Ryan Wilson

It's been a rough week for quarterback Mark Sanchez, which is saying something because the Jets' season ended ingloriously in South Beach 11 days ago. A quick recap:

* Wide receiver Santonio Holmes quits on team during loss to Dolphins;
* Former Jets player Kris Jenkins says mean things about Sanchez;
* Unnamed players rip Sanchez as "lazy;"
* Jets center Nick Mangold rips unnamed players, supports his quarterback.

And then on Thursday, team owner Woody Johnson, who must feel at times like he's the proprietor of a traveling circus, said that he's never heard Sanchez described as lazy.

Nightmare in New York

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“He’s the first guy in the building every morning and the last guy to leave. So, the last thing he is is lazy," Johnson said during an appearance on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." … "He’s an NFL quarterback. That’s what you expect from an NFL quarterback….I think everybody is a little frustrated.”

Johnson was also asked how the Jets could un-derail the train.

“How do you correct that? That’s alchemy," he said. "Inside the locker room is one of those things that every year is a little different. Thirty percent new players. The fact that we didn’t go to Cortland maybe hurt us… Every team didn’t have an offseason. So maybe it hurt us a little more than some others."

Maybe that's the problem: Johnson thinks sorcery will solve the Jets' locker room issues. That, and doing away with captains should fix everything. But the owner explains that the salary cap and personnel evaluations also play a key role.

“I think the money and rules… The rules prevent you from stocking players and recruiting players the way you can do in some of the college systems,” Johnson said. “Everybody has the same amount of money to spend . So, there’s a certain accountant factor of being a good NFL owner or manager or coach. There’s a risk-reward you have to look at very carefully.”

So while players not willing to go on record are happy to point out that Sanchez is a shiftless layabout, he has the support of his center and his owner.

And now that the metaphorical albatross from around his neck has been removed (at least that's the hope; if Sanchez struggles next season then the Jets will be out of excuses), the plan is to simplify the playbook.

It'll be one of new offensive coordinator Tony Sparano's first acts. ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini explains:

“Look for Sparano to scale back the playbook. Schottenheimer ran a high-volume offense and it overwhelmed Sanchez at times. Sanchez also needs a quarterback coach who can help him better understand pass coverages. Too often he doesn’t know how to react when his first read is covered.”

Maybe that's the problem: Sanchez isn't lazy, he just had trouble understanding what Schottenheimer was trying to do. Sparano, no doubt, will solve everything.

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

With seemingly everything else in the New York City area set to close this weekend – the subway system, JFK airport, my favorite knish stand – as the region prepares for Hurricane Irene, the Giants have announced that their game against the Jets will be postponed until Monday at 7 p.m.

The game had been scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m., but with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo requesting that the federal government declare a state of emergency and President Obama granting his wish, it seemed foolhardy to hold the game in what figures to be nasty -- and potentially dangerous -- weather.

In a statement released by the team, owner John Mara -- who consulted with New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, Jets owner Woody Johnson and commissioner Roger Goodell -- said the decision to move the game was based on “the safety and well being of all.”

Which, of course, is the most important thing of all.

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Posted by Will Brinson

During the lockout, the Jets (along with a number of other teams) came under a lot of scrutiny for their decision to cut salaries, furlough employees and generally pinch pennies.

So it's fantastic to hear that Jets owner Woody Johnson has already told his employees that all the money they lost during the lockout will be immediately repaid.

Per Manish Mehta of the New York Daily News, all team employees who had their wages cut -- including coaches -- will be fully reimbursed for the amount of money docked.

In a sign of just how serious Johnson is with repairing goodwill, the employees were apparently paid before they left the meeting.

"When you leave this meeting, the money will be in your accounts," Johnson told the employees, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.

So that's cool. Also cool? The entire Jets staff got a "fiery, training camp-type speech" from Rex Ryan. (Or, at least about 150 of them, according to Rich Cimini of ESPN.)

No word on whether they all immediately went out and got a &$*%$^* snack afterward, though.

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Posted by Ryan Wilson

For most NFL teams, the ubiquitous "character concerns" are enough to steer clear of a player, whether a draft prospect or a potential free agent. For the Jets, it's a term of endearment to be embraced. At least that's the perception.

Since Rex Ryan was named the Jets head coach prior to the 2009 season, the organization has welcomed with open arms Antonio Cromartie, Braylon Edwards and Santonio Holmes. All former first-round picks, all immensely talented, and all with off-field issues. But not only was Ryan able keep disparate personalities in check, he managed to motivate his team all the way to the AFC Championship Game twice in two years. It's not a personnel philosophy many teams would endorse, but then again, there isn't another coach like Ryan.

Which is why it's not surprising that the Jets may have legitimate interest in wide receiver Randy Moss. On Monday, in a post about potential landing spots for Plaxico Burress, we speculated that the Jets could be in the running for Moss. Stop me if you've heard this before.

NFL Network's Albert Breer writes that between the league rumor mill and divining the words of Jets owner Woody Johnson, "it's not hard to see some reality" in a Moss-to-New York scenario.

"There's no question that Randy Moss has the capability, has the God-given talent to be a superstar, and he has been a superstar, particularly with the Patriots," Johnson told Breer last week. "That's about all I can say about him, other than I admire his skill and what he's accomplished during those years."

Breer reports that the Jets have worked on "scenario development," which is a fancier, pithier way of saying "How we will deal with free agency should the lockout end tomorrow -- because it's going to be Thunderdome-type chaos around the league." It's good to have contingency plans, especially when the Jets have an abundance of would-be free agents, including Cromartie, Edwards, Holmes, and Brad Smith.

But Moss is 34 and his 2010 production suggests that his best days are firmly rooted in the past. And unless he can get his hands on a time machine, his biggest contribution to an offense will be the weekly complaints about not getting the ball. Of course, there were similar claims in 2006 that Moss was done. He had just finished his second season in Oakland and managed 42 receptions for 553 yards and three touchdowns.

The Patriots took Moss off Al Davis' hands in April 2007 for a fourth-round pick and then everyone watched in awe as Moss hauled in 98 catches for 1,493 yards and 23 touchdowns, and New England went undefeated in the 2007 regular season.

The seven-figure question laded with incentives then becomes: is the 2007 Moss still inhabiting the body of a man who looked disinterested and slow in 2010? It's doubtful. Moss is on the wrong side of 30, and his most explosive weapon -- his speed -- is waning. Plus, Mark Sanchez continues to improve as an NFL quarterback, but he's not Tom Brady. On more than one occasion, Moss has shown that his effort level is directly proportional to the number of passes accurately thrown his way. That could be a problem for Sanchez, whose career completion percentage is 54.4. 

Then again, Ryan has a way of getting the best from his players. Maybe he's exactly what Moss needs.

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Posted by Josh Katzowitz

Though the NFL owners meeting that took place in Chantilly, Va., today has broken up, the 10 owners that make up the labor committee have begun another meeting with commissioner Roger Goodell.

We’re closing in on 24 hours before the CBA expires, and it doesn’t appear that anything will stop the lockout train that’s a comin’ down the tracks.

As the 22 remaining owners rushed to their vehicles to get out of town, a few briefly spoke with reporters, including those from the New York Post and NFL.com.

Said Colts owner (and Twitter enthusiast) Jim Irsay: “We're not announcing a lockout or anything like that as of tonight."

He also was asked if he expected a lockout to begin Thursday night: "I don't know. These things change. Don't want to make a prediction."

And this from Jets owner Woody Johnson: "I'm still optimistic and we've still got a few hours to go."

It sounds like the two sides will meet again Thursday, and the federal mediator could call the NFL owners and the NFLPA together tonight for another bargaining session.

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Posted by Pete Prisco

You pay your mortgage, right?

It's easier to do with money coming in, right? Now imagine you're an NFL owner with a huge mortgage on a stadium you helped finance. That owner pays the mortgage on that debt, just like you.

That's why the ruling Tuesday that NFL owners can't have access to the $4 billion in television revenue they were expecting if there's a lockout next season is huge.

District Judge David Doty, who has been a thorn in the league's side in the past with other rulings, overruled special master Stephen Burbank in declaring the league couldn't have access to the TV money next season.

The reason that ruling is a big is because many of the big-power owners, men like Jerry Jones (Cowboys), Bob Kraft (Patriots), John Mara (Giants) and Woody Johnson (Jets), have big debt service on their stadiums.

They have monster mortgage payments.

Without that money, it becomes tough to pay those notes.

The NFL will appeal the ruling to a higher court, but for now this is big win for the players and maybe a big hit for the fans.

A survey of a handful of players showed them to think this was important for their push.

Without that money, you can bet the owners will want a quicker resolution to these talks.

The lockout insurance -- the TV money -- was a bullet in their gun.

Now they have more empty chambers than they thought.

This entry was cross-posted from Pete Prisco's Prisco's Points. For more NFL news, rumors and analysis, follow @cbssportsnfl on Twitter and subscribe to our RSS Feed .

Posted by Josh Katzowitz

This has not been a great year for the NFL if we’re talking about possible sexual harassment charges. First, you had the Inez Sainz mess with the Jets, and now, the league – which has completed a report but hasn’t yet revealed the results – is still dealing with the fallout of the Brett Favre/Jenn Sterger sexting case.

So, you can understand why the former CEO of the Women’s Sports Foundation would say that athletics are a bit behind the times when it comes to cleaning up the potential for sexual harassment.

"The corporate world is 25 years ahead of sports. Sports organizations still tolerate major athletes acting like little boys," Donna Lopiano, also the former University of Texas athletic director, told the NY Daily News. "They are still in the dark on gender issues. There is a desperate need for education."

You might recall that Jets owner Woody Johnson was tapped to pay for a training program for all teams on proper conduct in the workplace after the Sainz incident came to light. Still, according to Daily News article, the league does not have a formal sexual harassment policy.

Hopefully that will change after the Favre/Sterger case is resolved – which could happen as early as next Monday. In fact, Sterger’s attorney, Phil Reese, told Sports Illustrated that Sterger wouldn’t sue Favre, the Jets or the NFL if commissioner Roger Goodell suspends Favre and institutes a sexual harassment program.

From the article:

Lopiano applauded Sterger for insisting that the league develop an anti-sexual harassment program - and said it is something that should have done long ago. She said women face harassment in sports because most organizations' front-office employees are overwhelmingly male.

"It all stems back to the strong sexist nature of sports," Lopiano said. "That is understandable when your workforce is only 10% female."

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