IK Enemkpali inadvertently became a New York hero today
Jets fans should be thanking their embattled former player, not for punching someone, but for sparing them another season of false hope.
I really apologize for everything right now, if it’s unclear at all, man
They got my mouth wired shut for like I dunno, the doctor said like six weeks
Y’know he had, I had reconstructive surgery on my jaw
I looked in the mirror and half my jaw was in the back of my mouth, man, I couldn’t believe it
-Kanye West, “Through the Wire”
New York really hasn't been the same since Kendrick Lamar's "Control" verse. It looked like the stars had finally aligned for the Jets: Tom Brady's four-game suspension, LeSean McCoy being shamed out of having his pre-camp orgy that would have definitely motivated him to an incredible year, and Ryan Tannehill still existing in some capacity as a quarterback. Jets fans even flew a plane banner over Gillette Stadium poking fun at DeflateGate. Nothing could possibly go wrong, this was their year.
But you know the Jets can't catch a break. Well, except if you're Geno Smith who just got put on the physically unable to perform list under the designation of "glass jaw." According to reports, the QB put his finger in the face of IK Enemkpali during an argument, and the linebacker then proceeded to enforce the proverbs of the prophet Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson on "Patiently Waiting":
”... shouldn’t throw stones if you live in a glass house/
And if you got a glass jaw you should watch your mouth/
Cause I’ll break your face”
It's all fair game once that red jersey's off. Unfortunately Enemkpali was released for an act of rage that is an unintentional act of kindness. Beyond defending one's honor, all he did was save the Jets and their fans from another heartbreaking season. Now they don't have to worry about another false dawn. Nothing says "Go home and be a family man" more than seeing Ryan Fitzpatrick as your starting quarterback.
To be clear, arguments should never come to blows. Violence solves nothing beyond the release of frustration. This incident has cost the linebacker his job and Geno Smith six to 10 weeks at his as well. On a humanistic level, it’s a disaster for both sides and if given the chance to change the situation, there’s no denying that both parties would have reacted differently. This went entirely too far.
But now that the punch can't be taken back, the outcome actually benefits Jets Nation. Isn't it better that Jets fans can now go out and enjoy Sundays with their families rather than crushing beer cans in anger as Smith scrambles into pressure while Brandon Marshall runs wind sprints down the field? Were they really excited to see Smith throwing mind-boggling interceptions that would make Jay Cutler shake his head and ask what was Smith thinking?
Enemkpali even saves Smith himself from another year of public criticism. It can’t be easy as a young quarterback to read about your failings after every game, or to turn on the TV and watch analysts laugh at your inaccuracy. Now Smith can use this time to relax, go out with his friends, maybe even learn to fish. The world is his oyster. He has to have other passions, this is a perfect time to explore them away from the limelight.
More teams should follow in the Jets' self-sabotaging footsteps after this incident. Rather than putting on the facade of a rebuilding year or even fighting your identity as an abyss of a football team, just encourage some preseason intrasquad confrontation. Look, Josh McCown is going to be under center in a few weeks over-throwing Dwayne Bowe and Brian Hartline. I'm not saying, I'm just saying. Is that really what Browns fans want to go through? You know the team is going to finish with a 4-12 record. Wouldn't your Sundays be more fun spent at a waterpark than watching McCown get sacked every other play?
Now, because Enemkpali is a man of the people, Jets fans can take this time to rediscover old hobbies. Always wanted to write a book? Now you have 16 weeks to do so. Yes, Smith is out for six to 10 weeks, but by the time he comes back, the team will probably be in the middle of a full-on mutiny. And it’s not as if he’s the one who’s going to lead them to the promised land. So take this time and explore your talents and become a better person. Donate blood. Run a marathon. Perfect the technique of holding tears back at sports bars as playoff teams are announced and the Jets are nowhere to be found.
The burden of having to expend energy every week on a team that disappoints every year is now off your shoulders. And it’s all thanks to IK Enemkpali doing what so many other defensive players had thought about doing after watching Geno Smith lead an immaculate three-and-out drive.
The man is an inadvertent hero and should be seen as such.
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