Sports Illustrated’s Don Banks has taken an interesting stance on Darrelle Revis vs. the New York Jets.
He says that, in the end, Revis will win this confrontation. Why? Because the Jets have given him all the cards.
I’ve come around to that way of thinking because whenever I talked to league sources about the Revis holdout over the course of the past three or four weeks, the near unanimous opinion offered was that in time the Jets would cave and meet most of his demands.
Why? Because when you step back and assess the dynamics of this stand off, one thing becomes abundantly clear: New York, wearing its win-now sense of urgency for all to see on its green and white sleeves, needs Revis more than Revis needs New York.
Normally that’s not the case in terms of how much leverage one key starter holds over a club’s season, but these are far from normal days for the glory-seeking Jets. This is a team that’s hellbent on getting it done — and we’re talking the whole enchilada, not just another step up the playoff ladder — in 2010.
Given all that has been invested in the Jets taking their best possible shot at winning a Super Bowl this season, how could they do anything but somehow find a way to satisfy their best player? Getting everything but Revis done and back on the field this year would be like planning an elaborate surprise birthday party for your spouse and then forgetting to buy a cake. That should have been one of the first steps, not the last.
I have to agree with Banks on this one. With all their bluster, and with everything the Jets have riding on making this a ‘Super’ season, they can’t afford to have Revis watching on television rather than defending his Island.