Kris Jenkins played for the New York Jets. He works in New York as a member of the media. So he's in a unique position to comment on how much the "noise" surrounding the team affects things.
"I think if the Jets fans knew how much power they had, they might fall back a little bit and not make as much noise," Jenkins told me during my Tuesday visit to Broadcast Boot Camp. "Wherever the mob goes, the organization is going to go."
This is an especially interesting point to make heading into Tim Tebow's first season in New York. Jenkins believes the organization is too responsive to what the fans want. Acquiring Tebow felt like a business move.
"The organization wants to sell tickets. They want to make money, sell merchandise and all of that. If the fans feel a certain way, the organization is going to be accommodating to them to a certain degree," Jenkins said. "That's going to affect how things are working in-house. That's going to affect decisions that are made."
This Jets regime has made a big effort to dominate headlines in New York. They have aggressively tried to grow their fanbase. The approach has largely worked, but we agree with Jenkins that it does have a downside.
All the noise can cloud judgement. With Tebow in town and a restless fan base, the noise is sure to get louder than ever this season.