Mike Westhoff Meets With NFL About Tripping Incident

by John B on Dec 24, 2010 9:23 AM EST

Mike Westhoff spoke with league officials regarding the investigation over Sal Alosi's trip.

"I'm not accusing anybody of doing anything wrong, absolutely not," Westhoff said.

Some people seem to think there was no way Alosi acted alone. I'm not sure I understand that sentiment. Alosi is a known loose cannon who has shown a reckless disregard of the rules and player safety. Why wouldn't he put together something so sneaky?

The Jets are going to look very bad if this did in fact come from a higher source, particularly because of the vehement denials. Often a cover up is as bad as the actual crime. My inclination is that it makes sense if Alosi acted alone for these reasons. I'm not sure I believe the Jets are that dumb. I'll reserve judgment until the league offers its own, though. Anything else is just speculation.

*On a side note, can we stop referring to every controversy by adding "gate" to the end of a word like here with "Tripgate?" Watergate was almost four decades ago. Let's find a new term.

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by Crackback on Dec 24, 2010 9:50 AM EST via mobile reply actions

i dont know JB

I find it hard to believe these guys are taking instruction on where to line up on the sidelines from the strength and conditioning coach. I would imagine they would just laugh at the guy if he told them to do anything other than how many reps they had left on their bench set.

by Crackback on Dec 24, 2010 9:55 AM EST via mobile reply actions

why would they laugh?

he’s a coach. he’s a guy the players work with day in and day out, who motivates them to dig deeper and battle within themselves, push themselves harder. even if only as a peer, he’s a guy who is respected. that’s how teams work, at least good ones. players, coaches, they work together.

by SeanI on Dec 24, 2010 12:25 PM EST up reply actions

if that were the case he would be gone.

Hes as significant to the team as a ball boy. Smells like a wrongful termination lawsuit if he gets fired. why? because they told him to.

I may not be the most noble of men but in a town of lepers, im the one with the most fingers.

by Troy O on Dec 24, 2010 2:47 PM EST up reply actions

Exactly. He’s not a coach in a literal sense. He’s not football guy. It would be like the team doctor or the equipment manager trying to tell them to line up. They would probably look at them sideways.

Alosi has authority in the weight room. On the field he has none.

by Crackback on Dec 24, 2010 2:53 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

I hate to say I agree with Crack, but I agree.

Westoff is a proven tinkerer. He’s also a proven competitive maniac. This doesn’t mean he gave the order, but I think it’s likely that he did. I would blame Alosi, though, for acting like a total meathead. If the order is to stand on the sideline, just stand on the damn sideline.

by Gideon Jay on Dec 25, 2010 10:27 AM EST up reply actions

Does this s*it every end?

The Jets have been investigated to death this season. In the past Goodell has fined the player or coach and sometimes the team, and it ended. When it comes to the Jets, he’s become a conspiracy theorist. The guy responsible has been punished (harshly) and the message has been sent. To take resources of a team trying to make a playoff push after the punishment seems harsh given that no “smoking gun” exists. He certainly seems to be dragging his feet with Favre, given that the Vikes season is almost over.

This sideline stuff has been going on for a while (does Goodell see film?), so you’ve sent your message and move on. There’s no proof of anything to the contrary, and in absence of proof quit dragging Wasthoff into the fray.
Crackback might be right, but it looks more like undue process to me.

by oldskooljet on Dec 24, 2010 10:03 AM EST reply actions

Goodell is a tool, plain and simple.

by cult hero on Dec 24, 2010 1:47 PM EST up reply actions

Oh, that's nice....

Now let me know when the NFL does an investigation on the Carolina Panthers, Tyler Brayton and his malicious run and punch on Falcon’s gunner Chris Owens during a punt return by the sidelines…whoops…that would mean going against a team not called the Jets and doing some actual news coverage…You know something that isn’t as important as women’s feet.

by winnebagosun on Dec 24, 2010 12:25 PM EST reply actions