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Rich Eisen often says, ‘You can’t spell fanatic without fan.’ He himself has been guilty of letting his emotions out on his broadcasts, particularly when ranting about his beloved New York Jets.
Eisen is a consummate broadcaster, but get him talking about New York sports and you’re in for a treat.
His passion comes through in abundance, as does his subject knowledge. What makes his rants so remarkable is both the rarity in which they occur and the emotion they are delivered with. In an era of sports talk shows being judged on who can shout the loudest, Eisen’s meltdowns are relatable and make sense.
He isn’t looking for a clip to go viral, he simply can’t contain his New York Jets-based distress. Whilst the Jets are gradually improving in areas away from the quarterback position, success still eludes the franchise.
Much to his frustration, he often has to talk about these near-misses or complete fiascos. But which of Rich Eisen’s 5 most infamous New York Jets rants are the best?
#5 New York Jets slip to 0-13
The 2020 season wasn’t a good one for the New York Jets, and Rich Eisen felt every second of the pain that came with a 0-13 start to the campaign.
Adam Gase was a coach that the media personality never got on board with. However, even Eisen wasn’t even prepared for the disastrous result against the Seattle Seahawks that left the Jets 0-13.
To put this rant into context, Jamal Adams was Eisen’s favorite player, but was traded to Seattle earlier in the season.
“I’m a 51-year-old man and I’ve been rooting for the Jets for as long as I can remember, I don’t recall anything worse than Sunday,” Eisen despaired on the Rich Eisen Show.
“Just to rub salt in the wound, let’s put Geno Smith in there to finish it up. The Jets are that casino handing out chips to everybody. I could not handle it.
“I sat there, I was literally looking for a poop sandwich right around me, because that’s what I was eating. It was dreadful, it was terrible, it was unacceptable.”
Unfortunately for Eisen, the 2020 NFL season would provide him further pain… but more on that later.
#4 Jets lose 54-13 to the New England Patriots
Robert Saleh’s arrival in the Big Apple was supposed to usher in an era of defensive solidity for the New York Jets.
Yet, in his first season, the Jets suffered a shocking 54-13 defeat to their fiercest rivals, the New England Patriots. Zach Wilson suffered an injury in the second quarter whilst Mac Jones completed a season sweep over the Jets as a rookie.
Speaking after the game, Rich Eisen said:
“It gives me no pleasure to come on a national telecast like this and tell the team that means so much to me that… you stink. The team stinks right now and I feel for all my fellow Jet fans, especially the ones who year-in year-out renew their excitement and faith.
“I always hope for the best. I will not allow myself to get run away with excitement, but even a part of me thought that when the Jets drafted Zach Wilson and the Patriots drafted Mac Jones, a part of me thought that this would be the time it finally turns.”
He emphatically concluded:
“The Jets are back at square zero and its infuriating.”
#3 Gregg Williams’ defensive disaster
Rich Eisen loves the New York Jets, but there is only so much incompetence he can handle.
He took a striking dislike to defensive coordinator Gregg Williams. This culminated in an astonishing rant once the coach presided over what has since been labeled as the "worst defensive play of all time" back in 2020.
Eisen's rant came after Williams called for a Cover Zero in a game against the Las Vegas Raiders, with the Jets leading by four points with 15 seconds to go. Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs went onto record a game-winning 46-yard score.
After the game, Eisen said:
“I’m a total mess, I’m rooting for Mike Glennon and Derek Carr at the same time. What is happening? Then Gregg Williams to the rescue. Normally when you’re preventing a Hail Mary you put everyone in the endzone, it’s basic. This is the time to do it… but the Jets decide to blitz.
“Gregg Williams sent eight men at the quarterback. You have this lunatic running your defense in Gregg Williams. He’s absolutely going to call the worst defense imaginable.”
#2 Jets lose to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2022
Zach Wilson was Rich Eisen’s great hope for the New York Jets, but by the end of his second season with the team, fans are ready to move on. from him
Wilson was booed to the bench in a disastrous 19-3 defeat to the Jacksonville Jaguars which virtually condemned the Jets to another year without the playoffs.
Putting up just three points at home against Trevor Lawrence and the Jags was was especially painful for the host of the Rich Eisen Show. He said:
“All year long I try to say it’s not the same old Jets. They have a bunch of lionhearted kids on the team, but it’s so difficult to watch a four-game losing streak materialize when the season looked so promising.
“Once again this is a New York Jets season we can do a post-mortem on.
“It’s way too steep a climb. What do the Jets do with Zach Wilson? How do you discard a #2 selection after just 21 starts? How do you admit you want to cut your losses? These are all questions that the Jets are going to face. I have my own answers to those questions, obviously.”
#1 Jets miss out on Trevor Lawrence
Rich Eisen spoke for every single NFL fan when he agonized over his beloved New York Jets failing to ensure Trevor Lawrence joined them.
Eisen previously described Lawrence as the best quarterback to emerge since Andrew Luck. He then watched as his Jets recorded defeat after defeat to put themselves in a great position to end up with the first-overall pick in the 2021 draft.
This was just a week removed from the aforementioned loss to the Seattle Seahawks, which left the Jets with an 0-13 record. Yet they somehow defeated the high-flying Los Angeles Rams for their first win of the season.
This win should have been greeted with joy, but it virtually meant that New York wouldn’t be getting Lawrence… and it was perhaps too hard a blow for Eisen.
“DO NOT GET ME STARTED. This now leaves the Jets on the outside looking in.
“It was the most Jet thing of all. I need therapy. My child yesterday, aged nine, asks me if I’m so so so upset that the Jets won today? I said to him, yes, I am.”
Rich Eisen had several such moments over the course of that season. However, this was one New York Jets fiasco too far and he provided us with one of the greatest televised rants in sports history.
