Sanchez clears the air
Keivom/News
Mark Sanchez flew to Orlando, Fla., a few weeks ago, but not for a Disney World vacation. His objective: a face-to-face meeting with Santonio Holmes. They ate. They spoke. And, according to Sanchez, they laughed.
It was, in other words, much more enjoyable than the conversations they shared toward the end of last season, when their feud consumed the Jets’ locker room.
“I know it can work between us,” Sanchez said before a charity function Thursday in Manhattan. “It’s not a question of if. It’s just a matter of when, and that’s now. I’m thrilled about that.”
Sanchez called reports of friction between the men overblown. Their relationship appeared to bottom out during the final week of the season, when they sparred during a receivers meeting and, the next day, when Holmes failed to attend another meeting called by Sanchez.
But Sanchez did not deny that their relationship had frayed. Still, he called the rift “ancient history.”
During a 25-minute interview with reporters, Sanchez appeared relaxed and in good spirits, and he addressed a range of topics — the Jets’ underachieving, his own poor performance, the offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer’s departure — that he did not during the conference call the Jets held last Friday to announce his new five-year contract.
Before last Friday, Sanchez had not spoken publicly since the day after the season, staying silent as unnamed teammates and others unleashed a torrent of criticism. He said he had since spoken with several teammates and “absolutely” felt he had their respect.
“No matter what you say, whether I come back to try to defend myself or not, it doesn’t matter unless you go win games,” Sanchez said. “That’s the ultimate goal. That’s the ultimate defense. Just win games.”
In their search to find a backup for Sanchez, the Jets are hosting Brady Quinn, formerly of the Denver Broncos, on Friday.
This article was written by Ben Shpigel and appeared in the New York Times.
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