It’s commonplace for ownership to become smitten with a certain individual. New York City saw it when Isiah Thomas was in town. Jim Dolan positively loved the man. No matter the season’s results, Thomas seemingly could do no wrong. Even after his dismissal, Thomas heading back to Madison Square Garden to help run the New York Liberty had basketball fans bewildered.
The same idea could be applied to how Woody Johnson felt about Rex Ryan, the man who swooped down to deliver immediate New York Jets relevance. Back-to-back AFC championship game appearances combined with headline-grabbing noise brought the organization fame and infamy simultaneously.