FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP)
Rex Ryan held off on wearing a wig or stuffing his sweatshirt
this time around.
The Ryan twins' sibling rivalry is still alive and well,
though.
The New York Jets' coach took a playful jab at twin brother Rob,
the New Orleans Saints' defensive coordinator, during his news
conference Wednesday.
After opening by saying he was pleased with his players'
performance during practice, Rex held up a placard, the back of
which he pretended the Jets' injury report was printed on. With a
straight face the whole way through, he read off the injuries
without acknowledging what was on the front.
Well, there was a picture of each brother: One of Rob's
agonizing pout after New England beat the Saints three weeks ago on
a touchdown with 5 seconds left. Under it were the words: ''Sorry
About That Jets.'' The other photo was of a smiling Rex with the
words: ''I Wish I Could Look As Good As My Twin.''
Laughs, of course, all around.
But, which of the brothers wishes they could look as good as the
other, Rex?
''Oh, please,'' he said with a big grin. ''It's pretty obvious.
The Lap-Band worked for me. I'm just going to say that, putting it
out there.''
Rex had Lap-Band surgery in March 2010, and is down over 115
pounds since the procedure. He encouraged Rob to have it done, too,
and he did - but hasn't lost nearly the weight his twin brother
has.
Sunday's game marks the third time since Rex has been the Jets'
coach that he'll face a Rob-coached defense, and he has won the
previous two meetings. A few days before the first showdown in
2010, when Rob was with Cleveland, Rex showed up for his news
conference wearing a blond wig and a pillow stuffed inside a
makeshift Browns sweatshirt.
During a conference call with Saints reporters, Rex was told
that dressing up as Rob for Halloween is one of the top costumes
this year in New Orleans. Rex thought that was pretty funny, but
was then asked if he was worried at all about his brother living in
New Orleans.
''Why? How big he could get?'' Rex said. ''I think he probably
fits right in.''
Including college teams they've coached on, Rex holds a 6-3
advantage. That includes the first meeting back in 1987 when
Eastern Kentucky, with Rex as the defensive ends coach, beat
Western Kentucky, where Rob was a graduate assistant, 20-10.
Despite the rivalry and the jokes, each of the brothers has a
tremendous amount of respect for each other. Rex declared that Rob
and Kansas City's Bob Sutton, a former member of his Jets staff,
are probably doing the best jobs of any defensive coordinators in
the league.
''There are a lot of great coaches that are coaching football
and, yet, here are two of us, twin brothers,'' Rex said. ''I don't
know how many twin brother combinations there have been in the
league, but certainly to make it this far and have the success that
we've had throughout our careers and things (is special).''
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