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No doubt about it, Rex Ryan knows how to make an entrance. When he was in NYC, Ryan put his commitment to his team in ink. Now that he has moved to Buffalo, the NFL head coach and attention magnet has switched up the colors on that tattoo while getting a matching custom paint job on his new pickup truck.
One thing that hasn’t changed? His sideline look. Clean cut, bear-sized and aggressive. How important is presentation to his success? Rex offered us a hint when he tossed his brother under the bus, intimating “Rob could get a head coaching job if he cut his hair.”
While it’s true that at least one NFL head coach can get away with looking homeless on the sideline, not everyone can get away with rocking a hoodie on national television, as entrepreneurs including Mark Zuckerberg and Eric Vainer have been known to do. Assistant coaches are less in the spotlight and have been known to rock some interesting looks – from disheveled to “far too many trips to the buffet.”
While some might paint Rob Ryan, current defensive assistant and smashmouth guru of the New Orleans Saints defense, into both categories, he’s not a clear fit into either. Long-haired and built along the same lines as his twin brother, Rex, Rob has kept a lower profile even as he has caught camera attention for his shoulder-length locks.
But is it his appearance that really has Rob 86ed from so many head coaching conversations? Rex certainly thinks so. Here’s what he said: “Rob believes in himself so much he won’t get a haircut and keeps that belly the way it is. He’s darned determined to show the league that ‘I’m going to be a head coach and do it my way.’ No, you’re not. It’s unfortunate, and I’m still trying to get that message across to him.”
Ryan – Rex that is – is right on the money. TV is an image industry and lets face it, the NFL is a TV sport. Without TV money, the league would be in deep financial straits. And, as long as TV money is calling the shots, there are fan expectations to meet. Invoke the Shredded Sweatshirt in New England all you want, toss in the revered, but massive, Bill “Big Tuna” Parcells for good measure and the rule is still the rule. Those guys are the exception. Rob Ryan might believe he’s in their league…but, at least to date, the League disagrees.
In the NFL, talent matters. On TV, image matters more.
Ronn Torossian is an entrepreneur and author. He is a longtime friend of Gambling 911.
