Broadway Jaw

Why let opinions get in the way of a great story?  Because that's what we do now.

Everybody needs to react before the facts come out. Everyone needs a hot take. Everyone who has ever put on a uniform, stared into a mirror in a pro locker room, or covered someone who has done either has to spit an opinion faster than he or she can digest the story .

Such as with New York Jets QB Geno Smith and his broken jaw.

Few could even pronounce the name of the perpetrator, IK Enemkpali, before putting the reasons for the punch heard 'round Florham Park before the press conference.

Both press conferences. Yes, they had two chances to get things wrong and failed like a Jets summer.

Of course, the facts may be hard to come by, too. While Jets head coach, Todd Bowles, said that his quarterback was sucker- punched, ESPN'S Ryan Clark, who has more than a few connections as an ex-NFL DB, cited three sources whom, unlike Bowles, witnessed the incident and said the punch wasn't of the cold-cock variety.

But hey. Let's not get ahead of the facts. Let's stick to the opinions.

Cris Carter, whom is a respectable name and Hall-of-Famer, immediately ripped Smith's leadership inability.

Boomer Esiason echoed the Sopranos school of wisdom that an unpaid debt automatically generates a punch to the mouth.

Then the facts come out. So far, the only opinion that was on target--and mattered--was Bowles' assessment that sixth graders could've handled this better.

Geno Smith may not have won enough games to garner the respect of the locker room, but getting his jaw dismantled by an unknown defensive player whose name suffered a similar fate (for multiple reasons) has as much do with respect as Enemkpali had passing his anger management class back at Louisiana Tech. Yeah, did the ex-jocks bother to learn anything about George Foreman before busting Geno's grill?

This isn't about leadership. This isn't about repect. This is about idiots.

More than just the two who won't be suiting up in Gang Green anytime soon.