New York Jets linebacker Bart Scott thinks it shouldn't be NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's call to consider ending the Pro Bowl.
"The Pro Bowl was before his reign and will be after his reign, so it's not up to him, I believe, to cancel the Pro Bowl," Scott said Thursday. "It's tradition."
The NFL announced Wednesday that after a promise from players that the game will be more competitive, the NFL will hold the Pro Bowl in Honolulu next Jan. 27, a week before the Super Bowl. Goodell had previously said canceling the game was a possibility after the uninspired play of this year's 59-41 AFC victory.
"It's an all-star game," Scott said. "It's not about the game. It's about the festivities. It's about the fans being able to get close to the players and be there during the week to see the events they do. The game is just a cherry on top."
Scott added that the Pro Bowl is "part of the fabric of football" and even invited Goodell to wear a jersey and participate in the game if he's so concerned about the quality of play.
Scott also recently said he would prefer his son not play football, given the growing concerns about injuries in the sport. Some fans, media and even other players criticized Scott's stance.
"We all want certain things for our kids," Scott said. "Why can't I want mine to be president? Or a CEO, or own a football team? You should want the best for your kids."
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SUMMER SEQUEL?: Darrelle Revis in The Holdout: Part II?
The Jets' All-Pro cornerback refused to guarantee he will report with the team for training camp, fueling speculation that he could hold out for the second time in three years because of a contract situation.
"I don't know," Revis said when asked if he'd definitely be with the team when players report to Cortland, N.Y., on July 26. "That's what I'm telling you, I don't know. ... I'm getting ready for the season."
Revis is entering the third season of a four-year, $46 million deal, which he signed after a long and acrimonious contract dispute in 2010. It was heavily front-loaded, so Revis is scheduled to make $13.5 million total over the next two years.
He hinted in April he could hold out again, but then said a few weeks ago that he was "cool" with his current contract. When asked Thursday about the situation, the cornerback bristled a bit.
"Here we go with the contract questions," Revis said. "I'm here and I'll be playing."
Revis added that he just didn't want to answer about whether he would commit to being with the team on time. Coach Rex Ryan said he didn't want to get into contract talk, but added he thinks Revis will be in camp on time.
"I'm excited about this upcoming season and having Revis there," Ryan said.
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MOVING FORWARD: Kenrick Ellis is facing jail time in a few weeks, but the Jets nose tackle is relieved that he can soon put his legal woes behind him.
Ellis pleaded guilty on May 21 to assault and battery stemming from a 2010 fight while attending Hampton University in Virginia. He was sentenced to 179 days in jail, with 89 suspended, and his attorney, Timothy Clancy, said Ellis likely would serve 45 days when he reports on June 15. Ellis could miss a few days of training camp.
"It's over and it's time to focus on football," Ellis said. "No distractions and no excuses. It's a legal issue and it's over with, so it's over with, basically."
Ellis doesn't think any of that will take away from preparing for his second season with the Jets. He didn't comment on the arrangements he has made with the team.
"It makes you have to be more focused because you know you're going to be away for a little bit," he said. "I don't really want to talk about that, serving time and all that. I don't think it's going to take away from my focus with football."
Ellis said he will lean heavily on his friend and former Hampton teammate Marcus Dixon, who served 15 months in prison after being convicted in 2003 by a Georgia court of statutory rape and aggravated child molestation. It was a highly publicized case that had many saying Dixon was the victim of a severe injustice.
"That's my lil' homie right there," Dixon said of Ellis. "He's like my little brother. I don't know all the details, but I know that he's a grown man and he's going to persevere. This is a little stepping stone. Whatever happens, he'll do it and come back even better."
A slimmed-down Ellis, who struggled last season, believes not being able to take part in offseason workouts because of the lockout stunted his development as a rookie.
"As a whole, I was inexperienced, a small-school guy," Ellis said. "I didn't know that I didn't know. You don't know as a rookie until you get here and realize the tremendous hard work these guys put in as a team."
Added Dixon: "He's made a complete turnaround. The man's in shape and he's ready to make some plays out there."
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BIG BROTHER WATCHING: Rex Ryan was "shocked" to hear that center Nick Mangold turned down the coach's offer to skip some practice time in training camp to watch his sister at the Olympics.
Holley Mangold will compete in London this summer for the United States' weightlifting team รข€" right when the Jets are in training camp.
"That's a long jump over the pond in the middle of August," Nick Mangold said. "We're going to make sure I can watch and everything, and support her the best I can, just like everybody else who can't go over there. It's disappointing, and if it were a week earlier, I would've been there but that's just how the scheduling works out."
Ryan hopes to persuade his All-Pro center to reconsider, but knows that's unlikely.
"I don't think he realized this is an amazing thing," Ryan said. "It is, really. How many people are good enough to go to the Olympics and compete against the world's best, represent our country? I think it's an incredible opportunity for her, and him, as well."
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