Going Classical; Mangini Uses Mozart

| 11 Nov 2014 | 01:42

    Modern times haven’t exactly been kind to the New York Jets; the Green and White haven’t played in a Super Bowl for nearly 40 years. So head coach Eric Mangini is [using classical methods] to try and revive the once-proud franchise. The youngest coach in Jets’ history has turned to Mozart this summer to help out his team, playing his music softly while the New York players go through some of their low-intensity drills. “From different studies, they assume…[Mozart's music] stimulates learning,” Mangini said. “They play it in a lot of schools around the country—kind of underneath, very low—so I thought if that’s the case, why not give it a shot?”

    Fourteen years ago, a study by researchers at the University of California-Irvine proclaimed the existence of “[The Mozart Effect],”—that listening to the sonatas of Salzburg’s pride and joy would actually increase one’s IQ. While researchers have debated the veracity of such a claim, Mangini sees no reason not to seek every edge possible.

    Already this year, Mangini [brought in famed fight trainer,] Teddy Atlas, to give his players boxing lessons to improve their hand speed. “He wants to get every legal advantage he can get,” tight end Chris Baker said. Unfortunately for Mangini, even if Mozart improves his players’ IQs, the composer still can’t make his cornerbacks taller and more athletic to stay with Randy Moss, or faster to get to quarterback Tom Brady sooner, so unless they solve those particular problems that the New England Patriots present, they still might find themselves a few notes short of Super Bowl.