WHY TALK TO THE MEDIA AT ALL?

Jets safety Kerry Rhodes had this to say about his team's upcoming game against the Patriots:

"Not just go out there and try to win, try to embarrass them. Try to make them feel bad when they leave here. We don’t want to just beat them. We want to send a message to them, ‘We’re not backing down from you and we expect to win this game, and it’s not going to be luck, it’s not going to be a mistake."

(Source: NY Daily News)

As far as pregame trash talk and bulletin board material, it's not that bad. And I don't see why this is all over Boston.com. He's not guaranteeing an embarrassment, he's just saying what he wants to do.

But at the same time, why talk to the media at all? Why give them even a hint of a story? Or at least give them something about yourself, not an opposing team. I'm just glad the Patriots coaches and players typically keep their mouths shut.