Jets fans can't 'Knock' finale

The compelling finale of HBO's "Hard Knocks'' last night was the Darrelle Revis Show, the agony and the ecstasy of the holdout who held the Jet summer hostage.

The last, desperate drama begins with general manager Mike Tannenbaum, traveling back to the Roscoe Diner to meet with Revis' agents, Neil Schwartz and Jonathan Feinsod. Tannenbaum soon drives, briefing owner Woody Johnson as he does.

"Hey, Woody . . . five hours and 20 minutes. So, the Reader's Digest version is this: as important as Darrelle is, and we want to get something done, we think that we're gonna win a lot of games without Darrelle."

VOTE: JETS GAME BY GAME

2010 POST NFL PREVIEW

Coach Rex Ryan and secondary coach Dennis Thurman decide to knock on the door of Revis' New Jersey house.

No one is home.

On the practice field, Ryan tells Brian Schottenheimer: "We went over to his house today, me and DT, but nobody was there."

Johnson tells Ryan: "You guys have such stamina, I don't know how many hours . . . "

Ryan: "Have we gone through this? A bunch."

In Tannenbaum's office, the general manager is standing, and says to Johnson, standing across from him: "They remain convinced. . . . that we will either fold after Week 2, or we'll trade him next year."

Johnson says: "They don't know me very well."

A solo interview with the owner, who is seated, follows.

"I've been through a lot of players. . . . this has gone on longer than most," Johnson says.

Back to Tannenbaum, surrounded by his negotiating team, telling Johnson: "Their response is, 'Next year you'll be fed up with it . . . ' "

Johnson: "Why would it be any more fed up next year?"

Tannenbaum: "And you'll want to cut your losses . . ."

Johnson: "I have no losses. It's all good. So, if you think I'm stressed, I can assure you, I'm not stressed at all."

Now back to Johnson, solo: "Every deal's a new deal, every player has to be handled a little bit individually, and this one has gone in a way that I didn't predict it would go, and we'll see the way it ends."

Back to Tannenbaum's office.

Johnson: "It's time to move on in football. We'll go with what we got.

"We're in New York. You can't hustle us."

Now defensive coordinator Mike Pettine addresses his unit.

"He's not in this room, and that's how we have to treat it. We're not gonna sit and wait, and say, 'We'll be good when he gets back.' Bull[bleep]. We're perfectly capable of being a great defense now."

Bull[bleep], of course.

Tannenbaum tells an impatient Ryan: "Why don't you do this? Why don't you call up [Revis' uncle] Sean [Gilbert] and see if you could set up lunch with you, [Revis uncle] Sean [Gilbert] and Woody."

Ryan: "That's fine."

Tannenbaum: "And you'll get on a plane with Woody, and you'll go have a roast beef sandwich today."

The owner is on the other end of the speakerphone.

Ryan: "I talked with Sean Gilbert today, yes. What he would like to do is have you and I meet him and Darrelle. He's in Fort Lauderdale."

Johnson: "I'll offer to do it, I'll meet him and we'll make this offer in person. It's not gonna change the offer, but we'll make it in person."

Schwartz, over a speakerphone, says: "Let's win a Super Bowl."

Ryan: "You know what? I've been goin' at this thing for the last several days. I'm gonna go coach this team, get 'em ready for Baltimore, so I'm done. The way the owner feels, I can't believe we can't get a damn deal done. It's a bleepin' joke. Three years left on a bleepin' contract. Watch Monday night. Watch what the bleep happens." He storms out.

Tannenbaum, seated at the conference table with a sheepish grin, says: "What's the negotiation playbook say to do now?"

It says to make one last try, and Tannenbaum steals victory from the jaws of defeat.

On the practice field, a joyous Ryan tells Johnson, "That was three days of hell, about three hours sleep each day, but we got it done."

And here comes Revis, signing autographs at the airport, being driven to the Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. "I can't wait, I can't wait!" Revis says from the backseat.

He walks toward his teammates, and Ryan looks in the distance and says: "Now it looks like they got some slap[bleep] player we just picked up is comin' in, too, I think." His teammates give him the Rudy clap, and Bart Scott shouts out, "Come on, Revis, we've been waiting 36 days."

"I'm comin'," Revis says.

He is engulfed in one warm embrace after another and "Hard Knocks'' ends with Revis breaking down the practice: "Jets on 3, 1-2-3 Jets."

No man is an island. Not even Darrelle Revis.

steve.serby@nypost.com

Follow @NYPostsports