WyBlog

The Jets #Fail: an inglorious end to an inglorious season

OK Giants fans, you can stop texting me now. I get it. Your team won. You've got playoff tickets. I've got a front-row seat on the couch next to my remote control. Now call me when you beat a team that isn't dysfunctional or quarterbacked by a cripple.

Yeah, that was a cheap shot. So sue me.

As for the Jets? It's said there's no "I" in Team. There ain't no Santonio Holmes neither.

That's always been the Jets' problem. Prima donnas. They attract 'em like white on rice, and let 'em run wild. For all his bravado, if Rex Ryan can't control his own locker room, how in the hell can he expect to reach the Super Bowl?

Oh well, there's always next season.

Posted at 11:51 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Did the Jets just shoot themselves in the foot?

The New York Jets signed free agent felon wide receiver Plaxico Burress to a one year deal.

Insert "shoot yourself in the foot" jokes here.

F'rinstance:

If HBO reruns Hard Knocks who will play Burress, Adam Sandler or Burt Reynolds? The episode where he's signed can be titled "The Longest Foot."

Or,

Will Burress be the go-to guy whenever Schotty orders up the shotgun?

"Schotty," "shotgun…" Sometimes I crack myself up.

UPDATE 01 Aug 2011 10:37:
Linked by Theo Spark. Thanks!

Posted at 12:51 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Yes, I am ready for some football!

Our long national nightmare is over. No, not the one begat at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue by that Obama fellow; the other one.

The NFL lockout ended today.

Sundays in the fall can now proceed as God and Man intended.

It took 4½ months for the Grand Poobahs of Football to carve up a $9.3 billion dollar pie in a manner which the billionaire owners and the millionaire players deemed "fair."

So naturally the question people will ask is, "who won?"

That's easy. The lawyers won. They always do.

But I'm still ready for some football.

J! E! T! S! Jets! Jets! Jets!

Posted at 16:52 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Perm Link |
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How about a Christie - Ryan ticket?

A Super Bowl ticket, that is.

Oh, you thought I was talking about 2012 and Rep. Paul Ryan? No, that would be a pretty cool combo too, but right now Governor Awesome is happily singing the praises of another famous Ryan — Rex Ryan, Head Coach of "New Jersey's Jets!"

From the press release:

During a press conference in Newark on Tuesday Governor Christie said that although Rex Ryan was not born in New Jersey, there are few people who are more like New Jersey in so many ways. A Jets fan, the Governor said he hopes Rex Ryan takes "New Jersey's Jets" to the Super Bowl.

An Honorary New Jerseyan! That's better than Veep any old day.

J-E-T-S! Jets! Jets! Jets!

Posted at 10:17 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Perm Link |
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And the Jets kick some serious New England butt!

It'll be Jets - Steelers for the AFC Championship Game, just like I predicted. Tom Brady and Bill Belichick can only get to Dallas if they buy a ticket. I hope your couch is comfy fellas; you'll be spending a lot of time on it.

Hey Ed, how 'bout them Pats?

<grin>

J - E - T - S! Jets! Jets! Jets!

Final score, Jets 28, Pats 21.

The Jets defense flummoxed Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, sacking him five times and intercepting Brady for the first time since Week 6. And the offense made plays when needed, led by Mark Sanchez efficiently throwing for three scores (and no interceptions) and the running combination of Shonn Greene and LaDainian Tomlinson eclipsing four yards per carry.

The Jets Flight Crew is here to help me celebrate.

Oh yeah, we are definitely gonna celebrate!

Watch out Big Ben, you're next!

Posted at 20:25 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Brett Favre fined $50K for "not cooperating" with Jenn Sterger

The NFL has thoroughly examined Jenn Sterger and her allegations of inappropriate sextual advances on the part of Brett Favre. And really, who wouldn't want to thoroughly examine Jenn Sterger?

Ms. Sterger, a former NY Jets game hostess, alleged that the future Hall of Fame quarterback sent her explicit text messages and photos, including a picture of a penis, during and after his tenure with the Jets.

But it wasn't until Favre left the Jets for Minnesota that Sterger's story got legs. The league immediately opened an investigation, which finally concluded today.

Brett Favre will be fined $50,000, not for any alleged misconduct, but for failing to "cooperate" with the NFL's investigation.

In the end they couldn't prove Favre sent the photos, or that the photos in question were even of his manly bits.

So they got him on a "Martha Stewart" — a trumped up charge of (maybe) not fully telling the truth.

Meanwhile Ms. Sterger has continued exploiting her 15 minutes of fame, first with a risque Maxim photo shoot, and then by leaving nothing to the imagination for Playboy.

I guess a Jenn Sterger Sex Tape is not far behind. Not that I have any direct knowledge of a Jenn Sterger Sex Tape, no not me. I've never seen a Jenn Sterger Sex Tape. If there were indeed a Jenn Sterger Sex Tape I don't think I'd actually get a copy, let alone show it to you guys.

But on the off chance that some teenage perv is Googling away in search of a mythical Jenn Sterger Sex Tape I'm not above lusting after the hits.

Yeah, I'm craven like that.

And my buddy Donald Douglas is trying to get a Rule 5 linkaround revved up over at his place. So enjoy these photos of the lovely Jenn Sterger.

You're welcome.

Posted at 15:00 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Perm Link |
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Jets - Ravens, Mark Sanchez brought a knife to a gun fight

Watching last night's MNF home opener for the Jets was painful.

What's up with all the razzle-dazzle at the line of scrimmage? Who does Schotty think he's fooling with that crap? His offensive line? I lost count of the false start penalties.

The Jets' offense vs Baltimore's defense reminded me of the scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark when Indiana Jones shoots the guy waving a big knife.

Mark Sanchez is the guy with the knife.

The Ravens, and now every other NFL defense who plays the Jets, is Indiana Jones.

The fans? We're the ones saying, "Oh, what the fuck now?"

Posted at 09:49 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |
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The obligatory Ines Sainz vs the New York Jets post

They said. She said. He said. She said. Never mind!

I thought all along this incident was much ado about nothing. Sometimes guys and gals just goof around. It's not sexual harassment. At most it's harmless flirtation; the kind of thing that happens when hot sexy girls mingle with warm-blooded athletic men.

Nobody ever said that football players had to be monks. And there is zero chance that anyone will confuse Ines Sainz with a nun. She's got it goin' on, and she flaunts her assets at every opportunity.

Sure Ms. Sainz is a serious sports reporter. She spends 3 hours preparing for every game. Five minutes to study the stats, and 2 hours and 55 minutes to pack her booty into those skin-tight jeans.

That picture on the left, it's the actual outfit she wore at the Jets practice facility.

Yowza.

All work and no play makes Ines a boring girl. Ines Sainz is not boring!

J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets!

Posted at 21:42 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |
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Yee-haw, Olby got booted off SNF! But will Faith Hill be back? Please?

I've always had a love-hate relationship with NBC's Sunday Night Football. Why? Keith Olbermann, that's why. Dude makes my skin crawl. I want to watch the game, but I gotta leave the room at halftime. And forget watching the pre-game show, to keep my blood pressure in check I could never tune in until kickoff.

Which meant I usually missed the lovely and talented Faith Hill singing the theme song.

But today Ed Morrissey brings me, and I'm sure many of you. tidings of great joy. Keith Olbermann has been remanded back to MSDNC where his puppeteers want him all to themselves. He will darken the sidelines of SNF no more.

Just in the nick of time too, this Sunday at 8 PM is the annual Hall of Fame Game, on NBC. It's the official start of the pre-season and now I can watch it in peace.

Yippee!

Now if they would just confirm that Faith Hill is coming back for another season then truly all will be right with the universe on Sunday nights.

Why yes, I am definitely ready for some football.

Posted at 16:20 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |
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Super Bowl XLVIII is coming to New Jersey!

Sooner or later everybody comes to New Jersey.

And in 2014 everybody who's anybody will be at Super Bowl XLVIII when it kicks off in our new $1.6 billion dollar Meadowlands Stadium. For the first time in its history the NFL has awarded the Super Bowl to an outdoor, cold-weather venue.

New Jersey beat out traditional hosts South Florida and Tampa Bay in today's secret ballot vote at the league meetings.

The winning bid embraced cold weather, offering self-warming seat cushions and parking lot fire pits, while trumpeting the country's biggest stage across the river in Manhattan. Many game-week events and hotel rooms will be booked in New York City, but New Jersey is where teams will train and stay and where all game-day activities will be held.

Whoo-hoo!

Are you ready for some football, the way it was meant to be played?

UPDATE 27 May 2010 11:46:
Freakin' Gator Doug thinks it's a freakin' terrible idea.

Boy's from freakin' Florida, whaddaya freakin' expect! He's allergic to freakin' snow.

Meanwhile, Ace found the real reason the NFL awarded to Super Bowl to New Jersey.

Posted at 16:57 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |
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How 'bout those Jets?

The AFC Wild Card teams certainly had a wildly fun weekend. The Jets thrashed Chad Ochocinco and the Cincinnati Bungles. And the Baltimore Ravens manhandled the Bill Belicheats.

Is too early to dream of an AFC Championship Game hosted by the Jets? They can beat the Bolts, and I wouldn't be surprised if Joe Flacco & Co. find a way to stymie league MVP Peyton Manning's dreams of Super Bowl glory.

Rookie running back Shonn Green is the real deal. He and Thomas Jones punched through the Bungles defense like it was swiss cheese. Kudos too to place kicker Jay Feely who did double duty because punter Steve Weatherford fell ill with an irregular heartbeat. Hopefully it's not too serious!

On the defensive side the Jets secondary made sure that bigmouth wide receiver Chad Ochocinco was a non-factor. For all his bluster number 85 was reduced to tears when his team lost. Would someone please get him a box of tissues?

Maybe he channeled Tim Tebow because he didn't want to make good on his promise to Bob Costas? Before last Sunday night's thumping in the Meadowlands Chad was interviewed on NBC. He said that if Darrelle Revis managed to shut him down he'd change his name back to Johnson. The Jets won 37 - 0.

And in yesterday's rematch, when it really mattered, Revis was all over him like white on rice. When Revis jumped in front of him for an interception it set up the Jet's second touchdown and put them on the road to San Diego. Number 85 can call himself anything he wants because what he has to call the Jets is "winners".

J! E! T! S! Jets! Jets! Jets!

Posted at 18:57 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |
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Mark Sanchez is the Second Coming, of Browning Nagle

Remember the last time the New York Jets over-hyped their "quarterback of the future" only to watch him crash and burn game after game? Yeah, me too.

Where was Rex Ryan when Browning Nagle was in Mark Sanchez' shoes?

It's time to hand the kid a clipboard and give Kellen Clemens another chance. Heck, give Erik Ainge a chance!

Oh, and now we certainly know why Cleveland let Braylon Edwards go. He drops every ball thrown his way. The guy couldn't catch a cold.

Same Old Jets.

UPDATE 23 Nov 2009 12:24:
I thought this got posted last night via my BlackBerry. But I just noticed it wasn't there. Sometimes I hate computers.

Posted at 19:57 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |
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NY Jets find themselves with thousands of unsold season tickets

There are people who have been on the waiting list for Jets season tickets since the Shea Stadium days. Season ticket turnover has traditionally been low; fans hold on to their seats.

What a difference PSLs (Personal Seat Licenses) make. With the advent of their new billion dollar stadium and the accompanying high cost of the seat licenses and season tickets the Jets are faced with an unforseen problem born of their greed — they aren't sold out.

Suddenly "thousands" of season tickets are available for the taking. Except there are no takers.

The unprecedented availability comes in the midst of a weak economy, the Jets coming off a disappointing season and fan resentment about the cost of "personal seat licenses" for the new stadium. The PSL is a one-time charge of up to $20,000 or more for the right to purchase season tickets in the lower deck.

Add in the parking fees (and the lack of onsite parking), the restrictions on tailgating, the ridiculous limits on beer purchases, and the requirement that to purchase season tickets for this season you also have to pay in advance for next season's tickets and it's no wonder that people aren't falling over themselves to sign up.

There are so many tickets available the Jets aren't even going down the waiting list in order; an email blast to everyone on the list went out Tuesday morning offering seats on a "first come, first served" basis.

My guess is they still won't sell out. The price is just too high for the perceived value. It's Economics 101 — raise the price and the demand for the product goes down. Especially when the quality of the product is questionable at best.

Unsold tickets should prove to be "interesting" for the NFL. Will they black out the local TV broadcasts? Their archaic blackout rules have never been tested in a major sports market like New York. The lost ad revenue will dwarf the unsold ticket receipts. Which may just lead to Woody Johnson buying up the tickets to let the seats sit empty.

It's not like the Jets aren't used to playing to a half empty stadium. Their fans are notorious for not showing up when the season inevitably heads south.

Posted at 12:34 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |
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The Jets built a white elephant in Florham Park

Seventy five million bucks for a "state of the art" practice facility. Politicians lauded the New York Jets for their decision to move their headquarters and practice facility to Florham Park, NJ. There is only one problem. That was when Eric Mangini was running the team. New Head Coach Rex Ryan apparently wants as little as possible to do with Mangini's white elephant.

First he decided against holding training camp there, opting instead to drive four hours away to Cortland, NY. Fans, to say the least, were disappointed by the move.

Now Atlantic Health has shelved plans to construct a sports medicine and rehabilitation clinic adjacent to the site. Also scrapped are plans by Marriott International to build a 250 room hotel and health spa. What was once going to be a "world class" locale for the Jets is now officially a ghost town.

That's too bad. The Jets have a huge fan base in this area and we were psyched to have them as neighbors. I guess Coach Ryan and owner Woody Johnson have decided they're too good to be seen hanging around with us Jersey riff-raff. Well, if that's what they want, then maybe we're going to think twice before shelling out big bucks for seat licenses and season tickets. And, I don't think too many of the folks from Cortland, NY are going to schlep 4 hours each way to watch them play.

Wouldn't it be ironic if their shiny new stadium fails to sell out? According to NFL blackout rules, empty seats mean no local TV coverage. Ryan might make his NY coaching debut before a half-empty house while their remaining local fans watch M*A*S*H reruns on Channel 2.

Fireman Ed's new cheer? — F! A! I! L! Fail! Fail! Fail!

Posted at 09:46 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

Jets move training camp to SUNY Cortland

Bad news for Jets fans, our team is hiding from us. They built a beautiful new $75 million dollar facility in Florham Park, NJ not 15 minutes from my house. It's got 2 full sized practice fields and state-of-the-art video and classroom facilities. For the past 40 years the Jets were headquartered at Hofstra University on Long Island. Fans were able to watch the team practice and interact with the players during training camp.

I was so looking forward to doing that this summer with Sophie. Florham Park is close enough I could sneak out to watch them practice during my lunch hour. So imagine my chagrin when I read today that the Jets are moving their training camp 4 hours away to SUNY Cortland. That's Buffalo Bills country! What is new Head Coach Rex Ryan smoking?

Yeah, I hear him say he wants his players isolated. From what, their loyal fans? New York Governor David Paterson is ecstatic about the potential for thousands of folks to attend the Jets training camp. That doesn't sound like isolation to me; it sounds like Rex Ryan doesn't want a bunch of Jersey guys hanging around his practice facility. As a sort of consolation prize he's giving us 3 "family nights" in August, long after most of the rookies have been cut.

Here's a tip for Woody Johnson. Rumor has it your shiny new stadium isn't sold out yet. If you want to get people psyched to pay whopping seat license fees, this is not the way to do it.

Posted at 16:16 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

The Jets fire head coach Eric Mangini

Well, that didn't take long. Not even 8 hours after the culmination of their historic collapse at the hands of Chad Pennington's Miami Dolphins Jets owner Woody Johnson emailed a pink slip to head coach Eric Mangini. Johnson sent the email at 2:30 AM this morning after consultations with GM Mike Tannenbaum. They made if official at a 10:00 AM news conference held at their Florham Park, NJ headquarters.

Johnson stressed that this was not a hasty decision born of yesterday's defeat. The Jets started the season 8-3 and seemed destined for a playoff berth and perhaps a first round bye. Then the bottom fell out as they lost to 3 woefully mediocre teams (Oakland, San Francisco, and Seattle) and were outplayed by Denver and Miami. The team seemed to lack cohesion and direction, and each week saw an ever increasing rotation of questionable play calls and missed opportunities. Sure there were moments of brilliance; beating the Tennessee Titans ought to rank up there as one of the all-time Jets victories and it's always fun to whack the Patriots at home.

But, yesterday's loss hurt. Badly. To lose to the Fish is never a good thing. But to lose the way they did, playing unispired football against their former quarterback, showed just how much Mangini's ability to lead the team had deteriorated. It also showed that Mangini was not cut out to develop Pennington's skills — Chad's tenure with the Jets was marked by mishaps, but he quickly blossomed under the tutelage of Bill Parcells to lead the Dolphins to the AFC East championship. The Jets thought they needed a new QB, but what they really needed was someone who could coach the QB they had.

GM Mike Tannenbaum will lead the search for a new head coach. Bill Cowher is mentioned as a leading contender. I hope the Jets realize that their problems run deeper than Mangini's office. Their organization needs to embrace a philosophy of winning. They have to forget how to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. They need inspiration. They need to believe they can be winners. Until then, no matter who ends up as head coach, they'll still be the Same Old Jets.

Posted at 10:39 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

Now can we say "Same Old Jets"?

It's December, so that means the Jets are cratering. Losing to Oakland might have been an aberration on the way to the AFC title game, but there is no excuse for getting whoopped by Denver and San Francisco. Well, there is one excuse, "Same Old Jets". Maybe Cris Collinsworth was right when he said he felt like an idiot for believing in the Jets.

I still believe though I have to wonder if the guys in the locker room are on the same page as me. Thomas Jones is finally earning his paychecks but what in the world is going on with Kris Jenkins? It seems like he's sitting out every other play. And the defense is in tatters. The 49ers were moving the ball at will; if they hadn't fumbled 5 times the score could easily have been 45 - 14. QB Shaun Hill had so much time in the pocket he could have stopped to order a pizza and the Jets still wouldn't have touched him. Meanwhile their offense is anemic and the wide receivers seem to have forgotten how to catch the ball.

The one bright spot on the team is still Leon Washington who keeps running like there's no tomorrow. But a stupid holding penalty negated another kickoff he returned an impressive 99 yards for what should have been a TD. Then with the 49ers on 4th and 1 the defense fell for the hard count and gave SF a crucial first down. Holding penalties and dumb mistakes are the hallmark of the December Jets. They lose their edge just when everybody else is gearing up for a playoff run.

There are 3 games to go, next week Buffalo comes to town, then another trip to the west coast to play in Seattle, and they finish the season hosting the resurgent Dolphins. None of these games are a gimme. If the Jets don't step up their game the Detroit Lions are going to be saying to themselves "we wouldn't be 0-16 if we'd played the Jets".

Posted at 08:53 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

The Jets PSL plan

Ever since the Giants announced their intention to charge a Personal Seat License (PSL) fee Jets fans have been holding their breath for the inevitable copycat move by their beloved team. Today the hammer dropped. Woody Johnson held a press conference to detail their new PSL plan, a charge of $4000 to $25000 per seat, payable over 5 years.

There is one big difference between the Jets and Giants plans. The Jets will not charge a PSL fee for the upper tier. Those 27,000 seats will still be affordable. This is good news for those of us who have season tickets up in the nosebleed section. We get rained on and we feel every artic blast of wind. We'll still be able to afford our seats.

Licenses for the best 2000 seats, behind the Jets bench with a view of the tunnel to the locker room, will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Guys with deep pockets could easily bid those seats up to stratospheric heights. That's OK, 27,000 "regular fans" will still be able to watch every game.

Posted at 18:01 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

Brett Favre's preseason debut

I turned down tickets to last nights preseason opener against the Redskins; we had promised to attend a graduation party for the son of a long-time friend, a young man I've watched grow from diapers into a true gentleman. The magic of TiVo^tm allowed me to watch the game this afternoon.

Brett Favre seemed pretty comfortable in his Jets uniform. The tight ends and receivers looked sharp, and Dustin Keller's touchdown catch made me giddy. The offensive line gave Favre ample protection and once again Leon Washington showed that he's probably the most underrated guy on the team. Jerricho Cotchery caught some nice passes from Favre, and Chris Baker kept his focus too. If this is a harbinger of the season to come we are in for some exciting football.

The first team defense also got the job done, bottling up the Redskins and keeping pressure on their quarterback. Depth on the line is still a problem though, the second and third string guys weren't overly impressive.

The Jets started the preseason with a quarterback controversy, would Kellen Clemens or Chad Pennington be the starter? Favre is indisputably their #1 guy now and the battle is on to be his backup. Clemens should have a lock on the job but first year pro Brett Ratliff is coming on strong. It doesn't bode well for Clemens that he's not hitting his receivers and he had several passes batted down by the Redskins defense. I'm sure that having Favre come on board has rocked his world but he had better step up and start making plays or Ratliff will earn the #2 slot.

And Ratliff deserves the attention. He was making things happen out there in the second half and his drive down the field with 1:05 to go was pure beauty. Then with 5 seconds left on the clock Eric Mangini decides to kick a field goal rather than let Ratliff try for a TD. Mike Nugent shanked the ball and it bounced off the left goalpost. It was his second miss of the night. Nugent is usually Mr. Reliable; whatever kinks have crept into his game had better be ironed out before the Jets open their regular season against Miami.

All things considered though the Jets and Brett Favre did very well. On Saturday they'll host the Giants. Yes it's a preseason game, but it's also a good natured rivalry for local bragging rights. My prediction is Jets 17, Giants 13.

Posted at 20:02 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

Favre!

The Jets pulled it off -- Brett Favre is their new starting quarterback. All the denials that they were interested turned out to be disinformation; GM Mike Tannenbaum and Head Coach Eric Mangini worked their butts off to recruit Favre. He was initially wary of moving to New York, but they overcame his objections and convinced the 3-time MVP to take the helm of the Jets offense.

To say this is a momentous day for the Jets is an understatement. No Jets QB since Joe Namath had the star power and talent of Brett Favre. They are instantly a playoff contender. The offseason deals they made to beef up their offensive line were merely the precursor to the main event. All that new talent is ready for Favre's guiding hand.

He's flying to New York this morning to meet with the front office staff (paperwork, there's always paperwork) and then on to Cleveland where the Jets open their preseason against the Browns tonight. Typically preseason games are meaningless; not tonight. Tonight the Jets officially welcome their new leader, a man who knows more than a thing or two about winning championships. He'll bring them to the forefront of the NFL. This is now their year. This is what every Jet fan has dreamt about since Super Bowl III.

J! E! T! S! Jets! Jets! Jets!

Posted at 08:42 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

Will Brett Favre be a Jet?

This much is clear -- Brett Favre wants to play football this season. His "unretirement" letter is signed and ready to be faxed to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. The Packers have said they don't want him back; Aaron Rodgers is their QB now. With 3 years to go on his contract with Green Bay Favre is hoping to be released or traded once his reinstatement is official.

Green Bay has given two teams permission to speak with Favre -- the Jets and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum has spoken with Favre's agent but says the Jets are not interested. Tannenbaum assured Chad Pennington and Kellen Clemens that they're his guys, one of them will be the starting QB. Tannenbaum went so far as to paint the discussions with Favre's agent as a ruse by the Packers to drum up interest around the league for a possible trade.

If there is a ruse going on, I hope it's Tannenbaum being coy about wanting Favre on the Jets. A QB of his caliber is just what they need. Chad Pennington may have been good once, two shoulder surgeries later he's never going to be as capable as Brett Favre. Kellen Clemens isn't ready to be a starter yet, and may never be ready. Brett Favre can walk onto the field today and lend instant credibility to the Jets offense. They've beefed up the offensive line and added some real talent at tight end and wide receiver. Now is the time for the Jets to do whatever it takes to land a proven quarterback who knows how to win games.

Posted at 22:50 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

NFL Network finally dumps Bryant Gumbel

I almost missed the blurb in today's Star Ledger with the good news that the suits at NFL Network have finally dumped Bryant Gumbel as their play-by-play announcer for Thursday Night Football. Veteran sportscaster, and radio voice of the NY Giants, Bob Papa will replace him.

Bryant Gumbel was probably the worst football announcer in recorded history. NFL Network cited their reason for firing him as "unfavorable critical reviews". No kidding. I cringed every time he opened his mouth. Papa joins Cris Collinsworth so there will at last be two "football guys" calling the plays on the network for football guys.

The preseason starts August 7^th and I can't wait! The Jets open their exhibition schedule at Cleveland this year and then host the Redskins and the Giants before driving down to Philadelphia to finish out the preseason. They open the regular season at Miami where an easy win is almost certainly assured.

I'll have to clear some space on my TiVo for the preseason too; NFL Network is going to broadcast 54 of the 65 total preseason games (but only 8 will be live). I like to keep tabs on the Niners, Bengals, and Browns but TiVo won't record their games if Sophie has too many episodes of Hannah Montana stacked up.

Yes, I'm ready for some football!

Posted at 13:27 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

Big news for the Jets

The start of free agency has brought some welcome news for Jets fans. GM Mike Tannenbaum landed massive three-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kris Jenkins (6-4, 350 pounds) from the Panthers in a complicated 5 year deal which will guarantee him $20 million. Jenkins will fill the big hole at nose tackle, a position vital to the effectiveness of their 3-4 defense. For now Dewayne Robertson will remain with the Jets, but I suspect he knows his days are numbered. He gave it his best shot, but he's not big enough to be an effective nose tackle.

On the offensive front seven-time Pro Bowl left guard Alan Faneca is now a Jet. He's also a very rich man after signing a five year, $40 million contract with $21 million in guaranteed money. Faneca knows what it takes to win (he's got the Super Bowl ring to prove it) and he should be able to step right in and be a leader on the offensive line.

The Jets still have big holes to fill at linebacker and safety. Fortunately there are some quality players available and the Jets have plenty of room under the salary cap. And, the big question still is who will be under center next season. Chad Pennington doesn't have too many more good years left, and Kellen Clemens is a worthy journeyman when playing a backup role but I don't see him leading the Jets to a Super Bowl.

It's an open secret that Donovan McNabb is unhappy in Philadelphia. Wouldn't it be great if he could be talked into taking a ride up the Turnpike? He's just the kind of QB the Jets need to complement the talents of Chris Baker, Leon Washington, and Jerricho Cotchery.

Posted at 13:33 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

The Football Gods are cruel

As a Jets fan, today was especially painful. The Belicheats won, which was mostly expected (I pinned my hopes on San Diego and they let me down). But, now I have to spend the next two weeks listening to Giants fans gloat as they dream of Super Bowl glory. The last three weeks were bad enough, but now they're going to be insufferable.

As Henry Kissinger said when told of the Iran - Iraq war: "It's too bad they both can't lose".

Posted at 22:46 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

The 2007 season is finally over for the Jets

But, they just had to go out there and win against Herm the Worm and his Kansas City Chiefs. Now their lock on the #2 draft pick is lost, and they may slip to a #8 pick. Typical Mangini move.

The biggest disappointment of this season has to be the play of Thomas Jones. This guy can't get it done. Everybody thought Da Bears were nuts to let him go after the Superbowl. Turns out Lovie Smith was right, Thomas Jones is way past his prime. He's not fit to carry Curtis Martin's shoes.

On the plus side, Leon Washington is definitely the team's MVP. Leon has skillz - he can run like the wind, he can return kicks like nobody else, and he has a way of evading tacklers that should have earned him a slot in the Pro Bowl. Why Mangini didn't bench Jones and simply rely on Leon is a mystery to every Jets fan.

The Jets need to do a lot of reshuffling during the off season. Chad Pennington has got to go; he's overpaid for what he's been able to do, and he'll cost too much against the salary cap next season. Kellen Clemens is not suited to be a starting QB in the NFL - he's good, for a while anyway, but he gets rattled and frazzled too often to be the leader of the offense. Hopefully some good quarterbacks will become available (rumor has it Donovan McNabb is disgruntled in Phili; he's the kind of playmaker the Jets could use). The Jets have almost $30 million of cap room to work with which should enable them to get some quality players. I don't want to see another 4-12 season; Woody Johnson, please call Bill Cowher. Please call him today.

Posted at 20:40 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

Bad coaching loses another game

What was Eric Mangini smoking??? Fourth and ten at the Browns' 21, down 17-12 with under 2 minutes to play and he kicks a field goal? Then after the Browns fail to fall for the onside kick for the 3^rd time in a row and score a touchdown instead, he goes for the field goal again.

If there was any doubt that the Jets are poorly coached this game should end the debate. What a travesty. Woody Johnson, please pick up the phone and call Bill Cowher. Send Mangini back to the minors.

Posted at 11:25 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

Thursday Night Football

I watched last night's game between the Green Bay Packers and the Dallas Cowboys on NFL Network. This is the second season in which the NFL is trying to build market share for their fledgling network by showing 8 regular season games in prime time on Thursday and Saturday nights. They're hoping to capitalize on the popularity of Monday Night Football on ESPN, assuming that if people are used to watching a non-broadcast channel on Monday nights they'll also be amenable to watching one on Thursdays.

Monday Night Football was, and still is, the gold standard in broadcast football coverage. Some of the greatest football announcers in history ensured that it was always interesting, informative, and fun to watch. Howard Cosell set the bar high, John Madden and Al Michaels (now on NBC) provided keen insights and pithy commentary. The new ESPN Monday night crew continues that tradition; they're "football guys".

So why then does the NFL Network, the network for "football guys", put Bryant Gumbel in the booth? The man is atrocious. He gets the teams mixed up all the time - I counted at least 5 instances last night where he said the wrong team name when declaring who had the ball. He can't identify half of the players, stammering over names until Cris Collinsworth helps him out. Dallas had the ball on the Green Bay 25 and Gumbel said it was "first and ten from their own 25". He doesn't know the nuances of the rules, relying on Collinsworth to explain the rational behind determinations made by the referees.

If the NFL is serious about their network they should go out and get someone better qualified to do the play-by-play. Bryant Gumbel is out of his depth; he's Dennis Miller without the vocabulary, and like Miller, he needs to be replaced ASAP.

Posted at 10:19 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

The Jets are so bad that...

The less said about Thursday's embarrassing loss to the Cowboys the better. If anybody still thinks Kellen Clemens is the answer then he is asking the wrong question.

How bad are the Jets? They're so bad, they are now a bona fide metaphor for defeat. As in "Eliot Spitzer of New York backpedaled like a Jets defensive back on his scheme to offer driver's licenses to illegals, and the NY Times almost covered it." Ouch.

Posted at 12:50 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

The Jets beat the Steelers!

What a great game. My friend Josh got us tickets and bunch of the guys from the neighborhood got together to go to the game. We feasted on ribs and chicken in the parking lot and then found our way to our seats (section 301, row 27) way above the endzone, surrounded by Steelers fans. They sure are a rowdy bunch, tossing out insults towards the Jets, hooting and hollering every time Pittsburgh had the ball. And they were smelly too. I'm not sure if it was perpetual flatulence or if they all used Eau Du Pittsburgh cologne but boy oh boy there sure were some nasty odors emanating from the guys in black and gold. Maybe the reason they wave those Terrible Towels so much is to dissipate their smell.

The Jets jumped out to an early 7-0 lead but the Steelers fans were all still talking trash. Even when the Jets held the lead at halftime, those Terrible Towels were waving during the tribute to Curtis Martin.

Kellen Clemens looked pretty solid, except for an interception and a fumble that ran out the back of the endzone. Fortunately, Pittsburgh was called for holding on that play and the Jets were able to keep the ball. With just over 2 minutes left to play, the Jets trailed by 3, and Clemens marched them 76 yards down the field for a game-tying Mike Nugent field goal.

All during the game the Steelers refused to kick the ball anywhere near Leon Washington. They were afraid of his kick return abilities, so all their kicks were short and fielded by Jerricho Cotchery. But, after a 3 and out in the overtime period, Pittsburgh punted the ball right into Leon's waiting arms. He promptly scrambled 33 yards to set up a game winning field goal by Mike Nugent.

The boys with their Terrible Towels were finally silent.     J! E! T! S! Jets! Jets! Jets!

Posted at 20:45 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet

The Jets blew another lead

These guys sure are masters at snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Leon Washington ran back the opening kickoff for a TD (his 3^rd this season). Kellen Clemens found Joe Kowalewski in the end zone for a quick TD pass, and the Jets led 17-3. But, it's like a different team comes out onto the field after halftime. They blew a 14 point lead and barely managed to tie the game with a Mike Nugent FG as time expired. They won the toss, started the overtime period with the ball, but couldn't get within field goal range. The Skins marched down the field and Shawn Suisham kicked a 46 yarder through the uprights to give them the win.

The Jets are now 1-8 heading into their bye week. The good news is, since they're off next Sunday they can't lose another game. The bad news is, they host Pittsburgh on the following Sunday. My friend Josh got us tickets to the game. He's a big Steelers fan (as is his wife, and our friend Russ). They'll be decked out with their Terrible Towels cheering on Big Ben. I'll be the guy wearing a Jets shirt sitting next to them with a bag over his head.

Posted at 09:44 by Chris Wysocki   [/jets]   Comments | Archived | Perm Link |   |   Tweet