tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8114783522753544932024-03-05T02:48:07.158-05:00Life of a True NYJets FanUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger54125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-44538332999744272932013-01-04T00:46:00.001-05:002013-01-04T07:20:20.402-05:00GM Watch: John Dorsey<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the midst of watching the Fiesta Bowl, I scroll through my timeline and see the tweet I have been waiting for:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my top candidates I came across a few weeks back when looking for some "lesser known" more "realistic" possibilities then the highly sought after Big 3: Gamble, Ross, Caldwell,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In learning about more about John Dorsey's qualifications, I learned that this is one guy that longtime Green Bay fans think very highly of and do not want to see go to another organization. Aside from a very quick "hiatus" with Seattle, John played & worked for the Packers since 1984.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a recent <a href="http://www.packerupdate.net/" target="_blank">Packer Update</a> post:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 20.399999618530273px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"....a longtime NFL scribe thinks he might finally be ready to make the jump. “Dorsey is known for having a good eye for talent, and his college scouting background gives him a strong draft pedigree,” wrote Don Banks of Sports Illustrated. “He’s worked under both Ted Thompson and Ron Wolf in Green Bay, two of the most respected personnel evaluators in recent NFL history, and sources say he’s ready and willing to pursue all general manager opportunities after turning down offers to interview last year.”</span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the things that made Dorsey a top pick in my mind were some quotes I read in an interview done by <span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #333333; line-height: 15px; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://www.packers.com/news-and-events/article-1/Packers-true-to-draft-philosophy/aa9ce6c7-cd5d-4889-8746-4c67565ec697" style="font-style: italic;" target="_blank">Vic Ketchman</a><i> </i>in 2011</span><span style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #333333; font-weight: bold; line-height: 15px; white-space: nowrap;"> </span>about his draft philosophy. Here are some parts I enjoyed and found interesting:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Best player available. We live it,” Dorsey said. “Our job is to find the best player we can possibly find to improve our roster. I think that’s what we do. If we can make our roster as competitive as we possibly can, that’s all you can do. We’ve always been taught to stay true to the board, whatever you do, and we stay true to the board.”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The article goes on to mention how the selection of Aaron Rodgers as the 24th pick in 2005 as a prime example of sticking to best player available. We all already know who the Packers QB was back then, Rodgers was available because many teams drafting earlier didn't "need" a quarterback and passed on him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The BPA strategy isn't exactly rocket science, not a very unique strategy used. In looking at previous Green Bay drafts, it seems that Thompson & his scouting team led by Dorsey, show strength is drafting for value. Something that any team needing to rebuild would gladly welcome.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Regarding the combine and interviewing prospects Dorsey states:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Every team is going to approach those 15 minutes a little differently. I think you can get a basic feel for who he is, but I think these guys are so prepped and so trained today that there’s too big of a wall in that setting. If you can create it like a locker room, because that’s where they’re going to have to exist, I think you can find the five factors it’s going to take to succeed,”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“One, are they a good guy? Two, do they work at their craft? Three, do they love football? Four, are they going to be good in the locker room? And five, would you like to have them as your neighbor?”</span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another funny <a href="http://www.packersnews.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11506&highlight=&sid=db53bee19a420afc7852afe88ef9b2f3" target="_blank">tidbit</a> regarding Dorsey's "getting to know prospects" approach:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; line-height: 13px;">A friend of mine goes to Dorsey's barber. The barber said that Dorsey has an interesting way of judging character with the players that they are looking at. When all the other scouts are questioning them in a formal setting and getting formal answers, Dorsey will watch for when the player goes to the restroom, follow him in there and talk to the guy while he is taking a leak or washing his hands. Just makes small talk to see if the athlete will talk to him or blow him off and then judges from there. </span><span style="color: #444444; line-height: 13px;"><span style="background-color: white;">Kinda freaky in a way but extremely clever. Get the player out of their element and in a different setting and see how they really are.</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On second thought..... .... </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the last thing this team needs are media stories about the Jets new General Manager stalking players in the bathroom at the combine..... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Along with Caldwell, Gamble & Ross, I couldn't be happier to hear about this interview. What draws me to both not only Dorsey but Caldwell as well are not only the organizations they have "grown" in but the people they have learned from. Caldwell working under Dimitroff and John Dorsey under Ted Thompson. Both well respected great football minds with successful careers in their respectful organizations. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking forward to hearing how these interviews pan out, and other candidates that make Jed Hughes and Woody's list. GM Watch continues....</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and PS.... ...I already know it's coming, so I may as well just beat you to it. </span></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-49323363463385266242012-11-26T00:38:00.000-05:002012-11-26T00:45:18.995-05:00It's About Tradition.<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">News of Fireman Ed "leaving" has left a fan base divided. As a long time Jets fan it's only about one thing for me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tradition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> <i> “The less there is to justify a traditional custom, the harder it is to get rid of it” </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i> ~Mark Twain</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's no special story behind the J-E-T-S chant. No magical reason for why it exists. The fact is, it does and has for years.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It started back in Shea Stadium as a battle between upper level fans in opposite end zones, each with their own leader of the chant. It didn't take long for it to become a staple of Jets home games, and to me, Fireman Ed just happened to be the guy that kept the tradition alive.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those of us who grew up at Giants Stadium, spending countless Sundays there with our fathers, this isn't about an annoying guy who shouldn't have a Twitter account and grew up a Dolphin fan. It's about holding on to one of the last traditions that survived when the walls of Giants Stadium got torn down.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For me, many of my 20+ year traditions growing up a Jets fan ended in 2009. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From tailgates, and familiar faces in Section 140, to running down the pedestrian ramps after a win and being surrounded by long time die hard fans who became family, these traditions all came to an end.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now in a new stadium, with new faces and a new atmosphere, the one thing that felt familiar week after week was hearing that chant.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hearing a guy do it at a bar or in a parking lot can make you hate it, but experiencing a crowd of 80,000 fans do it in unison can quickly change your mind.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Jets don't have much that is uniquely theirs and no matter how annoying it may be, it's part of what has become their identity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't consider Fireman Ed as the face of the fan base, or some fan that I should look up to. I see him as a man who deserves some respect from the fans for keeping a tradition alive, especially during times when the team needed it most.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To see some fans happy that members of our own fan base have ended such a tradition is a sign of a sadder state of affairs then even I thought existed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To those fans the only thing to say is: you just don't get it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's not about the man. The chant can and will hopefully continue without him.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's about hearing those 7 syllables and remembering feeling the stadium shake underneath you back in September of 2009 during a win vs the Patriots...... and smiling, hoping and waiting to feel that energy again.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-73585688774222469142012-08-10T22:00:00.004-04:002012-08-10T22:46:50.261-04:00One Picture To Sum It Up.....<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'll save the breakdown of those on my watch list for later. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Best way to sum up tonight's first preseason game against the Bengals? Who stood out the most? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That's easy..... </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The USC Connection....... It's about that time.</span></h2>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turner, McKnight, Sanchez</span></div>
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</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-49213081986610237072012-08-10T18:49:00.000-04:002012-08-10T22:46:16.678-04:00Let's Get It Started: On My Radar<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The time is upon us.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two weeks of camp are in the books, story lines and camp position battles are a plenty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I've had my eyes on many players this preseason and tonight they'll be put under the microscope just a little bit more. As I've said countless times before, my favorite part of preseason is not seeing the first team offense/defense take the field. It's not even watching our early round rookies. It's seeing the guys who know they have to impress every practice, every carry, every game to see their name on the final 53. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That opportunity continues tonight.... and here's a list of specifically who and what I'll be watching: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">1) The Battle of the Big Boys: Harrison vs Tevaseu </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Damon Harrison has had a good showing in camp so far. He's a wide-bodied, massive DT that can handle the double team and control the line of scrimmage with an athletic ability that can't be taught. Looking to see if he can translate this skill on the field tonight and possibly take Martin Tevaseu's spot on the final roster or at least earn a spot on the practice squad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) A Look Into The Future - Allen & Bush </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yeremiah Bell and Laron Landry were solid off season signings and should hopefully help to sure the safety nightmare every Jet fan has suffered through. Tanny & Co. made even more wishes come true this April by addressing the Safety position and drafting Josh Bush and 7th Round steal of the century Antonio Allen. Allen has surpassed Bush in camp thus far, I'm looking forward to seeing this young safety tandem roam the backfield tonight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">3) Who Gets A Catchy Nickname and the #5 Spot? </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After a great camp performance, I'd be surprised to see anyone but Ellis Lankster listed as the #4 CB this season. But who's taking #5? I'm not interested in seeing Posey or Trufant. I'm keeping my eyes on UDFA's Ryan Steed and Donnie Fletcher. Steed was originally projected as a high draft pick but a slow combine time squashed those dreams. He's been limited in camp and tonight will have lots to prove. Fletcher on the other hand had caught the attention of many at camp, seeing some looks at safety as well as CB. One is great at man coverage, one is better in zone. Which one if any steals that #5 spot away from the "little guys"? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4) There's no Dowtin He Can Play </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's almost a crime that Marcus Dowtin has been held out of training camp practice as of late. "The Hybrid" is one of those players whose versatility all over the field just can't be overlooked. He's spent sometime with the safeties this preseason and is the perfect fit in the direction Rex's defense is going. Looking to see if he can beat out a inconsistent Josh Mauga or hard-hitting Bellore for a spot.
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5) Speedy McSpeedster vs The 7th Round Mystery</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I didn't believe until I saw it live at Cortland but the Dexter Jackson rumors are true. He's fast and can catch whatever is thrown at him, and is a pretty speedy punt returner too. To gain his spot as the #6 WR this year he may have to beat out 7th round pick Jordan White. 90% of fans fell in love with his stat sheet on April 29th but entering camp with an injury has kept him from showing the talent everyone is expecting him to have. Let's see what both can do vs Bengals tonight. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6) Scotty McKnight Didn't Ball with Sanchez at USC - Patrick Turner did. </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why am I keeping an eye on Patrick Turner? Because I've been a big fan of his for years. His size, skill and chemistry with Sanchez is entirely underrated. I fully expect him to make the roster and hope tonight he continues to impress and earn more field time this season. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and lastly..... there's one player I'll be watching on the Bengals and here's why.....</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7) The Prototypical Slot Receiver - Jordan Shipley </span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If there's one team that has enough depth at the wide receiver position it's the Cincinnati Bengals. Fans have been searching high and low for decent options since the Jets wide receivers suddenly came down with the injury bug. Despite coming back from a knee injury that kept him out last season, I'd like to add Shipley's name to the mix. Tonight I'm hoping our defense helps our cause and gets this natural slot receiver cut. May Sanu, Green and Jones shine so I can finally get the Texas boy in Green & White since it didn't happen in the 2010 draft like I hoped.</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-37397275114381043752012-07-23T15:59:00.001-04:002012-07-23T15:59:10.980-04:00Breaking Down the AFC EAST.......Female Fans<div style="line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With training camp only a week away, I may as well take this opportunity to post some light hearted material before it's all business as the Jets begin their quest for a Lombar........err..... winning season.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If you know me, you know that there's nothing I love more then being critical of the casual female football fan. I recently came across a funny read I had saved from a few years back on this very topic.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a summary of your "typical" female fan for each of the AFC East teams.....<br />............and yes I highly approve of the Jets fan description :)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; font-weight: bold;">Buffalo Bills</span><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The female Buffalo Bills fans (from hereon referred to as a Buffalo Gal) is rare, bust she exists. Like all Bills fans she bears a wound that will never heal; the perpetual wound of “wide right” It’s the closest that the Bills ever got to winning one of the 4 Super Bowls that they appeared in. It was a period of unprecedented dominance in which no team could unseat them for all those seasons, but they just could not seal the deal. The Buffalo Gal has suffered a Super Bowl Hangover x4 ever since then. When in a good mood, the Buffalo gal is amiable and pleasant. Her arch-enemy is the Patriots girl. She has a small shrine somewhere in her living space dedicated to laying curse after curse on Tom Brady. That traffic accident he had on Thursday? That was no accident, that was the ill-will of 1,001 hate filled Buffalo Gals putting hexes on Tom Terrific. But he yet survived, as he is protected by far more powerful, and more sinister dark arts.</span></i></div>
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Miami Dolphins</span></strong></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Miami Dolphins woman is like a East Coast version of the Raiders girl. Like the Raiders girl she is stuck in the past. Like the Raiders girl she is categorized by most people as a “slut” and usually carries some sharp instrument with which to protect herself after she leaves her job “dancing” at 3AM. Chances are she picked the Dolphins as her team because she likes their colors and/or thinks dolphins are “cute”. Peroxide probably figures largely in her lifestyle. Almost everything about her, mentally physically and spiritually is fake or man-made. Everything except her loyalty. The Dolphins girl will always have 1972, and other than Don Shula those are the only things she really knows about football. She does know, however, that she is constantly hated on by Jets fans. She figures that the Jets girls are fat and jealous of her. If there’s one thing that’s hard to deny it’s that Dolphins women are exceptionally sexy, if you’re into that sort of thing.</span></i></div>
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">New York J-E-T-S</span></strong></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Jets girl is a more unassuming version of the Giants girl. She is definitely wife material. She cooks, understands the game, is a monster in bed, and one of those girls who is completely comfortable being one of the guys. The Jets woman is a low maintenance type who looks as beautiful in no makeup as she does all done up. She is an independent woman, word to Beyonce. She would rather do for herself than have someone do something for her, which is why she absolutely despises the Dolphins fans. A Dolphins and Jets girl are polar opposites in ideology, and they just plain don’t get along. The hate is mutual and deep-seated. If you are looking for a great (if sketchy) one night stand, look for a Dolphins girl. If you want a girl all your boys (and girls) will be jealous of, seek out a female Jets fan, you will never regret it.</span></i></div>
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<strong style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The New England Patriots</span></strong></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The female Patriots fan didn’t even exist before Bill Belichick became head coach. She was previously just a Red Sox fan, and couldn’t give one single fuck about the Patriots who, for most of their existence, where extremely horrible. Once Belichick was hired as head coach and the Patriots started winning, they gained more attention in the area, but not enough to really unseat the Red Sox, or attract females fans. It was only once the male model Tom Brady became the starting QB that women became interested in the Patriots. Purely interested in that guy, the female fans of the Patriots hurriedly tried to assimilate some semblance of football knowledge. They failed, of course, and are regularly schooled by fans from any other team in the AFC East. Pats fans fight this with their Ungodly Levels of Obnoxiousness. The Pats girl is no exception and is perhaps the most annoying of fans; the one with the least right or knowledge to be obnoxious, but is the first and loudest one to proclaim that her team is the best. She masturbates to pictures of Tom Brady whenever possible. She would be arch enemies with Buffalo Gals, if she actually knew what a “Buffalo Bill” was.</span></i></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Written by John Minus @DonCoyote @BlkSportsOnline 2010)</span></div>
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-81104446184512236182012-06-17T22:44:00.002-04:002012-06-18T08:47:27.400-04:00Fly Like a Jet
"I've risked the fall, just to know how it feels to fly"
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Words I live my life by.
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Aside from being a Jets fan, I'm a girl who is as stubborn as they come, extremely independent, who takes risks in life .......and is extremely afraid of heights and roller coasters. <br />
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All reasons why I decided to cross another item off my bucket list and go skydiving this weekend.</div>
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I flew like a Jet..... and it was an experience that words can't describe. </div>
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The videos below sum up how amazing it was. Looking fear in the face and telling it to go the hell away felt fabulous - I highly recommend it.</div>
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Enjoy :) <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" mozallowfullscreen="" src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/44221238" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="560"></iframe><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Ex_H0FczqmI" width="560"></iframe></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-80451931451836974822012-04-22T22:12:00.001-04:002012-04-23T07:26:09.899-04:00Late Rounders<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The draft is finally here. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This time next week Jets fans will have already overused the word "beast" and will be either crowning some rookie the new league MVP or out drowning their sorrows over a questionable pick.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First round options have been analyzed to death. I don't know about you but I'm ready to talk about some players whose names don't rhyme with Seagram, Rickshaw or Karen.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Last year, our very own John Conner was part of a documentary called "Late Rounders". Consider this my own version. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On today's episode, I've decided to highlight two players I'd be more than happy to see in Green & White next year. In my opinion, both players would be good options for the Jets to use one of their many 6th or 7th round picks on in the upcoming draft.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The one thing to keep in mind is that there are reasons these players are only projected to go in the late rounds, but as we all know, late rounders can sometimes end up being Pro Bowlers..... *cough* Brady *cough*</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let's start with my favorite late rounder.....</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;">S Tramain Thomas (Arkansas)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHxy57ekE3H-O2ES883t-NbdKH2KCLYIx0FZKlyI6MRPcHvXSgntbmwIVF5QLlouKwf0yAM0kkDgfhZpmIFK3wZQJBq-ulx0AL-r_nVD5SN4ssXUFTbm3v30SSEGedkWjoVfxNsEQP-8/s1600/osufb-final-notes-1-5-art-govb61oh-1osu-11-sugar-crr-0143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhHxy57ekE3H-O2ES883t-NbdKH2KCLYIx0FZKlyI6MRPcHvXSgntbmwIVF5QLlouKwf0yAM0kkDgfhZpmIFK3wZQJBq-ulx0AL-r_nVD5SN4ssXUFTbm3v30SSEGedkWjoVfxNsEQP-8/s320/osufb-final-notes-1-5-art-govb61oh-1osu-11-sugar-crr-0143.jpg" width="262" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">To me, Tramain Thomas is a no brainer late round steal.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which safety prospect is tied with Mark Barron for most career interceptions? This guy.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most exciting thing about Thomas is his ability to create turnovers and make plays in coverage. As a starting safety in the SEC, he's recorded 13 pass break-ups, 12 interceptions and 6 forced fumbles. His instincts in the middle of the field, ability to locate the ball quickly and make adjustments to come away with the ball are all qualities that a safety in today's league MUST possess.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The most common "positives" from scouts when evaluating Thomas have been regarding his ability to quickly redirect, accelerate and reach top speed quickly to keep up with receivers. His 4.51 40 time would have put him as the second fastest safety in this year's combine. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4v7McfUafVC6OHkNgc553lMow6PJVdWbldKL2ZQFLjJIfaRQ3qtQymWr_xQl_Nw40d4G4rN6p9-rHDVPBez6Ft5pUWP07VnhdkZ0cIreneNjrXrpPQbQCqWUGbE7VhZKr4BYttG0czI/s1600/3939021587_a93b982e26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM4v7McfUafVC6OHkNgc553lMow6PJVdWbldKL2ZQFLjJIfaRQ3qtQymWr_xQl_Nw40d4G4rN6p9-rHDVPBez6Ft5pUWP07VnhdkZ0cIreneNjrXrpPQbQCqWUGbE7VhZKr4BYttG0czI/s320/3939021587_a93b982e26.jpg" width="248" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At 5'11 7/8 and 200lbs he could use a few extra pounds on him, but that's nothing that a few meals with the offensive linemen couldn't fix.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While some have called him the most underrated safety prospect this year, there are definitely some negatives that would need to be addressed. While known to be an aggressive player, his tackling technique could use some work and he has been criticized for over pursing as well. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You can't teach great cover instincts, but you can teach a guy how to become a better tackler. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thomas is projected to be drafted in the sixth round. With the Jets blatant need for a safety who can actually cover, I see Tramain Thomas being the obvious choice for a late round pick who offers great value. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold;">FB/TE Emil Igwenagu (UMass)</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48myEOsNzlj_ACcqiOne-6U2L5QiWh1PdvaIAyrrBt7-iv3aGnWpu57aqO1CfReb5RSmBmjhQR2nUbz1eX0HkUkN30OIU0ryI6EEZmDBpLTE5xi2UMjnZxiaDv_RXUSK-fNFg7j5v5ls/s1600/Igwenagu_Emil_actionUMASS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg48myEOsNzlj_ACcqiOne-6U2L5QiWh1PdvaIAyrrBt7-iv3aGnWpu57aqO1CfReb5RSmBmjhQR2nUbz1eX0HkUkN30OIU0ryI6EEZmDBpLTE5xi2UMjnZxiaDv_RXUSK-fNFg7j5v5ls/s320/Igwenagu_Emil_actionUMASS.jpg" width="214" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now I know those of you who suffer from Post Traumatic Ducasse Disorder stopped reading once you read the word "UMass" but :</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A) this would be a 6th or 7th round selection.....</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and B) remember Victor Cruz.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a big Conner/Keller fan this choice may surprise some. There's just something about a player with versatility that will always catch my eye and intrigue me.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After impressing many during the East West Shrine game, Igwenagu received an invite to the Senior Bowl where he continued to catch the interest of many teams.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Igwenagu (6'2 247lbs) </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">h</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">as played TE, FB, LB, H-back as well as special teams. While primarily playing TE for UMass, he fits right in to the new trend of versatile tight ends in the league.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Igwenagu can block as a TE, line up in the backfield as a blocker, carry the ball, and is a viable receiving threat as well.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In addition to his versatility, scouts took notice of Igwenagu's strength and work ethic. He's described as a gritty, tenacious, determined player who competes hard. </span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">He possesses great off-field qualities too. He's been the Minutemen's Co-Captain for the past two years and is a smart, accountable, unselfish player.</span></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: normal;">With Tannenbaum's love of drafting player from his alma mater, this is one UMass boy I wouldn't disagree with. The Jets need a TE that can be an inline blocker and receiving threat too. If nothing more than a great special teams addition, in my opinion Igwenagu is a developmental option definitely worthy of a late round look.</span></span></div>
</h2>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-58726957189626376972012-03-10T09:31:00.002-05:002012-03-10T09:35:34.967-05:00If Twitter Was Around In 2004......A sunny, Saturday morning filled with Jets news and debates. It doesn't get much better than that. <br />
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As I sit and chuckle at the opposing views over last night's news regarding Mark Sanchez's contract extension, only one thought comes to mind:<br />
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What would my timeline look like if Twitter was around in 2004?!?<br />
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Present:<br />
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Sanchez gets drafted by the New York Jets in the days of ridiculous rookie contracts, goes to the AFC Championship game his first 2 years, decides to stop his tradition of bagging brunettes, starts dating blondes, and has a horrible 2011 season. <br />
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Tannenbaum & Co. then jump on the bandwagon of opportunity stemming from Peyton's neck, find a way to show the world they support their franchise QB, and create some breathing room cap wise.<br />
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So it's official - Mark Sanchez signs a 5 year contract extension worth $58.25 million dollars with $23 million dollars guaranteed.<br />
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Past:<br />
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Five games into the 2002 season, and only 3 appearances in his first 2 seasons in the NFL, Chad Pennington takes over as starting QB for the New York Jets, wins the AFC East Division Title, yet loses to the Raiders in the Divisional round of the playoffs.<br />
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The 2003 season begins and so do Chad's injuries. He plays only 10 regular season games to end the season....6-10<br />
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September 2004: It's official - Chad Pennington signs a team record 7 year contract extension worth $64.2 million dollars with $23 million dollars guaranteed.<br />
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The comparisons of the two contracts can be argued to death, as can which QB deserved it more. It's almost pointless to do yet puts the over reaction to Sanchez's contract into perspective.<br />
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For those that think that the length of a contract matters consider this: according to Pennington's extension in 2004, he would have still been in green & white, doing the Tone Time dance last season.<br />
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I'm going to sit back with technology that wasn't around during Chad's 41-0 win over the Colts, watch as the debate over Sanchez's contract continues and laugh as I think to myself:<br />
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What would my timeline look like if Twitter was around in 2004?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-9698981486172582582011-11-28T13:15:00.000-05:002011-11-28T13:15:40.891-05:00If 75 Yards Means A "Bad" Game For Revis, I'll Take It.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If giving up eight catches for 75 yards means Darrelle Revis had a bad day, then please sign him up as a New York Jet for another 10 years</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Waking up today to fan’s reactions to Revis’ performance yesterday is quite entertaining, and yet another reminder of how fickle the New York Jets fan base can really be at times.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yesterday’s win against the Buffalo Bills wasn’t a pretty one by any measure, and you certainly won’t find me giving any player credit unless it’s deserved. I’ll admit that halfway through the game yesterday I even commented on Stevie Johnson’s performance. Why wouldn’t I?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw one too many completions to a receiver covered by the best cornerback in the game. It’s not common to see a wide receiver catch anything but air when put on Revis Island.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, amidst a sea of predictable overreaction, I watched the game again and took a little closer look at Revis’ performance, took it for what it was, and haven’t for one second questioned the rare talent and skill we’ve all know he has. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you found yourself sitting in front of the computer last night, voting Kyle Arrington into the ProBowl, putting your #24 jersey up for sale on eBay and making ridiculous comments like “Revis is awful”, “He’s been exposed” and “It looked like Revis didn’t even want to play today”……. well this one is for you.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ryan Fitzpatrick is as accurate a quarterback as Stevie Johnson is a great route runner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eight catches for 75 yards and 3 yard touchdown really sounds a lot worse then it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most other teams stay up all night praying that they had a secondary that could perform that well against a starting wide receiver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Johnson’s receptions for the most part were under 10 yards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was effective on making a few quick moves on Revis off the line and getting open for a quick pass.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Any defensive back will tell you that it’s hard to defend a slant-a-thon like we witnessed yesterday.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jets fans complain every week about poor safety play yet never take the time to consider that Revis may actually feel the same way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure how much Revis actually trusts Brodney Pool and Eric Smith.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All reasons why he played man coverage, gave Johnson a lot of cushion and kept the play in front of him the entire game.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my opinion, Revis knows how fast Johnson is, and this was his way of making sure that he didn’t get beat over the top.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you can’t trust your safeties to be there, you don’t compromise your coverage, you don’t jump short throws, and you let Fitzy make a few short completions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Looking at the game and the Stevie Johnson touchdown more closely definitely shows that there was some miscommunication between Revis and Pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Revis backed off, expecting inside help and like so many other times this season it wasn’t there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No excuses need to made for his performance yesterday, nor should any credit be taken away from Fitzpatrick and Johnson’s effectiveness against him. The fact is, Jets fans have been spoiled with wide receivers completely disappearing on Revis Island, and have set new standards for what is considered a good or bad performance. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like I said before, I’ll take the guy whose “bad day” only costs the team 75 yards and one touchdown any day of the week and be grateful.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And in case you didn't hear..... NEWSFLASH: Darrelle Revis is human.</span></div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-76443727585087393782011-05-25T20:29:00.006-04:002013-01-17T20:07:50.575-05:00Oprah: The One Person I Hate More Than Even Tom Brady.<div>
I <span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">can only make fun of Tom Brady "weeee-ing" like a school girl down a water slide for so long. Thanks to the NFL lockout there isn't much else to share my strong opinions on these days, so I decided to share my "Why I Think Oprah Is A Phony Fake Bitch" story with everyone. Enjoy!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">While it may be hard to believe, I don't just spend my days ranting and raving about football and the New York Jets. If there's one thing I'm passionate about it's my career. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm an Occupational Therapist specializing in Traumatic Brain Injury and Stroke. I love my job, I help people to move again, perform everyday functions and get their lives back. Ask anyone that knows me and they will tell you that my patients mean the world to me. I share their goals and devote myself to see them improve.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About 6 years ago now I had the "pleasure" of treating Luther Vandross. Luther had suffered a major stroke and needed intensive therapy. We treated him for months and progress was slow and steady. Interesting enough, the stories getting out to public and the media were that he was doing much better than he actually was. To this day I'm not sure why.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few months into his therapy I found out that Oprah was coming to tape a full segment on Luther's recovery. It was going to be Luther's first interview since his stroke. You would have thought the President was coming.....but come to think of it Oprah probably sees herself as more of a VIP anyway.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The Daytime Diva had many demands, they got more ludicrous by the day. I got my first taste of what this Oprah woman was really about when she demanded that only "good looking patients" be used in the background as they filmed her walking around the therapy gym with Luther. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'm sorry Oprah, but my 28 year-old patient that got hit by a drunk driver really can't help if he's missing part of his skull and isn't looking like a Gucci model at the moment, but let me find you someone who is.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Two of my patients - Jenn & Beth were asked to be apart of the taping.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Now, there are some patients who you never ever forget. Their stories can hit a soft spot with me when I thought I lost the capability to have that happen anymore. Jenn and Beth were prime examples of this. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jenn had a sudden brain hemorrhage while in Biology class at Rutgers and hadn't been home in 3 years still needing daily therapy. She was still learning how to navigate her power wheelchair with minimal hand function. Her optimism after all she had gone through was contagious.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Beth was enjoying life as a new mom when she got in a tragic car accident. She had spent years away from her family recovering from her brain injury. Betsey's family couldn't afford to bring her home to their 3rd floor apartment nor make the necessary modifications to accommodate her power wheelchair.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">These two young ladies taught me more than I can even begin to describe in this post.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jenn & Beth were ecstatic when they heard about the opportunity to be a part of the Oprah segment. They couldn't wait. They loved Oprah, looked up to her. It was great to see them have something to smile and get excited about.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Together they decided to write Oprah a letter. They showed it to me and my colleagues. Basically they told Oprah their stories and said they would be honored to meet her and shake her hand. They asked for nothing else but the opportunity to meet her even if just for one minute. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I immediately thought it was a great idea. I mean everyone knew Oprah was this giving, unselfish, philanthropist right? She loved changing people's lives for the better. I thought that she would read these stories, meet the girls and maybe help get them home to their families.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I couldn't have been more wrong.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oprah stormed in as usual the morning of the taping. Jenn & Beth were on their therapy mats as instructed. They asked that we give Oprah their letters so that they wouldn't bother her. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I'll never forget my colleague handing Oprah the letters and pointing out the girls. My jaw dropped as Oprah said "<i><b>No! I don't have any time for this shit"</b></i> as she skimmed their letters. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She tossed them away and went on about making her demands. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">She never once looked in their direction or spoke one-single word to them. She cared so much about Luther, yet never shook any of our hands for our work with him.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I stood there in shock and before I knew it the words "Wow, you are one selfish bitch" were coming out of my mouth. She turned in my direction but just huffed off acting like the Diva she is.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let's just say the rest of the day wasn't pleasant. I take it personal when you mistreat one of my patients. I took no part in the taping and let it be known that the "Most Powerful Woman" on TV was a fraud. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jenn & Beth were upset, but also now knew that everything that Oprah says and does behind the camera are lies. It was clear to all of us that in Oprah's eyes, no kind act was worth doing if there weren't two-million viewers watching it. I have no problem letting the world know that in my eyes her philanthropy is nothing but bullshit.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oprah had a tough childhood? Boo-effing-hoo. These two girls will never live a normal life again and only asked for a handshake. Her fat ass never worked as hard as they did to get to the point that they were at. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Those who perform small random acts of kindness are the ones I admire and remember. They're the ones who really make a difference in this world. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Oprah? She just filled the 4pm spot on ABC.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In a nutshell ........ Enjoy your retirement wench. </span> </div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-86482113896939655752011-05-17T14:27:00.001-04:002011-05-17T15:01:22.120-04:00DeMaurice Smith: "Voice of the Players"......or not.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There’s nothing better than sitting back and watching a “fresh approach” to something go horribly wrong.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, this new way of doing things, otherwise known as DeMaurice Smith, is directly impacting me -- an NFL fan who thoroughly enjoys the sport 365 days a year.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 2009, upon the sudden passing of Gene Upshaw, Smith was elected president of the NFLPA. It was seen as a surprise by many, a solution to the union’s sudden need for a change.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So much for that change being positive.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What the NFLPA got was a Washington-based attorney, a trial lawyer who represented Fortune 500 companies, rubbed elbows with President Barack Obama, and knows his way around Capitol Hill with his eyes closed. What they didn’t get was someone who had even the slightest clue about the world of the NFL, let alone the mind of a professional football player.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was obvious that his business experience trumped his football experience. Unfortunately for players and fans the ramifications of his hiring are being showcased loud and clear right now.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Surprisingly enough, I’ve stayed fairly quiet regarding my opinions on the current lockout. I’ve kept an optimistic view that the two parties shared one common goal: to get back to playing football. But after seeing Smith’s comments Monday it’s clear to me that this poor excuse for a leader is largely responsible for the lack of football in my life.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Someone might want to warn Mr. Smith that it’s really not a wise choice to get in the way of me and my football.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Smith is out of his league. Last I checked he’s no labor attorney. He’s a trial lawyer with no labor law experience whatsoever. If Upshaw could walk out of his grave right now I bet he would. Upshaw had a great relationship with NFL owners and commissioner at the time Paul Tagliabue. Don’t think for one second that the efforts put into establishing that relationship weren’t a key reason why the last labor fight was a short, less dramatic one.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The NFLPA is now in more of a mess than their “fearless” leader even cares to realize. It’s obvious that Smith cares more about good sound bites and extra face time on national television then actually facing the reality of the situation at hand. The man wants to make his mark in NFL history and he thinks that trudging this matter in courtroom after courtroom is the way to do it. I don’t need law experience to know that new collective bargaining agreements don’t get done in courtrooms.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Smith needs to stop making things personal. Enough already with the redundant, arrogant and hard-balled rhetoric that has completely undermined any efforts to reach a new deal. Cut the asinine “This is war” comments and go back to Capitol Hill where you belong.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I wouldn’t be surprised if the players, themselves, are questioning whether this man has their best interests in mind, but it’s too late now.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So, to quote the man of the hour himself: “Congratulations,” DeMaurice. You are singlehandedly turning off many fans that were once favoring the side of the players and have ruined what was once one of the best player/owner relationships in all sports.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, I’m not holding my breath for a new deal anytime soon -- that is as long as I continue to see your mug behind that podium</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-66600504265159496312011-04-26T09:30:00.002-04:002011-04-26T09:36:40.551-04:00How the NFL Lock-Out Potentially Helps the New York Jets in the 2011 Draft.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Believe it or not, the NFL lockout in one very small way has actually helped some teams, including the New York Jets.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Maybe I’m suffering from a chocolate bunny overdose, or desperately trying to find something good in a time of such turmoil in the NFL. Either way, this is a scenario we as fans cannot afford to ignore.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">It’s a pretty easy concept when you think about it.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">It’s finally draft week, and not too much has changed. There will still be three days, seven rounds and a green room filled with anxious soon-to-be NFL players at Radio City Music Hall.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">This year is first time in NFL history that the draft will be held before free agency. An offseason with no trades and no free agent signings has taken away one of the primary ways that teams fill their needs for the upcoming (knock on wood) season. The only avenue teams currently have is to wager parts of their futures on the unproven.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">The lockout has done wonders for hockey and basketball fans, but it has also benefited some college prospects, too, namely quarterbacks. There are only six or so teams desperate for a quarterback and approximately five more that are in the market for one.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">In any other year a handful of these teams would have already signed players like Marc Bulger, Donovan McNabb or Alex Smith, leaving their draft picks to fill other holes. But without the freedom to sign veteran players, these QB-needy teams will be stretching to grab the next Mark Sanchez as early as possible. I mean why wouldn’t they? Last I checked a quarterback is one of the more necessary parts of a football team.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Or in the case of this bizarre NFL offseason, desperate times should call for desperate measures.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Players who in any other year would be drafted during the second round are going to be celebrating Thursday night. “Over-drafting” and “quarterback” are two words that will go hand-in-hand this year. Players will be drafted higher due to need, not talent. It’s notion that you won’t hear the Kaepernicks, Malletts and Daltons of the world complaining about.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">What does this mean for the Jets?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">I wouldn’t expect Mike T. -- aka “the Draft King” -- to move up unless there is a player available that Rex & Co. simply cannot live without. The more quarterbacks drafted early in the first round will mean more players dropping down, giving the Jets more options with the 30th selection.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">By the middle of Round 1, I fully expect to see greedy teams starting to make some moves. Bidding wars and trades will start to come fast and furious in an attempt to put war rooms in their places.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Get used to that little bell sound and team logos changing on the screen quickly as moves are made, or, more specifically, quarterbacks are selected.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">The Jets aren’t the only team looking for the next great pass rusher this week. Fourteen teams run a 3-4 defense and four of those teams will be drafting alongside the Jets in the last seven picks of the first round. If you’re a Jets fan, the hope is more teams move into this slot to grab a quarterback.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">If the infamous draft pick hoarder, Bill Belichick, takes the bait from a team like Denver or San Francisco and moves out of the 17th or 28th spot it will only help the Jets.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">On the other hand, if players the Jets are targeting get taken right before they are scheduled to select, Tannenbaum may begin fielding offers in preparation to make moves himself. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">I wouldn’t be entirely surprised if the Tennessee Titans or Denver Broncos trade into the Jets spot to grab a QB, leaving the Jets with a second round pick and an additional third.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If not, and the Jets trade down for extra picks in round three or later, Tannenbaum would put his talents to use and find a way to trade some of those and land a spot back up in the second round.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">The possibilities are endless, making it one of the best and worst parts of the draft.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">Any situation that makes a draft unpredictable, with the potential for lots of movement, usually means good things for the Jets. That’s precisely what could begin to happen on Thursday night.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">One thing is highly recommended: don’t walk away from the television or channel surf for too long because anything – and I mean anything -- can happen.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;"><br />
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse;">And usually does.</span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-47521750500684137102011-03-22T17:06:00.000-04:002011-03-22T17:06:57.132-04:00The No Fun League Strikes Again<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Anyone new to American sports would think that football was a relatively new sport created in the 1980’s. With all the recent implementation of new rules and changes to existing ones, one would never believe the sport has been around since 1879.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First the infamous “Tuck Rule” in 2002 thanks to my favorite ponytail wearing quarterback. Then came the changes to the overtime rules after old man Favre suffered a dreadful NFC Championship game loss in overtime.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As if the current news regarding the NFL couldn’t be annoying enough, today’s biggest story aside from Bill Belichick sleeping through breakfast involved yet another rule change.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jason La Canfora of NFL.com reports:<o:p></o:p></span></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“NFL kickoffs will take place at the 35-yard line -- not the 30 -- under a modified kickoff proposal passed by the league's owners at the NFL Annual Meeting on Tuesday, according to a league source. The proposal keeps touchbacks at the 20 and continues to allow the two-man blocking wedge.”</span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Saying that Devin Hester should be on suicide watch may be a little bit extreme, but this rule change most definitely has an effect on an important aspect of the game.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fans can definitely expect to see a lot more touchbacks than previously. In 2010, 927 kicks landed in the end zone or farther. 509 of them were returned, and 416 were touchbacks. There’s no question that with the implementation of the new rules, the percentage of touchbacks will increase greatly giving kickers the advantage, and will take away the threat from kick return specialists.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In 2010, players like Josh Cribbs, DeSean Jackson, Leon Washington, Brad Smith racked up 23 touchdowns all from kick returns. It’s one of the most exciting yet overlooked parts of the game.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What Jets fan didn’t love shouting “Leee-onnnn” at every kick-off? Or used to sit at the edge of their seat waiting for Chad Morton to return yet another one in the end zone?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let’s face it, a kick-off return for a touchdown can sometimes be the most memorable play of a game. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Last year, kickers like Sebastian Janikowski would routinely kick the ball one to two yards into the endzone with a good possibility of it being returned. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ed Hochuli will be swinging his arms at his sides a plenty this year because that same kick will be six to seven yards deep with players kneeling in the end zone for yet another touchback. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Excuse me while I yawn.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The fact is players get paid millions because they are most dangerous at returning kick-offs and getting great field position for their team. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Leon Washington should be thanking his lucky stars he signed his new contract or else he’d be seeing his value drop like Darren Sproles and Brad Smith are as we speak. It’s even safe to say that players may no longer be drafted purely because of their great return abilities.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So who benefits? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aging kickers like Ryan Longwell and Adam Vinatieri do. These guys have accuracy and no longer have to worry about losing some leg strength. A kicker’s accuracy will be valued more than a big leg. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Of course as I type I have to think about Nick Folk. I don’t consider him a big-legged kicker or a very accurate one. In fact he’s really just a pain in my…….I digress.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I expect to see teams treat kick-offs like punts. Special teams coaches will use sky kicks and emphasize hang-time. Kickers will get air under the ball for a 5 second hang time, let the coverage team get under it and force the returner to call a fair catch inside his own 10 yard line……..or else he’ll get killed. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">No fun for Brad Smith and when you think about it even less fun for players like Lance Laury, Jamaal Westermann and John Conner who are dying to get their hands on the little fast men. They can’t even line up at the 20 yard line anymore and only have five yards from the kick off to get a running start.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Aside from the Rutgers tragedy, I personally can only recall news of two concussions suffered last year during kick-off returns.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I’m all for the NFL Competition Committee implementing rules that will increase players’ safety, but this newest rule could potentially effect an entire phase of a team’s offense. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When the league implemented increased fines and punishment for “big hits” they weren’t necessarily changing the game, but rather sending a message to the players. In the end, the players could still play the game the way they always have. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The new kick-off rules are different in that they actually change how the game is played, no matter how slightly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">My new optimistic side says hey….it’s better than having them take away kick-offs completely.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Vikings, Packers and Lions fans will sleep better tonight. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #1a1a19;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Who knows? Maybe now my nightmares of there ever being another Ted Ginn Jr in the AFC East will finally end too. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-26812366400940230112011-01-24T13:07:00.000-05:002011-01-24T13:07:13.870-05:00Beating the Patriots: The Aftermath Part Deux<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Jets fans need something to make them smile this morning - I think I may have found a temporary solution for that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Patriots fan Will DiTullio made good on Part 2 of his bet......watch the video below and enjoy!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="340" id="lsplayer" width="560"><param name='movie' value='http://cdn.livestream.com/grid/LSPlayer.swf?channel=thepulsenetwork&clip=flv_03bafd42-63cc-40ef-8cad-350167fe2066&autoPlay=false'></param><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'></param><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true'></param><embed name='lsplayer' wmode='transparent' src='http://cdn.livestream.com/grid/LSPlayer.swf?channel=thepulsenetwork&clip=flv_03bafd42-63cc-40ef-8cad-350167fe2066&autoPlay=false'width='560' height='340' allowScriptAccess='always' allowFullScreen='true' type='application/x-shockwave-flash'></embed></object></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">Big thanks to Will for being a stand-up Patriots fan, and more importantly to Butch Stearns and Phil DiMartino of the Pulse Network for letting us have some fun with this!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Trebuchet MS", sans-serif;">P.S - Technically Will didn't get the Firemen to do the actual J-E-T-S chant.....but we'll let it slide!</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-28241309529443860262011-01-21T12:26:00.002-05:002011-01-21T12:33:33.879-05:00Beating the Patriots: The Aftermath<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This time last week I was a guest on "The Sports Buzz" with host Butch Stearns and the New England Patriots fan that we all love to hate .......Will DiTullio (@WAD1980). </span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We discussed the upcoming Jets vs Patriots playoff game in detail and let's just say these two New England fans were riding high on their December win, current winning streak and were very confident about the upcoming game.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">At the end of the show Will & I, with the help of Butch made some bets. I was fully prepared to pay up should the Jets lose. What could possibly be worse than wearing a pink Wild for Woodhead shirt?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLs4wGJMzdGG2nbPzU5hvvhItNV7YkgY_0NwTC5TirH39J8vRTnhahv_gp74tteDfxZpqAnxjWJIbCiP5t6DKfGxXKU_ex8CQ-rgNkhlsvHNV7WOrjgMV1YutdR8bS-aJQPeihZ-WIVXs/s1600/woodheadbet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLs4wGJMzdGG2nbPzU5hvvhItNV7YkgY_0NwTC5TirH39J8vRTnhahv_gp74tteDfxZpqAnxjWJIbCiP5t6DKfGxXKU_ex8CQ-rgNkhlsvHNV7WOrjgMV1YutdR8bS-aJQPeihZ-WIVXs/s320/woodheadbet.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you're like me, you are still reliving the 28-21 Jets win........so yes it's now time for Patriots fan Will to pay up!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Part one of the bet was that Will needed to write a letter to Jets fans telling us all why we are the best. So scroll down and enjoy it, it's not often we get to see a Patriots fan praise the New York Jets!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">(stay tuned for Part Two - this one you will NOT want to miss!)</span><br />
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<blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Dear NY Jets and their Fan base</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For 11 years, I have watched Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots outwit, outlast and outplay the New York Jets and the rest of the NFL. Over that time period, the Patriots have played in 4 Super Bowls (winning 3 of them), 5 AFC Championship Games and finished 1st in the AFC East 8 out of the 11 years. I was convinced that the only way to win in the NFL was to believe the mantra "In Bill We Trust". I WAS WRONG!</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">On Sunday, you walked into Gillette Stadium and dominated the New England Patriots, beating the #1 seed in the AFC 28-21. The Patriots were outplayed and out coached in all 3 phases of the game. The Patriots looked lost and confused all game long. They simply had no response to a brilliant defensive game plan devised by your coach Rex Ryan and his staff.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rex Ryan promised 2 years ago that he was not hired to "kiss Bill Belichick's rings", instead he was brought in to find a way to beat your hated rival. Rex has delivered. You now boast a 3-2 record against the Patriots since Ryan took over in 2009 and have played in 2 consecutive AFC Championship Games. Over this time period, you are 4-1 in the playoffs (all 4 wins coming on the road) whereas the Patriots have lost 2 consecutive home playoff games.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Prior to Sunday's Divisional Round match up, you bragged and boasted about how you were ready to erase the memory of a 45-3 drubbing you suffered at the hands of the Patriots in early December. Experts and fans of the Patriots laughed and joked at this thought. How in the world would you overcome a 42 point defeat, especially since the Patriots were sporting an 8 game winning streak and playing their best football at the end of the regular season? You did! You ran the ball down the Patriots' throats, Mark Sanchez made all the clutch throws and your defense covered the Patriots' wide receivers even when they were going to the restroom. In the past, when a player from an opposing team took aim at a member of the Patriots (see Freddie Mitchell and Anthony Smith), "humble pie" was served the following Sunday. This was not the case this time. You backed up your talk and humbled your arch rivals in front of their home crowd.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Rex has changed the culture of the New York Jets in 2 short seasons. Observers of the NFL now believe that "Belichick's Way" isn't the only way to be successful. Experts question if the NFL's model franchise still resides in Foxboro. The defeat on Sunday has people in Boston questioning Belichick's philosophy and Brady's ability to succeed under pressure like he once did. In the past, you were defined by the phrase "same old Jets" but this phrase no longer applies. You have proven that you can succeed when the pressure is turned up, and recent history says the Patriots cannot. Brash is now in.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Jets Nation is a loyal, passionate and knowledgeable fan base. You have suffered for 42 years. The proverbial monkey was lifted from your back on Sunday evening when you beat the heavily favored New England Patriots. You are 2 wins away from wiping away years of disappointment. Best of luck, you deserve it! I have learned that Bill's Way is not the only way.</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">From a Humbled Patriots Fan</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Will</span></span></span></blockquote>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-89824472689456079272011-01-14T14:48:00.000-05:002011-01-14T14:48:16.199-05:00The Official Unofficial Jets Pro-Bowl BallotWhile it pains me to face reality, the regular season is now over and the Jets are well into the playoffs (thank you sweet baby Jesus) <br />
<br />
Thinking back and reflecting on the on this season, the Jets have had their fair share of injuries. Luckily, most have been minor enough where a player was only out of commission for a week or two.<br />
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As a result, this year more than previous ones, the Jets "back ups" have had more opportunities to fill in during these times and step up. I credit a lot of these "back up" players for helping the team end the season 11-5, and gaining them a spot in a AFC Divisional Playoff game.<br />
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I think these players deserve some recognition.....(and for the sake of Patriots fans on Twitter, I also think Jets fans need something to keep them busy)<br />
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These players unfortunately don't get to see their name on the Pro Bowl roster, and in turn the fans don't get to show them our thanks for stepping up when we needed them.<br />
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Below is the "Official Unofficial Jets Pro Bowl Ballot"<br />
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Vote for the players that you think deserve some praise for stepping up, filling in, and bringing it when they had their chance.<br />
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You can vote for more than one player per category, and vote as often as you'd like.<br />
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On Wednesday January 19th, we'll see who won in each category and find some way to let them know how much the fans appreciate them. It's not a trip to Hawaii, but a nice thank you never hurt.<br />
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So vote and let's go get a goddamn snack....Chowder sounds pretty good right now :)<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The intensity is building and what better way to put that emotion to use than to defend the Jets against a Patriots die-hard fan.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today I was given the opportunity to be a guest on Butch Stearns show "Sports Buzz" on The Pulse Network. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Boston radio host and former Fox 25 sports anchor was kind enough to let myself and the infamous Patriots die-hard Will DiTullio (@WAD1980) duel it out on his show.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There's nothing better than having the opportunity to stand-up for the Jets.....especially against Chowder head New England fans.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A big thanks to Butch (@ButchStearns) and The Pulse Network for having me on......and to Will (@WAD1980) for making it happen.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I made a bet at the end of the show that I would wear a PINK Danny Woodhead jersey if the Patriots win on Monday Night! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We all know how I feel about pink jerseys....and Danny Woodhead, so let's hope the Jets go up to Foxboro and get it done :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Enjoy! </span><br />
<br />
<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" height="340" id="lsplayer" width="560"><param name='movie' value='http://cdn.livestream.com/grid/LSPlayer.swf?channel=thepulsenetwork&clip=pla_f6b58773-d7de-4743-b2a5-c2d17d988bf7&autoPlay=false'></param><param name='allowScriptAccess' value='always'></param><param name='allowFullScreen' value='true'></param><embed name='lsplayer' wmode='transparent' src='http://cdn.livestream.com/grid/LSPlayer.swf?channel=thepulsenetwork&clip=pla_f6b58773-d7de-4743-b2a5-c2d17d988bf7&autoPlay=false'width='560' height='340' allowScriptAccess='always' allowFullScreen='true' type='application/x-shockwave-flash'></embed></object>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-22260591378402900362010-11-25T12:12:00.000-05:002010-11-25T12:12:58.424-05:00What I'm Thankful For.....Jets Style<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's Thanksgiving....as I reflect on all the things I'm thankful for, some of these things come to mind: </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful that John Conner hasn’t put any teammates in a coma during special teams drills.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful that Jenn Sterger is no longer a part of the Jets, and that Mark Brunell doesn’t have the need to discover the world of picture messaging.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful that Nick Folk is over his temporary amnesia and now remembers that he plays for the Jets…….not the Browns.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful that Chansi Stuckey still loves the Jets.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful that Brian Schottenheimer finally found some of the playbooks he lost while on summer vacation this offseason. He’s still searching for the “Ground & Pound” one I hear.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful for Mike Tannenbaum’s mother, for teaching him the art of bargain shopping at a very young age.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful that Renaldo Hill missed the “Don’t grab a receiver’s face mask on 4<sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup> and 6 with 3:55 left on the clock” chapter during Football 101.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful that Ray Lewis has found a second career in acting by riding a jet-powered Raven for an Old Spice commercial.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful for loud mouth low-class Miami Dolphin fans, without them my trash talking skills would be sub par.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful for Tom Brady and his selfless volunteer work with the Best Buddies program…..if only every volunteer could be thanked with a $97,000 Audi.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful for Richard Seymour, for stepping up and taking action in the name of drunk girls in nightclub bathrooms across the United States.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful that Jim Schwartz forgot that his decision to have Drew Stanton run a bootleg on 3<sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">rd</span></sup> and 6<sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup> with under 2 minutes would end in a loss.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful that Armando Salguero has finally seen the light and can admit that Mark Sanchez is a better quarterback than Chad Henne.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful for <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;">Dorita Adams and Bart Capers</span> for obviously never washing Bart Scott’s mouth out with soap and passing along the “Bad Ass” gene.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful for the media for choosing to over hype Jets wide receiver Braylon Edwards DUI incident and not the other 5+ NFL players arrested this season.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful that LaDaninan Tomlinson discovered the fountain of youth. I hear that he’s taking Jason Taylor, Trevor Pryce and Shaun Ellis with him there this weekend.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful for delusional New England Patriots fans for thinking Danny Woodhead is god’s gift to running backs…….I love anyone who can make me laugh.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful for Marc Anthony, Jennifer Lopez, Gloria Estefan and Jimmy Buffett…..for making the Dolphins organization even more of a joke than they already are.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m thankful for the NFL for manufacturing and selling Pink and Flirt Jerseys, making phony female fans even easier to spot.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">and lastly…….I’m thankful for the New York Jets for providing me years of a roller coaster of emotions and something to look forward to every Sunday.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Happy Thanksgiving to all…………may the joy of 9-2 taste sweeter than pumpkin pie tonight!</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-1057826815148624542010-11-24T22:38:00.000-05:002010-11-24T22:38:52.274-05:00A Matt Millen-less Hour....Sounds of the NY Jets<div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It’s a well known fact that NFL announcers can make or break your Jets viewing experience.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This season Jets fans have had to sit through a variety of TV personalities. Some good, some bad, and some that make you want to press the mute button.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let’s see……you’ve got the ever insightful Phil Simms, the hot-dog eating “I’m a funny guy” shtick of Tony Siragusa, the “tension you can cut with a knife moments” between Steve Young and a clueless Matt Millen, and of course always a healthy dose of Jim Nantz’s “Hello friends” that leaves you feeling the need take a shower.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></em></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOTNf9fetFaNAucY0DiPnnTXsg9LzCPOTE1XfcuBd1rgsKveNzf5BPGqJO35VeyWQRuTC2dEkteFEvF6L9Ei4Dw_gBi-_mC81LWbeFNTo4R86Eum6KXFu7Vj6XmH-iM3vOOPWx_RexnU/s1600/nantz_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="233" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLOTNf9fetFaNAucY0DiPnnTXsg9LzCPOTE1XfcuBd1rgsKveNzf5BPGqJO35VeyWQRuTC2dEkteFEvF6L9Ei4Dw_gBi-_mC81LWbeFNTo4R86Eum6KXFu7Vj6XmH-iM3vOOPWx_RexnU/s320/nantz_500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">An occasional</span></span></em><em><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> “</span></span></em><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"When you look at Ryan Fitzpatrick you are looking at the Bills quarterback"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> type comment from Dan Dierdorf can leave you pondering how you ever survived the past 3 hours, yet 30 minutes listening to Gus Johnson will have you convinced the man could make a funeral fun.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Love them or hate them it’s all a matter of personal opinion. Either way, this weekend Jets fans are in for a nice treat.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Jets aren’t only a team that is fun to watch. The success of HBO’s Hard Knocks and NFL Network’s Sound Fx featuring Rex Ryan have proven that this team is fun to “hear” too.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">NFL Network has come through in a huge way and is going to give fans the up close and personal view of this dynamic team that all fans have been dying for.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Get your DVR’s ready - Hard Knocks “Game Style” is here.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">During Thursday night’s Thanksgiving game between the New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals, many players and coaches will be miked up. On Saturday, November 27<sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">th</span></sup> at 8:30pm, NFL Network will be airing an one-hour cut-down replay version of the game with nothing but the sounds recorded during the game.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">“We’ve got 15 players and coaches miked during the game, including both coaches and all the coordinators and quarterbacks and middle linebackers.” says NFL Films President Steve Sabol. “ We’ll have 60 people shooting the game, which is more than we use for a Super Bowl, and then we’ll turn it around in 48 hours and show it to you through the eyes of the players. It’s something you won’t see anywhere else.”</span></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This isn’t the first time the Jets will be playing a game with no announcers, back in 1980 it was done during a Jets vs Miami game. A definite must see for any Jets fan. <o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">NFL Network couldn’t have picked a better game for this concept. Ochocinco, T.O, Revis, Cromartie, Rex Ryan and most importantly Bart Scott will alone provide more entertainment than one can even imagine.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A game full of nothing but the sound Rex dropping F-bombs, Bart talking trash, and the clash of helmets and pads from hard hitting Harris and Diggs…..now that is music to my ears.<o:p></o:p></span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>NFL Network presents: SOUND FX: BENGALS @ JETS<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>When: Saturday November 27, 2010<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></em></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><em><span style="color: #333333; font-style: normal; line-height: 115%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>Time: 8:30pm, 12:30am, 4:30am</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></em></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-36985115558866330212010-09-21T21:17:00.000-04:002010-09-21T21:17:26.891-04:00Welcome to "AlCrotraz" Mr. Marshall<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Poor Brandon Marshall. </span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Over the summer Jets fans weren’t the only ones waiting and wishing Darrelle Revis would sign. It's true, Brandon Marshall was actually looking forward to playing against the stand-out cornerback when the Jets visited Miami on Sept. 26.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Unfortunately, Marshall’s trip to “Revis Island” has been postponed, but a consolation trip to “AlCrotraz” has been arranged instead.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But just when Jets fans started feeling confident about Antonio Cromartie, following his second-half shutdown of Randy Moss on Sunday, Chris Mortensen of ESPN had everyone pushing the panic button again with the following tweet:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcxf8oCg4YF-gZTspSsyLrPkaPprqoWY42pwRCtColrIGYxRiE2e1qEY5C2qE78iydzFPuLGQOBZ92qatUIwXF7SqizTb2zsTLz7PMcSZqHIW2av-6xBka1CfZmop5yaB_VbRSn_haMo/s1600/mort.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcxf8oCg4YF-gZTspSsyLrPkaPprqoWY42pwRCtColrIGYxRiE2e1qEY5C2qE78iydzFPuLGQOBZ92qatUIwXF7SqizTb2zsTLz7PMcSZqHIW2av-6xBka1CfZmop5yaB_VbRSn_haMo/s320/mort.JPG" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Relax, everyone. Calm your fears and let’s look into the Cromartie/Marshall match-up a little deeper.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Mortensen’s tweet was 100 percent factually accurate, but there are a lot more details about Marshall’s record performance that day that Mort left out.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Sunday night will not be the first time the two players have met on the field. Counting their AFC West days, Cromartie and Marshall have been on the same field four times since 2008. Marshall played lights out against San Diego in September of that year, but to intimate that Cromartie was to blame for the 18-catch, 166-yard performance that day isn’t fair.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Somewhere Quentin Jammer is still hiding under the covers from the nightmare that was that game.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Like ESPN’s Tim Graham <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/18538/marshall-cromartie-may-renew-rivalry"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">reported</span></a>, Cromartie only defended Marshall on five of those 18 receptions, giving up 49 yards, including a 6-yard TD.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What’s even better? In three meetings since, Marshall recorded only three catches for 31 yards and got nowhere near the end zone.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Stats mean nothing right? There are many factors that can be argued regarding simple numbers so here are some more reasons to have some confidence that Cromartie can handle the big guy on Sunday:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>1. Jay Cutler doesn’t wear teal and orange</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">It doesn’t take an NFL genius to realize that Chad Henne isn’t exactly Cutler. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">In two games the Chicago Bears quarterback has thrown more than 300 yards more than Henne. Cutler threw for 350 during Marshall’s big game in 2008.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For some reason I don’t think Henne will come close to that against the Jets’ defense.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>2. Cromartie is out of the “zone.” </b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The one complaint Cromartie had about the Chargers was that they played too much zone coverage. Allowing separation and playing off the receiver a</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">gainst a wide receiver of Marshall’s caliber</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"> in a typical zone package isn’t so effective.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Unlike Moss, Marshall is a skilled route runner and doesn’t just rely on his straight-line speed to beat the secondary. He’ll beat you on a variety of short routes with his speed and cutting ability. Cromartie covering him man-to-man with safety help over the top should keep him in check the entire game.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><b>3. Jim Leonhard and Brodney Pool easily beat Clinton Hart and Eric Weddle to take home the award for Best Supporting Cast</b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If Marshall beats Cromartie in double coverage, safeties can be relied upon to bring him down.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">So enjoy your trip to AlCrotraz, Brandon. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">Matching up with Marshall shouldn’t be a reason for Cromartie or to lose any sleep this week. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-collapse: collapse; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: small;">By the way, I hear Revis Island is a great place to visit in mid-December </span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-45350797437356360162010-09-12T12:23:00.002-04:002010-09-12T13:26:20.665-04:00Patience Is A Virtue - What Jets Fans Should Be Watching Today<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">t was Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010. I remember turning off my television that night and saying good-bye to the New York Jets for the 2009 season.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you’re like me, you woke up today more excited than ever that the day we’ve been waiting almost eight months for is finally here. Like the NFL Network commercial, I’ve got “high hopes” for this season and am chomping at the bit for the boys in green to finally take the field.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Patience is a virtue and today the patience of Jets fans will again be tested.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Unlike the fans of 30 NFL teams, we must wait one more day.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Approximately 30 hours from now the Jets will finally take the field at the new Meadowlands Stadium against the Baltimore Ravens on Monday Night Football.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But just in case you’re wondering whether or not it’s worth your while to watch football today, the answer is most definitely YES!</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Looking back on the 2009 season, the one stat that still makes me cringe is the Jets’ 2-4 division record.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Clearly, this cannot happen again this season.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Winning the AFC East isn’t a given. We think we already know the strengths and weaknesses of the 2010 Jets.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today is the day to watch the Miami Dolphins, New England Patriots and, yes, even the Buffalo Bills and begin to get a better picture of how they will matchup against Jets in weeks 2, 3, and 4.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Jets aren’t the only team that made a lot of offseason changes. </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The AFC East as a whole has an entirely different look.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The games today will give fans a better understanding of the Jets’ rivals and allow us to better predict if this team can improve its division record from a year ago.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So go ahead and DVR one game and watch another. Jets fans have a TON to pay attention to today.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">New England Patriots vs. Cincinnati Bengals – 1:00pm EST</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Are the New England Patriots a one-dimensional team?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Patriots are dealing with their own holdout this season.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pro Bowl guard Logan Mankins won’t be on the field today.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Can Dan Connelly effectively take his place?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Laurence Maroney and Fred Taylor didn’t exactly strike fear in the hearts of many defenses in the preseason and the absence of Mankins may carry that over to the regular season. Will the Patriots have to rely solely on their passing game and become a one-dimensional team? </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Will Tom Brady have the protection needed behind the current offensive line?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Can the Patriots youngins on defense get the job done?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you watch one thing this weekend it should be the Patriots’ defense. The one word to describe them is “youthful.”</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Expect them to be tested early and often.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Their secondary – primarily rookie Devin McCourty and second-year CB Darius Butler -- will have their work cut out for them against Batman & Robin today.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pass Rush issues</span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">:</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">An effective pass rush hampered the Patriots last season.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It should continue to be something to watch this season. There will be lots of pressure on rookie linebackers Brandon Spikes, and Jermaine Cunningham, who by the way was injured and hasn’t played this preseason. It shouldn’t take a genius to notice the pass rush may still be an issue.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Cedric Benson runs right: </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m expecting to see the right side of the Patriots’ defensive line be tested today. </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Patriots will have two new starters when they take the field. Gerrard Warren and Marques Murrell will play their first games in red, white and blue uniforms and will have their work cut out for them against a strong Cincinnati offensive line.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A “run Benson run” day could mean a “run Greene run” game next week, if you catch my drift.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Jermain Gresham:</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Why do you need to watch the Bengals rookie tight end? No, not because I’m infamously known for praising tight ends. You need to trust me, there is a method to my madness.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Gresham is a dynamic tight end that runs routes like a wide receiver. He has quickly become one of Carson Palmer’s favorite targets. Expect the Patriots to play a cover-2 to take care of Chad OchoCinco and Terrell Owens down the sidelines. Can the Patriots linebackers cover Gresham?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Remember the Jets have a certain No. 81-wearing tight end that gives linebackers nightmares as well.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Miami</span></span></span></b><b><span style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> Dolphins vs. Buffalo Bills – 1:00pm EST</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dolphins front seven: </span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Will CJ Spiller run all over Miami?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Out of seven players up front, defensive end Kendall Langford is the only player starting in the same spot as last year. The Miami defense, at least in the interim, is all about the line and linebackers.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Miami</span></span></i></b><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">’s new middle men: </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Bills defensive line (Stroud, Williams, and Edwards) are strong and will be facing Miami’s new interior line consisting of Berger, Incognito and Jerry. Can the new guys step up and help Brown and Williams put up big numbers today?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For Jets fans, how this shakes out will give some perspective. A big rushing day by Miami today may mean a big rushing day for the Jets on Oct 3.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Both the Jets’ interior O-line and D-line can take either of these teams.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What will Trent Edwards do?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Edwards may not be the most dynamic quarterback but his performance today could expose a lot about a very young Miami secondary. With the Jets having in my opinion the best secondary in the league, a good performance by Edwards today is a win-win situation for the Jets for when they play the Dolphins.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Brandon Marshall:</span></span></i></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m going to be watching Brandon’s performance for one reason only.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I know Darelle Revis can cover him and Antonio Cromartie will have no problem dealing with Hartline and Bess.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Buffalo had the second-ranked pass defense last season (mainly because many teams just ran the ball against them in the third/fourth quarters). Brandon’s performance today will start to get my wheels turning as to how the Jets’ passing game will perform against him in three weeks.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">C.J Spiller:</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></i></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here’s a rookie I’m very excited to watch and really wish was not in the Jets’ division. I’ll be interested to see how he’s used. Will he get the ball as a receiver out of the backfield? Will we see him on the field with Lynch and used in the slot?</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The “new” (and improved?) Miami Dolphins:</span></span></i></b><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here’s a tidbit to keep in mind: Only six Dolphins players from last year are playing the same position this season. They have 10 players who have two years of experience or less.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So get your jersey ready, eat some wings, watch some football and keep the Jets in the back of your mind.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Today you get to enjoy football without the roller coaster of emotions that will be here before you know it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Tomorrow night is only hours away.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 10pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It’s the most wonderful time of the year … and I love it.</span></span></div></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-18959041145391608882010-09-02T22:53:00.002-04:002010-09-02T22:53:46.283-04:00Cure For Hard Knocks Induced Anxiety: Just Look At The Facts<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’m no marketing whiz, but Pfizer should consider advertising Xanax throughout the tri-state area immediately following each episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” I don’t think I’ve ever witnessed more simultaneous panic attacks than I did after Wednesday night’s episode.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">About half way through the show my Twitter timeline was filled with ridiculous Jets fans.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hysteria broke out. Take this tweet for example: “Slauson and Ducasse are going to get Sanchez killed.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Tweets were coming a mile a minute. The same fans that cheered Vladimir on all preseason, basically giving him the starting left guard job, had changed their tune to something more like, “Ducasse can’t play for crap.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I immediately thought to myself that these people need to get a hold of themselves.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And then it really began.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">n typical Jets fan fashion, the lamenting the loss of Alan Faneca comments couldn’t be contained any longer. Once again the overreaction gene that seemingly every Jets fan is born with reared its ugly face.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Consider this your brown paper bag and relax.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Hard Knocks is a television show. It’s meant to draw viewers in and make them worry. I really would hope that anyone that calls themselves a true fan of the team would take the events highlighted in the show with a grain of salt.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A big part of the storyline Wednesday night was the battle between Ducasse and Slauson for the spot protecting Sanchez’s blind side. It only took three clips of both guys’ missed blocks in the Washington game to send Jets nation to the ledge.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">To start with, jumping ship on two young and very skilled players and instead mourning the loss of a rapidly declining veteran is just plain silly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Faneca was a great player, a productive run blocker, and a locker room leader. But the fact is he was rapidly declining. His pass </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">blocking skills were inadequate at best. Go back and watch film of last season. Faneca’s problems in pass protection were easily hidden sandwiched between a Pro Bowl Center in Nick Mangold and big boy tackle D’Brickashaw Ferguson. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don’t know about you but I don’t exactly miss a player when a respected writer covering his new team refers to him as “a declining player that cannot protect well,” as was the case recently during Arizona Cardinals camp.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I can’t help but want to call some fans hypocrites, the same fans who have been crying for the Jets to give Darrelle Revis all the money in the world, as well as sign Mangold and linebacker David Harris, are the same ones bashing the organization for saving money by letting Faneca go.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let’s all go back to that November game against Miami. The Jets are down 5 with three minutes remaining, but marched all the way down to the Dolphins’ 10. Randy Starks then sacked Sanchez for a seven-yard loss on third down and the Jets went on to suffer their second loss to their hated AFC East rivals of the season.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let’s just say that if Hard Knocks was aired after that clip, Jets fans would’ve been begging for Faneca to be cut.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The bottom line is Jets fans need to show a big dose of patience to get through the Slausson/Ducasse growing pains. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ducasse has improved more physically than mentally in the short time he’s been here. Please remember he played tackle at UMass and is transitioning to guard. Isn’t it a little much to ask that he be at the same level as a 12-year veteran who has made countless trips to Hawaii? <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you want to complain about someone, Slauson deserves some criticism. He played behind Faneca for a year and has played four full seasons under coach Bill Callahan. Slauson is more familiar with the position and needs to step up big time. I truly believe he will.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It’s an anxiety filled year for all of us. But rethinking every decision made this offseason without looking at the big picture is just plain ridiculous. At some point you have to see the moves for what they truly are. As a fan of the team you owe it to them to take more into consideration than just some edited Hard Knocks clips. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's a good thing HBO didn’t show Damien Woody backpedaling and losing his balance during the Washington game. My guess is the vast majority of you would immediately want to see him getting his walking papers as well.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Take a deep breath, people. Believe it or not, there are still 16 games to play.</span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-61318614058874237922010-08-21T19:39:00.003-04:002010-08-21T21:10:15.689-04:00State of the Jets Union v1.0 - Cortland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Black Escalades, silver Range Rovers, black Mercedes were all blended together in the parking lot behind the practice field at SUNY Cortland. Standing out amid them all was a new silver 2010 6.2L V8 Chevy Camaro SS with 20-inch wheels.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I was standing there admiring its beauty when the Jets' very own Calvin Pace climbed into the driver’s side.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yes, this year’s training camp was to be different from the others -- just like everything else about this season.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I spent three days up in Cortland this year and experienced the Jets in an entirely different way than ever before. It was an up close and personal, behind the scenes view of my favorite team.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It may have been the most difficult training camp I’ve ever watched, but I mean that in a positive way. It was a busy offseason for this team and unlike previous years there were a ton of unfamiliar faces. Fans all had their noses in their newspapers trying to figure out who was wearing No. 56 this time around.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There were so many players to watch, to evaluate and yet so little time to do it effectively.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I could sit here and write about Santonio Holmes’ great one-handed catch, or the fact that Jason Taylor is now a Jet, and that LaDainian Tomlinson still has a great set of legs, but if you’ve read my blog before you know that’s not my style.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The players I had my eye on were the ones we’ll hopefully hear about a lot in the upcoming weeks, the ones who will play their hearts out this month, trying to prove that they deserve the chance to “play like a Jet” for real.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">They're the players who will show their skills to try and make us forget some of the players we lost. When all is said and done come September, they hope to gain our trust and prove that they are just as capable as those no longer dressed in green.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fast forward to present day. Camp is over and one preseason game is in the book. Here are some of my observations on players and position battles, scenarios that have yet to play out but should be intense all the way through.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Bosom Buddies</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Vladimir Ducasse and Matt Slauson were inseparable at camp. Everywhere I looked the two of them were together, walking off the field towards media tents, stretching before practice and even signing autographs side by side. During special teams practice I was five feet from them. Slauson demonstrated some blocking techniques while Vlad listened intently and tried to duplicate the drill.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It’s obvious that these two guys are ready to compete and learn from each other. While it looks like Slauson has the edge to replace the departed Alan Faneca, it will be interesting to see how this competition ultimately plays out.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_H-DhV1MXmfd-b0guAzgh0DZJGpu3YrBl63-xNVSD-OUDJVlg-XuK8kAZFRw-zgDuyGHcUHpVY4glSGkWFnWQFppQ0-TbGqq5cKkGNZ92byOQbXjron1jF0vGkv9XDD51XCJkIu1lU44/s1600/VDMS.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_H-DhV1MXmfd-b0guAzgh0DZJGpu3YrBl63-xNVSD-OUDJVlg-XuK8kAZFRw-zgDuyGHcUHpVY4glSGkWFnWQFppQ0-TbGqq5cKkGNZ92byOQbXjron1jF0vGkv9XDD51XCJkIu1lU44/s320/VDMS.JPG" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Very Keller-esque</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you’ve seen footage of camp you may have noticed the tall guy wearing No. 86 participating in tight end drills. Jeff Cumberland caught my eye. Maybe it’s because I always keep a close eye on tight end talent considering the Jets had suffered from mediocre talent at the position until Dustin Keller arrived a few years ago.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Cumberland impressed me. At 6-foot-4, 260 pounds, it wasn’t his brute strength or hands that stood out. It was, instead, his speed. Throughout camp he has shown the potential to be a nice pass-catching option. The wide receiver-turned-tight end made some nice grabs in traffic, including one play where he and Kevin O’Connell connected on a deep out pattern.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">With a similar skill set as Keller it’s no wonder people are taking notice. Unfortunately, the Jets usually only carry three tight ends on the roster, including one spot for the long snapper. It’ll be interesting to see Cumberland’s physical side and blocking abilities in the upcoming weeks.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Life goes on without the “Diva”</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">From what I’ve seen, the Jets do not need Kerry Rhodes.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I’m actually very surprised that throughout the first few weeks of camp more attention has not been placed on the performance of the Jets’ safeties. Specifically, I was keeping my eyes on the guys we don’t hear too much about, including the so-called battle for starting free safety spot, which hasn’t been much of a battle.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Brodney Pool got most of the reps with the first teamers, yet it has been hard to find any reports in the mainstream media on anything he’s done. But I saw him. He showed some big hitting ability. I remember one play in particular where he stopped bulldozer Shonn Green right in his tracks.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you remember, I’ve always lauded the merits of Eric Smith. His hard-hitting ways have been just as strong as ever. He’ll be a force to be reckoned with on special teams and will provide great depth even as a back-up behind Leonhard and Pool.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I do regret not getting a better look at Donovan “The Steal” Warren. He came into camp with high expectations, though mostly from Michigan Wolverine fans. On one deep pass to Keller, Warren closed in on coverage and got a nod of approval from yours truly.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Emanuel Cook is another safety who is back for a second chance with the Jets. Cook had an interception and some batted down passes during the days I was in Cortland and may be worth keeping an eye on in the upcoming preseason games as well. With Warren having limited playing time due a concussion, this may be Cook’s opportunity to state his case.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiNbJnayxofLtdHLZre53w7hRtm__Q-9m2JGj3L07R477IKvJKZKV-AI2i45xt-lnLUNtGo3EeSultIxuUhdN5ttOacnZA_OfWwucY4z_g7Z7r7oJeFsXohBcyPzfRJSo2l5EJmToFS0/s1600/Pool.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPiNbJnayxofLtdHLZre53w7hRtm__Q-9m2JGj3L07R477IKvJKZKV-AI2i45xt-lnLUNtGo3EeSultIxuUhdN5ttOacnZA_OfWwucY4z_g7Z7r7oJeFsXohBcyPzfRJSo2l5EJmToFS0/s320/Pool.JPG" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Westerman & Laury</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">These were two players on defense that I took notice of during the green and white scrimmage</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">and on special teams in the first preseason game against the Giants.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Jamal Westerman's speed seems to have</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">improved from last season and Lance Laury will definitely fit right in to coach Mike Westhoff's "throw a crushing<b></b>block" mentality.<b></b></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHjXZSuKBH2seqo9w1WubguMMDLSmz6wq4cZa7GCNazV6z05ScNGHv9rXg0h5PpYUvCR6mWDa8c2FzvMX2-XJkQmz61Ns1APTEl4uKMH-S_vibw5RN3XEcqC12YeipJSbG_hZFuDHGSE/s1600/JW&LL.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHjXZSuKBH2seqo9w1WubguMMDLSmz6wq4cZa7GCNazV6z05ScNGHv9rXg0h5PpYUvCR6mWDa8c2FzvMX2-XJkQmz61Ns1APTEl4uKMH-S_vibw5RN3XEcqC12YeipJSbG_hZFuDHGSE/s320/JW&LL.JPG" width="213" /></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">A Little LT</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Of all the new faces, Larry Taylor stood out to me the most.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Known as “Little LT,” so as not to confuse him with the Jets’ “LT” or that other guy that goes by the same name, the 5-6 former UConn Husky had me pulling for him throughout my time at camp.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">After a stint with the Montreal Alouettes of the CFL, Taylor could very well fill the kick returner void that was left when Leon Washington packed his bags for Seattle.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I see Taylor and I think of Darren Sproles. He’s “vertically challenged,” which means a low center of gravity, which means he’s more difficult to tackle.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If he gets into the open field he’s gone.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Can he break tackles? Probably not, but he’ll makes cuts, stops, spins, change direction on a dime and throw in some juke moves before being taken down. If you’re not careful you may think you’re watching someone play Madden when you watch film of this guy.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">He can catch the ball, too. Throughout camp he routinely had the ball, even catching a 50-yard strike from O’Connell.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I’m really pulling for him to make the roster. With Leon gone, the kick returner spot is really up for grabs, even though the Jets will take plenty a look at Brad Smith and rookie Kyle Wilson. There’s no reason why Taylor can’t win this job.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Keep an eye out for him. Wallace Wright used to be my boy wearing No. 15, but not anymore. Taylor is just a shorter, faster version and possibly a great football player in the making.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">And last but certainly not least....</span></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The Terminator</span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span></span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you follow the Jets, then there's not much I need to say about John Conner. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you recall, one of my biggest concerns this preseason was the lack of a young fullback to learn from the Master Tony Richardson himself. </span></div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">When the Jets drafted John Conner, I watched some of his highlights from Kentucky and immediately had a huge grin on my face. </span></div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This was the guy to calm my worries. </span></div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I had the opportunity to meet him after camp this year, I said to him:</span></div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"So John listen, I've been searching for the right guy to take TRich's throne...and I'm happy to say.....I pick you" (as I hit him on the shoulder pads). </span></div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you don't know about him remember Rex's quote: "The </span><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“The thing I like about Conner is that </span></span><span style="line-height: 15px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">you don't</span></em></span><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> have to </span></span><span style="line-height: 15px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">see him play</span></em></span><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, </span></span><span style="line-height: 15px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">you</span></em></span><span style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> can </span></span><span style="line-height: 15px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">hear him.."</span></em></span></div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</em></span></div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="line-height: 15px;"><em style="font-style: normal;"><br />
</em></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdl82rgoUMiP_YtXToNLj3HEOAjuQF61GOX3lQMQhRaTTuyAP1dmbHUPci8r7KN0ktGD9IakkaWGRgduUJhENZxjdYp2yTJ4gDcqtjaUXfx9oG123aPKBKiloloiX5KUZXBeU7ci0QnU/s1600/Deb&John.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtdl82rgoUMiP_YtXToNLj3HEOAjuQF61GOX3lQMQhRaTTuyAP1dmbHUPci8r7KN0ktGD9IakkaWGRgduUJhENZxjdYp2yTJ4gDcqtjaUXfx9oG123aPKBKiloloiX5KUZXBeU7ci0QnU/s320/Deb&John.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-collapse: separate; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><br />
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</span></em></span></div></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-13538337197876629202010-06-01T10:44:00.003-04:002010-06-01T11:53:56.198-04:00The Green-Eyed Monster<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Life must be pretty boring over in the 305, especially in terms of sports these days. I always thought that Miami was a happening place with tons of stuff to do. Looks like I must be wrong. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If you didn’t already know, the best place to get up to the minute Jets news is no longer our local NY publications. Sure they are still giving us fans tidbits of information from minicamp and all, but there’s a new “honorary” Jets beat writer in town – the ever so talented Armando Salguero .</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Who ever would have thought that the Miami Herald would have more stories on the Jets than the Daily News? </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It all began two weeks ago when I was made aware of Armando’s newest column where he states that the </span></span><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/16/1631622/miami-dolphins-jets-similarly.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Miami Dolphins and Jets are similarly matched despite offseason boasts</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It took me a long time to read this poor excuse for an article because I had to keep picking myself up off the floor from laughing so hard. It became obvious that this poor man had to have some kind of mental illness to explain these delusions of grandeur regarding the Miami Dolphins. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Without rehashing the entire article, it is pretty clear that this so-called “journalist” with vast experience is a complete moron. I would love for Mr. Salguero to tell me how many 1,000 yard rushers Lousaka Polite has blocked for that would make him “Tony Richardson’s equal”. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">His comparisons of the teams were so unprofessionally biased you would think some bandwagon uneducated fan wrote them. On second thought, is there actually such a thing as a die-hard educated Miami fan?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Just when the tears from hysterical laughter began to dry from reading Armando’s first article, a second one pops up. Right smack in the middle of Dolphins minicamp no less. Was it about Brandon Marshall’s hip? Or about the team’s need for a second wide receiver? Why of course not! Good ol Armando out does himself and decides to let everyone know that the </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/05/29/1653815/fins-not-concerned-by-jets-moves.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Miami Dolphins are not concerned with the Jets offseason moves.</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(funny you could have fooled me)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">There could be only one explanation as to why a beat writer for an opposing team would spend so much time and energy on the Jets. Some people are calling it jealousy – but I think “envy” describes it much more accurately.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldpdfdzFDrbWyG8mDS0nYGmvKZqnM94kJKZ4tKDj-WHsGWTHNQFxxZsMXNCMJDZo8XtDAHXrvdcnbZ_V27TL_R556oOShB42hcbfGj_SmatkeUAI-8O23tMz72mxcUUcDif8shnlwFOk/s1600/asalguero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjldpdfdzFDrbWyG8mDS0nYGmvKZqnM94kJKZ4tKDj-WHsGWTHNQFxxZsMXNCMJDZo8XtDAHXrvdcnbZ_V27TL_R556oOShB42hcbfGj_SmatkeUAI-8O23tMz72mxcUUcDif8shnlwFOk/s200/asalguero.jpg" width="155" /></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Aristotle himself defines envy as “the pain caused by the good fortune of others”. Put yourself in Armando’s shoes for a second. It must be so hard to sit and write about a team as boring as the Dolphins. I mean how many times can you write about players being arrested without being bored to tears? </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It reminds me of high school. The people you talk the most shit about are the ones you are envious of. Armando’s biggest contradiction to his article’s last title was obvious just by the fact that he published such a piece of crap. If the Dolphins weren’t concerned with the Jets moves, they wouldn’t be talking about it….over and over and over again.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Newsflash Armando: The world doesn’t revolve around the Miami Dolphins. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Take your skirt off and stop making everything about you and your team. Yes the Jets are confident, strive to have a winning team, and have goals to make it to Dallas this year. Have they ever once uttered the word “Miami”? They couldn’t care less about what the Dolphins are doing, and their actions prove that.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I respect fans and journalists who are able to talk about their team's weaknesses in addition to their strengths. It's obvious that Armando is incapable of such things. As a fan I will admit to clear advantages that other teams may have on the Jets, except of course when it's written by someone who obviously knows less about my team than my dog does.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Through the power of Twitter I've let Armando know my thoughts on his recent columns. Of course now I'm dealing with classy Miami fans questioning my football knowledge. I wouldn't expect anything different from such an astute fan base, and being referred to as a "cheerleader" is quite hilarious.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It looks like Jets Nation will all know Armando's name after his latest comment regarding Rex's recent weight loss. Yesterday he was on sports radio and challenged Jets fans to call in and defend their team on air. He even tweeted that should I call in, saying he'd "be happy to correct the errors of my ways". </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">As if I'd waste my time on a gorgeous day off to speak to Mando-Man. I'd find it much more stimulating discussing football with a brick wall.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Like a small gnat that doesn't go away, h</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">e also posted the following yesterday. Providing his Miami readers with a link to the </span></span><a href="http://www.thejetsblog.com/2010/05/31/link-dolphins-writer-takes-shot-at-rex/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">TheJetsBlog</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and asking them enlighten us with their knowledge (can you smell my sarcasm?)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">"But Jets fans are starting to bug me. I always wondered why Dolphins fans and Jets fans always seemed to get into fights at games. I think I get it now. Some of those folks are annoying.</span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Some of that annoying point of view can be found </span><a href="http://www.thejetsblog.com/2010/05/31/link-dolphins-writer-takes-shot-at-rex/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">right here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> on a Jets blog. I encourage you to go to that blog and give those folks your view how the Dolphins match up with their team, how Tony Sparano matches up with Rex Ryan, how this blog matches up with that one."</span></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
If anything else, I thank Armando from the bottom of my heart for providing Jets fans with some entertainment during this quiet time in the off season. <br />
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I feel bad knowing that Armando lies in bed every night looking at the posters on his wall of Jane McManus, Rich Cimini and Manish Mehta, wishing more than anything he could become them one day and cover the New York Jets. <br />
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Miami fans even dislike him and all prefer writer Jason Cole over him any day. I'd be upset too if I found out one of our beat writers was </span> <a href="http://www.finheaven.com/forums/showthread.php?30413-Merged-Did-Armando-Salguero-Lie"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">caught high-fiving a colleague</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> after our team lost and were out of the playoffs!<br />
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My advice to Jets fans: Enjoy it. It's not often that our team is so feared by our rivals that we can hear their knees shaking miles and miles away. I really am looking forward to hearing what Armando's next column regarding the Jets will be about. I hear he's going to break down our draft picks next, and possibly cover training camp in Cortland as well. I mean why not right?<br />
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Face it Armando, the Jets aren't going anywhere and they sure as hell aren't going to turn into quiet scared jealous little school girls like a certain team who wears teal & orange. When you decided to write about the Jets (multiple times) you should have been prepared to look like the fool that you are.<br />
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I've decided to be the bigger person and think I'll send Mr. Salguero a little gift to show my appreciation for his cluelessness - I'll even sign it for free ;)</span> <br />
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</span></span></span></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-811478352275354493.post-36987269783236713572010-05-17T21:04:00.002-04:002010-05-17T21:13:17.056-04:00Day 1 OTAs: Photos of the DayDay one of the New York Jets OTAs is officially in the books. While there is no media availability until Thursday - based on some players tweets, it seems like the players are just as excited to get this season started.<br />
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</div><div>Highlight of the day: hearing that Mark Sanchez was on the field participating in some light drills.<br />
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</div><div>Here are some pictures from today's practice - I specifically chose our new additions in their Jets Green as my favorite photos of the day. Out of 50 shots - not one of Mr. Taylor in his #95 jersey - he must have had dance practice today.</div><div><br />
</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(pictures courtesy of www.newyorkjets.com)</span></div><div><br />
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