11.30.2006

The NFL (The Not Fun League)

I gotta admit that I stole the title of this post from Max Kellerman over at ESPN...I like the guy and usually agree with him even though he's a total egomaniac (so am I)...see link in title and give him a look, join his army, or just listen to a real sports fan who still realizes that boxing is the most manly sport.

Anyway, it just seems that football which is the self proclaimed most popular sport in our great country has lost a lot of it's edge. As witnessed in the Giants humiliating loss to the Titans this weekend, guys don't even know if they can hit the QB anymore...even when he's still holding on to the ball? Yep, it's true and even though this is a football site and I am more of a baseball fan, I don't think anyone can argue this fact with me. Something has to give as it has become glaringly obvious that the league is crumbling from within and no one in charge now knows how to fix it. Where have you gone Paul Tagliabue?

Quarterbacks are now built like linemen. You see guys who are 6-5 plus with girth. And yet if you blow a kiss at them from ten feet away you might get flagged for unecessary and unwanted contact. Forget the fact that my personal QB, Chad Pennington, can't sustain a real hit without being sidelined for most of the season. Most of the game callers in the league can...and should have to the same way everyone else on the field does. Besides, what other position has as many guys paid just to protect them? Shouldn't that be a reason you CAN hit the QB? I'm not talking about hitting the QB ten seconds after the whistle blows. But isn't their a big difference between hitting a guy when a play is going on as opposed to when the play has been blown dead? I think there is but the NFL isn't sure...they should make up their mind once and for all. Remember this is a league that has made the ponderous decision to use instant replay taking away the human element, second guess itself into outlawing it, realize this might have been a bad decision and bring it back yet tweak the rules so it can be only used during certain points in the game...I guarantee they change it again. Only basketball has changed it's rules as many times as football.

Speaking of basketball, football mirrors it in many ways. I know the NFL has tried to cut down on excessive celebrating. They have gone to great lengths to be the epitome of class. Yet, I constantly still see guys after routine tackles flexing and guffawing. What would happen, if after a guy hit a game tying home run in baseball, ran around the bases, grabbed his bat, then went out and spiked the bat on the pitchers mound? The league would fine him but his teamates would also hate him, he'd get beaned in the head and his value would decrease to the point of being non existent. In the NFL guys get penalized 10-15 yards, they get hit with a fine and their teamates love them. Pretty classy eh? The NBA as well as the NFL has tried to tone down the thuggery. Why? If you dress a slut in a Sunday dress, she's still a slut. I say dressing street thugs in a suit is ridiculous. Telling them not to wear headphones in public is just naive. Asking them not to hide cell phones in the uprights is nonsense. Stop trying to be classy. Bring on the penalties and the fines. Encourage the reckless nature of the sport because that is the NASCAR mentality of the sport itself. Ebrace your inner thuggery. Be the fun league again.

Just some sidenotes:

1.) Why is it that baseball is accused of being some sort of front runner in the athlete enhancement drug taking culture...Am I supposed to forget how unnatural it is for guys to weigh 350 lbs. and run around on a field for three plus hours every weekend. Be honest, embrace your inner thuggery, football fans.

2.) How is it that a sport where coaches drive through fast food lanes naked has such good PR? I mean, have you seen the latest edition of SI? Why football rocks? I'm sorry but it is a little sickening to me that I have to see Brett Favre (Something About Mary still makes me laugh a little Brett) on the cover wearing a hoodie like he's Muhammed Ali. SI, the biggest sports magazine in the country...mid season, trying to convince it's readers why football is the greatest singular thing that has ever happened to this country. It's borderline confusing. It would be totally mind numbing if it weren't so obvious what it's really about in the long run. Like Wu Tang Clan once said, "Cream get the money, dollar dollar bill y'all." Embrace your inner thug.

3.) Sorry for the anti-football rant guys but baseball is still three months away. My St.Peter's Peacocks got raped by SHU the other night (I owe Fakehead some dollar dollar bills on that one) and if the Jets don't show some fire this weekend (against the above mentioned Brett Faaaaaa-Vraaaahhh) it could be a while before there are any good sports to watch. I might even have to start rooting for Georgetown basketball...the horror. But now that I have gotten it all off my chest I can honestly say:

J-E-T-S JETS JETS JETS!
PS - Unruly, I can honestly side with you and say that I have always liked the Jets for being less thuggish than other teams. Besides Broadway Joe (who could back it up) and Keyshawn (who sometimes did), the Jets have never been a team to showboat. Go Jets, win this one with quiet dignity...like you knew you would all along!

11.27.2006

11.26.2006

The Jets Rock and the Giants BLOW!

Hardy fucking har to all those Giants fans!!!!! They lose to a rookie QB and now they have the same record as the New York Jetropolitans!!!!!!!!!!!

Go Jets!!!!!!!!

It was a great game all around, but Kerry Rhodes did it again! The man continues to impress. Of course, another great game by Coles AND Cotchery (quickly becoming a great WR) showed why the Jets are no joke.

On to Green Bay and that old man QB!!!!

Go Jets!

11.22.2006

Who cares about celebrities, and thank God the Jets don't have any wanna-bes.



I cannot stand celebrity worship and/or news. It makes me insane. "Oh my God, TOMKAT got married!!!!!" "Oh my, Rosie said some shit about Kelly Ripa!" "Holy cow junior, Kramer is a racist!" I made the mistake of paying attention to "Access Hollywood" or "Extra" (they are both the same show at different times on different networks from what I can tell) when it was on when I got home from work last night.

Why do we all give a shit????? It makes no difference on our lives whether Tom Cruise's baby really exists, whether Rosie said what about who or whether Clay Aiken is a homosexual or who cheats on who or who is getting divorced and blah, blah blah. It's all nonesense. There are big problems in the world, (I don't know, Iraq, North Korea, Iran, Crime, etc.) and most people want to know what is going on with Britney and that scumbag she married and decided to have 2 kids with. Who give a fuck? Don't even get me started on MTV, the network (videos, anyone? thanks anyway) that capitalizes on the fact that normal people are dying to be famous by being outrageous (aka - Real World, Super 16 or whatever it's called, Laguna Beach, etc).

That being said, ESPN tries to do the same thing. They run their highlight shows and love to show fights, homeruns, touchdown dances, stupid things people do or say, and so on. They try to make athletes into celebrities. Granted, they want people to watch their show. I don't have a problem with that. What I have a problem with is the athlete who becomes a wannabe celebrity. Case in point: T.O. The guy is so controversial and nuts he got thrown off the Eagles and now every single story (besides the recent QB controversy) is about Parcells and TO. "Did TO piss off the Tuna?" "Did Parcells take a shit and smell up the bathroom and TO got upset because he went in after him?" Fucking play football!!!!!

That is the one good thing about the Jets. They don't have any wannabes. L. Coles is a solid guy who isn't showy. Chad could be more showy if you ask me. Curtis was the man, a solid citizen. (Now they don't have a RB). At least the Jets can say that they don't have an idiot who tries to take all the headlines on their team. And that, my friends, is a good thing.

As for the celebrity nonesense, Kramer is an idiot and not funny if he can't handle hecklers without dropping the "N" bomb, Rosie is a fat loser for saying Kelly Ripa is homophobic because she didn't like that Gay Aiken put his hand over her mouth to stop her from talking(who would, the guy probably touched a little boy with that hand, even if he isn't gay, (not that there is anything wrong with it) the motherfucker is Michael Jackson, Part 2, a creepy motherfucker indeed), and I hope that everyone who hosts, produces and directs Extra and Access Hollywood gets cancer and dies. The only problem is, like zombies, there will be more idiots to take those idiots place when they are finally dead. It will never end. I could go on about how "Celebrity" is bringing this country down, but why bother. My buddies don't want to hear it and I probably just turned off the other guy who reads this blog.

Go Jets!

My predictions:
Jets: 27 Texans: 20

Clay Aiken: Gay

Tom Cruise: Straight

Rosie O'Donnell: Fat bigmouth (Sorry, that's just a fact).

11.20.2006

Either I need to be drunker or just get better seats, but going to games ain't always what it's cracked up to be.




Why is it almost every time I go to a sporting event (mostly football games) I get so Goddamn annoyed? Well, because of stupid, crazy, retarded fans. I'm not talking about real retarded people either. They don't have a choice in the matter. I'm talking about the guy who has to stand up on every fucking play in the upper level, even when it is 2nd and 7 midway through the first quarter and the Bears have the ball. I'm talking about the hard high five slappers. I'm talking about the drunk assholes who can't handle their intoxication. I'm talking about the losers on their cell phone the whole game or people who read the paper during the game. (Hey, do that shit in the parking lot you stupid bastard!).

So, my day started at 10:30 am, when I was picked up by my buddy and we were suppossed to meet one of his buddies at the Stadium. I drove and we got to the Stadium around 11:15, and the parking Nazis wouldn't let me park in any of the main lots. I was stuck in a huge traffic jam for almost a half hour just trying to park. Finally, I end up in Lot C, which is a great lot for the racetrack, and a mile walk to see a football game. So, after getting a phone call that my the other guy who was suppossed to take the third ticket bailed out, I proceeded to meet my brother at his tailgate spot a mile away. It was a 2 beer walk, past AT LEAST 300 open spaces in other lots.

Luckily, we arrived just in time for some burgers and had some food and drink while my brother and his friends had a conversation with Mary Jane to get ready for the big game. My buddy and I did not partake. Regardless, we make the trek to our gate and found out that the "NFL on FOX" show was filming live at the stadium. This was more annoying than the parking lot traffic jam, as dozens of idiots gathered behind the taping to scream, yell and be fucking idiots in an attempt to get on TV for a second. Plus, the spillage went into the lines going into the gate. So my buddy and I wait for 20 minutes and the line into the stadium does not even move. We look behind us and we were the last ones on line because everyone behind us flanked the gate by the side. It was just dumb.

Finally, we get into the game and get to our seats, and there are Bears fans everywhere. I had a Bears fan with his son/daughter (couldn't tell, hope the kid turns out all right) behind us, and the little kid was constantly kicking the empty chair in front of him/her and the thumping resonated to my seat, which was next to the empty chair. I kept turning around, waiting for the idiot father to tell the kid to stop, but he and his dumb Urlacher jersey was too focused on the game. So, instead of going apeshit, I simply put my arm around the empty chair so the kid had to stop because he/she was kicking my arm and noticed what he/she was doing. Then, thankfully, two old guys showed up and didn't want to walk to the other side of the section so we let them sit next to us and now the kid had somebody in front of him/her and could no longer kick the chair. At least if he/she did I didn't notice or care.

Regardless, the game was exciting, but not exciting enough for two drunk high-fiving idiots to stand up every five minutes, which they proceeded to do so the rest of us couldn't see. I have no problem with standing and often do during games, but only when it is an important time in the game. These two stood on every play, until they tired out towards the end of the game, when standing was probably a good idea.

Then there was the yelling. Fuck this, fuck that, no concern for women or children at all (even kids who kick seats shouldn't hear that shit). Then the ribbing, or abuse, of the Bears fans. It started out jovial, and it turned nasty. I have no problem with some ribbing of fans, it should be hard to wear an away team's jersey in Jets Stadium, but you don't have to yell at them every time the Jets make a play. The fan has nothing to do with the players on the field. (That about sums up this blog). Bears fans were having shit thrown at them, it was insane. Then, the one Bears fan who was too loud and way too drunk, started threatening to fight everyone around him. The Jets fans would have gladly taken him up on it. So the guy starts "mother fucking" everyone around him, and on come the pretzels, peanuts, etc. etc. Then, the yellow jackets came and took him away. That was great to see actually, because that guy was a real dickhead. I even yelled at him that it wasn't 1985 and there wasn't going to be any "Super Bowl Shuffle" this year. (Which, by the way there isn't, there is no way the Bears are winning the Super Bowl with Rex Suckman at the helm. Rex Grossman is NO Jim McMahon).

Regardless, I enjoyed the game but all the other shit is just too much. I thought about when I could bring my kid to a game, and the answer is when he is 16 years old. By then he will know every swear there is and I won't feel like I will have to kill anyone who says something to him or throws something at another fan and it hits him. It's a shame. Maybe the behavior in the lower seats is better, I don't know. But the upper tier is like the inmates running the prison. I don't think, no matter how intoxicated I used to get, that I ever acted like some of these guys. It just ruins everyone's experience.

Will I be back? Fuck yeah. I love the Jets and I love to tailgate and watch games in the cold weather. I also want to attend with Unruly and Shea GF. Next time I'll maybe I'll just drink more I guess. Then I won't be too annoyed, and I only have to worry about falling off the tier. Of course, falling wouldn't be too bad if I landed on a fan from the opposite team. Then some idiot would just comment, "Wow man, who threw a body at that Bills' fan?"

11.19.2006

Get up and throw a touchdown pass you wuss!



I will write a little more about the game this week, but all I can say is that the Jets should have won!!!!! They had a couple of oppotunities and their defense (for once) stepped it up!!!!! I was proud of they way they hung in there, they were just waiting for the offense to do something. It failed them.

A few notes:

Kerry Rhodes continues to impress. The guy is a gamer with heart.

I forgot how good L. Coles is. He makes some amazing moves after he catches the ball. I'm glad he's back in green and white.

Cedric Houston? I don't feel like looking up how to spell his name, but for some reason he got a lot of touches and he wasn't that bad. Mangini must have read some scouting reports. It just goes to show that he doesn't have confidence in any of his backs, no matter what they do in the week prior.

Chad. He blew. Again. Can he please step it up? The Jets should have beaten the Colts, Bears and for God's sake the Browns. I blame Chad for two of those three losses. (Of course, my opinion means nothing).

I'll try to write about the behind the scenes stuff later, like how the drunk Bears fans got tossed and how I almost threw a little kid off the upper tier. (I would of course never do that, but I'll explain later).

All I can say is, they better beat the fucking Texans next week!!

11.16.2006

HEY JETS - "YOU CAN DO IT"


Yes, the Jets can beat the Chicago Bears, just like they beat the Pats last week. How will they get this done? Well, the first thing that needs to happen is Chad needs to play like Patriot game and Titan game Chad, and not Jacksonville game and Cleveland game Chad. Chad needs to step it up, becaues the Jets "O" lives and dies with him. Maybe Mangini mixes it up a little more with Barlow and Washington this week, whatever works!

The second thing that obviously needs to happen is the Jets need to pressure Grossman so he fucks up. Blitz him at least 2 out of 4 downs so he feels some heat. Grossman cannot take the heat, so he is going to get the hell out of the kitchen. AKA, he is going to throw picks, made bad decisions and look like, well ... Rex Grossman. The guy isn't good and never was. The Bears win despite him most weeks. Regardless, I am going to the game and I'm write a report, win or lose, after the game.

In the meantime, Go Jets!!

11.14.2006

Jet Notes

He's Baaaack!









Vinnie Testeverde's wife kicked him out of his house for the second straight November. Last season he came out of his retirement to join the Jets after Pennington and Jay Feidler got injured. This time, he comes out to join...and get this...THE PATRIOTS!!! Hey, no love lost here. Good for Vinnie! I am glad he can still find work. I loved him and 1998. I did not like him so much in 2005. The reason the Pats picked him up is they really have no back up QB. They have one other QB besides Brady on the roster. A second year guy from USC. His name doesn't matter at this point, ok.

The Patriots Game

No need to throw salt in their wounds, but that was fucking awesome!!!

The Bears Game

This is going to be trouble. I don't know how the call this one. So if any betters are relying on this blog for betting advice, I would hold off on this one. The Bears do have an awesome Defense. And their Offense is getting it done. But what's worse is the Jets are playing all over the map. I know they just beat the Pats, but don't forget they also lost to the Browns. They should have won that game.

Barlow

Hey, he looked good last week. And my man, Leon Washington was very quiet. Barlow looked like a real NFL back last week. Lets hope he keeps it up.

Pennington

His little lob passes to the left are just a tinsy bit nerve racking. But he is looking ok.

Gadfly, your on the fan, what are your thoughts?

11.08.2006

Pack the Caa at Havad Yad!!!

Right now I am writing from my hotel room about a half hour south of Foxboro Stadium. I am definitely in enemy territory. I am sitting here thinking of how sweet it will be if my Jets can pull a win over the Patriots this weekend and how I would be able to rub it into the faces of my New England based co-workers.

As I sit here at my computer I am pondering that their are a few challenges in being employed by a Massachusetts headquartered company. The first thing to get used to is the fact that they do not believe that the letter "r" is in the alphabet. So it takes about five years of working with these people to understand their language.

The second is...actually the language thing is probably such challenge that it takes up to bullet points.

The third is being a Jets fan base in New Jersey dealing with the constant guff from the "three time Superbowl champion New England Patriots" fans! Puke!!!

I am really not sure where to begin and don't want to make this blog that long. Let me just run off on a tangent on Belechick's "system" and see where that goes. Patriots fans have no player loyalty. You have to hear how they callously just let players go. They didn't even care that Viniteri didn't get re-signed, they didn't even fain a protest when Romeo Crennel and Charlie Weiss take other coaching jobs and they practically packed Superbowl MVP Dione Branch's bags for him when he was holding out for more money.

These fans are completely bought into the fact that Belechick can just "plug in" another player. I think Belichick has gotten away with his "system" for a while but I believe his time will come up soon. I do not think you can let a clutch kicker like Viniteri get away. I hang my hat on the fact that their will be a game where the season will be on the line this year where it will come down to a missed field goal. I will wait to tell my co-workers "I told you so." until that date.

What the fans don't realize is that soon Patriot management are going to raise ticket prices by $50.00. The first hint of kibitsing, they will take their tickets away and sell them to some rich snot nosed half fan from East Boston.

At any rate, I know this blog is all over the place. I think I am too emotionally connected to this game to articulate anything other than that I want the Jets to pull a huge upset Sunday.

My prediction: Jets 21 - Pats 17.

PS: I have been here for a day and a half and three people on the street have called me "Sully". I AM NOT EVEN IRISH!!!

11.04.2006

ONE MORE STRIKE TO GO!!!


This Jet fan is starting to despise Mr. Bill Belechik. I never hated him before this year. But he is just getting under my skin. And this has nothing to do with the fact that new JETS Blog, blog, blog poster, Caymus 67 has started rubbing his Pats fan finger in our faces.

What is really has to do with two major snubs Belechick he sent our way. It started when he first departed. You remember, Belechick excepted the Jets job and then a day later quits. And without any good reason. However we Jet fans said, "Hey good for you Bill. And there was no sour grapes from us Jets fans. Probably mostly because we knew his track record as a head coach in Cleveland, which was horrendous, and didn't want any of that here in Jets Nation.

Then he goes up and wins three Superbowls. Hey, good for you Bill. We Jets fans were nothing but gracious and rooted for our AFC East brother each time. We really did.

The second snub came when the Jets hosted the Pats in game two. Magini surprised all of us by having the Pats on the ropes. Even though he couldn't pull off the win. But after the game, Mangini graciously shook Belechick's hand and Bill responded by giving him the old "dead hand" and turned away.

Fuck you Bill! Give your former water boy some kudos. Who cares if he went to a team that you didn't want to coach for. Perhaps you didn't get along with that current management. That is not Mangini's fault! And plus, there is a different owner now. In my opinion, you need to get yourself right with Mangini. You really need to give Mangini some credit and stop being a jerk.

But more than that, if you are an asshole to Mangini you are messing with us, the Jet Fans! You are starting a war in a way. And one more dickhead move and you will be forcing a full out war with the Jets and all of us Jet Fans!!!

You have proved that another snub is on its way. So bring it on Bill. And we hope Manning kicks your ass this weekend.

And the only way you will redeem yourself is to show our boy Mangini some respect. And that doesn't mean you do your kissy kissy special on him either.