Weekly Jets Blog Week 16

I suppose anything’s possible. Being the Jets fan that I am, I had to be pessimistic about the Jets playoff chances going into to a Week 16 matchup with the unbeaten Colts. Jets fans have been used to let downs for a long time. But with a little luck, some miracles can come true. The Jets now have a shot at the playoffs thanks to some extraordinary effort by a few individuals, as well as some help from the opposite sideline.
A lot of the hype leading up to this game focused on a main point: would the Colts rest the starters or not? Many thought that if QB Peyton Manning could give the Colts a big enough lead, they could take him and other key starters out to avoid the risk of injury. But when Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell pulled Manning and other key players in the 3rd, the Colts only held a 5-point lead. They wouldn’t score again as the Jets combined great defense with good luck to smother backup QB Curtis Painter and end the Colts run at a perfect season. Brad Smith returned a kickoff 106 yards for a TD and Marcus Douglas returned a Painter fumble for another TD. You could tell that the Colts weren’t having their luckiest game when kicker Adam Vinatieri missed an extra point in the 1st quarter. The Colts also failed to complete a 2-point conversion in the 3rd, something the Jets were able to accomplish. Rookie running back Shonn Greene excelled with 95 rushing yards, and the Jets finished with 202 yards on the ground as a team. Cornerback Darrelle Revis shut down yet another star wide receiver, holding Reggie Wayne to just 33 yards.
While it may seem like the Colts threw the game away, you have to consider the fact that the Jets didn’t allow a TD to Peyton Manning, and that the Jets had a lead early in the 3rd, when Peyton was still in the game. A win next week against the Bengals would give Gang Green its first playoff appearance since 2007, which seems like decades ago, especially for Jets fans. Regardless of the outcome of this year, the upcoming drafts will be especially vital for a rebuilding team that could take huge steps towards being a top tier team in the NFL, something the Jets haven’t been in a long time.

Weekly Jets Blog Week 15

Frustration and despair. These are two of just countless adjectives you could use to describe the Jets painful 10-7 loss to Atlanta. The Jets maintained control of the game through the first 3 quarters behind powerful defense, before falling apart and giving the game away in the 4th which is something they’ve done all year long. The fact that the Jets couldn’t solve this negative repetition of events over the course of the season, coupled with their extreme lack of a passing offense led to their overall demise. At 7-7, the Jets are still mathematically in the playoff hunt, but with so many teams to compete with, a spot in the postseason seems unlikely.
Mark Sanchez did show some good signs in the game, despite throwing for 3 more interceptions. He finished with 226 passing yards, highlighted by a 45-yard pass to Braylon Edwards, who finished with 105 receiving yards. Sanchez seemed more comfortable and made some better decisions, but he couldn’t adjust to the cold, wet weather, resulting in many throws that were way long or way short. Thomas Jones was shut down and held to just 52 rushing yards. The biggest killer was special teams. Gang Green couldn’t convert any of their 3 field goal opportunities; the first was a bobbled snap by the holder Kellen Clemens, the second was booted wide right, and the third was blocked after a high snap. An inability to come through in those situations is a great weakness for a team.
Once again, the Jets defense was nearly flawless. They held Matt Ryan to 152 passing yards. No Falcons running backs were able to eclipse 59 yards. Defensive Player of the Year candidate Darrelle Revis shut down another superstar wide receiver in Roddy White, holding him to 33 yards. They didn’t give up a touchdown until there was less than 2 minutes left in the 4th quarter, by which time they were exhausted after spending so much of the game on the field. The Falcons last drive was impressive, ending in a 6 yard TD-pass to Tony Gonzalez. The Jets had led 7-3 since the 1st quarter. David Harris was masterful yet again, leading the team with 11 tackles.
The inability to close out games crippled the Jets the entire season. Fourth quarter collapses also led to losses against Miami and Jacksonville, and in 4 out of their 7 losses, Gang Green either held a lead or was tied at half time. They finish with games against the Colts and the Bengals. The unbeaten Colts will most likely end up playing their regular players most of the game versus the Jets, while the Bengals will probably rest there’s in Week 17. Barring some sort of ridiculous and undeserved miracle, the things that the Jets can look forward to the most are the 2010 Pro Bowl and of course the 2010 NFL Draft. Thomas Jones, Revis, Harris and many others should represent the Jets in Hawaii while the organization should be watching some bowl games to look for potential future draft picks that could fill many needed holes. The average salary for rookies will take a huge drop after the 2010-11 season, so many college studs are leaving school early for the NFL, presenting the Jets with many great opportunities to patch up key holes and build up for another run at the playoffs.

Weekly Jets Blog: Week 14

It wasn’t pretty, but they got the job done. The Jets drubbed Tampa Bay 26-3 despite not having quarterback Mark Sanchez. The Jets decided to give Sanchez extra rest after a knee injury by starting Kellen Clemens, who struggled with just 111 passing yards, but didn’t have any turnovers. The constant themes of dominating defense, poor offense, and superb kicking shined once again down in Florida. The win was the 3rd straight for Gang Green, improving their record to 7-6, and keeping them in the playoff hunt.
Failure to capitalize on wonderful opportunities defined the Jets offense once again. On the first play from scrimmage, David Harris picked off Tampa’s rookie QB Josh Freeman, one of three picks Freeman threw. Harris brought the ball down to the Tampa 31, setting up great field position for Clemens and the offense. Well the Jets went 3-and-out and Jay Feely came on and nailed a 40-yard field goal. The field goal was one of four on the day for Feely, making it his 2nd straight week with four field goals. The Jets couldn’t fully take advantage of excellent field position until Thomas Jones scored late in the 2nd quarter. Jones had 99 rushing yards with 2 TDs, and the Jets outrushed Tampa with 175 rushing yards to just 43. The Jets finished with 310 total yards to Tampa’s 124. Shonn Greene coughed up another fumble, but also showed several good signs of development.
To nobody’s surprise, the Jets defense demolished yet another offense. The picked Freeman off three times and could have held them scoreless if it weren’t for a foolish “un-necessary roughness” penalty on Bart Scott, which gave Tampa Bay the chance to set up and make a field goal. Calvin Pace led the pack with 7 tackles and a sack. Gang Green held Freeman to just 93 passing yards. But the best is yet to come. Not a single Tampa Bay running back recorded more than 14 rushing yards and not a single Buccaneers receiver had more than 26 receiving yards.
As improbable as it may seem, the Jets do have the tools to win the rest of their regular season games and to the playoffs. At 7-6, the Jets are tied with Miami for 2nd place in the AFC East, just one game behind the leading Patriots. The Jets are also just barely behind the two wild card leaders, 8-5 Denver and Miami. The problem happens to be those pesky Miami Dolphins. If the Jets were tied with Miami for either the division title or for the wild card, Miami would go to the playoffs because they beat the Jets in both of their regular season matchups. The same case is true for the Jets in the wild card scenario with 7-6 Jacksonville, who also barley beat the Jets. The Atlanta Falcons, Gang Green’s Week 15 opponents, are injury-laden but have managed to stay close in games. The Jets will have to make a statement early, like they did against Tampa.
Despite their struggles this season, the Jets do have the making of a playoff or even championship-caliber team. The last two Super Bowl champions, the Giants and the Steelers, were and still are teams that were successful because of a great running game and great defense. The Jets lead the NFL in rushing yards per game, as well as total defense and passing defense, meaning that they give up the least passing and total yards per game to opponents. If the Jets can stay true to these powerful foundations, a playoff spot could be theirs, and possibly a championship in the near future.

Weekly Jets Blog: Week 13

Yuck. It wasn’t the prettiest football game ever played, but the Jets pulled of the crucial 19-13 victory over Buffalo. Both offenses struggled mightily as each team only scored one touchdown. The Jets defense thrived once again, in this division battle played in Toronto. This matchup north of the border may not be remembered as a classic, but the win was another step in the right direction for Gang Green, who is still trying to sneak into playoff contention.
Thomas Jones rushed for 100 yards once again, and Mark Sanchez didn’t have any turnovers, but the Jets offense missed many opportunities. Sanchez overthrew a wide open Jerricho Cotchery in the end zone and the Jets had to kick a field goal. Then Braylon Edwards dropped a 49-yard pass that hit him in the head and that also would have easily gone for a touchdown. There were a few positives, such as a nice 13-yard TD pass to Edwards, as well as a 59-yard rushing performance for Shonn Greene, the second highest total of the rookie’s career. Kicker Jay Feely provided most of the offense, accounting for 13 of the team’s 19 points. He hit 4 out of 4 of his field goal attempts and made his only extra-point attempt.
The key to the game, once again, without surprise, was the Jets defense. They held the Bills to 194 total yards, of which just 71 were passing yards. The Bills were also held to just 1 3rd down conversion out of 11 attempts. Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis was a monster once again in shutting down a hot Terrell Owens, holding him to just 3 catches for 31 yards and no touchdowns after he had 293 yards and 2 TDs the previous two weeks.
The scary thing for the Jets going forward will be the health of Mark Sanchez. He injured his right knee on a slide that picked up a key first down. He was replaced by Kellen Clemens as he limped to the locker room. Fortunately, the injury doesn’t appear to be serious. Another positive is that since the Jets played on Thursday, they won’t play again until next Sunday, giving Sanchez 10 days to rest. A third positive is that Gang Green’s next game is against the 1-10 Tampa Bay Bucs, which could mean that Sanchez could split time with Clemens or Erik Ainge if the Jets get a large enough lead against the horrific Bucs defense. This 2-game winning streak has kept the Jets just on the brim of the playoff picture in the AFC wildcard race. At 6-6, they need virtually need to win their final four games to get in, and finishing 10-6 isn’t even a guarantee for a playoff spot. Their schedule is much more favorable than it seems. Matchups against Tampa and the banged-up Atlanta Falcons should be easy wins, even for the Jets. Then they face the top two teams in the AFC in the 11-0 Colts and the 8-3 Bengals. These games are actually very winnable for the Jets for a very good reason. Both the Colts and the Bengals will have clinched playoff spots and possibly home-field advantage in the playoffs by the time they play the Jets. There is a very good chance that they either rest their starters or play them for just a part of the game to avoid injury. Regardless, the Jets will have to start playing better against good teams if they want to sniff the playoffs this season. If Sanchez can minimize mistakes on offense, and the running game and defense stay true to who they’ve been all year, the Jets have a slight shot of making a disappointing season into a great season.

Weekly Jets Blog Week 12

Well, the Jets finally pulled one off. It seems like forever since the last time Gang Green actually outscored an opponent. The defense led the way once again as the Jets beat down Carolina 17-6. The Panthers played more like new-born kittens as they once again suffered from turnovers, penalties, and injuries, falling to 4-7. The huge, much-needed victory for the Jets lifted them to 5-6, keeping them in the wildcard picture for the playoffs. They are now 2 and a half games back of the Patriots in the division and one game back for the second wild card spot. Losses by both Jacksonville and Pittsburgh have kept the card race close, but that also means that the Jets have a lot of competition, and basically need to win out to have a good shot of playing in the post season. Winning their first home game since Week 3 is a step in the right direction.
Rex Ryan had a large part in the success of his defense this week. Kerry Rhodes was benched for the first time in his career for his recent struggles, replaced by Eric Smith. The inspired Rhodes had 2 interceptions of Carolina’s Jake Delhomme, and Smith lead the team with 8 tackles. Star cornerback Darrelle Revis also had 2 picks, one that was returned for a TD, while doing a great job of shutting down Panther’s All-Pro wide receiver Steve Smith, who finished with one reception for five yards. The Jets D held Carolina to two field goals, not surrendering a touchdown all game, even though the Panthers got close. A gorgeous TD grab by Steve Smith was ruled incomplete and a late 4th quarter TD catch by Dwayne Jarrett was called off by a penalty. Gang Green also deserves credit for shutting down star running back DeAngelo Williams, who ran for just 40 yards on a dreadful 2.5 yards per carry.
Mark Sanchez didn’t have a great game, but he did what he had to do, and didn’t turn the ball over except for one 4th quarter interception. The thing that has Jet’s fans worried is that Sanchez hurt his knee in the 3rd quarter and missed a few plays. He came back, but wasn’t 100%, and was limited in the team practice on Monday. This news is especially frightening seeing that the Jets have play again on Thursday on short rest in a pivotal divisional matchup with the Bills. He is expected to play, but the Jets’ playoffs hopes could very well be riding on his health. Thomas Jones ran for 75 yards and scored the only offensive touchdown of the game. The one positive note for the Panthers was still tainted. Jon Beason had a monster day defensively, recording a season high 17 tackles, 11 of them being solo, and 2 going for a loss. Beason was arrested Monday on misdemeanor assault charges and will await further discipline from the Panthers and the league.
As good as this win was for the Jets, they have to play a lot better if they want to have a chance of sneaking into the playoffs. The offense was lackluster once again, relying completely on the defense for the victory. Getting guys like receiver Braylon Edwards more involved will be crucial. Even if the Jets win all of their final five matchups, which is very unlikely, they will be 10-6, which is never a guarantee for the postseason. Their remaining schedule includes games against 8-3 Cincinnati and 11-0 Indianapolis. But stranger thing have happened, and even if Gang Green doesn’t win out, they could still make it in at 9-7 or somehow 8-8. Anything is possible in football, seeing that the Patriots missed the playoffs last year with an 11-5 record and the Chargers got in with an 8-8 record. As long as the Jets can start clicking on offense, and do what they’ve been doing all year long on defense, they still have a shot at playoff glory. Whether or not they end up just playing as spoilers or as actual contenders, this wild card race should be one of the most exciting ones ever.

Weekly Jets Blog Week 11

The Patriots continued their domination of the Jets and redeemed their Week 2 loss to Gang Green with a 31-14 victory Sunday. Mark Sanchez was an abomination, throwing 4 interceptions, 3 of which were to Leigh Bodden. Tom Brady threw for 310 yards, but the player of the game was receiver Wes Welker, who recorded 192 receiving yards. On a positive note, Thomas Jones did rush for 103 yards, and David Harris had a game high 14 tackles, 11 of which were solo. Shaun Ellis also had 2 sacks. But these numbers don’t begin to heal the wounds of yet another Jets’ loss, one that puts them at a miserable 4-6.
Winning the final 6 games of the year, as radical as it sounds, is nearly a necessity for the Jets. That includes a game against Peyton Manning and the unbeaten Colts. Still, anything’s possible. The Jets can’t dwell on this loss. They have to learn from their mistakes, make improvements, and give their best effort the rest of the way. It all starts with next week’s matchup with the 4-6 Panthers, a must-win for both teams. If Sanchez can avoid turnovers, and the defense can shut down a mistake-prone offense, the Jets have a great shot at victory. As dim as their playoff hopes are, there’s always a way, and us Jets’ fans can’t give up yet, like we learned to do many times before.

Weekly Jets Blog: Week 10

In a virtually must-win game, the Jets couldn’t get the job done. Gang Green fell on a last-second game-winning 21-yard field goal to the Jaguars. They had been leading by one after a huge touchdown run by Thomas Jones, but they failed to complete the two-point conversion, leaving the Jets with a 22-21 lead. Coach Rex Ryan decided to kick the ball to Jacksonville, confident that his previously reliable defense could preserve the lead. Instead, the Jaguars steadily marched down the field and effectively managed the clock, setting up Josh Scobee’s 21 yard field goal that would put the Jags at 5-4 and the Jets at 4-5. With the huge victory in the Meadowlands, Jacksonville has emerged out of nowhere as a possible playoff contender. With the heartbreaking loss, the Jets are fading from the playoff picture. They will need a miraculous finish to the season against several very tough opponents to squeak their way in.

The Jets have now lost 5 out of their last 6 games, and have lost 3 games in a row at home. They had plenty of chances to gain control of the game off of many mistakes and miscues by Jacksonville, but Rex Ryan’s heralded defense had a rare poor game and the offense never really got clicking. Jaguars’ running back Maurice Jones-Drew ran all over the Jets in the first half, and Gang Green couldn’t halt the Jags on that final 4th quarter drive. Jones-Drew, who leads the NFL in touchdowns, took a knee at the one-yard line with less than two minutes to go instead of scoring an easy touchdown. His selfless act enabled the Jags to take a few knees and bring the clock down to just a few seconds before Scobee iced the victory. A critical mistake that doomed the Jets was when QB Mark Sanchez called a timeout at the one-yard line of Jacksonville with five minutes left. The timeout was a huge waste, seeing that Thomas Jones pounded in for a TD on the next play. The timeout could have been used to save time on Jacksonville’s final drive.

The Jets also couldn’t ride their momentum when they had it. Things looked bad when Quentin Groves picked off Sanchez and appeared to be on his way to the end zone with Jacksonville already leading 21-13. But Groves went to fast, tripped over his own feet, and fell at the 4-yard line. Jacksonville coach Jack Del Rio smiled and joked with Groves. He wasn’t smiling anymore when a few plays later, the Jaguars fumbled the ball, and the Jets recovered near the goal line. The Jets finally got the big play they needed when Sanchez connected with Edwards for a 41-yard pass. But Edwards tried to get a few extra yards and got the ball stripped away from him, killing the momentum and the drive.

Nevertheless, you can keep making excuses until the cows come home. In the end, the thing that mattered most was that when the Jets needed their offense to step up in the 3rd quarter, they couldn’t do it, and when they the needed their defense to step up in the 4th, they failed as well. People say it’s tough to lose close games. That’s true. But you either have to learn how to win those close games, or not let games that you have control of get that close. The Jets have an extremely tough remaining schedule, with games against the likes of 7-2 Cincinnati and unbeaten Indianapolis. Their final three games are against teams with a combined record of 21-6. They will have to play far better than they have to even sniff the playoffs in a crowded AFC Wildcard race. If Sanchez can mature and make big plays, and if they defense can make more of an impact, Gang Green does have a slight chance of conquering their tough schedule and surviving to the postseason. If one thing’s for certain, it’s that Rex Ryan’s club full of “swagger” is running out of time, and fast.

All-Injured Team

It’s understandable that there are injuries in college football. While it may not be the pros, it’s still a hard-hitting, physical game. Occasionally, a star player gets hurt. Top Heisman candidates have been hurt in the past, most notably Adrian Peterson. Peterson’s collar bone injury on a celebratory touchdown dive in his junior year at Oklahoma cost him a shot at the Heisman and Oklahoma’s all-time rushing record as he missed most of the regular season. He returned only to be held to 77 yards in Oklahoma’s 43-42 loss to Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl. In this 2009-10 college football season, more high-impact players have been hurt than ever. In fact, if you made a team out of these fallen heroes, they would look a lot like an All-America team:
Quarterbacks
1st Team All-Injured- Sam Bradford (Oklahoma): The second sophomore in the history of college football to win the Heisman returned to Norman with high expectations, such as winning a national championship and becoming the second player to ever win two Heisman awards. All of that was jeopardized when Bradford suffered a shoulder injury in the first game of the year against BYU, a game that the then 3rd-ranked Oklahoma Sooners would go on to lose. He reaggravated the injury against Texas and was lost for the season. The Sooners, who were expected to compete for a national title, have fallen to 6-4, and are out of the Top 25 for the first time since 2005. Just like with Peterson, a horrible injury has cost OU a Heisman hopeful and derailed their season.
2nd Team- Ricky Stanzi (Iowa): Stanzi had led the Hawkeyes to a surprising 9-0 start, gotten them to number 8 in the polls, and had fans in Iowa thinking about going to the national championship game. The Cinderella story collapsed when Stanzi injured his ankle in the 2nd quarter against Northwestern. Iowa would end up losing the game by 7, a blow that ended their national title hopes. Stanzi had been a great orchestrator of late comebacks, but backup James Vandenberg couldn’t get it done. Iowa lost its shot at the Rose Bowl the next week with a heartbreaking 27-24 loss in overtime to Ohio State on a game-winning field goal. Vandenberg played well, but Stanzi’s presence could have made a difference.
Running Backs
1st Team All-Injured- Jahvid Best (California): Arguably the most exciting and dynamic player in college football suffered a concussion in the 2nd quarter against Oregon State, an event that emotionally rocked Cal, and later resulted in a Golden Bears’ loss. Best ran for 412 yards and 8 TDs in his first 3 games and looked like an easy favorite for the Heisman. Even after struggling in a few games, many thought Best still had a shot at the prestigious award if he finished the season strong. His injury not only halted his Heisman run, it also put Cal at 6-3 and hurt their bowl profile. His return is crucial for Cal if they can sneak into a respectable bowl.
2nd Team- Jonathan Dwyer (Georgia Tech): Dwyer is still 11th in the country in rushing yards despite a nagging shoulder injury that limited his carries early in the season. He recovered well and is now a Heisman contender. He’s been a huge part of the Yellow Jackets shocking 10-1 start. Dwyer only ran for 7 yards in their one loss, a game when he was limited the most by his shoulder. If he stays healthy, Tech could play in a very important bowl game at the end of the year.
3rd Team- Charles Scott (LSU): Scott was lost for the season with a fractured collarbone. His powerful north-south running had help lead LSU to a 7-2 record. He had hurt his shoulder during a loss to 3rd-ranked Alabama, and LSU’s other loss had been to number one Florida. His absence may cost the Tigers a chance to play in an important bowl game as LSU has to finish the regular season against tow tough unranked teams in Mississippi and Arkansas. He was thought to have been a Heisman sleeper after rushing for 1174 yards and 18 TDs the year before.
4th Team- Kendall Hunter (Oklahoma State): After leading the Big 12 in rushing in his sophomore year, Hunter was another Heisman candidate as a junior this year. Those hopes faded and then died as Hunter suffered an ankle injury that limited him in the first two games and then forced him to miss the next 5 weeks. He hasn’t been impressive since returning from the injury, not even recorded 100 rushing yards in his 3 games back combined. Oklahoma State hasn’t struggled too much in his absence, going 7-2 so far.
5th Team-Darren Evans (Virginia Tech): The Hokies lost their superstar back Evans before the season even began to a knee injury. He had been returning from a stellar freshman campaign, in which he had been named the ACC Rookie of the Year. He was a Heisman favorite and was also expected to lead the Hokies to another ACC Coastal Division Title. Georgia Tech won the Coastal Division as Virginia Tech went 7-3 in the first 10 games. Ryan Williams has had an excellent season replacing Evans, but the Hokies could have really used the multi-back threat that Evans would have given them.

Other notable injuries: - Oklahoma lost another key member of their high-octane offense early in the year when tight end Jermaine Gresham went down with a knee injury. He was regarded as the best returning tight end in college football before the season started.
- USC lost one of its huge playmakers in Stafon Johnson when he went down for the year with a throat injury. USC has fallen from its powerhouse status after going 7-3 so far this season. In a humiliating 55-21 loss to Stanford, the Trojans gave up the points most points they ever have under coach Pete Carroll, and Carroll suffered his first November loss with the program. Johnson’s injury may have had a role in this deep decline.
- South Florida lost 4th-year starting QB Matt Grothe to a knee injury back in September, and amazingly still managed to start 5-0. They are currently 6-3 after getting huge upsets of then 18th-ranked Florida State and 21st-ranked West Virginia.

All Suspended Team
- Dez Bryant (Oklahoma State): Regarded as the best wide receiver in college football coming into the season, Bryant was ruled ineligible and suspended for the rest of the season in October. He is still considered a high draft prospect for the 2010 NFL Draft, and he could be a great NFL receiver if he matures soon.
- LeGarrette Blount (Oregon): Blount had set a Duck’s record with 17 rushing touchdowns last season, and was regarded as another Heisman candidate for this year. That talk was dismissed after Blount punched a Boise State player in the face after Oregon lost their first game of the season. He was originally suspended for the entire season, but he was allowed to return with 3 regular season games left. The team went 7-1 without him and might have a chance at a decent bowl game if they finish strong.

All of this just goes to show how much an injured or suspended star can affect a team and their season. Anyone can go down any week, a Heisman favorite could be forced to watch from the sidelines, and a team with high expectations can fall fast. But in football, anything can happen. You can’t just predict and assume. Any hero can fall, no matter how mighty and invincible they might seem.

Weekly Jets Blog Week 8

Another week, another humiliating loss for the Jets. An embarrassing 30-25 defeat to the Dolphins dropped the Jets to 4-4, an ugly mark considering the fact that the team started 3-0. Football in New York has been pretty degrading overall, seeing that the Giants have lost their last 3 and that the Bills are once again in the cellar of the AFC East.
A constant theme for Gang Green has been losing despite great defensive efforts. You wouldn’t have guessed this from the final score, but it’s the truth. The Jets defensive only gave up 10 points to a strong Dolphins’ offense, yielding just 3 points before the 4th quarter. The Jets held Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams, two of the hottest running backs in football, to just 27 rushing yards each. No Dolphin recorded more than 41 receiving yards as Bart Scott led the Jets D statistically once again.
The Achilles heel was special teams. Again, the Jets showed some very positive signs in defeat, specifically two huge tackles by kicker Jay Feely. Nevertheless, the Dolphins recorded 14 points on special teams on two kickoff returns for TDs by Ted Ginn. Nothing hurts a team’s moral more than having a score of theirs being erased the very next play by the other team. Another one-play killer was when Jason Taylor recovered a Shonn Greene fumble and returned it for a touchdown.
The Jets defense also wreaked havoc on Miami QB Chad Henne, who only completed 12 passes for 112 yards. Mark Sanchez had a great day for the Jets, completed 20 passes for 265 yards and 2 TDs with no interceptions. Thomas Jones had another good game on the ground with 102 rushing yards.
By looking at the stats, you couldn’t believe that the Jets lost this game. In other losses, like the one to the Saints, the reasons for defeat were more obvious. It just goes to show that to be a great football team and to win big games, you have to be able to win every side and aspect of the game. This may not always be true, but the intangibles and the little things can be just as key to a victory as the more obvious parts. The Jets have a much-needed bye week where they can hopefully work out the kinks and try to build on other aspects than rushing and defense.
The key for Gang Green will be to not overlook a matchup with the pathetic 3-4 Jaguars in Week 10, seeing that the Jets have a huge rematch with the Patriots in Foxboro. The Jaguars are 1-3 on the road and were the first team to lose to the dreadful Titans this season. Nevertheless, they have dynamic running back Maurice Jones-Drew and extra-inspiration from their coach, Jack Del Rio. Rio publically insulted his team’s defense and also made them practice in full pads. A romping of the Chiefs could be a good warmup for their matchup with the Jets in the Meadowlands. Both teams realize that they’ll have to get serious if they want to be in the playoff picture towards the end of the year. This game could be more interesting than their records entail as both teams fight for their playoff hopes as well as for respect.

Weekly Jets Blog Week 7

The Jets’ 38-0 beat down of the Oakland Raiders in Oakland not only halted their western struggles, but also provided a positive outlook for the future of the franchise. Rookie running back Shonn Greene ran for 144 yards and 2 TDs in his 4th career game, helping the Jets get the huge victory in California, something they couldn’t do last season, going 0-4 in the Golden State. Greene might have an even longer chance to prove himself because of a season-ending injury to big time playmaker Leon Washington. One of the veteran leaders on defense for the Jets in Shaun Ellis is also injured and out for the rest of the season, which seriously hurts the Jets defensive line after they lost star nose tackle Kris Jenkins for the season.
Rookie QB Mark Sanchez threw for 143 yards and a touchdown with no interceptions, which is a great showing for him after he threw 5 interceptions the previous week against Buffalo. 3rd -year wide Jets wide receiver David Clowney had 79 receiving yards, his career high, and a touchdown, the first of his career. The success of the younger players on the team wasn’t the only key to the blowout victory. The Jets have set an NFL record over the last two games for rushing yards over a 2-game span with 634. Calvin Pace had a huge game for the Jets defense, leading the team with 7 tackles, 3 sacks, and two forced fumbles. That Jets defense was impressive in recording their first shutout since 2003. The Jets even used some trickery with yet another fake punt, this one successful for a gain of 16 yards.
Gang Green will have to ride the momentum from this win into next week’s rematch against Miami. The Jets can avenge an ugly 31-27 loss to the Dolphins in Miami. Hopefully the Jets can turn things around at home against the only team in the NFL that has had a lead against the undefeated Saints. They could really benefit from a healthy receiving corps after having to deal with injuries to Jerricho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards. The Jets cannot afford another loss to a divisional rival if they want to survive in a more competitive division than usual. Hopefully a must-win mentality coupled with the continued success of the younger players on the squad can lead to a much-needed divisional victory before the bye week.

Weekly Jets Blog Week 6

Another horrible performance by Mark Sanchez coupled with a lot of undisciplined play led to another loss for the Jets. They fell 16-13 in overtime to the now 2-4 Bills in one of the worst games you could possibly imagine. Sanchez struggled in the cold weather, throwing 5 interceptions, not even all of the Jet’s 6 total picks due to a failed field goal attempt that led to another pathetic throw going right to the hands of a Bill. The Jets played the most undisciplined game you could fathom, and it cost them dearly.
The Jets finished with 14 penalties for 96 yards. Yes, 96 yards, a total just 23 yards shy of Sanchez’ total passing yards for the game. His horrible day was also reflected by his ridiculously low QB rating of 8.3. Just to show you how absolutely horrendous that statistic is, let’s compare it to the QB of the division rival Patriots, Tom Brady. He led his team to a 59-0 win over now 0-6 Tennessee by throwing for 380 yards and 6 touchdowns for a QB rating of 152.8. The most important factor when comparing Brady to Sanchez is the fact that Brady didn’t throw a single pick to Sanchez’ 5. Not surprisingly, Brady’s Pats are now in first place over the reeling Jets, who have lost 3 straight.
Injuries are starting to plague the Jets as well. Missing star wide receiver Jerricho Cotchery has hurt the play of Braylon Edwards, who gets the whole focus of the secondary on him. The Jets also lost 360-pound nose tackle Kris Jenkins and offensive tackle Damien Woody to knee injuries.
Like the past two weeks, Jets’ fans will point out the positives in an attempt to defend their team’s poor showing. Thomas Jones set a franchise record by rushing for 210 yards, including a career high rush of 71 yards for Jones that was the Jets only touchdown of the game. Kicker Jay Feely set the franchise record for consecutive field goals made by getting to 24 before missing one from 45 yards out that he was rushed on. David Harris was a huge defensive factor the Jets once again, recording a game-high 17 tackles.
The Jets were given countless chances to win the game, but they could never take advantage of their amazing luck. After Buffalo kicker Ryan Lindell missed a game-winning field goal as time expired, the Jets won the coin toss and got the ball first in OT with the score tied at 13-13. On the opening return in OT, Leon Washington got it out to the 30-yard line, but a stupid penalty against James Ihedigbo for throwing a punch cost the Jets 15 yards. Sanchez and the Jets seemed to be on their way to victory after a 22-yard pass to Edwards and a 33-yard by Washington put the Jets well within field goal range in this sudden-death overtime. But a foolish holding penalty pushed the Jets back just out of field goal position, and Sanchez threw another interception to end the drive. After both teams went 3-and-out, the Jets got a huge break when Dwight Lowry picked off Ryan Fitzpatrick at around midfield. Nevertheless, after just two plays, Sanchez threw another lethal interception. Buffalo took advantage, setting Lindell up for another game-winning kick, a 47-yarder that just squeaked inside the right upright, sealing the ugly upset. You can’t put all of the blame on Sanchez though. All 3 Jets’ drives in overtime began with a penalty against the Jets.
At 3-3, the Jets will have to wake up and realize that the playoffs aren’t just going to come to them. They will have to earn it. But if they can’t beat the teams at the bottom of their division, what do they expect to do later on when they face New England and Indianapolis on the road when those opponents have a combined 6-0 record at home. What about their home game with Cincinnati, who is 3-0 on the road. If the Jets can’t step up big and beat the worse teams in the league, not only will they miss the playoffs, but the will be one of those cellar squads when everything is said and done. The Jets have a good opportunity to turn things around next week against 2-4 Oakland, a team that will be riding high after upsetting the Eagles. Sanchez has the qualities to be a great quarterback, and if the Jets can get healthy and play disciplined football, he could have a chance to the next rookie sensation to led his team to the playoffs.

Weekly Jets Blog Week 5

The tendency of a sports fan, especially a football fan, is to try to only look at the positives after a loss. This has been an extremely common tendency for Jets fans. The way Rex Ryan and Gang Green started out, Jets fans thought those days might become a rare showing. Nevertheless, following a tough, turnover-filled loss to New Orleans, the Jets lost 31-27 to the Dolphins on a Ronnie Brown TD with 6 seconds left. Of course Jets fans like me will try to point out the positives.
The normally dominant Jets defense was a group of sitting ducks against Miami’s wildcat offense, allowing 10 points in the 1st quarter and 21 in the 4th. Miami QB Chad Henne, who filled in for former Jet Chad Pennington, completed 20 of 26 passes for 241 yards and 2 TDs in his 2nd career start after a successful college career at Michigan. His night was highlighted by a 53-yard TD pass to Ted Ginn Jr., who went to Ohio State, who is Michigan’s biggest rival. The main key for the Dolphins success was Ronnie Brown, who had 74 yards rushing, 14 yards receiving, and 21 yards passing as well as 2 TDs, thanks to the wildcat offense. Another key contributor was Ricky Williams, who had 68 rushing yards and 70 receiving yards.
But now to the positives for the Jets. Newly acquired Braylon Edwards, another Michigan grad, had a good debut with Gang Green, recording 64 receiving yards with a tough TD catch. He also helped set up the Jets’ other 2 TDs. Jets fans will try to forget his key dropped pass in the 4th quarter. The special teams had an amazing night. I know that looking to special teams for positives seems pathetic, but in this case it’s where the Jets did the best. The Jets succeeded on two fake punts against Miami, something that can be conceived as very lucky for the Jets. Mark Sanchez wasn’t as impressive as Henne, but he did throw for a TD and didn’t have a turnover a week after having four turnovers.
The 4th quarter was a shootout with a horrible display of defense. There were 5 go-ahead TDs in the 4th. Even though Browns’ game-winner was obviously the most important, Jets fans can proudly look at Thomas Jones’ 2 TDs after he struggled the first 3 quarters. The Jets couldn’t take advantage of losses by the Patriots and Bills, and therefore remain tied with the Patriots atop the AFC East.
The Jets will have to get serious and win these types of games if they want any chance at the playoffs. After facing putrid Buffalo and Oakland, the Jets get a chance to get revenge on Miami at home, where Gang Green is 2-0 so far this season. The Jets have to take advantage of games against division rivals like New England, Buffalo, and Miami, as well as easier games like ones against Oakland, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville and Carolina. They might need 8 or 9 wins after Week 14 because their final 3 games are against Atlanta (3-1), Indianapolis (5-0), and Cincinnati (4-1), matchups that are extremely challenging and will test the Jets well. The Jets should win 2 out of 3 of those last 3 games, and they need to in order to prove that they are a legitimate contender in the AFC.

Redemption

Tears and sorrow. That’s how every postseason series the Angels had with the Red Sox would end. Endless suffering. The Angels lost to the Sox in the ALCS in 1986 after leading the series 3-1 and being one strike away from the World Series. Boston would sweep the Angels in the ALDS in 2004 en route to a World Series title. The Angels then lost to the Red Sox in the ALDS in 2007 and 2008, only winning one game between the two series. The suffering had gone on long enough. This season, the Angels once again dominated the Al West to set up yet another matchup with their playoff oppressors. This time however, the Angels handled Boston the whole way through. One problem people claim the Angels had against Boston was getting nervous on the road in Beantown. After winning the first two games of the series behind dominated starts from John Lackey and Jered Weaver, critics said it would happen again. Coming back after facing elimination wouldn’t be something new for the Red Sox. Boston, one of only four teams to come back and win the ALDS after a 2-0 deficit, is also the only team to come back from a 3-0 deficit in the ALCS, a legendary feat they pulled off against the Yankees in 2004. The Angels started Scott Kazmir, who had a 6-4 record in Fenway coming in, a great feat for a left-hander, against Boston’s Clay Buchholtz, who is remembered best for throwing a no-hitter against the Orioles in his second career start. After a solid start, the Red Sox hit Kazmir hard, scoring 3 runs in the 3rd and 2 runs in the 4th. Down 5-2, the Halos finally got some runs in the 8th. After Vladimir Guerrero drew a key walk off of Billy Wagner, the former disaster closer for the Mets, Jonathon Papelbon came in to try to get the 4-out save. On his first pitch, Juan Rivera smashed a 2-run single up the middle, the runs being charged to Wagner. The Red Sox added an insurance run in the bottom of the 8th to give Papelbon a 6-4 lead. After scoring a run, the Angels had the bases loaded with two outs for Guerrero, down 6-5. You couldn’t write a better story line. Vlad Guerrero, the leader of the Angels for years who had struggled in the postseason, against Papelbon, who hadn’t given up a run in his postseason career, with 2 outs in the 9th, the game and the series on the line for the Red Sox. Vlad came through in the clutch with a go-ahead 2-run single. In the bottom of the 9th, the Red Sox couldn’t continue their postseason hold on the Angels, as they went down 1-2-3 against Brian Fuentes, completing the sweep. As usual, there’s always extra irony in October baseball. People claimed that the Angels couldn’t replace superstar closer Fransisco Rodriguez a season after he set a record with 62 saves, and slugging first baseman Mark Teixeira. Kendry Morales had a monster season replacing Tex (34 homers, 108 RBIs, .306 average), and he hit a key solo homer in the final game of the ALDS. Fuentes recorded a career high 48 saves, along with 2 so far this postseason, including the one that clinched the trip to the ALCS for L.A. The Angels have finally risen from the darkness of the curse against the Sox, but they won’t let their great redemption distract them. They’ll be ready for the next stage, but no matter what happens next, they’ll never forget how they finally beat the Red Sox. I know Boston won’t.

Weekly Jets Blog: Week 4

Mark Sanchez and the Jets were finally hit by the cruel fate of reality. Gang Green learned that going 4-0 is harder that it seems. The previously unbeaten Jets couldn’t handle the Saints high-powered offense and shockingly dominant defense, and were defeated 24-10 by the New Orleans Saints. After 3 solid performances in the first 3 games, Sanchez finally struggled and made some rookie mistakes. He was picked off twice by all time defensive great Darren Sharper, and once by Randall Gay. Sanchez was also stripped in the end zone which led to a Saints touchdown. The Saints scored 14 points off of Jets’ turnovers, all of which involved Sanchez. But everyone knew this saint would come to down to earth eventually. Despite losing the game, Sanchez once again showed poise and presence under pressure. Hopefully he’s gotten all of his rookie jitters and kinks out and can go back to being a very good QB. The Jets defense gave up only 10 points to the most prolific QB, Drew Brees, and most prolific offense in the NFL. David Harris led the Jets defense with 12 tackles while Kerri Rhodes had 8 tackles. Sharper added 8 tackles to his two picks and Jonathan Vilma, a former Pro-Bowl linebacker with the Jets, recorded 6 tackles. The Saints constantly put pressure on Sanchez and Pierre Thomas was nearly unstoppable in the 2nd half, rushing for over 80 yards. Brees constantly picked through the Jets’ defense to make great throws and plays. One bright spot for the Jets was the play of rookie running back Shonn Greene. After not seeing any playing time previously in the regular season, Greene got 9 yards on his first carry. He would later run for a first down and would finish with 23 yards on 4 carries. Mixing Greene into the rushing scheme could be a key factor to the Jets’ success in the future. The Jets are now tied for first place with the Patriots at 3-1 at the top of the AFC East. If Gang Green can take 3 out of the 4 games they play before their bye week, against abysmal teams like Buffalo, Oakland, and Miami twice, then they can seriously be considered a top contender in AFC. Behind key rookies like Sanchez and Greene, impactful newcomers like Bart Scott and coach Rex Ryan, and veteran leaders like Alan Faneca and Shaun Ellis, the Jets finally have what it takes to not only make it to the playoffs, but also have a legitimate playoff run. J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!!!

Weekly Jets Blog: Week 3

Another week, another clutch performance by the best defense in the NFL. Rex Ryan’s hard-hitting D bailed the Jets out of a rain-soaked battle with the Tennessee Titans. But the Titans still won. The New York Titans that is. The teams honored the 50th anniversary of the AFL by wearing throwback jerseys from the early 60s, the Jets wearing the old Titans mustard yellow and blue, and the Titans donning the old Houston Oilers jerseys. The “light” rain was obviously a factor as there were 6 turnovers in the game, 4 going in the Jets’ favor. Mark Sanchez didn’t really respond that well to the weather, having two fumbles, one of which was a turnover, along with a few balls that just slipped out of his hands. His counterpart Kerry Collins, a member of the newer Titans, had his moments, but his receivers dropped a lot of catchable balls, and he was also picked off twice. This victory puts the Jets at 3-0, which no one thought would happen, and put the Titans from Tennessee at 0-3, which is shocking seeing that they started last season 10-0 and finished 13-3. Interestingly enough, the Jets were the team to hand Tennessee their first loss last year.
The Titans couldn’t return the favor to the still unbeaten Jets, who have 3 impressive wins over quality offenses. Behind star cornerback Darrelle Revis, Gang Green has shut down 2 of the best wide receivers in the game in Andre Johnson and Randy Moss, one of the best quarterbacks in Tom Brady, and a great running back in Steve Slaton. This week, they couldn’t really handle Chris Johnson, as he ran for 97 yards. But the more discouraging thing was the fact that the Jets’ defense gave up their first TD of the season, and ended up giving up 17 to Tennessee by the end. The Jets dominated the first quarter, scoring on their first drive of the game. Sanchez drove down the field decisively and efficiently, finishing off the drive with a risking 14-yard TD run. The Jets got the ball right back when Ryan Mouton fumbled during the kickoff return. The Jets marched down and took a 14-0 on a great fake to Jones which left Ben Hartsock wide open in the end zone for the TD pass. The Titans proceeded to control the rest of the half and the beginning of the 3rd quarter. Tennessee scored 17 consecutive points as the Jets offense couldn’t get any sort of run game going and couldn’t get any first downs.
The defense was revamped after losing its lead and the crowd became a huge factor for the Jets at home behind Fireman Ed’s chant of “J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets.” David Harris was the star defensively with 5 tackles, a sack, and an interception, and Kris Jenkins stuffed the quick Johnson on a number of occasions. Bart Scott had 9 tackles to led Gang Green. The Jets offense finally got on the ball after another Mouton fumble on special teams. Sanchez found Jerricho Cotchery in the end zone to give the Jets the lead after starting the drive at the Titan 23-yard line. Cotchery finished the game with 8 catches for 108 yards, and was the only receiver in the game with more than 60 yards receiving. Sanchez finished with 171 yards, 2 TDs, and one interception, but more importantly became the first rookie QB to lead his team to a 3-0 start in NFL history.
With a 21-17 lead, the Jets D continued to dominate, sending the potent Titans offense off the field after going 3-and-out several times. After a 46-yard completion to Cotchery, Jay Feely hit a 30-yard field goal to give the Jets a 24-17 lead with 11:36 left in the game. Being a Jets fan for years, you expect the worst, and realize that the Titans are more than capable of driving down and tying the score. Not on this day. Gang Green’s defense held firm and shut down the modern-day Titans. When it appeared as if the Titans had a good drive going after two 11-yard runs, David Harris picked off Collins at the 29-yard line with 4:22 to go. But the Jets offense couldn’t deliver again, going 3-and-out once more. The Titans had another chance, but Harris came up huge again with a sack of Collins just before the 2-minute warning. Collins would proceed to throw 2 incomplete passes and the Jets took a few knees to kill the clock and finish off the heart-stopper.
The heart of the struggles of the Jets offense was the running game. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington were largely ineffective. Rookie Shonn Greene, who won the Doak Walker Award for being the nation’s top running back as a senior at Iowa last season, has been hurt often and hasn’t played a down yet in the season. Rex Ryan may have to incorporate him in later in the season if Jones and Washington continue to struggle.
That superb and clutch Jets’ defense will have yet another huge challenge when they go up against the NFL’s top QB in Drew Brees and the Saints next week. Hopefully Sanchez and the offense can give the defense a little more breathing room as the Jets have to prepare for another formidable foe. There doesn’t seem to be too many free-bees on the Jets’ schedule, but hey, to be the best, you’ve got to beat the best. J-E-T-S Jets, Jets, Jets!!!

NCAA Football Week 4 Matchup of the Week

No. 9 Miami @ No. 11 Virginia Tech: This ACC clash has huge national implications. Behind Heisman Trophy candidate QB Jacory Harris, Miami (2-0) has beaten No. 18 Florida State and No. 14 Georgia Tech. A matchup against No. 10 Oklahoma next week will be their 4th straight game against a Top 20 program. Virginia Tech (2-1) has beaten Marshall and No.19 Nebraska after a tough loss to No. 5 Alabama. They are led by their own Heisman Trophy candidate QB in Tyrod Taylor, who shut up his critics last week in the Hokies’ impressive win over Nebraska. This matchup could also have a huge impact on the rest of the ACC. The winner will temporarily pull ahead of the rest of a strong pack, including No.18 Florida State, No.22 North Carolina, and barely unranked Georgia Tech. Miami can finally turn their program back into the national title contender it was at the beginning of this decade, but Virginia Tech is dangerous. If they can get an early lead, their defense can shut you down the rest of the game. I think Harris and the Hurricanes’ defense will step up today, get the big conference win, and take another step towards returning their school to glory.

Weekly Jets Blog: Week 2

Gang Green lived up to the hype. After a week of bragging to the media that the Jets would beat the rival Patriots, Rex Ryan and the Jets actually pulled it off. Mark Sanchez threw a touchdown pass to Dustin Keller in the 2nd half, which was the only TD in the game, to lead the Jets to a 16-9 victory over the Pats. This win was Gang Green’s first against the Patriots in the Meadowlands since 2000. Coach Rex Ryan had done plenty to amp up this rivalry by saying he wasn’t going to kiss Pats coach Bill Belichick’s rings, and by calling Jets’ season ticket holders and asking them to make a lot of noise in order to make things harder for Pats QB Tom Brady. Brady struggled, throwing for 216 yards, no touchdowns, and an interception by Darrelle Revis. The Jets defense still hasn’t given up a touchdown this season, but they have big challenges in Tennesse and New Orleans in the next two upcoming weeks. Both teams are very capable when it comes to offensive categories. Nevertheless, the Jets defense hasn’t shown any signs of being afraid or intimidated, especially after facing and shutting down one of the game’s best QBs in Brady. Besides the Sanchez TD pass, the only other scores were three field goals by New England kicker Stephen Gostkowski, and three field goals by New York kicker Jay Feely. Mark Sanchez has shown signs of greatness in his short time with the Jets, despite some rough spots. On the first play of the game for the Jets offensively, Sanchez was sacked and fumbled the football. He came back in the 2nd half, regained his composure, and led the Jets on that TD drive that proved to be the deciding points in the game. Sanchez has lived up to the hype while shutting up his critics, and has shown very good form and decision making so far this season. Rex Ryan’s new swagger and identity for the Jets seems to be paying off, but they’ll have many more challenges ahead of them, included a rematch with Brady and the Pats Week 8 in Foxboro. Maybe this upstart new coach, stellar and precocious rookie quarterback, and this grinding defense can lead the Jets to their first playoff appearance since 2007, where they were eliminated by the Patriots. J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!!!

NCAA Football Week 3 Matchup of the Week

Texas Tech @ No. 2 Texas: This matchup is between two huge conference rivals with something to prove. Texas Tech came into this season without their star quarterback Graham Harrell (graduation) and their superstar wide receiver Michael Crabtree, who was drafted 10th overall in the NFL Draft. QB Taylor Potts and the Red Raiders easily beat down on pathetic opponents in their first two weeks, so they still need to prove that they can beat a legitimate opponent before they can get into the Top 25. The 2nd- ranked Longhorns from Austin are more than legitimate. Led by Heisman Trophy contender Colt McCoy (QB) and his roommate in wide receiver Jordan Shipley, Texas has beaten their first two opponents by an average of 35 points, which was the same average by which Texas Tech beat their first two opponents. Texas also has a lot to prove. Texas Tech spoiled the Longhorns BCS hopes with a huge upset in Lubbock on a last second TD pass to Crabtree. McCoy and the Longhorns return with just as good or maybe a better team this year. A key factor may be location. This time Texas gets the Red Raiders at home. McCoy, coach Mack Brown, and thousands of Longhorns’ fans have not forgotten last year’s last second humiliation. I say Texas gets their revenge in convincing fashion. But I’m not ruling out an upset. If the Red Raiders’ defense, led by 6’ 7” tattoo-covered Brandon Carter, can give Colt and company a hard time, maybe Potts can lead the Red Raiders to a huge upset, an upset much larger than last year’s.

Weekly Jets Blog: Week 1

The New York Jets started the regular season against the Houston Texans this weekend. The Texans were predicted by many to have a breakout year and reach the playoffs this season. They are led by last season’s number 1 receiver in the NFL, Andre Johnson, as well as the number 2 running back in the AFC, Steve Slaton. QB Matt Schaub has shown signs of a great quarterback, but is injured every season and misses significant time. A sign of his success was 6 game winning streak at home coming into this home opener with the Jets. The main story was Jets’ QB Mark Sanchez, who made his rookie debut as the Jets QB. The big question was whether or not Sanchez could show good poise, presence, and swagger in his first NFL game.
Sanchez certainly did that and more, showing his confidence while leading the Jets to a 24-7 win over favored Houston on the road. Sanchez overcame his first game jitters as Jets coach Rex Ryan won his debut as a member of Gang Green. Sanchez finished his fine debut performance by going 18-31, while throwing 272 passing yards, a touchdown and an interception. Thomas Jones bounced back after a rough first half, only 1 rushing yard, to finish with 107 on the night, highlighted by 2 touchdowns. The Jets receiving corps had a grand day, headed by tight end Dustin Keller (94 receiving yards) and Jerricho Cotchery (90 receiving yards). The factor that won the game for the Jets, however, was their merciless defense. Lito Sheppard had a huge interception to seal the victory in the 4th quarter and David Harris ended a monster day with 11 tackles and a sack. Kris Jenkins applied lots of pressure on Schaub and the Jets forced Slaton to fumble the ball after the Texans had been driving well. Jamaal Westerman also had a sack on a night when the Texans couldn’t sack Sanchez. Gang Green was constantly putting pressure on Schaub and the defense didn’t give up a single point to the Texans’ offense. New York shut down the explosive Slaton and Johnson, holding Slaton to 17 rushing yards and Johnson to 35 receiving yards. The one time the Texans did score was on a very bizarre play. John Busing had picked off a pass from Sanchez and was being brought down after a small return when the Jets stripped the ball away from him. However, instead of the Jets picking up the ball, Dominique Barber recovered for Houston and ran the ball into the end zone for a touchdown.
One of the keys to the success of Sanchez was his ability to execute on 3rd down. The Jets were 10-18 on third down conversions compared to the 3-10 mark for Houston. Sanchez and the Jets also converted on 4th down, going 2 for 2 on 4th down conversions. Sanchez’ day was highlighted by his first TD pass, a 30-yard strike to Chansi Stuckey in the 2nd quarter. After taking a knee to run out the rest of the clock in the 4th quarter, Sanchez jumped around, happier than a little kid after his first win in peewee football. Mark Sanchez got to keep the game ball, which he obviously deserved. Sanchez not showed that he could have poise and presence in a tough game on the road, he showed that he had the swagger and confidence of a winning quarterback. Many Jets fans probably remember another young Jets QB with swagger and confidence. That confident young QB won the Jets only Super Bowl title. We don’t know if Mark Sanchez can ever become anything near Joe Namath, but we do know this. Sanchez is here to win. The days of the Jets being a laughing are well over. This team is re-shaped with some new great talent along with a lot of experience from veterans. Sanchez may not win the Super bowl in his forst year, but with the teammates he’s got around him, a spot in the playoffs is certainly not out of the question. J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets!!!

NCAA Football Week 2 Matchup of the Week

No. 3 Southern California @ No. 8 Ohio State: These two perennial powerhouses are back for a huge showdown in Week 2. USC blew out San Jose State 56-3 in their season opener last week. But more important than the outcome was the grand debut performance of freshman quarterback Matt Barkley, who threw for 233 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception. Coach Pete Carroll as well as all other Trojan followers hope that Barkley can achieve greatness and success, success enough to add him to the long list of great USC QBs this decade, including Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart, John David Booty, and Mark Sanchez. His lack of experience may hurt USC when they play they vicious defense of Ohio State. The Buckeyes are led by a young quarterback of their own, sophomore Terrelle Pryor. In his second year, Pryor is trying to prove his leadership and passing ability to critics, even though he’s already shown his grand running ability. Ohio State barely squeaked by Navy 31-27 in their opener. The bad part for OSU is the fact that USC’s defense is much faster and stronger than the one at Navy. Ohio State struggles in big non-conference games, having lost their last four games against ranked non-conference opponents. One advantage for Ohio State could be vengeance and motivation. Buckeye players and fans still remember the 35-3 beat down given to them by the Trojans last season. It will all come down to which young quarterback can show poise and leadership against a tough defense. I like USC in this one. Coach Carroll obviously knows a good QB when he sees one, and I don’t see Ohio State ending their big game struggles anytime soon. If you have trouble putting away Navy, you’re in for a long game against USC.

NCAA Football Matchups of the Week: Week 1

No. 5 Alabama @ No. 7 Virginia Tech: This early matchup of Top 10 teams is extremely intriguing. The Crimson Tide from Alabama and the Hokies from Virginia Tech have two of the top defenses in the country. Leading Alabama’s star defense is monster nose tackle Terrance “Mount” Cody, who can easily blow through any offensive line and who has slimmed down to 354 pounds (he used to be 380). The Tide did lose star quarterback John Parker Wilson and dominant tackle Andre Smith on offense. Greg McElroy will take over in his first year at quarterback and will have to deal with playing against the tremendous and intimidating defenses of the SEC all year. For the Hokies to succeed against that brutal defense, QB Tyrod Taylor must excel and put their defense in a good position to win. Alabama needs to win big games like this because every lose they suffer could not only hurt their chances against No. 8 Mississippi and No.11 LSU in the race for the SEC West title, but could also put them out of a chance to go to the national title game now that so non-BCS schools are getting more recognition. A victory would mean a lot not just for the Hokies who are part of a much tougher ACC Coastal Division, but for the ACC itself, who thinks they deserve a better reputation among the other main BCS conferences as well as better representation in the BCS bowl games. Alabama wins to prove the SEC’s dominance over the ACC.

No. 13 Georgia @ No. 9 Oklahoma State: Despite losing star quarterback Matt Stafford and star running back Knoshown Moreno, the No. 13 Bulldogs may have a productive offense with QB Joe Cox and star wide receiver A.J. Green. Nevertheless, the Bulldogs, like most other teams in the SEC, will pride themselves on defense. Oklahoma State returns an offense prolific enough to challenge the Georgia defense. Senior quarterback Zac Robinson is expected to have a breakout year after throwing for over 3,000 yards and 25 touchdowns. The Cowboys also return juniors Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter. Bryant is easily the best wide receiver in college football, but he seems to struggle a bit when the games mean more. Hunter is one of the nation’s top running backs and should put up another season with great numbers in the defense-lacking Big 12. Speaking of Big 12 defense, Oklahoma State’s D had been horrendous over the past few years, but that might change this season with new defensive coordinator Bill Young and a more aggressive approach. If that Cowboy’s defense can hold Cox and the Bulldogs to a reasonable score, and if Hunter and Byrant can step up to help Robinson, Oklahoma State could pick up a huge non-conference win. Oklahoma State will top this SEC power, especially with the knowledge of what an early loss does to a team that has to compete in the same division of a conference as Texas and Oklahoma.

The Next Bo Jackson?

Bo Jackson did the unthinkable. The talented and superb athlete from Alabama played baseball and football in high school, which is pretty common. He also manage to play both in college, which is far less common. But his decision to play both professioal football and professional baseball was the most uncommon. Even rarer was his ability to succeed at both.
Jackson was drafted by the New York Yankees in 1982, but he decided to head to Auburn University instead. Bo left quite a legacy at Auburn. In football he won the 1985 Heisman Trophy Award after rushing for 1,786 yards and would later have his number retired by the school, one of only three men at Auburn who have had that honor for football. Also during 1985, Bo excelled for the Tigers’ baseball team, hitting .401 with 17 homers and 43 RBIs. Bo took the word "athlete" to a new level by excelling in track as well, and he nearly decided to join the USA team for the Olympics. His running ability was evident when he ran a 4.12 40-yard dash, which is considered the fastest ever at an NFL Combine.
Jackson was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1986 NFL Draft, but ended up playing baseball for the Kansas City Royals. He was an All-Star in 1989, a season in which he would finish with 32 homers and 105 RBIs, as well as 172 strikeouts. He is one of only two players in All-Star game history to record a home run and a stolen base. The other was Willie Mays. His strength was constantly exemplified by his mammoth homers as well as his habit of snapping his bats in half in anger after a strikeout. Bo would later play for the Chicago White Sox and the California Angels. He would also be the 1993 Comeback Player of the Year. He tied a major league record by hitting a home run in 4 conescutive at-bats.
After being thrown back into the NFL Draft, Jackson was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 1987 . Playing both baseball and football kept him out of shape (by missing the other sports workouts), but he still ended up rushing for 950 yards in just 11 games in 1989. Jackson set a Monday Night Football record 221-rushing yard performance. He finished his 4-year career with 2,782 yards and 16 touchdowns. Jackson suffered a career-ending hip injury in 1991 that almost ended his baseball career as well. He promised his mother he’d hit a homer for her when he returned to baseball from the injury, but she died before he could get back onto the field. Jackson ended up hitting a home run in his first at-bat after her death and had the ball engraved in her tombstone.
Pat White looks to follow in Jackson’s footsteps. White lacks Bo’s inhuman strength and speed, but is still a tremendous athlete. At West Virginia University, White set the all-time FBS record for rushing yards by a quarterback, he became the only FBS quarterback in history to win 4 bowl games as a starter, and he set a Big East record for touchdowns for any position. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the 2009 NFL Draft. He will compete with Chad Pennington and Chad Henne for quarterback while also getting time playing in the wildcat formation that the Dolphins execute so well. His uncanny ability to throw and run the ball will make him a perfect tool in that tricky offensive package. White, like Jackson, was drafted by the New York Yankees in the 2009 MLB Draft. He is an outfielder with great speed and a powerful arm, which his football accomplishments make obvious.
Nevertheless, the way things look right now, Pat White will probably end up focusing just on football. But there have been others before him, like Jackson, who have pulled it off. A commonly known example is Deion Sanders. Sanders, the only player to play in both a Super Bowl and a World Series, also played for the Yankees, along with several other teams in both the MLB and NFL. Despite being one of the most feared cornerbacks in football, he too shared Jackson’s fate when it came to injuries. No matter how phenomenal an athlete you are, injuries are simply unavoidable, and playing more than one sport just makes it worse. We still have to root for Pat White to succeed regardless of the risks he’s taking for his health. If he can find a way to pull it off, to master not one but two professional sports, he’ll go down in history with Jackson, Sanders, and a few others as the only people on this earth to achieve two once-in-a-lifetime dreams in one lifetime.

X-Factor

The days before the July 31st trade deadline in baseball are the perfect time for playoff contending teams to pick up key players that could strengthen some of their weaknesses and put them into a good playoff position. These acquisitions can especially help get teams in a tight division race get through the dog days of August as well as the do-or-die games in September. These players that put teams over the top are referred to as X-factors.
The St. Louis Cardinals were struggling a few weeks before the deadline. After winning a game aided by 2 homers from Albert Pujols, who hasn’t homered since, the Cards went 2-4, the low point being a sweep administered to them by the Astros. Then, the Red Birds went out and traded for slumping Oakland slugger Matt Holliday. Holliday was having an off year after being traded to the A’s from Colorado. Nevertheless, Holliday has always been known for his clutch hitting. In his 9 games with the Cardinals, Holliday has an unrealistic .606 batting average with 3 homers, compared to his .286 average with 11 homers in 93 games with Oakland. His presence in the lineup could also aid Pujols, who hadn’t been seeing many good pitches and who easily leads the majors in intentional walks (IBB). In fact, Pujols’ 36 intentional walks are 20 ahead of the next highest total, which is Adrian Gonzalez’ 16. The Cardinals lead baseball with 55 IBBs, and only 2 teams have more total IBBs than Pujols himself. The Cards hope that Holliday can lower those numbers or send those guys on base home. Before picking up Matt, the Cards were caught in a tight four-team race in the NL Central with the Cubs, Astros, and Brewers. After Holliday’s arrival, the Cards separated from most of the pack. The Cubs still sit only a half-game back, but the Brewers and Astros are five and a half games back. Two other July pick-ups that have helped the cards and could help them in the postseason are Julio Lugo, who has hit.371 since his arrival in St. Louis, and Mark DeRosa, who has hit 7 home runs in 18 games with the club. Should the Cardinals hold on and make the playoffs, Holliday could really be a key ingredient in a winning Cardinals’ formula.
The Cardinals weren’t the only team to benefit from trades right before the deadline. The Phillies picked up Cliff Lee, the 2008 AL Cy Young Award winner, to bolster their very shaky rotation. Despite struggles earlier this year with Cleveland, Lee threw a gem to win his game with the Phils. The Tigers got Seattle starter Jarrod Washburn, who is having his best year since being the ace of an Angels staff that won the World Series in 2002. The Tigers now have a nearly unstoppable trio of Justin Verlander, a legitimate Cy Young award candidate, Edwin Jackson, who is having a career year, and Washburn. The Tigers are in a tight division race in the AL Central with the White Sox, who picked up ’07 NL Cy Young Award winner Jake Peavy. Peavy, who is about to return to full form after injuring his ankle running on the base paths, completes a strong trio with Mark Buerhle, who threw a perfect game and has 11 wins this year, and Gavin Floyd, who is one of the best young pitchers in the game. The Boston Red Sox drastically improved their offense by adding Victor Marinez, a catcher/first baseman who is always capable of hitting .300 with 20 homers.
By adding these X-factors, these playoff contending teams have put themselves in a position to break away from the teams they share division races with. These players can help add depth to teams in a long and hot August as well as a stressful September. A lot of these X-factors can also bring clutch hitting that the team otherwise lacked. We’ll have to wait and see which pick-ups can make a difference and put their teams over the top. Winners of this late July trading could very well have made themselves winners later on in the season, while the teams that didn’t make moves could be the ones to regret not picking up the phone and making a call for a deal. Well, they’ll have plenty of time to call whomever they want while they watch the playoffs on their flat screen TVs at home.

Doc Halladay

World champions. This is the goal that a lot of teams could really consider now that Roy Halladay is on the trade market. Doc Halladay, who is 11-3, is capable of being a number one starter on any team, and his Cy Young talent can change a team from struggling to compete for the wild card into a world series favorite. The Blue Jays, Halladay’s current team, are reeling with a record that’s 3 games under .500. They think that getting several quality prospects and maybe a good utility player for Halladay could help them gain some games back from their 14 and a half game deficit behind the first place Yankees in the AL East. Nevertheless, the team that gets Doc, if he gets traded, can seriously think about a deep run in the playoffs. Next I’ll discuss how different teams might shape up with Halladay and what I think they can accomplish this season with him on the roster.
Yankees: Trading their ace to a team within their division seems foolish and unlikely. However, you can’t underestimate the power and lure of money. The Yanks can offer up some big bucks for this deal and Brian Cashman has been known to try his luck on big named pitchers. New York is one of the most impatient sports cities and there are no off years allowed. If instant success is the name of the game, Doc Halladay can help. Imagine trying to win a playoff series against a team that started Roy Halladay, CC Sabathia (10-7), and A.J. Burnett (10-4), three number 1 starters. While the Yanks aren’t the frontrunners in the Halladay sweepstakes, they are certainly a team you shouldn’t count out of the conversation. The Bronx Bombers, who already have the best record in the AL, would easily be the team to beat in October.
Angels: Doc would be a great fit in Anaheim. Despite phenomenal success as of late, going 17-7 in July and 10-3 since the All-Star break, the Angels pitchers have struggled at times. Starters like Ervin Santana have been inconsistent and closer Brian Fuentes, while leading baseball in saves, has been hit hard lately. They have not had a clear number 1 go-to-guy, and Halladay would be a great fit with Jered Weaver and John Lackey for a postseason trio. Joe Saunders was originally in their top 2, but he hasn’t been able to return to his pre- All-Star break form of dominance. The Halos offense has won most of their games recently, and Doc would make the team with the 2nd best record in the AL an easy favorite to win the American League Championship. The key for the Angels would be beating the Red Sox if they met in the playoffs. Since 2004, the Angels are 1-9 against Boston in the postseason. Maybe Halladay could help them turn the tables on the Red Sox and advance further in the playoffs.
Phillies: The Phillies looked like the frontrunner for Halladay. They needed another top starter due to the struggles of Cole Hamels and Doc seemed to be a perfect fit their. But after the Phillies rejected the Blue Jays offer and trade negotiations had gone poorly, the Phils went out and got Indian’s ace Cliff Lee. That pretty much takes the Phillies out of the hunt for Halladay, but I guess anything’s possible.
Dodgers: The best team in baseball would be virtually unbeatable with Roy. In fact they’re already seemingly unbeatable. They’ve only lost one series in July and they haven’t been swept all year. Their postseason rotation could look like this: No.1 Halladay, 2. Chad Billingsley (10-6), 3. Clayton Kershaw, one of the top young pitchers in the game. Couple that with one of the top offenses in the league, who are first in the NL in batting average as a team, and you have a nearly perfect World Series formula. Their bullpen has been sound behind closer Jonathan Broxton, who is 7-0 and has converted 23 out of 25 save opportunities. They’ve also got experience with manager Joe Torre’s 4 World Series championships and slugger Manny Ramirez’ 2 World championships.
The Dodgers appear flawless. An easy pick to win it all. But that’s not how it works in baseball. Anything can happen. Davids can beat Goliaths. If there’s one thing we can almost be sure off, it is that Roy Halladay will make a huge impact for whatever team he’s traded to. If he gets traded. As usual, when it comes to baseball, we just have to wait and see if Doc can prescribe the perfect medicine for a World Series championship.

Busy Off-season for NBA

Several NBA teams have gone out and gotten a giant, experienced, impact player in hopes that he can help their team win a championship in the next few years. Other teams stocked up on younger guys, who they believe can be future stars who can lead them to titles after a few years learning how to play well together. I’ll review a couple of these summer deals and acquisitions and how different teams now shape up for the 09-10 season.
The Lakers made a big move this off-season that could help them defend their NBA title of last season. They signed free-agent Ron Artest (17.1 ppg) who has grown up a bit after several violent episodes with players and fans, and now can attract people’s attention with his talent instead. They did lose small forward Trevor Ariza, who was a major cog in their championship run, but Artest should be able to make up for the loss and more. With experiences players like Kobe Bryant (4 titles), Derek Fisher (4 titles), and Artest (10 NBA seasons), working with younger developing stars like Andrew Bynum, Shannon Brown, and Jordan Farmar, back-to-back titles is certainly not out of the question for the Lakers. Artest is also a great defender and therefore should be a beneficial addition. The only cons could be that the Lakers are getting old overall and the fact that Artest might not be able to share the spotlight with Kobe in L.A.
The Orlando Magic shocked the basketball world by knocking off MVP LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference semi-final to advance to the finals. They went on to lose to the Lakers, but they managed to make a huge splash this summer. They picked up star shooting guard Vince Carter in a trade with the Nets. They lost point guard Rafer Alston and shooting guard Courtney Lee, who were starters during their postseason run. However, the Magic have Jameer Nelson, who started most of the regular season at the point, and Carter has a lot more experience and ability that Lee. Orlando did lose small forward Hedo Turkoglu (16.8 ppg) and also picked up power forward Barndon Bass. Unfortunately, Bass is only 6-8 and may be too small to post up against taller and bigger forwards. Carter should lead the Magic to another playoff appearance, as well as maybe take off some of the pressure on center Dwight Howard, who has been the lone superstar in Orlando the past few years.
The Cleveland Cavaliers came into the summer realizing that by not getting to the finals, they had not met anyone’s expectations, including their own. They may have fixed their title woes by picking up legendary 7’1”, 325 pound center Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq has won 4 NBA titles, winning 3 with Kobe in L.A. and 1 with Dwayne Wade in Miami. Winning his titles with superstars like Kobe and Wade shows that Shaq can share the spotlight and the glory, which he’ll have to do with LeBron James in Cleveland. Despite losing some of his ability due to aging, Shaq is still a major and fearsome presence in the paint. He could take some of the media pressure of LeBron in a similar way to Carter relieving Howard. The Cavs will be hungry, Shaq will be hungry for a 5th title, and LeBron will be a man on a mission. Besides, if King James doesn’t win a championship for his home town in 2010, he may be headed to be king of another team and another town. I like the Cavs chances for winning a title with the duo of James and O’Neal.
The biggest challenge for the new duo will be the old trio. The Big Three of the Boston Celtics (Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce) appeared to be the biggest threat to the Cavs in the playoffs last season after winning the NBA title the year before. Surprisingly, they were upset by that pesky Orlando Magic team. Allen, Garnett, and Pierce will go down as some of the best players of all-time; Allen will probably be the all-time NBA leader in three-pointers, Garnett is one of the greatest defenders in history, and Pierce has been one of the best closers ever. The only major con of the Big Three is age. Their average age of over 32 has shown as all three suffered injuries last season. The Celtics increased their team age average by picking up center Rasheed Wallace, who is 34. The upside of Wallace is a huge upside. He won the NBA championship in 2004 and was a runner-up in 2005 with the Pistons. He has been one of the best defenders in this decade, and can play inside as well as make long 2-pointers and hit threes. This huge age issue for Boston is partially resolved by point guard Rajon Rondo, who is 23. Despite being injury prone, the Big Four has plenty of experience and can play well together since they know the league and the game so well. Don’t be shocked if the Celtics make it far in the playoffs thanks to their new addition.
The San Antonio Spurs certainly know success in the playoffs. The Spurs have won 4 titles since 1999, but also share Boston’s age problem. Two of their Big Three players are over 30, Manu Ginobili (31) and Tim Duncan (33). But the experience level in San Antonio exceeds the level in Boston in terms of success. Duncan has won 4 titles and is a 3-time Finals MVP, Ginobili has won 3 championships, and Tony Parker has also won 3 titles. They work well together and will continue to get huge support from Matt Bonner and Roger Mason. To bulk up this championship –caliber roster, the Spurs traded for star forward Richard Jefferson from the Bucks. Jefferson averaged 19.6 points per game last season and should perfectly complement the Big Three of the Spurs. The Spurs also drafted forward DaJuan Blair, who despite his diminutive size, has incredible strength and rebounding ability which should translate successfully into the NBA. This pick-up combined with the Jefferson deal could propel coach Gregg Popovich and the Spurs to another championship.
The Lakers, the Magic, the Cavaliers, the Celtics, and the Spurs were not the only teams to complete huge transactions this summer. The Pistons added rising stars Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva which could help them capture a better playoff seed this year. From the looks of things, the race for the title should come down to a battle between the Lakers, Spurs, Cavs, and Celtics. But don’t rule anyone out yet. You never know what deals will work out for what teams. One thing we have learned to count on in the NBA is plenty of controversy. One thing we will learn to count on is the overrated usage of Twitter, from which we shall hear idiotic but entertaining comments which will be overblown by the media. Hopefully these traded players can make just as big of an impact on the court next season.

Teddy Ballgame

Extraordinary things happened during the career of Ted Williams. Unfortunately, frustrating events also occurred during his illustrious era in baseball. Ted Williams was arguably the greatest Red Sox player of all-time, even though he never won a World Series. Looking back, Williams was teammates with Hall of Famers Jimmie Foxx, Bobby Doerr, Lefty Grove, and Joe Cronin, as well as Johnny Pesky, for whom they named Pesky’s Pole in Fenway Park. So how could a team with five future Hall-of-Famers not win the World Series? The answer is the Red Sox archrivals, the New York Yankees. During Williams’ 19 year career, the Bronx Bombers won 10 World Series and 14 pennants. Those Yankee glory years were highlighted by the grand careers of Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Whitey Ford, Yogi Berra, Phil Rizzuto, Red Ruffing, Lefty Gomez and many others.
Ted’s Red Sox finished 2nd four times and 3rd five times during his career when the Yankees won the pennant. Williams and the BoSox appeared poised to win the pennant in 1949, but the Yankees mounted a furious comeback, and won the pennant on the last day by beating the Red Sox. The one time Boston won the pennant during Teddy Ballgame’s career was in 1946. They went on to face the St. Louis Cardinals in the World Series. Unfortunately, Ted was hurt the whole series and wasn’t really a factor. Boston led 3-2, but lost Game 6. The score was tied 3-3 in the 8th inning of Game 7 before the Cardinals pulled ahead 4-3 to win the World Series. Perhaps a healthy Williams could have propelled his team to victory, but we will never know.
We will also never know what Ted’s career numbers could have been if he hadn’t gone to war during his prime. After winning the Triple Crown in 1942 with 36 homers, 137 RBI’s, and a .356 batting average, Williams enlisted in World War 2 and became a superb pilot. He would miss the ’43, ’44, and ’45 seasons because of the war. He also fought in the Korean War in 1952 and 1953, and was noted for his bravery and work ethic. By standing up to protect his country, Williams did something that was far more important than baseball, but one can’t help but wonder what he could have done with those five seasons that were cut out of his career. He also had to overcome injuries and illnesses that he got from the wars that could have affected his play. Maybe Ted could have won a World Series with those years back. Nevertheless, he did what he felt he had to do for his country.
Besides taking away possible World Series titles, Joe DiMaggio also beat out Ted for a few MVP awards that Williams would have easily won during another decade against a different player. Ted finished 2nd to DiMaggio twice in the MVP race. In 1941, Williams led the league with 37 homers and a .406 average, but Joe D’s 56-game hitting streak and World Series title stole the show. In 1947, Williams won the Triple Crown, but lost the MVP award to DiMaggio again. He also finished 2nd to Mickey Mantle in 1957, despite recording superior numbers. The most perplexing runner-up finish was in 1942. Williams won the Triple Crown and wound up finishing in second to the Yankees’ Joe Gordon. Gordon had had a decent year, but his numbers were nowhere near Ted’s, and the Yankees failed to win the World Series that season. Some say Williams lost the MVPs because he wasn’t as popular to the media as DiMaggio and the Yankees were. But I think a more likely cause is that fact that, the Yankees either won the World Series or were very successful in the years that their players won the MVP. Williams won the MVP award in 1946 and in 1949, which weren’t his greatest personal years, but years that the Red Sox were very successful.
Although heated rivals, Ted Williams and Joe DiMaggio were very similar. They were both icons and images of the game. They were the best of the best. Even though he lost many MVP races and had years taken from his prime, Ted’s legacy as one of the greatest to ever play the game will always live on. He and Mickey Mantle are similar in the way that they will always have to live under the shadow of the “Yankee Clipper” Joe DiMaggio. Mantle was always compared to Joe whenever he did something great, which is the same thing that happened to Williams. Unfortunately for devoted Ted William’s fans, both of his MVPs were in years that Joe DiMaggio was severely hampered by injuries, which means that Williams never beat out DiMaggio in a fair race. The fact that great ball players are subject to comparison should never diminish their impact and importance. There really should be no higher compliment then being compared to Teddy Ballgame.

The Blake Street Bombers

Balls are really flying out of Yankee Stadium. After the first 34 games there, there have been a total of 119 homers. This means that the stadium is on track for about 284 homers by the end of the season. The record for homers hit in a ballpark for a single season was 303 in 1999 at Coors Field, the home of the Colorado Rockies. Coors had 141 home runs after 34 games. The high elevation of Denver aids homer numbers in Coors. People wonder what aids these homer numbers in New York. Some say it’s the winds, while others say that the field is too small. Nevertheless, this unrealistic display of power can help people take a look back at the four men mainly responsible for those homers in Coors Field, the Blake Street Bombers.
Andres Galarraga, Vinny Castilla, Dante Bichette, and Larry Walker were tremendous sluggers for the Rockies in the late 1990s. The quartet was nicknamed the Blake Street Bombers because Blake Street is the street right outside of Coors Field. Even when the Rockies struggled, the Bombers would attract record numbers of fans to the field to watch the homers fly. In 1995, the Blake Street Bombers combined for 139 home runs. However, there was a special element about these sluggers. They were an exception from the normal slugger that could hit a lot of homers, but didn’t really have a decent average. In 1995, the Bombers had a combined .309 average. This incredible hitting prowess led to a playoff appearance for the Rockies in’95. Unfortunately, they met up with the Atlanta Braves, who beat the Rockies, and went on to win the World Series. This postseason appearance was the only one for the Rockies until 2007, when the club shocked everyone by going 7-0 in the playoffs before getting swept in the World Series by the Red Sox. The next year the quartet produced 136 homers despite only getting 18 round-trippers from injured Larry Walker. Ellis Burks stepped up and beyond, producing 40 homers with a .344 batting average.
Then, in 1997, the Blake Street Bombers hit their peak. They hit a combined 156 homers and had an incredible batting average of .324. In that same year, Ken Griffey Jr., Paul Sorrento, Jay Buhner, and Edgar Martinez of the Mariners hit a combined 155 homers, but only maintained a .287 batting average. Galarraga was traded after that season to make room for a talented young first baseman named Todd Helton, who is now arguably the greatest Rocky of all time. This new quartet of Castilla, Bichette, Walker, and Helton only hit 116 homers, but they did hit for a .332 average. The new Bombers hit 139 homers in that famous 1999 season, but two more key parts of the original Blake Street Bombers, Vinny Castilla and Dante Bichette, departed after the year’s end. The homer-aiding conditions at Coors just made it way to easy for steroid users, who already had an advantage. Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire hit a combined 5 homers in just 6 games at Coors Field in 1999.
To compare the Blake Street Bombers with the great Yankees team in 1927, Murderer’s Row, would be a travesty. Murderer’s Row was able to dominate baseball and win the World Series, while the Rockies could only make the playoffs once in the tenure of the Blake Street Bombers. Even though the Bombers managed to hit more homers than the four best hitters on the ’27 Yanks, the four best in Murderer’s Row (Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Bob Meusel, Earle Combs) were able to obtain a combined batting average of .356, which was 24 points higher than the best average for the Blake Street Bombers. Even though they weren’t the greatest of all time, the Blake Street Bombers provided Rockies fans with excitement and flair during their short time together in Denver. Should their numbers be considered tainted like the ones of steroid users because of the park they played in? I don’t think so. They managed to hit many of their homers in other parks as well. As the home run total in the new Yankee Stadium skyrockets toward a mile high record, Rockies fans can sit back and remember the good old days of Galarraga, Bichette, Castilla, and Walker. These good times included the Super Bowl championships won by the Denver Broncos in 1997 and 1998. Times have changed, with controversy and injuries quelling the Broncos’ chances at winning each year. Fans wonder when Colorado will stand above the rest again, other than in altitude.

Pudge

Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez. One of the best and most well-known catchers in baseball from the ‘90s to the present. The only backstop to overshadow his prime was Mike Piazza. I-Rod was and still is a rare combination of consistent hitting and a cannon arm. Pudge is one game away from tying Hall-of-Famer Carlton Fisk on the all-time list for games caught. This milestone has much more worth than it would appear. Back problems make the art of catching very tough. Add on to that the fact that the catcher calls every pitch thrown by his pitcher and the fact that Rodriguez had to catch his first 12 seasons in the blistering summer heat of Texas. Pudge, a member of the Astros, will head back to Texas in an interleague match, which is an appropriate setting for him to tie and break the record. Fisk’s storied career goes past his durability. He played an unrealistic 24 seasons in the majors, a feat most other position players can’t accomplish. Fisk was a Red Sox backstop throughout the ‘70s before joining the White Sox, where he would stay until he retired after the ’93 season.
Although Fisk and Rodriguez weren’t quite Mike Piazza, Johnny Bench, or Yogi Berra, they were still some of the toughest guys to ever play the position. Fisk, also known as Pudge, is mostly remembered for his famous home run to win Game 6 of the 1975 World Series against Bench and the Big Red Machine. The blast was launched in the 12th inning, but was the most memorable detail about it was the fact that Fisk was waving for the ball to go fair as it sailed over the Green Monster. Nevertheless, the Red Sox lost the series, and Fisk never won a World Series title. Rodriguez, on the other hand, won a championship with the Florida Marlins in 2003. The still active Pudge should be a lock for the Hall-of-Fame that Fisk resides in. Ivan’s 2649 hits and .300 career batting average after 19 seasons are more impressive than Carlton’s 2356 hits and .269 career average in 24 campaigns. Fisk’s 376 homers are 76 ahead of Rodriguez’, but I-Rod’s 1243 RBI’s are just 87 behind, a milestone the younger Pudge could easily reach, barring injury. Rodriguez also won an MVP award in 1999, something Fisk couldn’t accomplish. I-Rod should also be remembered for being the first catcher in MLB history to have a season with more than 30 homers, 100 RBIs, and 100 runs. He was also the first catcher to record more than 20 homers and 20 steals in a season.
Even though Rodriguez’ legacy shall endure forever in the Hall-of-Fame, there is another active catcher who has a chance to make a much bigger impact. After winning the batting title in his second season, Joe Mauer of the Twins has exploded into the spotlight of baseball stardom. Despite missing a month of this season due to an injury, Mauer is only 7 homers behind the AL leaders. He will easily win the batting title again this season if he can get in enough at-bats to qualify. His .414 batting average is 50 points higher than the current leader David Wright. The greatest news is that Mauer is just 26 years old. Only time and injuries can tell us if Mauer can have the durability and consistency to join Pudge, Pudge, Piazza, Bench, Berra and a few others as the greatest catchers of all time.

Sidekicks

What Robin is to Batman. What Marvin Harrison is to Peyton Manning. A John Stockton to a Karl Malone. This is what defines a sidekick in sports; a talented individual that makes a more talented individual better. These relationships are crucial for things like winning championships and catching diabolical villains. Do you think Malone could have beat Michael Jordan for 2 MVPs without the play-making and passing of Stockton? Could Manning have earned the 7th spot all-time in passing yards without having Harrison to constantly connect to? Would Batman have defeated Joker and Penguin without the help of Robin? This concept does apply to baseball. Hitters in the 3, 4, or 5 spot in the lineup usually do better when they have a better hitter behind them. The pitcher doesn’t want to face the tough hitter behind them with a man on, so they end up throwing a lot of hittable strikes to avoid a walk. Mark Teixeira and David Ortiz are perfect examples of this theory. Teixeira started this year hitting .198 with 5 home runs and 15 RBI’s in the first few months without Alex Rodriguez in the lineup. Due to the fact that pitchers fear A-Rod so much, you would think that Teixeira would get more pitches because they don’t want him to get on. After A-Rod returned on May 8, that’s just what happened. And it resulted in far improved numbers for Tex. Mark is hitting over .300 with 6 homers and 16 RBIs since A-Rod’s return less than 2 weeks ago. Having Rodriguez hitting behind him has boosted the play of Teixeira, and for once in his life, A-Rod seems to be the sidekicks giving the helping hand instead of vice-versa. Ortiz has been one of the most feared hitters in the game for the Red Sox, bashing homer after homer with plenty of runs batted in. Big Papi has hit 209 home runs from 2003 to 2007 with Manny batting behind him. Manny, a probable Hall of Famer, had been a great sidekick to Ortiz, and obviously helped him get better pitches with the fear he instilled into pitchers. After Manny left the Red Sox for the Dodgers in 2008, Ortiz has struggled mightily. Just three years after hitting 54 homers in 558 at-bats, Big Papi has just one homer in 138 at-bats this year. Going back to last season, Ortiz went 149 at-bats without a homer. He ended this unexpected streak with a homer May 20, and received a curtain call from the Red Sox faithful in Fenway. This just goes to show how much Manny meant to Big Papi, what A-Rod meant to Tex, what Robin meant to Batman, and what sidekicks mean to heroes, whether they get recognized or not.

A-Rod has brought the city of New York plenty of drama with his attitude, his poor playoff performances, and his use of performance-enhancing drugs. He has continued to bring us lots of drama after returning from a hip injury. But this time, New Yorkers are cheering instead of booing. It was easy for Yankees fans to get excited about his return when he hit a home run in his first at-bat off of the DL against Baltimore. Then, a day after receiving a warm welcome in his first game in the new Yankee Stadium, A-Rod hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the 11th inning to beat the Twins. This was the second straight walk-off win for the Bronx Bombers; a night after Melky Cabrera hit a game-winning single to beat the Twins in the first game of the series. Despite facing good starting pitching and a great effort from Joe Mauer and Justin Morneau, the Yankees managed to record a third straight walk-off victory. Johnny Damon hit a game-winning bomb in the bottom of the 10th to give the Yankees their 5th straight win. A-Rod hit another key homer that ignited the 7th inning Yankee rally that tied the game at 2. All these dramatic finishes have overshadowed phenomenal starts by CC Sabathia, Joba Chamberlain, and A.J. Burnett. Burnett has added another flair to these thrilling finishes with his trademark pie-in the face. He nailed both A-Rod and Damon with pies during interviews after their game-winning homers. This just goes to show that the Yanks are not only winning, but also enjoying the game. They are playing as a team and expressing great team chemistry. Maybe A-Rod can overcome all of the adversity surrounding him and return to greatness to help the Yankees reach the playoffs. But the bigger question is, how can Damon get back at Burnett? Perhaps Johnny could dump Gatorade over A. J. if he throws a no-hitter. The way the Yankees are playing, you don’t know what could happen next.