The Zionist Conspiracy |
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A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews. 
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Monday, December 31, 2007
FFL Shakeup: Elster Fired; Analytics Guru Quits MoC, Heads To Jetropolitans NEW YORK, December 31 - The Jetropolitans today announced the firing of Elster, their former General Manager, and his replacement with league champion MoC's former head of analytics. After his two subpar seasons at the helm, the Jetropolitans' jettisoning of Elster was hardly a surprise. But their hiring of Analytics Guru, who had been expected to take on a larger role for MoC, stunned observers, who now question the future viability of MoC's franchise. In a press conference to introduce him as MoC's team president, Analytics Guru shocked reporters when he announced that "I resign as AG of MoC." He did refer to MoC as his "mentor" and expressed "my deep appreciation for the opportunities he has given me. I consider him a very close friend." Analytics Guru had served as an assistant to MoC since MoC was assigned to due diligence as a junior associate in a New York law firm in 1983. MoC questioned Analytics Guru's mental health, and then stated that his team is hard at work preparing for the 2008 draft. Asked about facing the Jetropolitans, MoC responded, "They are a very tough team. Brett Favre is a great quarterback. Steven Jackson is going to come back strong. Steve Smith is a guy who can beat you by himself. We're going to have to play very well to win." Sunday, December 30, 2007
Week 17 1. I've at times been critical of Herm Edwards, but today he executed his game plan to perfection. As Herm says, "any drive that ends in a kick is a good drive." Today the Chiefs punted ten times and kicked a field goal. Kudos to Herm and the entire Chiefs staff, especially assistant HC Dick (Who Am I? Why Am I Here?) Curl. 2. I never root for the Jets to lose, but ... let's just say it's much better to have the #3 pick in the draft instead of the #6 pick. In any event, that was one terrible football game. 3. It's true that the offensive line has provided poor pass protection for Kellen Clemens, but Chad Pennington was brutalized the same way and it cost him the starting job. Through eight starts, Clemens remains very unimpressive. He has a strong arm but remains inaccurate and indecisive. He leaves the pocket almost immediately even when he has time. It's too early to tell whether Clemens is another Browning Nagle or if he will develop into a solid starter. But automatically handing him the starting QB position for 2008 would be a mistake. Unless jetsphan is right and the Jets can get a second round pick for Chad Pennington - I think a late 3rd round pick is the best offer the Jets will get - I'd keep Pennington and let him and Clemens split reps during mini-camp and the pre-season while battling for the QB job. 4. It was refreshing to finally not see Brad Smith on offense today. Instead, Wallace Wright got some overdue playing time and made a couple of nice catches, including on the long pass from Leon Washington. 5. Darrelle Revis was hardly seen today, which probably means that he played very well. David Harris played well again too. 6. Congratulations to MoC for defeating my 8-9ers to clinch The Zionist Conspiracy FFL title. In contrast, Elster started three inactive players. Pending tonight's Titans vs. Colts game, Elster's decision to rest his tired team will probably result in a close loss to superfeldman rather than a comfortable victory. Perhaps Elster was hoping to secure a better spot in next year's fantasy football draft. Friday, December 28, 2007
GPS Nightmare In Israel This (excerpts below) is why I do not rent cars in Israel, and will continue not to do so even with the availability of GPS. It is comforting that two Arabs ultimately saved this man's life from a lynch mob of fellow Arabs. But only a small comfort, considering that every day, Arabs can and do drive and walk around freely in Israel without being bothered at all, let alone lynched. For 28-year-old Bat Yam resident Amir Ochana flawed GPS navigation nearly Tuesday, December 25, 2007
The Daniel Cicciaro and John White Tragedy Since his fateful encounter with the angry and drunken group led by Daniel Cicciaro Jr., my sympathies have always been with John White Yet while I wasn't on the jury and didn't hear all of the evidence, my sense is that the jury got it right convicting White of manslaughter for shooting dead Cicciaro. In the end, you can't just kill someone, not even if they are cursing you, calling you "n*****" and threatening you and your son outside your own home. Cicciaro has been labeled a punk in the New York Post. The bottom line, though, is that while his behavior on the fateful night was not exactly exemplary - indeed it was despicable - he did not deserve to die. White seems to be a good man who did exactly what many others would have done. Sleeping in his own bed, he was awaken to find himself in a terrible situation. He is a very sympathetic figure and hopefully will not serve more than a short prison sentence. But that's for the Judge to decide. The jury seems to have done the right thing in applying the law, as was their civic duty. Of course, if White were Italian-American and Cicciaro and his friends were black, we know what the jury's verdict would have been. That is, in the unlikely event that any charges would have been filed at all. We can also come to our own conclusions as to why no charges whatsoever were filed against Cicciaro's friends. And why John White knew that calling the police would solve nothing. Sunday, December 23, 2007
Week 16 1. Is there any Jet fan who did know when the Jets accepted a penalty giving them 1st and goal rather than a Mike Nugent go-ahead field goal that they would end up scoring nothing at all? 2. No matter who plays QB next season, the Jets will continue to be terrible unless their offensive line somehow dramatically improves. Anthony Clement and D'Brickashaw Ferguson were particularly terrible again today. Ferguson looks like a complete bust. My guess is that he will develop into an average tackle. Today's Giants game is a good example of how important an offensive line is; the Giants' run blocking again covered for terrible QB play. 3. Ben Graham has been shaky, but changing holders didn't work out too well today, did it? 4. Brad Smith may be a great athlete, but he does not seem to be a very good NFL player. 5. Typical idiotic announcing today. First, the repeated praise for Eric Mangini because the Jets "are playing hard." Yeah, 3-12 is just great. Mangini and Herm will battle it out for coach of the year. If that weren't bad enough, we were informed that Brian Schottenheimer is soon going to be snatched away. I'm sure teams will be bidding high to replicate Schotty Jr.'s playcalling and leadership. Last but not least, we were told that the Jets offensive line "has had to be reworked due to injury." Injury? No, the offensive linemen are healthy. They're just terrible. 6. Mike Tannenbaum may be able to crunch numbers, but he has no business being an NFL GM. The terrible OL is bad enough. So is the fact that all of his free agent signings have failed. Worst of all, B.J. Askew is a Pro Bowl alternate for Tampa Bay. That's a huge indictment of Herm Edwards and Mangini for refusing to play Askew, and of Tannenbaum for getting rid of him. 7. Jerricho Cotchery and David Harris played well. Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Retirement - One Year Later Today is the first anniversary of my ill-fated retirement. While my "retirement" lasted a mere two months, most of my erstwhile readers took me quite seriously, never to return. Some bloggers removed their link to my then defunct blog. These days, I can occasionally be provoked into writing about something meaningful, but generally, I still have limited desire to post about the real issues of the day. Sunday, December 16, 2007
MSG Massacre With today's 5-1 drubbing at the hands of the Coyotes, the Rangers have fallen to .500. 32 games into their season, they are again only a borderline playoff team. The reality is that the only reason the Rangers are not a complete disaster is Henrik Lundqvist and strong defense from Dan Girardi and Marc Staal. Scott Gomez and Chris Drury have been complete busts, and neither has clicked at all with Jaromir Jagr. Meanwhile, Matt Cullen and Michael Nylander, the two centers the Rangers let go of after the Gomez and Drury signings, would both lead the Rangers in scoring, while costing more than $6 million less annually in cap space. Tom Renney deserves blame for failing to find line combinations that best utilize the Rangers' talent. Like Roger Neilson, a very nice man who helped improve the Rangers but did not get them to the next level, it may be necessary to bring in someone tougher than Renney to get the most out of this team. Unfortunately, Mike Keenan - the only man to lead the Rangers to a Stanley Cup during the last 68 seasons - is coaching the Calgary Flames. Week 15 1. Today's game was similar to last year's visit to Foxboro, the difference ultimately being that the Jets' coaching, offense and special teams made numerous mistakes, wasting a great performance by the defense. 2. Kellen Clemens only threw one pass, but his 1st quarter interception was inexcusable. Clemens was rushed and then hit hard, but he could have thrown the ball out of bounds instead of in the middle of the field, where it was predictably picked off and returned for a touchdown. Through seven starts, Clemens' accuracy and decision-making remain poor. If he's healthy, he probably should start the remaining two games, but not because he gives the Jets the best chance to win. 3. I believe it was Adrian Clarke who was beat on that play. Clarke has been terrible all season in place of Pete Kendall, who GM Mike Tannenbaum never sought an adequate replacement for. 4. Also terrible all season has been Justin McCareins, who dropped a first down on 3rd and 13 (I believe that on the next play Ben Graham's punt was blocked), slipped on another play, dropped the ball on special teams into the end zone for a touchback instead of downing it at the Patriots 2 or 3 yard line, and then bobbled a touchdown pass. McCareins has to go and the Jets need better wide receivers. With Coles hurt and Cotchery at much less than 100 percent, there is nobody to throw the ball to. 5. Eric Mangini's decision to feature Brad Smith in the QB position during drives in Patriots territory was idiotic. The Patriots are too well-coached to repeatedly fall for the same gimmicks. Going for it on 4th and 2 inside the New England 20 and having Smith throw in that spot was particularly stupid. Not satisfied with his 1st quarter failure, Mangini again put Smith in during the 3rd quarter after a Revis INT put the Jets' at the Pats' 34. Smith predictably couldn't get anything going. In a close game, the heavy reliance on Smith was bizarre at best. 6. Mangini notably did not even bother to try to get Thomas Jones involved today. Jones has proven himself to be a mediocre RB whose durability allows him to accumulate a decent number of yards. 7. Just two weeks to the Herm Bowl and the merciful end to the Jets' abysmal 2007 season. Friday, December 14, 2007
FireHerm.Com The latest link to The Zionist Conspiracy comes, most appropriately, from FireHerm.com, a site created by a disgruntled Chiefs fan now learning that KC didn't exactly steal Herm from the Jets two years ago. Beginning immediately after the Jets' January 15, 2005 overtime playoff loss to the Steelers - a game lost mainly because of Herm's gross incompetence - I began a campaign that would last nearly a year to rid the Jets of Herm. January 6, 2006 would thus be a holiday for The Zionist Conspiracy, had it not been for an unrelated sad event that occurred at that same time. Thursday, December 13, 2007
Exclusive Interview With Suzyn Waldman Following the release of the Mitchell Report, The Zionist Conspiracy conducted an interview with Yankees broadcaster Suzyn Waldman. TZC: Suzyn, how are you today? SW: Please call me Ms. Waldman. TZC: Sorry. Hope you had a Happy Chanukah, by the way. SW: Thanks, and a very Merry Christmas to you. TZC: How do you feel about the Yankees' off-season thus far? SW: Wonderful! Alex Rodriguez is coming back! A-Rod is in Hank Steinbrenner's box! Oh my goodness gracious, of all the dramatic things -- of all the dramatic things I've ever seen, A-Rod is standing right in Hank Steinbrenner's box! TZC: Suzyn, er, Ms. Waldman, any thoughts on the news that Roger Clemens and Andy Pettite have been implicated in the Mitchell Report? SW: This is rough. I was OK actually 'til I stopped over at Andy's -- and his kids are sitting in the living room with Koby, Kory and Kacy and they were watching this on ESPN. The tears you hear in my voice are coming down the faces of Kacy and Koby. TZC: I am so sorry to hear that. SW: Kody doesn't even know that.... They don't know how they will tell Kody. TZC: How about Koby? SW: I already said that Koby was in Andy's living room. He's getting ready for another great season. TZC: Right, sorry. Ms. Waldman, have you been in touch with Joe Torre? SW: I have been through so much with Joe. I was at Dodgers Stadium when he was introduced as the Dodgers' new manager. TZC: Really. Tell us about that. SW: You're going to have to bear with me here, you know me, I cry at Cinderella, and I couldn't believe what was going on there. What Joe Torre was saying at the podium ... Joe Torre is at the podium, and um, the first thing he said was that we wanted to congratulate Joe Girardi on getting the Yankees job ... That's just Joe. TZC: Are you in touch with Derek Jeter during the offseason? SW: Derek is amazing. I followed him around while he was clubbing last weekend. Amazing. You can see why he's the captain. TZC: Do you think the Yankees should agree to trade Ian Kennedy and Phil Hughes as part of a package for Johan Santana? SW: It was so emotional being with Joba, Phil and Ian on Tuesday. Everybody knows there's going to be a lot of changes here, and people are absolutely saying goodbye to each other. And it's a very very tough place to be right now. TZC: Thank you for the time. Have a good evening. SW: Thank you. Oh my goodness gracious, of all the bad weather -- of all the bad weather I've ever seen, this is even worse than the earthquake. I have never been more frightened. TZC: Wow. Please be careful and post a comment to let us know that you're home safely. SW: Okay, though it will be very late. I'm meeting John Sterling for dinner and then going over to Jason Giambi's to celebrate with him and Jeremy. TZC: Sounds great. Give the Giambis our best wishes for the holidays. The 2000 Yankees Were there any members of the 2000 Yankees who did not use steroids? Okay, maybe a few. But the meager Mitchell Report includes a grossly disproportionate number of Yankees. In particular, Roger Clemens, Andy Pettite and Denny Neagle were all on steroids or HGH. Together, they started four of the five games in the Series - and the Yanks won all of those games. The Mets' only victory came against none other than El Duque. Then there is Mike Stanton, who was lights-out in relief during the Series (unlike a certain Yankees closer). Also named from that team were David Justice and Chuck Knoblauch. There might be one or two that I missed while skimming the report. Wednesday, December 12, 2007
The Mitchell Report UPDATE 2: 12/13/07 2:25 P.M. - I've reviewed the text of the report. Not much of substance considering that he investigated for 20 months. Almost all of Mitchell's information came from two sources or rehashes old news. UPDATE: 12/13/07 10:40 A.M. - ESPN is reporting that Roger Clemens appears in the Mitchell Report as an abuser of steroids, while Andy Pettite will be reported to have used human growth hormone. Perhaps the Mets should be retroactively declared 2000 World Series champions - unless, that is, their catcher and/or second baseman from that year are also named. Earlier today, Elster stated that in the event the Jets somehow cheated by videotaping the Patriots (a notion for which no evidence at all exists), he would be disgusted with his team. More than 6 1/2 years ago, George Mitchell issued the first Mitchell Report, a maddeningly evenhanded investigation requested by President Bush into who was to blame for the Palestinian terror war that had started the previous September. Tomorrow afternoon, Mitchell will be back with the latest Mitchell Report, which will name current and former players who used steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. While only a select few know who is on the list, it is more than speculation to sense that at least a few prominent members of the Mets and Yankees will likely be named in the Mitchell Report. What if a popular player who led off for the '86 Mets and was a star during that year's NLCS and World Series appears in the report? What if an otherwise certain Hall of Fame catcher who would later star for the Mets is named? Or a Mets second baseman who was a star and was then gone and quickly forgotten? Or a talented but erratic closer who blew saves when they most counted? Or a backup catcher whose pinch hit homer sent the Mets to the NLCS? Will this - and should this - affect our memories of the rare good times? Herm to Chiefs Fans: Get Used To Losing Today's Kansas City Star offers the following reassurance to Chiefs fans from coaching legend Herm Edwards: "People aren’t used to this in Kansas City. Get over it. It happens. It’s called life." The Topeka Capital-Journal also quotes Herm as saying: "What we're worrying about now is trying to figure out who to blame. But there is no blame, teams go through this... "Now is when you do your best coaching. This is when you've got to coach them, keep them together, keep them playing and then make some tough decisions at the end of the year. That's what we're going through this year. "We'll get this thing fixed, no doubt in my mind. It's already on the way to getting fixed; you just don't see it right now. But it'll come to fruition, and we'll be sitting here in a couple of years and we won't even be thinking about this year." Hopefully for Chiefs fans, Herm won't still be their team's head coach "in a couple of years." In the meantime, in addition to losing, they'll have to get used to Herm firing his coordinators and scapegoating them for his own ineptitude. Don't Run Up The Score There is little question about who will win Sunday's game between the Jets and the Patriots. Nor is there much question that the game will be a blowout. The only real question is how large the margin will be. In the interests of sportsmanship, respect for one's opponent, and basic human decency, I do hope that the Jets do not run up the score. When the score is 41-9 early in the 4th quarter, and Laveranues Coles, Jerricho Cotchery and Chris Baker have each caught a touchdown pass against the Patriots' soft secondary, Eric Mangini should do the right thing and pull Kellen Clemens. And he should not replace Clemens with Chad Pennington; after seven weeks on the sidelines, Chad, after all, will be motivated to show the NFL that his off-speed passes remain as on target as ever. Instead, it should be Marques Tuiasosopo throwing to Justin McCareins. And it wouldn't hurt if Brian Schottenheimer toned down his innovative playcalling, with Bob Sutton doing the same on defense and not blitzing a beleaguered Tom Brady down after down. Monday, December 10, 2007
Week 14 1. Eric Mangini's worst performance as Jets' head coach left little hope that 2006 was not a fluke and that he will get the Jets back on track next season. Mangini wasted a timeout late in the 2nd quarter on a useless challenge. That timeout would have been useful on the next drive. Much more egregious was Mangini's decision to kick a field goal with 4th and 10 from the Browns 20 with 1:45 left in the game and to then try a second onside kick. Even Herm would have gone for it there. Mangini's post-game praise for his players and his tiresome mantras about how the team practiced well sound exactly like Rich Kotite did after his losses. Kotite, unlike Mangini, did not make the playoffs with the Jets. But he did with the Eagles, and it has been pointed out that several bad Jets' head coaches, including Joe Walton, Bruce Coslet and Mr. "You Play To Lose The Game" himself, all made the playoffs with the Jets. In other words, the Jets 2006 success no longer gives Mangini or Mike Tannenbaum a free pass for their terrible performances. 2. Once again, the play-calling was uninspired on both sides of the ball. The Jets rarely blitzed and never sacked Derek Anderson. As a result, Anderson had plenty of time to find Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards for big plays. On offense, Brian Schottenheimer's gameplan was again predictable, with lots of 1st down runs and a mostly dink and dunk passing game. Until late in the 4th quarter, the Jets hardly threw downfield. Whenever the Jets pass near the end zone, they almost always throw a fade - a play that has repeatedly failed, as it did yesterday. 3. Unfortunately, Kellen Clemens is inaccurate even on short passes. He continues to make poor decisions, throws too many interceptions (he has 9 INTs and only 4 TD passes) and fails to pick blitzes. It is worth noting that in contrast to Clemens, Brooks Bollinger threw 7 TDs and 6 INTs during 2005. Is it possible that Clemens has "only" started six games and will improve with more experience? It is. But at this point, there is no way the Jets can hand the starting job for 2008 to Clemens. He should have to compete either with Chad Pennington or another veteran next season. 4. Laveranues Coles (sprained ankle) and Jerricho Cotchery (broken finger that Rich Cimni of the Daily News claimed would end his season) deserve credit for playing well with their injuries. 5. It was a frustrating game and once the weather turned nasty, it's understandable that some fans would leave. I was momentarily going to leave after a Jets' drive stalled with six minutes left, though I ultimately stayed until after Jamal Lewis' touchdown run. But for there to be only around 5000 fans by then was rather pathetic. Too many people who come to Jets games simply can't wait too leave. Fortunately, despite the heavy rain, traffic out of Giants Stadium was the lightest it's ever been, with the drive back to Queens taking only around an hour. Thursday, December 06, 2007
The Zionist Conspiracy Exclusive Report: Statement From Omar Minaya Upon his departure from Nashville, New York Mets General Manager Omar Minaya has just issued the following statement exclusively to The Zionist Conspiracy: Good Afternoon, know what I'm sayin'. A little more than three years ago, I accepted the offer of Fred Wilpon to serve as General Manager of the New York Mets. I promised you a GM who is not isolated from the fans, who feels your pain, and who shares your dreams, and who draws his strength and his wisdom from you, know what I'm sayin'. During the past three years I’ve spoken to you on many occasions about team concerns, the pitching crisis, reorganizing the coaching staff, our league's luxury tax, and issues of losing and especially winning. Ten days ago, I had planned to speak to you again about a very important subject - the bullpen. For the fifth time I would have described the urgency of the problem and laid out a series of recommendations to ownership. But as I was preparing to speak, I began to ask myself the same question that I now know has been troubling many of you: Why have we not been able to get together as a team to resolve our serious bullpen problem? Know what I'm sayin'? It’s clear that the true problems of our team are much deeper - deeper than Guillermo Mota or Scott Schoeneweis, deeper even than Paul Lo Duca and Lastings Milledge. And I realize more than ever that as GM I need your help. So, I decided to reach out and to listen to the voices o our fans. I invited to Shea Stadium people from almost every segment of our society - business and labor, teachers and preachers, bloggers, and private citizens. And then I left Shea and gave a tour of CitiField, before I left to attend the winter meetings in Nashville to listen to other fans, men and women like you. It has been an extraordinary ten days, and I want to share with you what I’ve heard. First of all, I got a lot of personal advice. Let me quote a few of the typical comments that I wrote down. “Mr. Minaya, you are not leading this organization - you’re just managing the front office.” “You don’t see the fans enough anymore.” “Some of your players don’t seem loyal. There is not enough discipline among your disciples.” Several of our discussions were on pitching, and I have a notebook full of comments and advice. I’ll read just a few. “We can’t go on giving up forty percent more runs then we score.” This was a good one: “Be bold, Omar. We may make mistakes, but we are ready to experiment.” I know, of course, being GM, that good trades and free agent signings can be very important and that we've had just mixed success. But after listening to the Mets fans, I have been reminded again that even Johan Santana can’t fix what’s wrong with the Mets. So, I want to speak to you first tonight about a subject even more serious than pitching. I want to talk to you right now about a fundamental threat to the Mets' chances of contention. I do not mean our hitting. The Mets will hit. And I do not refer to Pedro Martinez's shoulder. It is a crisis of confidence. It is a crisis that strikes at the very heart and soul and spirit of our team will. The confidence that we have always had as a team is not simply some romantic dream or a proverb in a dusty book that we read when reminiscing about '69 or '86. It is the idea which founded our organization and has guided our development as a team. We’ve always believed in something called pitching. We’ve always had a faith that the days of our children would be better than our own. That Isringhausen, Pulsipher and Wilson will lead us to better days. Our children are losing that faith. Some of them wear A-Rod jerseys, know what I'm sayin'? As a result, just as we are losing our confidence in the future, we are also beginning to close the door on our past. The symptoms of this crisis are all around us. For the first time in the history of our team a majority of our fans believe that the next five years will be worse than the past five years. Two-thirds of our fans do not even go to Shea. Often you see paralysis and stagnation and drift. You don’t like it, and neither do I. What can we do? First of all, we must face the truth, and then we can change our course. We simply must have faith in each other, faith in Willie Randolph's ability to manage the team, know what I'm sayin'? Restoring that confidence is now the most important task we face. It is a true challenge of this generation of Mets fans. What I have to say to you now about the bullpen is simple and vitally important. I am tonight setting a clear goal for the bullpen policy of the New York Mets. Beginning this moment, this team's bullpen will never have a higher ERA than we did in 2007 - never. From now on, every new addition to our bullpen will be met from our own farm system. The generation-long growth in our dependence on other teams' castoffs will be stopped dead in its tracks right now and then reversed as we move toward the next decade. You know we can do it. We have the natural resources. We have more prospects in our farm system than the entire American League West. We have baseball's best young talent. I will continue to travel through New York, to hear the fans. You can help me to develop a team agenda for 2008 and beyond. I will listen; and I will act. We will act together. These were the promises I made three years ago, and I intend to keep them. Little by little we can and we must rebuild our confidence. We can spend until we empty the Wilpons' bank accounts, but we can succeed only if we tap our greatest resources, our youth. In closing, let me say this: I will do my best, but I will not do it alone. Let your voice be heard. Whenever you have a chance, say something good about our team. With Willie Randolph's help and for the sake of our team, it is time for us to join hands. Let us commit ourselves together to a rebirth of the Amazin' spirit. Working together with our common faith we cannot fail. Thank you and good night, know what I'm sayin'?. Mets Malaise There is a feeling of pessimism surrounding the New York Mets these days. This admittedly provides, in a sense, a bit of comfort for me, as I am no longer the lonely Met fan skeptical about his team and its direction. For too long, Willie Randolph's ineptitude was excused and ignored. The Mets were in first place throughout most of 2006 and 2007, and even after he was completely outmanaged by Tony Larussa in the 2006 NLCS, the nonsensical idea that Randolph must be doing something right took hold, aided, as usual, by a media whose priorities have nothing to do with whether the Mets are winning. Omar Minaya had a stunningly horrible offseason last year, yet for similar reasons, his own failures were swept under the rug. Minaya even got credit for trading Guillermo Mota, as though it wasn't Omar who signed Mota last offseason. Someone must have told Minaya the story about the poor man in a small house whose rabbi tells him to bring a donkey into his house. More than two months after the Mets' collapse, there is still little reason to look forward to spring training. The Braves and Phillies are getting better, while the Mets have added Brian Schneider's .235 batting average and are thinking about signing Livan Hernandez and his 4.93 ERA. Even if the Mets do add a front-line starter, they will do so at the cost of most of their meager group of prospects, along with Aaron Heilman. Heilman, apparently, is no longer essential in the Mets' bullpen, but nor will the Mets give him a chance to start. Most galling of all is watching ex-Mets GMs Jim Duquette and Steve Phillips offer commentary about the state of the team. Watching these guys who were given the Wilpons' keys to the franchise, it is obvious that neither had any clue how to run a team. There is little evidence that Minaya does either. Jason Kidd's Night Off UPDATE: I do not believe Kidd's denials. He claims he told the Nets at around noon yesterday that he had a bad headache and wouldn't be able to play. Don't headaches often subside? Can't migraines be treated? How would he know more than seven hours before the opening tip that he would be too "sick" to play? I had the misfortune of being in East Rutherford last night on a night when Jason Kidd decided not to bother showing up. When the starting lineup was announced with Eddie Gill playing the point, I figured Kidd's back must have flared up. On the way home, when I heard Kidd had a "migraine headache," it became obvious that something else was going on. Indeed, reports are that Kidd is unhappy and, notwithstanding his $19,700,000 salary, decided to take the night off. Kidd may well have valid reason to be unhappy. Rod Thorn has consistently failed to find an adequate supporting group and keeps sticking with Lawrence Frank. The Nets denied Kidd's request for a one-year extension, which was then leaked - likely by the Nets - to the media. Kidd is frustrated and wants to either get a contract extension or play for a contending team. Not showing up to play is inexcusable, however. Stephon Marbury was justifiably lambasted for similar behavior, but at least Marbury did what he did in the heat of an argument with Isiah Thomas, and quickly retreated and apologized. Unfortunately, Kidd's antics will likely pay off for him. In the end, the Nets may have no recourse but to trade him for whatever they can get. If that happens, he won't have to play in East Rutherford anymore, and the remaining loyal Nets fans will have even fewer reasons to continue showing up. Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Agudah Adopts Zionism Monday, December 03, 2007
Best Jets Wins (Originally posted September 21, 2005) On shabbos, I was asked about my favorite games in Jets history. Following yesterday's rare victory, this would therefore be a good time to re-post the following. One person astutely mentioned "the Jerome Barkum game," which, at number 6 overall, ranks as the second greatest regular season win since I began watching the Jets. My initial thought was to do a list of the worst Jets losses in their history, but unfortunately, there are many more bad games to consider than good. And anyway, the Jets won on Sunday, so why not be positive? So here is an off the cuff list of my 15 favorite Jets wins. While Super Bowl 3 is obviously the best Jets victory, this list is limited to games since I started watching the Jets in the late 70's. The list is certainly subjective and omits some memorable games that others may feel warrant inclusion. 1. Jets defeat Raiders 17-14 on Saturday night, January 15, 1983, my 10th birthday. A week after beating the Bengals, the Jets stunned the AFC's top seeded Raiders in LA to earn a trip to the AFC Championship in Miami. With the Jets trailing 14-10, Wesley Walker caught a 45 yard bomb with 4 minutes left in the 4th quarter that set up the go-ahead - and ultimately game-winning - touchdown run. Lance Mehl intercepted two passes in the final 3 minutes of the 4th quarter. 2. Jets defeat Jacksonville on January 10, 1999, in the second round of the playoffs. After a 12-4 season, this was the Jets first home playoff game in 12 years (they've had just one more since), and despite freezing temperatures, it is the most enjoyable game I've ever attended. After taking an early 17-0 lead, the Jets held on to win 34-24. Keyshawn Johnson caught 9 passes, intercepted a Hail Mary pass, and, following a Curtis Martin fumble and a long return by the Jaguars, stripped the ball loose to recover it for the Jets, who then commenced a touchdown drive. The win was the seventh straight for the Jets, who seemed ready to win the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, a week later they would play a poor second half against Denver in the AFC Championship. 3. Jets defeat Bengals 44-17 on January 9, 1983. A week before the victory over the Raiders, the Jets were led by more than 200 yards rushing by Freeman McNeil, who also threw a touchdown pass. The New York Sack Exchange was in full force, refusing to let Cincinnati get anything going on offense. 4. Jets defeat Packers 42-17 on December 29, 2002 to win the AFC East title. After a terrible 2-5 start, Chad Pennington led the Jets resurgence. Coming into the final week of the season, they needed a win over an 11-4 Packers team that would gain home field advantage throughout the playoffs with a victory. The Jets also needed either Miami or Cleveland to lose to have a chance to make the playoffs. In the 1:00 games, Cleveland defeated Atlanta, and Miami was leading New England by 10 points. As the Jets game was starting, New England scored a late 4th quarter touchdown to cut the deficit to 3. Then, early in the 1st quarter of the Jets game, New England tied it, and the Giants Stadium crowd went into a frenzy. Later, when the Patriots won in overtime on another field goal, a mass celebration broke out among the fans, even though the Jets game remained tied late in the 1st quarter. Energized by a chance to win the division, the Jets crushed Green Bay. Pennington threw four touchdown passes. 5. Jets defeat Colts 41-0, January 4, 2003. In the first round of the playoffs, Chad Pennington threw for 3 touchdown passes, Lamont Jordan ran for two, and Payton Manning was intercepted twice and managed a paltry 137 yards passing, as the Colts offense couldn't get anything going. Even more important than the win itself was the feeling that with Chad Pennington at quarterback, the Jets would win a Super Bowl, if not in the '02 season than within a year or two. Having throw ten touchdown passes in three games, Pennington had never looked better; he has not been nearly as good since. 6. Jets defeat Dolphins 16-15 at Shea Stadium on November 22, 1981. For years, this game was often featured on Alcoa's "Fantastic Finishes" during the 4th quarter two minute warning. After an 0-3 start, the Jets entered with a 6-4-1 record and a chance to move into a first place tie with the Dolphins - with the Jets holding the tiebreaker. With the Jets down 15-9 late in the 4th quarter, Richard Todd drove the Jets down the field. With 16 seconds left, Todd threw the winning touchdown pass to Jerome Barkum, threading the needle between two Dolphins. Shea went into a frenzy not seen since the '73 Mets, with Mark Gastineau dancing euphorically on the sidelines. 7. Jets defeat Dolphins 51-45 on September 21, 1986. One of the most exciting games in Jets history. Dan Marino threw 6 touchdown passes, but he was outdueled by Ken O'Brien in O'Brien's finest performance as a Jet. Wesley Walker also had a career day, with four TD receptions, the third on the final play of the 4th quarter. With the Jets down 45-38, they drove down the field in a last minute drive with no timeouts. With five seconds left and the ball on the Miami 21, Walker caught an O'Brien pass at the 1 and fell into the end zone. The Jets then won the coin toss, and picked up right where they left off, with O'Brien marching them downfield. With the ball on the Miami 43, O'Brien threw a bomb to Wesley Walker for the win. The victory was the start of a nine-game winning streak for the Jets. 8. Jets defeat Packers 28-3 on December 20, 1981. After an 0-3 start to the '81 season, the Jets came alive, going 9-2-1 over their next 12 games. Entering the final week of the season, they needed a victory over Green Bay to make the playoffs for the first time in twelve year. The Packers also could make the playoffs with a win, and entered having won six of seven. In one of the greatest Jets victories at Shea Stadium, the Jets were led by a dominant performance by Mark Gastineau, Joe Klecko, and the rest of the Sack Exchange, which recorded an amazing 9 sacks that day. Wesley Walker and Lam Jones both catch long touchdown passes. 9. Jets defeat Dolphins 21-16 on December 13, 1998. Both teams entered this game with a 9-4 record. In Miami's only home loss of the season, Wayne Chrebet led the Jets offense with a touchdown reception and more than 100 years receiving. The Jets defense sacked Dan Marino five times, and late in the 4th quarter, Chad Cascadden returned a Marino fumble for a touchdown to seal the victory. The following week, the Jets clinched the AFC East title with a victory over the Bills. 10. Jets defeat Patriots 30-17 on December 22, 2002. Needing a road victory over the defending Super Bowl champs to keep their then slim playoff hopes alive, Chad Pennington led the way with 285 yards passing and three touchdowns, without an interception. In a tense 4th quarter, Pennington orchestrated a 75 yard drive that culminated with a touchdown pass to Wayne Chrebet. 11. Jets defeat Dolphins 40-37 on October 23, 2000 in one of the greatest comebacks in NFL history. I'm embarrassed to admit that I left this Monday Night Football game early - the only time I have left a game early. The Dolphins scored with 12 seconds to go in the 3rd quarter to take a 30-7 lead. It was already quite late, and I had a choice of taking a ride home or taking the Port Authority bus and a train home. I foolishly chose the ride. As we were exiting Giants Stadium, Vinny Testaverde hit Laveranues Coles for a long TD pass. A few minutes later, in the car heading out the stadium parking lot to Route 3 and the Lincoln Tunnel, we turned the radio on to hear that the Jets scored again, making it 30-20. That's when I learned my lesson never to leave a game early again. We indeed exited the stadium, but there was an accident on Route 3 (the road to the Lincoln Tunnel) and we (and thousands of others) could not take the ramp to the highway. So stuck in traffic just outside the parking lot, with the stadium lights glaring, we listened to Wayne Chrebet's tying touchdown catch with 4 minutes left, to Miami's long kickoff return and devastating go-ahead TD on the first play on the ensuing drive, and then to the Jets forcing overtime when Testaverde converted on 4th down to set up first and goal, and then hooked up with Jumbo Elliott of all people for a touchdown. When overtime started the road reopened. With the Dolphins driving in Jets territory, Marcus Coleman intercepted a Jay Fielder pass, but fumbled the ball away. Then Coleman intercepted another pass, and after a long pass to Chrebet, John Hall kicked a 40 yard field goal to win it. The win put the Jets in first place with a 6-1 record. They subsequently collapsed, finishing 9-7 and missing the playoffs. 12. Jets defeat Dolphins 23-20 on December 22, 1991. Despite entering the game with a 7-8 record, the Jets had a chance to make the playoffs with a road win over Miami. With the Jets clinging to a 17-13 lead, Dan Marino leads the Dolphins to what appears to be the game winning TD pass on 4th and goal with just 44 seconds left. On the radio, Jets announcer Marty Glickman declares the game and the season over. But the Jets quickly drive downfield, and with no time left in regulation, Raul Allegre kicks a 44 yard field goal to force overtime. In overtime running back Johnny Hector was unstoppable and the Jets won on another Allegre field goal. 13. Jets defeat Colts 29-28 on December 23, 2001. Vinny Testaverde outduels Payton Manning in this Sunday night classic. The Jets moved the ball well all game, but kept sputtering in the red zone, settling for five John Hall field goals. With less than three minutes to go and no timeouts, the Jets started deep in their own territory. Vinny completed two passes to Wayne Chrebet and another to Curtis Martin, and found Anthony Becht for the winning TD with less than a minute left. 14. Jets defeat Giants 26-7 on November 1, 1981. This was a home game for the Giants, making the dominating win especially enjoyable. The Sack Exchange was born that day, sacking Phil Simms nine times - with Gastineau and Joe Klecko recording three each. Richard Todd and Wesley Walker had a huge game on offense. 15. Jets defeat Bucs 21-17 on September 24, 2000. Embittered after being traded by the Jets months earlier, Keyshawn Johnson talks trash all week, dissing the Jets generally and Wayne Chrebet particularly. Both teams come into the game with 3-0 records. Keyshawn does nothing in the game, but neither did the Jets offense, and Tampa led 17-6 late in the 4th quarter. With less than two minutes left, Vinny Testaverde led a touchdown drive, and the Jets converted the two point conversion, cutting the deficit to 17-14. Instead of an onside kick, the Jets kick the ball deep. On 2nd down, the Bucs fumbled the ball, and the Jets looked poised to send the game into overtime with a tying field goal. Instead, Chrebet - who also was having a quiet game - caught a touchdown pass from none other than running back Curtis Martin, giving the Jets the win and a 4-0 start. Among other noteworthy games are the Jets' playoff victories against Kansas City in 1986 and the Chargers last season, as well as the season finales against the Browns in 1985 and the Raiders in 2001, both of which the Jets won to clinch a playoff berth. Also of note is my earliest memory of a Jets win - when I was in first grade and not yet six years old: An awesome 31-28 road victory over the Broncos on November 5, 1978 that definitely ranks among the team's best. The Jets were down 28-7 before scoring the final 24 points. I'm not certain, but believe that prior to the 2000 Miami game, this was the biggest Jets comeback in franchise history. Unfortunately, the Jets lost four of their last six games to finish 8-8 and out of the playoffs. Sunday, December 02, 2007
Week 13 The Jets proved today that they are not nearly as bad as the Dolphins, beating up on the NFL's worst team. The victory was led by the defense, which featured big plays by David Harris and Kerry Rhodes. Kellen Clemens still looks lost when his first option is covered, and he failed to pick up several blitzes, but his strong arm paid dividends today, with long completions to Laveranues Coles and Justin McCareins. He also did a good job converting several third and longs. Especially with Jerricho Cotchery likely out for the season, Coles deserves credit for coming back to lead the receiving corps after missing one game with a sprained ankle. The offensive line outplayed Miami in the second half, but there were too many breakdowns in pass protection and busted runs during the first half. The Jets only punted twice, but Ben Graham looked bad again on both. The Jets may need a new punter. Saturday, December 01, 2007
Omar Strikes Out Again Precisely because Lastings Milledge's trade value had plummeted, yesterday's trade of Milledge for two marginal players - Ryan Church and Brian Schneider - is yet another failure of Omar Minaya's. Minaya, it will be recalled, refused to include Milledge in potential deals for Manny Ramirez and Barry Zito. Now he apparently was desperate to give away a talented young outfielder. Church and Schneider may well be decent players, but their upsides are limited. Church seems like, at best, an upgrade over the likes of Shawn Green and Endy Chavez. But even now he may not be as good as Milledge, and with far less talent than Milledge, certainly offers far less upside than Milledge does. Schneider is touted as being a good defensive catcher, which better be the case, because he's a terrible hitting catcher - even worse than Yorvit Torrealba - the subject of Minaya's recent short-lived infatuation. Count me as skeptical than Schneider, overall, is really an upgrade over either Paul Lo Duca or Johnny Estrada. Minaya's attitude seems to be that it is worth letting go of Lastings Milledge for a very slight 2008 upgrade in right field. In that case, Milledge will likely be only the first young player to be sent packing this offseason by a team that increasingly resembles the 80's Yankees in its warped approach to developing talent. | "
