A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
A Lesser Of Two Evils

There was a time when the Cubs were the Mets' biggest rivals. Then the Cardinals, then the Pirates, then the Braves, and then the Phillies.

Division rivalries come and go.

The Yankees - who represent everything that is wrong with New York City - are forever.

I expect Pedro to get rocked tonight and for the Yankees to win a high scoring game, and then win the Series in 7.

But for Mets' fans, the choice is clear: Root for Joe Girardi to maintain confidence in Phil Hughes, and enjoy the results.
posted on 10/29/2009

 
Week 7

1. Today's game had more to do with the terrible Raiders than the Jets. Still, it was an impressive performance on both sides of the ball.

2. Shonn Greene looked very good today, but the Jets won't be able to replace Leon Washington in the short passing game.

3. Calvin Pace finally stepped up today.

4. Vernon Gholston was invisible again.

5. Mark Sanchez's accuracy remains problematic.

6. Sanchez and Dustin Keller were again totally out of sync.

7. Nice game by David Clowney.

8. The Jets desperately need Jerricho Cotchery to return next week.

9. The Jets should have taken Sanchez out earlier.

10. The kickoff and punt coverage was excellent, but Jim Leonhard's punt returning has been poor.

11. Leonhard was solid again at safety.

12. The announcing was terrible. If this is my last season as a Jets season ticket holder (thanks again, Woody), I'll really miss the season tix when I'm forced to listen to these clueless announcers during home games.

13. Oakland was once a great football city. Today, it looked like the stadium was half empty, and the game presumably was blacked out in the Bay Area.

14. Good call by Rex Ryan and Brian Schottenheimer going for it on 4th and goal from the 1 on the Jets opening drive.
posted on 10/25/2009

 
Week 6

1. The tease that was the 2009 Jets evaporated quickly. Now I can freely make vacation plans for January.

2. Mark Sanchez was dreadful, forcing pass after pass. He looks like someone who could use a season of mentoring.

3. Sanchez obviously misses Jerricho Cotchery.

4. Dustin Keller looked terrible, appearing clueless and totally out of sync with Sanchez on play after play.

5. In partial defense of Sanchez, not only was Keller horrible, but the Jets only had one legit WR playing today, and he's been on the team for 11 days. There are a number of average veteran WRs available, which makes inexcusable the neglect of the WR position by GM Mike Tannenbaum.

6. Hype aside, the Jets pass rush is at best mediocre.

7. Kris Jenkins looks like he will be gone for the season, which will make the run defense mediocre too.

8. The penalties on offense and special teams were disgraceful.

9. So were the repeated miscues on special teams.

10. Rex Ryan's clock management late in the first half was poor.

11. The Braylon Edwards trade doesn't look too good. Edwards has been fine - though he had a fairly quiet game today - but the Jets are not a contender, and non-contenders can't repeatedly toss draft picks aside like Tannenbaum has.

12. In what is likely my last season as a season ticket holder (thanks, Woody) I still get an adrenaline rush as I drive toward the stadium, but overall going to the games is less exciting for me than it was even a few years ago. I'm not even too upset about today's loss; I was more annoyed that my longstanding shortcut exiting the stadium resulted in my being completely fenced in and having to walk all around the stadium to get to my car. Fortunately, there was no traffic coming home.
posted on 10/18/2009

 
Week 5

1. The coaching staff simply did not prepare the Jets' defense for Miami's wildcat offense.

2. Phan is right - the Jets' defensive line is subpar. They cannot create any pressure on the quarterback, and last night couldn't stop the run either.

3. Kerry Rhodes is turning into an all-hype player.

4. Bart Scott and Calvin Pace were awful last night.

5. Where is Dustin Keller?

6. The offensive line is disappointing. There is too much pressure on Mark Sanchez and the run game is still very shaky. How many runs on 2nd and short have been stuffed?

7, Sanchez was out of sync at times but led the offense sufficiently for a win, thanks especially to Braylon Edwards.

8. Hopefully Jerricho Cotchery will be back for Sunday's game.
posted on 10/13/2009

 
A Visit To The Dark Side

Last night, I went to the new Yankee Stadium for the first time, taking my father to Game 1 of the ALDS.

I didn't see much of the stadium, going from the train to the gate to our seats. It looks like a nice place. My father seemed more impressed by the stadium. Perhaps that's because he's a Yankees fan, or maybe it's because he had not been to the new stadiums that have been built over the last 15 years.

One thing that was impossible to miss was the lack of intensity on the part of the fans. It's not that the place was dead, but for a playoff game it was pretty laid back. In fact, I've been to a fair number of playoff games in all four major sports (including at the old Yankee Stadium) and this is probably the least intense playoff crowd I've seen. Quite a few fans left early too.

So if there's a price to be paid for constant winning, it's that fans take the playoffs for granted.

The Mets are wretched and pathetic. Who knows when there will be playoff baseball at Citi Field. But when there is, there won't be a more excited sporting venue anywhere.
posted on 10/08/2009

 
Initial Thoughts On Braylon Edwards

My initial reaction to the Jets' acquisition of Braylon Edwards is mixed.

Edwards is obviously a talented player, but he's become a malcontent, and after allegedly assaulting a friend of Lebron James, was probably good as gone in Cleveland. It seems to me that in trading Chansi Stuckey, Jason Trusnik and two picks (reportedly a 3rd and 5th), Mike Tannebaum gave up too much for Edwards. The price, I think, would have been lower in a week or two.

It's not that the Jets don't need an upgrade at WR. They desperately do. And along with Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller - not to mention more utilization of Leon Washington in the passing game - Edwards could make it a lot harder for teams to put seven or eight in the box and prevent the Jets from running the ball.

But how quickly will Edwards learn the offense and get into sync with Mark Sanchez?

Will getting rid of two players during the season - and exiling them to Eric Mangini's Browns - hurt team chemistry at all?

Consider also that Edwards is unsigned beyond this season and - cap or no cap - will demand a huge contract, and also that the Bills acquired their own supremely talented malcontent WR as a free agent, not having to give up any players, while the Patriots gave up just a 4th rounder for Randy Moss. Tannenbaum probably should have done a better job of addressing the WR situation during the offseason.

Then again, if your goal is a championship, sometimes you have to roll the dice and hope all the stars align. The way the Jets' defense is playing, adding a potential impact player on offense could make them a real contender.
posted on 10/07/2009

 
The Pathetic Mets

Just as the media said all along, Omar Minaya and Jerry Manuel will be back with the Mets next season. There will be no Bobby Valentine, who likely will sign with another team, perhaps the Marlins.

Perhaps something exciting will happen this offseason, but right now there is little reason to look forward to 2010 spring training. That the Mets are a disaster is bad enough. Worse is that their manager, front office and ownership aren't yet clued into this obvious fact.
posted on 10/05/2009

 
Neilah For Bobby V

Matt Cerrone of MetsBlog calls (finally) for the return of Bobby Valentine.

This is my 32nd post calling for the Mets to bring back Bobby Valentine.

Soon the gates of Citi Field will close. The Jackie Robinson Rotunda will be desolate. Queens - 26 years after losing the Jets - will be without the sounds of baseball for six months.

For five years, with increasing fervor and urgency, I have advocated, pleaded, begged and demanded the return of Bobby Valentine to manage the Mets. What more is there to say now, other than one final statement:

Bobby V is the manager.

Bobby V is the manager.

Bobby V is the manager.

Bobby V is the manager.

Bobby V is the manager.

Bobby V is the manager.

Bobby V is the manager.

Next season with Bobby V!
posted on 10/02/2009

 
Succos and The Mets: Days of Yore

Originally posted October 9, 2006

It's 6 A.M. on Sunday morning, early on the second day of Succos.

I'm in my parents' Boro Park home. My wife and son are asleep. It's still dark outside, and shul doesn't start for three more hours, but I won't be going back to sleep.

I need to know whether the Mets won Game 3 of the NLDS.

I check to see if the newspaper has arrived. It hasn't, as I expected.

When I was younger, in situations like this, I'd walk to the Arab-owned newsstand about an 8 minute walk away, where the newspapers are conveniently placed outside.

But I'm too old for that now. Instead, I'll just wait. Doesn't matter. Mets either won or lost and I'll know soon enough.

I keep myself occupied by reading an article about elephants in the New York Times Magazine.

The Times finally arrives at 7:40. My father takes the sports section.

"They lost," he says.

I know he's referring to his Yankees, whose season has come to a shockingly swift end. I feel bad, but this is good for the Mets. They weren't going to beat the Yankees. The Tigers and A's? Those teams are far from invincible.

But did the Mets win Game 3? I know not to ask.

I wait for a few minutes while my father goes through the ritual of absorbing the bitter details of his team's demise.

He relinquishes the sports section. Nothing about the Mets on the front page. Nothing in the rest of the sports section either. Late edition of the Sunday Times must print pretty early.

I very quickly get dressed and walk even more quickly toward the newsstand. There's a cool breeze and the streets are almost empty.

Three minutes later, I see the word "sweep" on the back page of the Post.
posted on 10/01/2009