The Zionist Conspiracy |
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A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews. 
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Sunday, December 26, 2010
Week 16 UPDATE - DECEMBER 27: Rex Ryan now indicates that he will start Mark Sanchez against the Bills. That would be completely nuts. Not only should the Jets rest Sanchez, they should rest as many starters are possible. Their coaching staff should also prepare for the Chiefs and Colts rather than the Bills. Today's loss was probably the Jets' worst coaching performance in the Rex Ryan era. From the failed fake punt early in the 3rd quarter, to the dreadful defensive playcalling during the 3rd quarter, to the combination of very short kickoffs and a long kickoff to Devin Hester - all of which gave the Bears great field possession - to the punt to Hester, to the Jets' refusal to go for it on 4th down on two consecutive late 4th quarter drives, and to the continued neglecting of Shonn Greene in favor of a completely ineffective LaDainian Tomlinson - this loss is primarily the fault of the coaching staff. To be sure, the Jets were hurt by a very porous defense which displayed no pass rush, poor tackling and lousy coverage over the middle - as well as huge drops by Dustin Keller and Brad Smith and a fumble by Santonio Holmes. The Redskins just beat the Jaguars in overtime, resulting in a Jets wildcard berth. The Jets are locked in as the number 6 seed, making next week's game completely meaningless. With three losses in four games, and an inability to beat good teams throughout the season, it is difficult to be optimistic about the Jets' playoff chances. In particular, a first round playoff win will result in a second round visit to New England. Sunday, December 19, 2010
Week 15 This was a typically maddening Jets game. First the good: 1. The Jets won. 2. Brad Smith's touchdown return of the opening kickoff. 3. Braylon Edwards was superb. 4. Steve Weatherford's punting. 5. The offense sustained a number of drives. 6. After the Steelers took a 17-10 lead in the 3rd quarter, the Jets defense tightened until the final drive of the game. 7. Jason Taylor's forced safety. The not so good: 1. The defense on the Steelers final drive was awful. The 29 yard pass on 3rd and 24 was inexcusable. The Jets were very, very lucky to win. They are consistently awful on 3rd and long. They are also awful in zone coverage, yet played zone for most of the final drive. 2. The Jets looked poised to take a 14-0 lead when a reception by Santonio Holmes at the 5 yard line appeared to give them 1st and goal. But a Matt Slauson holding penalty negated the play and killed the drive. The Jets are wasting a lot of points due to penalties and drops. 3. The Steelers responded by going 96 yards on their next drive, and scoring 17 of 20 points to take a 17-10 lead. The defense gave up four 3rd down conversions on that drive. 4. The offensive package for Brad Smith doesn't work, because Smith is not allowed to ever throw the ball. 5. The playcalling and clock management on the final drive of the 1st half were terrible. There was no reason not to try to get into position for a field goal attempt. 6. Bart Scott is mediocre. He is usually seen mouthing off, pushing and shoving, or committing a dump penalty. He doesn't make many plays. Overall, a win on the road in Pittsburgh is something to be pleased about. Nevertheless, the Steelers last drive leaves a bad taste. Jets fans know that tonight could have easily been a terrible loss. It helped that Troy Polamalu and Heath Miller were injured. Thursday, December 16, 2010
Murder By Media For two years, the tabloid media have ridiculed and ripped to shreds the entire Madoff family for the crimes of Bernie Madoff. Now that this has resulted in the tragic suicide of Mark Madoff - leaving a wife and two small children - the very same media still won't stop ridiculing and ripping to shreds the entire Madoff family. I've long been disgusted by this, but it didn't seem meaningful for an obscure blogger to state his objection. Now, I wish I had. Sunday, December 12, 2010
Week 14 Jets fans have become accustomed to pathetic performances like the one displayed today. Mark Sanchez was careless and inaccurate. When he was accurate, his receivers dropped passes. The offensive line is doing nothing in either pass protection or run blocking. The playcalling is predictable. Shonn Greene was again used too little. The defense played well, with the exception of the TD reception by Brandon Marshall. Inexplicably, Marshall was covered by Bart Scott on that play. Miami consistently got great punts; to make matters worse, the Jets' returns were consistently bad. Monday, December 06, 2010
Week 13 The enigma that has been the 2010 Jets has been solved. Tonight's performance closely resembled the Monday Night disaster 24 years ago, when the 10-1 Jets were walloped 45-3 by the Dolphins. The '86 team did not win another regular season game, and blew a ten point lead against the Browns in the final minutes of the second round playoff game. For all of Rex Ryan's endless bluster, the Jets are lucky to be 9-3. Just one of their nine wins (week 2 vs. the Patriots) was against a team with a winning record. The Jets' soft schedule likely will get them into the playoffs, but they have been exposed as pretenders. Sunday, November 21, 2010
Week 11 Yet again, the Jets failed to play a full 60 minutes but still won. At 8-2, the Jets remain an enigma. They are off to their best start since 1986. But their performance raises concerns that an '86 like collapse could be just around the corner. The Jets were in total control early in the 4th quarter today, and while Shonn Greene's fumble was inexcusable, the defensive collapse is of more concern. Once again, the secondary seemed confused. While Brian Schottenheimer is closely scrutinized as offensive coordinator, it might be time to question defensive coordinator Mike Pettine. The defense was again not able to muster a pass rush. Calvin Pace has been especially disappointing. On special teams, Rob Turner took an awful unnecessary roughness penalty wiping out a nice return by Brad Smith just before the 2 minute warning, just after the Texans took a 24-23 lead. On offense, the Jets running game has slowed down considerably - though LaDainian Tomlinson has contributed in the short passing game. Dustin Keller needs to get back into sync with Mark Sanchez. Hopefully, the injury to Damien Woody is not serious. I don't know if the Jets can sign both Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards - but they had better try. Holmes is better, but Edwards is very good too. As much as Rex Ryan insists otherwise, the Jets have become a passing team. Sunday, November 14, 2010
Week 10 The Jets continue accumulating wins despite mediocre play. Led by Mark Sanchez, the offense made a number of plays but couldn't finish several drives. It didn't help that Nick Folk had a meltdown and appears to be back to his 2009 form. Shonn Greene finally carried the ball 20 times. Greene also looked good catching three passes. Santonio Holmes keeps making big plays. The defense was awful during the first half, and after making solid halftime adjustments, disappointingly gave up the tying TD in the final minute of the 4th quarter. Once again there wasn't much of a pass rush. Eric Smith looks lost. Ultimately, the Jets were lucky that Chansi Stuckey fumbled the ball in Jets territory during overtime. The coaching staff made a very dubious move letting the 4th quarter end despite the Jets having the ball, 32 seconds, and two timeouts. Eric Mangini had his team better prepared at the start, but the Browns foolishly tried to win the game with the ball at their own 3 late in overtime. Their first down incompletion set the stage for the Jets to get the ball back with 24 seconds left. Overall, this was a better performance than the recent wins over Denver and Detroit. The Browns are improving and play hard and physical. Still, the Jets need to do a lot better to be a legitimate contender. They certainly will need a much better performance from Folk, as well as a defense that plays a full game. Sunday, November 07, 2010
Week 9 The Jets again won a game they deserved to lose. Horrible penalties, poor playcalling on offense, a fumble by Braylon Edwards, drops by Jerricho Cotchery, terrible coverage by Drew Coleman, and coaching gaffes leading to two wasted timeouts put the Jets in position to lose in the 4th quarter. Fortunately, the Jets were playing the Lions, whose own questionable decisions and bad penalties resulted in an unexpected win. Right now the Jets offense looks out of sync. On paper the Jets have numerous receiving weapons, but their passing game has been unimpressive. LaDainian Tomlinson looks slower than early in the season, and has not been able to get anything going on runs up the middle. On defense, Darrelle Revis had his best game of the season. But the Jets' safeties continue to play poorly. The Jets' linebackers are also giving up too many big plays to RBs and TEs over the middle. If the Jets continue to play and coach the way they are now, they are headed for a second half collapse not unlike the 2008 team that started 8-3 and finished 9-7. If they can get back on track and play with intensity and discipline, their 6-2 start can propel them to an AFC East title and first round playoff bye. Sunday, October 31, 2010
Week 8 This was a dreadful performance by the offense, coaching and special teams. On offense, Mark Sanchez was again inaccurate, and constantly failed to see open receivers. Those receivers kept dropping passes. The Jets took penalty after penalty. Again Shnonn Greene was not part of the game plan, despite a lackluster performance by LaDainian Tomlinson. The offense turned the ball over three times. Rex Ryan was equally awful. He wasted two challenges - the second of which - the challenge of the late 2nd quarter interception - made no sense. As a result, he was unable to challenge the 4th quarter interception. The fake punt may have been a good idea - had it not been 4th and 18. Then late in the 4th, Ryan unnecessarily used all three timeouts with around four minutes left. Brian Schottenheimer's playcalling was poor too - especially in the 4th quarter - particularly the Jets' final drive and the drive that stalled at the Packers 35. He also failed to make any adjustments in the second half - including getting Greene more carries. The special teams also hurt the Jets. Nick Folk missed a 37 yard field goal, while Steve Weatherford was mediocre. The Jets return game had one good return by Brad Smith, but otherwise didn't do anything. Overall, the defense played well. But the DL again failed to get any QB pressure. Friday, October 29, 2010
Rivka Matitya After winning a long battle with cancer, Rivka of the Coffee and Chemo blog passed away this morning. The cancer that during 2007 suddenly metastasized to Rivka's bones, liver and lungs - and then later also her brain - caused Rivka a great deal of physical pain and tragically ended her life today. But no matter what, through her final days, the cancer never stopped Rivka from living her life. When faced with a devastating diagnosis and prognosis of Stage 4 cancer - and Rivka was open and aware about how devastating her diagnosis was - Rivka never let cancer stop her from living her life to its fullest extent. Coffee and Chemo is a blog not about dying, but about living. The character that was displayed in the face of great adversity can be found in its archives. May Rivka's family be comforted among the mourners of Zion and Jerusalem. Sunday, October 17, 2010
Week 6 1. This was one of the most unenjoyable Jets wins I can recall. But an unenjoyable win is better than any loss. 2. The refs were lousy today, with numerous dubious calls. 3. Rex Ryan inexplicably failed to challenge the Denver touchdown pass that would have been called back on review. 4. Darrelle Revis was mediocre - and I don't think the problem was his hamstring. He's just a step behind and appears to not completely be in game shape. 5. Antonio Cromartie had another very good game. 6. The Jets are really missing Kerry Rhodes. 7. Mark Sanchez's accuracy was again poor. 8. Kyle Orton is not a rushing QB, which made his 3rd down runs for first downs particularly frustrating. The Jets keep overpursuing and allowing QB's too much open running space in the middle of the field. 9. Shonn Greene again did not get the ball enough. 10. I thought the pass interference call that resulted in the Jets' victory was the right call. The Jets were lucky, as the pass would have probably been incomplete. 11. After a slow start, Matt Slauson has been very reliable at left guard. 12. The Jets' dumping of Danny Woodhead looks worse and worse each week. 13. The Jets' 5-1 start is satisfying. But the 2000 and 2004 Jets both started off 6-1 - and both won some close games in which they played rather poorly. Those teams then faltered down the stretch. The Jets have a lot to improve upon on both sides of the ball. Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Week 5 The Jets were unable to give away last night's game, which featured some positives and negatives. First, the good: -The offensive line played very well. The Jets are still not running very well between the tackles, but they ran for more than 150 yards against a strong Vikings run defense, and protected Mark Sanchez. -The few times he was given the ball, Shonn Greene played very well in the second half. -Antonio Cromartie was beaten on a perfect TD pass to Randy Moss, but overall had a strong game, breaking up several passes. -Nick Folk and Steve Weatherford were both excellent. -The Jets did not turn the ball over. Now, the not so good: -Darrelle Revis played his worst game in a long time. The Jets' secondary seems to have several key plays every game in which they look totally confused. Last night, it came on the TD pass on 3rd and 19 to Percy Harvin. Revis also appeared to blow coverage on several other big plays. -The Jets blew numerous opportunities down the field, with Mark Sanchez displaying poor accuracy. Dustin Keller didn't get involved in the offense, and Santonio Holmes appeared out of sync with Sanchez. -Greene needed to get the ball more, especially in the 4th quarter, with the Vikings defense tiring. -The defense imploded down the stretch, and came very close to blowing the game. -Vernon Gholston is as invisible as ever. In the end, every win is crucial, and the Jets go to Denver with a chance to be 5-1 at the bye, rather than facing the possibility of a .500 record if they lose. Sunday, October 03, 2010
Week 4 The Jets' dominating victory over the dreadful Bills was enjoyable to watch, but the Jets will face some tough matchups in the coming weeks. Once again, LaDainian Tomlinson, Braylon Edwards and Dustin Keller played well. Today, Shonn Greene looked good too. With Santonio Holmes making his Jets debut next week, it should be difficult for opposing defenses to use eight players - or even seven - in the box. On defense, Antonio Cromartie played a strong game defending Lee Evans. Sean Ellis' injury hopefully is not serious. The Jets are pretty thin at DL, and Ellis has been off to a good start. There were a few negatives today. The Jets foolishly ran the ball on 3rd and 7 deep in Bills territory, settling for a 30 yard field goal attempt that Nick Folk missed. The secondary looked completely confused on the Bills' late 2nd quarter TD drive - something that has happened several times this season. Brodney Pool hasn't looked too good as Kerry Rhodes' replacement. Monday, September 27, 2010
Week 3 Some random thoughts on last night's win: 1. Dustin Keller may be on the verge of breaking the Jets first round jinx in drafting tight ends. 2. Matt Slauson does not look ready to start at left guard. Right now, he's the weak link on offense. 3. The Jets need to give the ball to Shonn Greene more, so as to establish their between-the-tackles run game. 4. The Jets destroyed their early 4th quarter drive (following Eric Smith's blocked punt) with penalties. 5. Smith and Jim Leonhard have been disappointing at safety. Maybe the Jets miss Kerry Rhodes. 6. The Jets were lucky to win. Had they insisted on a ground and pound game and handcuffed Mark Sanchez, they would have lost. 7. Darrelle Revis and Calvin Pace were both missed. 8. The run defense was solid - and that may have been the difference in the game. 9. Steve Weatherford has had a really good start to the season. 10. Rex Ryan should have challenged the early 2nd quarter pass caught by Davone Bess with a foot out of bounds. The Dolphins were down 14-0 then. They went on to score a TD and gain the momentum. 11. The Jets offense should be really solid when Santonio Holmes returns - so long as they stay healthy at RB and TE. Monday, September 20, 2010
The Mets' Way Forward Kevin Towers should be the new GM. Bobby Valentine should be the new manager. I've been a strong critic of Omar Minaya since 2005. I've been calling for Valentine's return since 2004. The Mets have now hit bottom. Their won-loss record may be better this year than last, but there's little reason to believe that they will be competitive in 2011. I only went to one Mets game this season. I think 1984 was the last time I only went to one game. The Mets caught a huge break when Valentine's deal with the Marlins fell through. Bobby V not only is the best available manager - by far - he is also the only man who can bring both accountability to the team and excitement to the fan base. Week 2 1. The Jets looked headed for a blowout loss after being dominated early in the game and being fortunate to be behind only 7-0. Mark Sanchez and Braylon Edwards then came up big in the Jets' second quarter touchdown drive. 2. After the Jets got the ball back, despite the offense clicking, they foolishly ran the ball on 3rd and long, giving the ball back to New England late in the quarter. Predictably, the Patriots quickly scored a touchdown. 3. The Jets ensuing field goal drive was key. Nick Folk's 49 yard kick gave the team and the fans confidence entering into halftime, despite the four point deficit. 4. The Jets' defense - and Antonio Cromartie especially - looked a lot better in the second half after the departure of Darrelle Revis. The huge gaps in middle of the field closed, and Randy Moss, Wes Welker and Aaron Hernandez didn't do much in the second half. 5. The Jets defensive line still can't get much QB pressure, but they continue to stuff the run. 6. On offense, Dustin Keller, LaDainian Tomlinson and Sanchez were outstanding in the second half. When Santonio Holmes arrives in week 5, the Jets will have numerous receiving options. 7. Good call by the Jets going for it on 4th and a foot late in the 4th quarter. 8. Watching the Jets yesterday, it seems likely that last week's offensive debacle was more the fault of the coaching staff than Sanchez. We'll find out next week, when the Jets go on the road to play a tough Dolphins defense. Monday, September 13, 2010
Week 1 I don't expect to post after each game, but last night deserves a post-mortem: 1. The Jets offense reverted to the form it took during weeks 4 through 14 of the 2009 season. Shonn Greene's fumbles were back. Mark Sanchez was not trusted to pass downfield. While dumping off to RBs is sometimes necessary, clearly Sanchez was overcoached into doing so way too often. It's difficult to understand why Sanchez is being paid $10 million a year to be a game manager. 2. There's no question that Hard Knocks gave away some of the Jets' scheme. The Jets revealed that David Clowney would not have been active and thus was deemed expendable. They also cut Laveranues Coles, and proclaimed that Tony Richardson would stay because they remain a "ground and pound" team. You didn't need a great football mind to realize what the offensive game plan would look like. 3. This game plan might have worked if the Jets had occasionally exploited the Ravens safeties playing 5-10 yards from the line of scrimmage. Yet Sanchez was too afraid to make mistakes, and with no number 3 receiver during Santonio Holmes' suspension (at least while Coles remains away), neither Braylon Edwards nor Jerricho Cotchery could get open. 4. Antonio Cromartie was dreadful. Kyle Wilson wasn't good either, but he's a rookie in his first game. 5. The Ravens repeatedly picked up Jets blitzes, and the Jets' DL could not get much pressure on Joe Flacco after the first quarter. 6. I doubt Kris Jenkins will play football again. While he will be missed, the Jets' run defense did not seem to suffer last night and I tend to think that the impact of his loss will be exaggerated. 7. While the officiating crew seemed to make some questionable calls, the 14 penalties, drops, and Dustin Keller's moronic stepping out of bounds to end the game are indicative of an undisciplined, unfocused team. 8. Rex Ryan has a much better football mind than Herm Edwards, but his friendly approach to players is concerning. The head coach should be the bad cop, not his assistants. 9. A few weeks ago, I caved in and bought a pair of season tickets on eBay. They're in the upper deck, at the 40 yard line. The new stadium is very underwhelming. No cell phone service, very hard to get to the upper deck other than via the stairs (and it is seven flights up), huge parking lots. There was nothing wrong with Giants Stadium other than its name and the colors of the seats. 10. Thanks to Jewboy for driving up from Baltimore to meet me last night, and for heeding my friendly advice and not provocatively wearing a Ravens jersey or cap. Friday, July 09, 2010
I understand why the city of Cleveland is furious with Lebron James. But the make believe fury on the part of New York tabloids is ridiculous. James has no ties to New York, and both of the New York teams have in recent years been lousy. It was worthwhile for both the Knicks and the Nets to present their pitches and try to convince him to come. But why would anyone here be offended by his decision to play elsewhere? While I'm on the subject of basketball, something seems amiss with the Nets. Rod Thorn is not leaving because he suddenly decided to retire after announcing that he'd be staying. There's more to the story - which we'll eventually learn. Thorn's departure is itself not necessarily a bad thing; my concern is that the Nets' new Russian imports prompted him to leave by insisting on some bizarre new approaches that aren't consistent with the way professional sports franchises are operated in the U.S. and Canada. Sent on the Now Network� from my Sprint® BlackBerry Tuesday, July 06, 2010
It's been a month since I last posted. I haven't intended to be aloof, but lately I just haven't felt like blogging. Perhaps that will change. Sunday, June 06, 2010
The Five Minute Video That Changed Hasbara Latma's We Con The World was produced on Thursday at a cost of $15,000 and posted on YouTube on Thursday afternoon. In the three days since, the various versions (I have linked to the most viewed version) have received more than 2 million views and it has been among the most viewed videos in the world. We Con The World has significantly helped shift the debate about the Flotilla controversy. Tens of thousands have commented on YouTube - most in support of Israel, revealing the many (previously) silent but ardent supporters of Israel worldwide. The video brilliantly and effectively represents the Israeli version - not only about the Flotilla but about the world's hypocrisy. It thankfully contains none of the apologetics and defensiveness that has seemed to epitomize what has passed for Israeli hasbara in recent years. This new pro-Israel anthem is the way forward for pro-Israel public relations. We owe a debt of gratitude to all of those involved in this project - including lead vocalist Noam Jacobson, who took a quick break from his reserve duty on Israel's northern border to perform. Friday, June 04, 2010
The Perfect Game That Wasn't We keep hearing what a great guy Jim Joyce is. I'm sure it's true. He certainly shouldn't be subject to personal attacks for blowing Wednesday night's call. But what nobody seems to be talking about is how Joyce could botch the call so badly. It was not a close play. What caused an experienced professional umpire to call a runner safe who is so obviously out? Thursday, June 03, 2010
The Flotilla I have thoughts about the Flotilla controversy - but lack the energy and/or the motivation to post in detail. Instead, some quick comments: 1. To the extent anybody in Israel should be blamed, it is Ehud Barak. As Chief of Staff, Prime Minister and Defense Minister, he has been responsible for one fiasco after another. This one is mild compared to previous ones. 2. The fallout from the Flotilla has little to do with the nine fatalities, or with the Gaza blockade - and a lot to do with the war being waged against Israel's legitimacy. 3. Precisely for this reason, President Obama is a potential strategic threat to Israel, because he seems to see Israel as the bad guy. 4. The commandos fought very well. 5. There was definitely a PR failure in the first hours - as usual I was up in middle of the night and checked the news - but Israel has since gotten its message across to those interested in the truth. 6. Otherwise, if you haven't already, watch We Con The World, this excellent satirical video. Wednesday, May 26, 2010
All The President's Jews Between the Super Bowl coming to East Rutherford in 2014, the Mets reaching the .500 mark, and America's national celebration of Jewish Heritage Month all through the month of May (thanks, President Obama!), there's been way too much going on for me to have any time to blog. All I can say is that we are living in exciting times! Wednesday, May 05, 2010
Say It Ain't So, MoC Nearly a week has gone by since MoC retired, and he still hasn't posted. How much longer will this last? When I first read about MoC's latest retirement - he claims it is only his third, though back in the old days he seemed to retire at least three times a month - I didn't pay much attention. I figured it'd be a short break, like when he goes to Tokyo. Let's hope that soon a foolish airline employee will somehow annoy MoC, he'll treat us to a new post, and we'll again appreciate the privilege of reading the joys and the kvetching of this Jblog gadol. Sunday, May 02, 2010
Neturei Karta, Moral Equivalence and VIN Vos Iz Neias presents a disturbingly balanced obituary of Moshe Hirsch, the fanatical Neturei Karta leader, who died today. The VIN obit begins by explaining that people come in "different shades of gray." Failing to understand the difference between negotiating with murderers (which is indeed morally wrong and politically foolish) and actively supporting murderers, VIN writes that "the government of Israel vilified R. Hirsch, but eventually, they too sat down with Arafat and other Palestinians who had blood on their hands." Hirsch is described as having "many remarkable qualities ... that we can all learn from." The man who supported the PLO, Hamas and Hezbollah's mass murder of innocent Jewish civilians is reported to have "had a remarkable amount of Ahavas Yisroel." This is completely warped and must be objected to. We are not God, and cannot decide what Hirsch's fate should be in the next world. But we should be able to understand that a Jew who dedicated his time on earth to support of those who kill other Jews lived a loathsome and evil life. Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Justice For Sholom Rubashkin Sholom Rubashkin was convicted of serious crimes involving financial fraud, for which prosecutors are seeking a life sentence. It is taken for granted that Rubashkin is definitely guilty. After all, he received a trial in a court of law. Judge Linda Reade presided - and will sentence Rubashkin. The 60 comments about Judge Reade on The Robing Room - a website with comments about federal judges - tell a disturbing story about the state of the criminal justice system. Here are a few: -August 18, 2006 - "Dominated by her insecurities. Can be very rude and perfunctory. Seems to take pleasure in trying to embarrass criminal defense attorneys even in front of the jury. A judge to avoid if at all possible." -September 9, 2006 - "Exceptional harsh sentencer - very pro government - they win everything." -February 4, 2007 - "Is a puppet for the Department of Injustice. Post Booker has never exercised her discretion to vary on behalf of a defendant- thus creating a de facto unconstitutional sentencing scheme. Does whatever a AUSA wants her to do - she is like a 2nd prosecutor in the courtroom...loves law enforcement- neither they not the US Attorneys can do any wrong - a total rubberstamp for the prosecutors." -January 16, 2008 - "I am a retired trial lawyer. This judge is strongly biased in favor of the government. There is no way that she is acceptable in a criminal case. I witnessed her wrath on a young drug user and she gave him 35-plus years. This is outrageous and she should be impeached." The Way to Challenge Obama’s Mideast Policy Following is my column in this week's Jewish Press: Elie Wiesel and Ronald Lauder recently criticized the Obama administration in separately placed newspaper advertisements. Instead of listening to Wiesel and Lauder’s concerns, Haaretz reported, administration officials expressed “harsh criticism” over their ads. Indeed, the administration has apparently concluded that any criticism is driven by a vast right-wing conspiracy. As one insider explained to Politico, as a result of the Wiesel and Lauder ads, the administration “finally figured out there is a campaign being run against them.” According to Newsweek, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel “begins his meetings with Jewish leaders with a warning: if anything leaks, he says, according to several participants in such gatherings, neither he nor anyone else in the White House will ever speak to the leaders again.” Most in the Jewish establishment are therefore frightened that President Obama might become angry at them. One anonymous “Jewish leader” told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency about the World Jewish Congress headed by Lauder: “For all intents and purposes, the WJC's relationship with the White House ended last week. That's not a relationship that pro-Israel groups can afford to have over the next couple of years.” Despite their failure to have any influence over the Obama administration, the establishment continues to think that a “relationship with the White House” exists and must be maintained. As a result, criticism of Obama is to be avoided at all costs. This failure to challenge Obama has allowed administration officials to delude themselves into thinking that only a small, vocal and politically motivated segment of Jews oppose Obama’s Mideast policy. In fact, a new Quinnipiac University poll shows that by a margin of 67 percent to 28 percent, American Jews oppose Obama’s handling of Israel. The good news is that the grassroots opposition to Obama’s policies is finally finding expression. This led to Sunday’s rally in Manhattan, and to Senator Schumer’s calling administration policy “counterproductive.” Hopefully, the Jewish “leadership” will soon follow the masses. For opposition to administration policy to be sustained and have any influence, vitriol about Obama must be avoided. One need not be fueled by paranoia to feel a strong sense of unease that Obama just does not like Israel, sees the Palestinians as an oppressed people fighting for liberation, and refuses to consider perspectives about Israel that differ from his mindset. But this does not mean that Obama is a closet Muslim anti-Semite who wants to see Israel wiped off the face of the earth. Incendiary expressions about the president are wrongful and also foolish. Instead of counterproductive Obama hatred, coherent arguments about substantive issues must be presented. But unfortunately, we continue to let the other side determine the narrative and frame the matters that are set forth. The result is that important policy issues have been reduced to mindless talking points and slogans. This reached a new level of absurdity last week, when Sen. Dianne Feinstein said that Scud missiles transferred from Syria to Hezbollah represents “a real point of danger for Israel” and “there’s only one thing that's going to solve it, and that's a two-state solution.” Supporters of Israel need to pro-actively articulate the realities, like Hamas and Hezbollah’s vows to destroy Israel, and the support they receive from Iran. We must explain the proximity of Judea and Samaria to central Israel, and how one even missile into Ben Gurion Airport from Arab villages less than six miles east could end flights to and from Israel. We should point out that Judea and Samaria overwhelmingly consists of mountain after mountain and hill after hill with nothing there – and that the Jewish “settlements” were built on empty land, and did not displace Arab residents. We allow the world to accept as immutable the idea that Ehud Barak and Ehud Olmert’s offers should be the starting point for negotiations, even though their egregious concessions were rejected by Israeli voters – which elected Likud-led governments within months of both of those offers. As a result, we let demands for secure and defensible borders and maintaining Jewish rights in Jerusalem be depicted as an extremist and hardline stance – when in fact this remains the mainstream position in Israel. Most Americans are supportive of Israel and think our president should be too – the Quinnipiac University poll shows that 66 percent feel Obama should be a strong supporter of Israel. But most Americans can hardly be expected to be knowledgeable about Israel’s unique security challenges. It is lamentable that we no longer even try to explain these challenges. Longtime New York Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan used to say, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.” We must start stating the facts – before it is too late. Saturday, April 24, 2010
Jets Thoughts With the draft over, I'm not too happy with the way the Jets' offseason has shaped up. I'm fine with the draft picks - though it'd be nice if they'd have had more then four of them. Heading into an uncapped year, however, they let go of Thomas Jones, Kerry Rhodes, Jay Feely, Alan Faneca and Leon Washington. All of these moves can separately be understood, but together they indicate that the Jets are in cost-saving mode due to the failure of long-term season holders like me to blow thousands for the privilege of paying $150 per ticket. It is notable that Antonio Cromartie and Santonio Holmes - the Jets main additions - have modest salaries for 2010. Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Peter King Makes A Mockery Of The Mock Draft Tonight, I got home from work, retrieved this week's Sports Illustrated from the mailbox, and took a look at SI's mock draft, by Peter King. King has the Jets selecting Jahvid Best, a running back - and explains: "This pick makes no sense -- unless you think Leon Washington and LaDainian Tomlinson are short-timers." Has King ever heard of the Jets #1 RB, Shonn Greene? I guess this is why experts like King get paid the big bucks and have their commentary read by millions. The Wise Men Of Chelm Last week, Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress, published ads critical of the Obama administration's Israel policy. An unnamed "Jewish leader" told JTA: "For all intents and purposes, the WJC's relationship with the White House ended last week. That's not a relationship that pro-Israel groups can afford to have over the next couple of years." Meanwhile, Haaretz reports that administration officials are angry about Lauder's ad and the ad placed by Elie Wiesel in leading newspapers. If you criticize Obama you're persona non grata at the White House. So evidently, our leaders have determined that not criticizing Obama - who has no qualms at all about publicly bashing Israel - is the only way to go. Maintaining a "relationship with the White House" is the key - even without having any influence on its policy. Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Silence of Our Leaders My column in this week's Jewish Press criticizes the Jewish members of New York's congressional delegation, the Jewish establishment, and the dangerously misguided policies of the Obama administration. Monday, April 12, 2010
Prosecutors Gone Amok The 21-27 year sentence previously suggested by prosecutors for Sholom Rubashkin apparently wasn't enough. Now, life imprisonment is being sought. Rubashkin was convicted of serious crimes, for which an appropriate term of imprisonment needs to be meted. Taking away his life would be a more serious crime than any he committed. Thursday, April 01, 2010
The Guardian Of Israel Slumbers And Sleeps  "I will tell you about my name. My ancestors were guardians of the walls in Chortkov, in Galicia. When they came to the US and said their name in Yiddish — shoimer, guardian — it was written down as Schumer. For as long as I live, and as long as I have the privilege of serving the people of New York, I will be a Shomer Yisrael, a guardian of Israel." -Senator Charles Schumer, at the recent AIPAC conference. Omar Gets It Right  I admit that I was a bit down on the Mets after their 70-92 performance last season, which followed collapses to close the 2007 and 2008 seasons and a loss to an inferior team in the 2006 NLCS. But after an eventful offseason, there is reason for optimism. The 2010 Mets are going to be serious contenders. Thanks to GM Omar Minaya, they are clearly a championship-caliber team. Minaya solidified the Mets' outstanding bench by bringing back Alex Cora and Fernando Tatis. He signed Rod Barajas and Henry Blanco to play catcher, providing the Mets with a solid one-two punch behind the plate. He brought in Gary Matthews Jr. and Mike Jacobs, each of whom looks poised to play key roles for the Mets. Omar did not overlook the pitching staff either. The starting rotation returns intact, which is bad news for the rest of the NL - not to mention the Mets' interleague opponents. In the bullpen, Kelvim Escobar appears ready to pick up right where he left off in Anaheim, while Ryota Igarashi and Hisanori Takahashi will add to the Mets' legacy of selecting Japan's most talented baseball players. Perhaps Minaya's best move is the one he did not make - bringing back Bobby Valentine. Recognizing that it is impossible to return to the past, and that one must go forward rather than backward, the Mets come back to Queens with Jerry Manuel back in the dugout. All of this, along with today's sunny skies and warm air, portend a fine season in 2010. Thursday, March 25, 2010
Staying Calm Amidst Obama's Betrayal With a hostile and nasty administration in Washington until either 2013 or 2017, these aren't easy times for Israel and its supporters. That our so-called "leaders" are completely ineffectual adds to a strong sense of frustration. There is no reason to downplay the damage that Obama has done to Israel. But it's important to keep some things in perspective. No buses were blown up in Israel during these past two weeks. Israelis have safely gone out to eat, drink, pray and assemble. During the early days of this blog, there were so many times that I'd post - or start to draft something that I ended up not finishing - about bus bombings, cafe bombings, road shootings. Then, there was good reason for despair and rage. Mass murder of Israelis was routine. Today, thankfully, it isn't. A lot of people in this country strongly support Israel. Unfortunately, the president and those in his administration do not. But with resolve, wisdom and the leadership of Prime Minister Netanyahu - and hopefully some help from its supporters here - Israel can get through the difficult times and endless crises that will occur during the course of the Obama administration. Netanyahu's Only Response - The Rest Is Commentary Are we a vassal state of yours? Are we a banana republic? Are we youths of fourteen who, if they don't behave properly, are slapped across the fingers? Let me tell you who this government is composed of. It is composed of people whose lives were spent in resistance, in fighting and in suffering. You will not frighten us with 'punishments.' He who threatens us will find us deaf to his threats. We are only prepared to listen to rational arguments.-Prime Minister Menachem Begin, December 1981 In a world that has been conditioned to see Israel as the heavy, every Israeli retreat from positions under dispute with the Arabs will naturally be applauded. Israel will be patted on the back and congratulated as long as it continues to make unilateral concessions. But once an Israeli government decides, as it inevitably must, to draw a line beyond which it cannot retreat, the international applause will cease — and pressure will begin again. Hence the test of Israeli diplomacy is not whether it can gain short-term sympathy by sacrificing Israel's vital interests, but whether it can protect these interests while securing international understanding and support. To yield to pressure for the sake of ephemeral international praise is as tempting as it is short-sighted. To be firm about vital matters and to earn the respect of nations for this stance is much more difficult, but ultimately more prudent and responsible. The school of thought that holds that Israel's public relations problem would end with the establishment of a Palestinian state is wrong. In such a case Israel would be faced with an existential threat and a public relations nightmare, as Arab irredentism turns its focus on the Arab population within the remainder of Israel.-Binyamin Netanyahu, A Durable Peace: Israel and Its Place Among the Nations Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Where Have You Gone, Al D'Amato? During his 18 years as a Senator from New York, Al D'Amato, a Republican, was at all times a staunch supporter of Israel. For the first 12 of those years, the White House was occupied by a Republican, but that didn't matter. If Ronald Reagan, George Bush, Caspar Weinberger or James Baker pressured or bashed Menachem Begin or Yitzhak Shamir, D'Amato always remained in outspoken support of Israel. I thought D'Amato was one helluva guy - a Roman Catholic who staunchly supports Israel, even if that put him against the position of a Republican administration. How naive I was back then. D'Amato, it was explained to me, supports Israel because he is a Senator from New York. Any Senator from New York must support Israel just like D'Amato does. Funny, I haven't seen any statement of support of Israel from Charles Schumer. Kirsten Gillibrand's statement was quite tepid. How naive I am to have expected anything different. After all, the pundits explain, Schumer and Gillibrand can hardly be expected to take a position against that of Barack Obama. Any Democratic Senator has to support the Obama administration's line. Monday, March 15, 2010
The Churva Shul  62 years after it was burned down and completely destroyed by the government of Jordan, and nearly 43 years after the liberation of Jerusalem, the Churva shul reopens tonight. With the redevelopment of the rest of the Jewish Quarter, the ruins of the Churva have long served as a real life reminder of the desolate state of Jerusalem between 1948 and 1967. The opening of the Churva won't bring the shul back to its former status as the leading synagogue in Israel and a prominent Jerusalem center. But it will serve as a meaningful symbol of the rebuilding of Israel and Jerusalem. Sunday, March 14, 2010
LaDainian Tomlinson ESPN is reporting that the Jets and LaDainian Tomlinson have agreed on a two-year deal. Tomlinson is obviously a Hall of Fame RB, and for that reason his signing is intriguing. But more likely than not, he will never be close to the player he was. While I'm not a huge Thomas Jones fan, over the last two seasons, Jones has been the better RB. I'm all for depth at RB, but if Leon Washington comes back healthy and Shonn Greene stays healthy, I'm not sure how Tomlinson will get enough touches to warrant signing him. Reports are that Tomlinson would be the Jets' third down RB, and could catch the ball out of the backfield. It's definitely true that Tomlinson is a much better pass catching RB than Jones and Greene, and the lack of a checkdown option for Mark Sanchez hurt the Jets offense last season after the injury to Washington. But if Washington is back and healthy, at this point in their careers, I'd much prefer him over Tomlinson as the 3rd down back. Ultimately, I'm okay with this move, but more for purposes of depth at RB than anything else. With Shonn Greene having limited experience and Leon Washington coming off a very serious injury, LaDainian Tomlinson is not a bad guy to have around. Just don't expect to see much of the old LaDainian Tomlinson as a New York Jet. Saturday, March 13, 2010
Considering Netanyahu's Response There is nothing for Israel - nor for Prime Minister Netanyahu's government - to gain from an open confrontation with the Obama Administration. Nevertheless, Obama himself has now picked a fight with Israel. Likely, Netanyahu's response will come in the morning. It should take into account the following: 1. Most Americans support Israel. 2. Barack Obama strongly dislikes Israel and wants to bring down the Netanyahu government. For this reason, whenever he believes it to be timely, he will strike harshly at Israel, like he has done this week. 3. Those advising Obama, especially Rahm Emanuel, ignorantly think that Israel is deeply divided over construction in "East" Jerusalem and that Netanyahu will emerge badly damaged as a result of Obama's humiliation of him. 4. In fact, the overwhelming majority of Israelis support the government's policy on Jerusalem. In particular, there is almost nobody in Israel who opposes Jewish housing in a place like Ramat Shlomo - which is not even located in "East" Jerusalem. 5. The overwhelming majority of Israelis also know that Obama has only disdain for Israel, while Syria, Iran and the Palestinian Authority are treated with great deference and respect by him. Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Calm Yourself, Biden No, Joe Biden's visit was not the best time to announce the construction of 1,600 new apartments in Ramat Shlomo, a charedi community in north (not east) Jerusalem. OK, fine. Let's stop all the silly self-flagellation. Ramat Shlomo was founded in 1995 by Yitzhak Rabin. It is squarely in Jerusalem, and is by no means a "settlement." Only because of the egregious concessions offered by the two Ehuds is Israel now in a situation where every new apartment in Jerusalem is international news. In 2008 - when Ehud Olmert and Tzipi Livni were running Israel, hardly a peep was heard when 1,300 housing units were authorized there. If Joe Biden is as close a friend as he says he is, he should calm down, let this one slide. Pretend it's no big deal, like a few "settlers" getting shot dead, or the "moderate" Palestinian Authority naming a Ramallah town square after a terrorist who murdered 37 civilians. Alas, we are saddled with an administration whose first instinct is to rip Israel. Tuesday, March 02, 2010
The Legend Of Jim Craig  As evidenced over the last couple of weeks, these days Jim Craig is the most celebrated star of the 1980 USA Olympic hockey team - topping even Mike Eruzione. Just after those Olympics, Craig won his debut for the Atlanta Flames. That game was the highlight of his NHL career. There were no more SI covers or Coke commercials with his Dad. The Flames moved to Calgary after the 79-80 season. America's hero was not so marketable in Canada. Craig was traded to his hometown Bruins, with whom he was mediocre. Then there were a bunch of injuries, a car accident and an arrest. It seemed to make sense for the Rangers - led by GM Craig Patrick and head coach Herb Brooks - to give Craig a shot. But that never happened. Jim Craig's NHL career ended with a record of 11-10-7. If Craig didn't quite fade into obscurity, he came pretty close. There wasn't much news about him in the mid-late 80's, except that his father - the one who he memorably searched for after the goal medal victory over Finland - died. More sad news about Jim Craig. Every few years there would be a piece about Jim Craig having become anonymous, living the simple life, and liking it a lot better that way. Around 2001, ESPN featured Craig on its SportsCentury series. I tuned in wondering what happened to him. He seemed okay, making a living as sort some of businessman. That was good to see; indeed, a relief. Then came the HBO documentary about the 1980 team, followed by the untimely death of Herb Brooks in a car accident and Disney's release of 'Miracle.' Suddenly there was nostalgia for the 1980 team, and for Jim Craig - especially every four years during the Winter Olympics. And now all we remember about Jim Craig are those amazing two weeks in Lake Placid when he was 22 years old. Monday, March 01, 2010
Thomas Jones I don't have a strong feeling about the Jets' decision to cut Thomas Jones. With Leon Washington coming off a very serious injury, and Shonn Greene seemingly having a style that gets him banged up, I'd have liked Jones to come back for one more season. On the other hand, Greene's late season emergence made him the Jets feature back heading into 2010, and if Washington is healthy, Jones wouldn't likely have carried the ball enough to justify a $5.8 million salary. The bottom line for me is that if the Jets use the money saved on Jones to sign a potential impact player - Adalius Thomas comes to mind - letting him go is probably the right move. If the money is not spent but is instead used only to help alleviate Woody Johnson's thousands of unsold PSLs, then getting rid of Jones is disappointing. The Gold Medal Game Thanks to a dead car battery, I missed the third period of yesterday's classic gold medal game between the USA and Canada. Watching the game was an unusual experience for me, probably akin to what it's like to be a casual fan of a team playing for a championship - though I'm not really sure, because I'm not a casual fan and my teams very rarely play for championships. If their team wins, casual fans get all excited and hop onto the bandwagon. If their team loses, the casual fan's day goes on as if nothing went wrong. That's what it felt like to me yesterday. I don't know anyone who was really too upset about our loss. Which probably means it's a good thing that Canada won. The Canadians really needed to win this one. I wonder whether the game will turn many sports fans into hockey fans. Monday, February 22, 2010
Haaretz's Skewed Slant On Israel's Popularity A new Gallup poll shows that 67 percent of Americans view Israel favorably. In comparison, 20 percent of Americans have a favorable view of the Palestinian Authority. 90 percent of Americans like Canada, so leave it to Haaretz to come up with this negative slant: "With all due respect to Washington's special relationship and shared values with Israel, Americans much prefer their neighbor to the north." In fact, the poll numbers are good news for Israel, and confirm that a large majority of Americans remain supportive. However, the poll does confirm the liberal-conservative divide on Israel. Among Republicans, 80 percent support Israel and 12 percent support the Palestinians. The gap drops to 53 percent-25 percent among Democrats. Friday, February 19, 2010
Haaretz's Bizarro World Only in Haaretz could the liquidation of Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Mabhouh - in the event that he was killed by the Mossad - be deemed a huge blunder by the Mossad and a tremendous failing by Prime Minister Netanyahu. Based on some of the absurd press coverage, one might believe that al-Mabhouh is alive and well, while many leading Mossad agents are under arrest in an Arab country for attempted murder. Of course, al-Mabhouh was in fact successfully eliminated without any collateral damage. The operatives - if they are Mossad agents - all appeared to escape Dubai. It is possible that they will be identified, but at least as likely that they never will be. Perhaps their Mossad careers are over, but perhaps not. The one questionable aspect of this operation - again in the event that it was Israel's - was the use of names and passport numbers of dual citizens of Israel and European countries. The Haaretz line is followed by perhaps ten percent of Israelis. Yet since it is an English language newspaper with a prominent website, media across the world erroneously assume that the nonsense published on Haaretz's editorial and op-ed pages is actually representative of public opinion in Israel. Thursday, February 18, 2010
Martin Grossman - Everyone Is Right Martin Grossman was a thug even before he committed a vicious murder that he tried to cover up. He was not completely evil, had expressed remorse and was a better person 25 years later. Most of those who called for his death sentence to be changed to life imprisonment did so only because he was Jewish, and have no qualms about other murderers being executed. The public campaign on Grossman's behalf had no chance of success at convincing Charlie Crist to stay execution. But no efforts would have had any success, inasmuch as all of Grossman's legal options had already been exhausted. All of these points are right. I support the death penalty in principle, but on a limited basis. I think some people awaiting execution deserve life imprisonment. Some - almost all of whom are African American - deserve immediate release along with an apology and monetary damages that will never adequately compensate them, because they are in fact innocent. I did not ask anyone to commute Grossman's death sentence, but have no problem at all with those who did. Indeed, for the most part their advocacy - even if mistaken - is far better than apathy. A Jewish person who calls for a Jewish death row inmate to be spared execution is not a phony or a hypocrite. Nor were religious Christians who called for Karla Faye Tucker to be spared execution phonies or hypocrites. Having empathy for a particular individual with whom one has something in common is not hypocritical. Everyone who advocated for Grossman or for Tucker had every right to do so. The merits of their advocacy can be disputed and debated, but to impugn their character for doing so is completely unfair. And yet on both sides of the debate, that's what has occurred in the aftermath of the Grossman matter. Warm Winds From Canada I don't know whether many Israelis or their American supporters have noticed how pro-Israel Canadian PM Stephen Harper is compared with prior leaders in Canada. Technically, on matters of policy, the U.S. is much more supportive of Israel than Canada - which has generally adhered, more or less, to a Western European stance. But it's quite obvious that in his gut, Harper likes Israel a lot more than, say, Barack Obama - not to mention some mid-level people in the Obama Administration. Perhaps this is mostly just about Harper, but more likely, it is indicative of a fundamental right-left split on Israel that has now reached Canada. If so, the conservative support for Israel is most welcome, but Israel and its supporters must demonstrate to well-meaning moderate liberals the absurdity and hypocrisy of their implicit support for repressive regimes and terrorist murderers. In this regard, Israel must counter the "occupation" narrative by doing a lot better at explaining the bases for its presence in Judea and Samaria. Sports Musings 1. I don't know anything about the Winter Olympics; nevertheless, let me be the first to say this: Lindsey Vonn's constant kvetching about her injury was not cool. 2. 30 years ago, as a 7 year old, I watched the entire Winter Olympics, home sick with the flu for nearly three weeks. I probably would have become a sports addict regardless, but watching the thrilling performances of the US hockey team and speedskater Eric Heiden didn't help. 3. Is spring training the right time to call for Bobby Valentine's return to Flushing, or must we wait for Opening Day? 4. Mets fans are so pessimistic about 2010 that I expect the Mets to do better than most of us expect. The Mets will probably tease us with an 83 or 84 win season, hanging on to the periphery of the wildcard race until mid-September. Then, Jeff Wilpon and Omar Minaya will express regret about those unfortunate injuries that caused the Mets to come up a bit short, and assure us that they will be hard at work to build a "championship-caliber" team. 5. I'm skeptical about the media hype regarding Chad Pennington returning as backup to Mark Sanchez. Sure, Pennington would be a perfect mentor, and could step in if Sanchez misses games due to injury. But Pennington will have better opportunities, and the Jets can only sign one unrestricted free agent for each one they lose. With very limited ability to sign free agents, the Jets will have other needs to address prior to backup QB. 6. Recently released by the Jags, Torry Holt would be perfect as the Jets #3 WR. Since he was released, the Jets could sign Holt without regard to the free agency restrictions. 7. Bruce Ratner bought a Nets team that went to the NBA Finals twice in a row and in just a few years, turned it into one of the worst teams in sports history. Whether via karma, divine retribution, or simply bad luck, Nets fan can only hope that Ratner's real estate empire has a similar fate. Still, no 5-49 team has ever had a brighter future than the Nets. Monday, February 15, 2010
Andrew Sullivan On Whether Andrew Sullivan Is An Anti-Semite Once a staunch supporter of Israel, over the past couple of years Andrew Sullivan has become one of its most vicious demonizers. An article last week by Leon Wieseltier of The New Republic insinuated (but did not say) that Sullivan is an anti-Semite. The new Andrew Sullivan furiously rejects this notion. But if the old Andew Sullivan is to be believed, then Wieseltier has a point. As the 2002 Andrew Sullivan wrote: Compare Israel to any other Middle Eastern country — Syria’s satrapy in Lebanon, Mubarak’s police state, Iraq’s barbaric autocracy or Iran’s theocracy — and it’s a beacon of light. To single it out for attack is so self-evidently bizarre that it prompts an obvious question: what are these anti-Israel fanatics really obsessed about?...Particularly over the last year, Andrew Sullivan has relentlessly singled out Israel, its leadership and its supporters for one vitriolic attack after another. His style is bitter, angry and blaming. He should hardly be surprised if the most poisonous form of resentment has sprung up - even if unbidden - in his midst. Thursday, February 11, 2010
The Jets' Six Best Wins And Worst Losses The Best Wins 1. Jets defeat Colts 16-7 on January 12, 1969 to win Super Bowl III. 2. Jets defeat Raiders 27-23 on December 29, 1968 to win the AFL Championship and advance to the Super Bowl. 3. Jets defeat Jaguars 34-24 on January 10, 1999 to advance to the AFC Championship, in Bill Parcells' only Jets playoff victory. 4. Jets defeat Raiders 17-14 on January 15, 1983 to advance to the AFC Championship. 5. Jets defeat Chargers 17-14 on January 17, 2010 to advance to the AFC Championship. 6. Jets defeat Bengals 44-17 on January 9, 1983 for their first playoff win since Super Bowl III. The Worst Losses 1. Jets lose the AFC Championship to the Broncos 23-10 on January 17, 1999. With a mediocre Falcons team stunning the Vikings in the NFC Championship, this loss blew the Jets' best opportunity to win a second Super Bowl. 2. Jets lose the AFC Championship (a/k/a Mud Bowl) to the Dolphins 14-0 on January 23, 1983. 27 years later, it remains inexplicable that Walt Michaels was forced to resign shortly thereafter and never coached in the NFL again. 3. Jets lose in the second round of the playoffs to the Browns 23-20 on January 3, 1987, blowing a 10 point lead in the final minutes. 4. Jets lose in the second round of the playoffs to the Steelers 20-17 on January 15, 2005, a loss that epitomized Herm Edwards' insistence on playing not to lose - soundbites and book titles to the contrary notwithstanding. 5. Jets lose the AFC Championship to the Colts 30-17 on January 24, 2010. 6. Tie: A) Jets lose to Kansas City Chiefs 13-6 on December 20, 1969. Joe Namath would never play another playoff game. B) Jets lose to Buffalo Bills 31-27 on December 27, 1981, in their first playoff game since the '69 loss. Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Who Had the Greatest Impact on the Mets? Gil Hodges The Black Cat Tom Seaver William Shea Walter O'Malley Jane Jarvis The Great Keith Hernandez Bobby Valentine Joe McEwing Nolan Ryan The list is of course incomplete. There were many great figures that impacted the Mets in the post Dodgers and Giants era. I could probably add a dozen or more names. But in my mind these ten were probably the most influential. Some names are controversial. But no one can deny they each had a major impact. For me it would be almost impossible to say which one of these contributed the most. Although I do have a choice. I am curious to find out what others think? Do one of these stand out more than the rest? Sunday, January 31, 2010
Jets vs. Bills - 1981 Wildcard This YouTube video brings back some very bad memories. I hadn't seen any highlights of this game in more than 28 years. Wednesday, January 27, 2010
New Comments System I had to switch to a new commenting system since I received an e-mail stating that unless I did so, all of the comments would be lost. Hopefully the new system won't be difficult to adjust to. If there are any particular issues or problems, please post them in the comments or e-mail me. Monday, January 25, 2010
Jets Thoughts From Bob Hope Airport My flight has been delayed for four hours and counting, a fun way to spend extra time with my kids, and also an opportunity to post a few thoughts: That the Jets made it to the AFC Championship has very little if any bearing on how they will perform in 2010 and beyond. However, some good things came as a result of the Colts resting their starters in week 16 that may bode well for the future. Mark Sanchez is no longer the guy who ruined the 2009 season. He goes into the offseason with the confidence of his teammates and coaches. Sanchez and Dustin Keller finally got on the same wavelength. Braylon Edwards and Sanchez had chances to connect on a number of deep balls. Shonn Greene emerged as a potential star RB. The improvement on offense is reason for cautious optimism.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Week 20 1. Just as the '82 and '98 Jets, the 2009 Jets could not win and advance to the Super Bowl. 2. Jay Feely really let the Jets down today. His misses came after strong drives on the Jets' 1st and 3rd quarter opening possessions. Feely's 3rd quarter miss gave the Colts excellent field position, leading to their go-ahead touchdown. While Feely's missed field goal attempts were hardly chip shots, in a dome in the AFC Championship against a powerful Colts offense, these are kicks he needed to make. 3. While Feely did kick a 47 yard FG late in the 2nd quarter, those points came after a Jets fumble recovery at the Indy 30. Had the Jets gotten a first down, they could have run out the half. Instead, their 3 and out allowed Peyton Manning to drive right down the field, making it a 17-13 score at halftime with momentum having shifted to the Colts. 4. The injury to Shonn Greene really hurt the Jets offense in the second half. Thomas Jones was not impressive today to say the least, nor in recent weeks. 5. Bad 12 men on the field penalty in the 2nd quarter with the Colts facing 3rd down and 5 from their own 25. I don't know if the penalty was the fault of Bart Scott or the coaching staff. 6. Mark Sanchez looked very good today and during the playoffs. In contrast to Richard Todd and Vinny Testaverde, veteran QBs who after career seasons imploded during the AFC Championships, Sanchez gave the Jets a chance to win. 7. The Jets defense simply was badly beaten today. The secondary was lousy all day, and during the 2nd half, the linebackers and defensive linemen got pushed around. 8. For most of the season, as the Jets lost numerous close games, I agreed with phan that the Jets were a mediocre team. But phan's arguments that the Jets are no more talented than the Bills and that this is the Jets' least talented playoff team, were proven wrong. A few days ago, phan appeared to expand his definition of mediocre, which, he said, includes the 2007 Giants and 2008 Cardinals. But those were good teams. Not great teams, but better than mediocre. 9. The Jets are not an elite team - the Colts are - but they do have some good young players on both sides of the ball. Will they make it back to the playoffs next year? Will they be back in the AFC Championship in the next decade? Will we ever see them in the Super Bowl? This will depend on Mike Tannenbaum's decisions, as well as luck. 10. I am typing this post on my Blackberry in my LA hotel room as the final two minutes of the Jets rollercoaster 2009 season wind down. Last Sunday, I had the privilege of being at Qualcomm Stadium for the Jets defeat of the Chargers. Everything went great that day. My flight was early, I had a ride to and from the game, and my wife and sons had a good time at the beach and boardwalk. I don't recall entering into any Faustian bargain, but within around two hours of last week's victory, the rain started. It rained for six days in a row, a huge rarity in southern CA. I can deal with the rain, but Californians can't. On Tuesday, after a flat tire on our way, we arrived at Sea World, where it rained heavily for 3 hours. Just as the rain stopped, the park was closed 3 hours early due to "inclement weather." Sea World and Legoland were closed after that. With the San Diego theme parks closed, I took my sons to an IMAX film about the sea - where around two minutes into the film, they both melted down upon witnessing small fish get gobbled by large fish. Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Two other comments in response to two of Elster's, now that I've set up blogging via e-mail: 1. While not among the most talented teams in the NFL, I agree with Elster that phan's frequent statements that the Jets are mediocre at best have been proven inaccurate. Certainly phan's recent statement that this is the Jets' least talented playoff team was wrong. Of course, phan is certainly pleased by the Jets' back to back playoff wins. 2. Elster expressed sympathy with the arrested Jets fan missing the game. That was indeed unfortunate, but is trivial compared with being arrested. He was in jail for around 20 hours. Who knows how this may affect his job prospects and otherwise impact his life. And he was one of many who were arrested. Some segments of society are anti-police. Frum people seem to instinctively support law enforcement. We are supposed to live in a free society, with constitutional rights. Jets fans have a right to assemble at Qualcomm Stadium and participate in J-E-T-S chants. Any cop who thinks otherwise belongs in the Tehran PD. I've been unable to post comments today. Following are some thoughts and responses: 1. The person arrested on the widely circulated video is not the person who I saw get arrested. According to the person who took that video, during the missing portion, the arrested Jets fan was punched and had a beer bottle thrown at him. Cops were called and arrested him. 2. In my section, there was a skirmish at halftime when two Chargers fans insulted a woman wearing a Jets jersey. The man she was with asked the Chargers fans to step outside and fight. There was pushing and shoving, but before things got out of hand, a big guy in a Mangold jersey pulled the angry Jets fan away and made peace. 3. Before the game, I briefly met "Mangold." He seemed like a good guy. 4. During the 3rd quarter, Mangold was arrested. As far as I could tell, his crime was that he was in middle of whatever back and forth trash talking took place. He was cursed as he was led away; the cops ignored those verbally abusing him. He looked really shocked and sad about what was happening. 5. Overall, the cops did little if anything to calm things. Instead they just arrested people. 6. I would be more worried about being arrested for rooting loudly for an opposing team than being attacked by a fan of the home team. 7. When the Jets went up 10-7 early in the 4th and I was jumping up and down, a guy in front of me angrily said: "Shut the f*** up. Your team sucks. What have they ever done." "Exactly man, you think I don't know that," I responded. "The Jets have sucked forever. You guys will probably beat us today. I'm just cheering for my team, not trying to show you guys up, okay?" "You know what, I love you, man. I hate your guts right now but I really respect a Jets fan coming here today. I once went to a game in Arizona but never to a Chargers road game," he responded. 8. San Diego this week is, I'd imagine, like Brooklyn was after the end of another heartbreaking Dodgers season. 9. I don't get the sense that the Chargers overlooked the Jets. Rather, the Jets adjusted well at halftime, and the Chargers choked under pressure late in the game. 10. I won't provide legal services, but will write a legal letter to the appropriate parties about the SDPD abuses. Sunday, January 17, 2010
Week 19 1. Today's Jets victory was their biggest upset win since Super Bowl III. 2. Shonn Greene is displaying an ability to hit holes fast, break tackles and run for long touchdowns. 3. There was a feeling of elation when Greene scored with 7:17 left, but from then until the Jets put the game away by converting on 4th and 1 with 1:09 left, Jets fans in the crowd were extremely anxious. 4. I could think only about the Jets loss to the Browns in the second round of the '86 playoffs (I heard the shabbos game on the radio in a Brooklyn park) and their second round loss to Pittsburgh 5 years ago. 5. Chargers fans were shocked and devastated. This was a terrible loss for their franchise. 6. The go-ahead TD pass to Dustin Keller looked great (though I have not yet seen a replay). It looked like a broken play but Mark Sanchez stayed patient. 7. I thought the Jets were too conservative on offense in the 1st quarter and also late in the 4th. 8. The defense made a number of really nice one-on-one tackles. 9. I don't know if the CBS crew liked the onside kick call. I think it was the right move. Had the Chargers recovered, they probably would have driven for the winning TD. 10. Steve Weatherford was one great punt but too terrible punts. 11. Some of the kickoffs were intentionally very short. I can understand trying to contain Sproles, but giving the Chargers the ball near midfield is not good strategy. 12. Terrible waste of a timeout before the 3rd quarter field goal. 13. My Blackberry is partially broken so I cannot post comments. Thanks to Bob Miller for his welcoming invite to Indy. 14. I will be in LA next Sunday. I promised I'd take my boys to the LA Zoo and the Travel Town train museum, and feel bad about reneging - but the AFC Championship starts at noon here. Hopefully my wife will agree to brave the LA freeways alone for our final day in CA. 15. I don't think the Jets will win. 16. Five guys wearing Jets jerseys and caps got onto the airplane; it was immediately obvious that they are frum. 17. One was an old friend of mine, who took the morning flight out of JFK, is flying back on the red eye tonight, and will be in his office tomorrow morning. That's a hard core fan. 18. The flight landed early, the luggage came out quickly, I got a taxi right away for my wife and children, my friend was waiting for me at the airport, we took a longer route I got from another friend who's a Chargers season ticket holder, and as planned found parking around a mile from Qualcomm. 19. As I entered Qualcomm an hour before kickoff, and the lyrics, 'I Got A Feeling That Tonight's Gonna Be A Good Night' played outside the stadium, I wondered for a fleeting moment if something special would happen. But I never expected the Jets to win - not until Greene's TD - and even then I felt really anxious. 20. There were a very large number of Jets fans in my section (View 9) and early on there was some harmless banter. 21. I met some really cool Jets and Chargers fans. Unfortunately, things started getting ugly at halftime, likely the result of alcohol. 22. One Jets fan - a leader of the large group in our section - and a big guy with a Mangold jersey - acted as a peacemaker to avoid some skirmishes for getting out of control. 23. I don't know exactly what happened, but in the 3rd quarter, he and a Chargers fan were both handcuffed and led away by police. 24. It made me sad - still does a few hours later - that a big Jets fan flew to San Diego and ended in a jail cell instead of enjoying this win. 25. I cheered wildly, participated in J-E-T-S chants, but didn't provoke anybody or trash talk. I tried to act like a guest in someone else's house. And some Chargers fans seemed to appreciate that as we schmoozed about football and about our teams' painful histories. 26. Qualcomm's bathroom situation is horrible. The lines are enormous. 27. Thanks to Chad Pennington I who led the Jets to a 2004 playoff victory and Qualcomm - in honor of which today I wore his jersey. 28. The sounds of "J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets" were just heard here on Pacific Beach. My wife reports that hours ago, the bars here were full of boisterous Chargers fans. Friday, January 15, 2010
Vacation I'm off on Sunday morning to San Diego and then LA, so my usual posts about world events will stop for a little while. I will try, via my Blackberry, to post on Monday about the Jets season finale in San Diego. Monday, January 11, 2010
The New Qualcomm Plan  I just acquired a pair of Jets vs. Chargers upper deck tickets at the 15-20 yard line for the bargain price of $160 each. The seller erroneously listed the game as being on January 16, reducing the number of searches that found his post. I'll be going with an old friend, Steve, with whom I worked at my first full-time job out of law school. In fact, his office was right next to mine. He now lives in San Diego, and generously offered to pick me up at the airport before the game and park at a trolley station, from where we could catch a trolley to the stadium. Then he'll drive me to Pacific Beach after the game. My wife and children will take a taxi from the airport to Pacific Beach, from where we'll rent a car on Monday. While I'm at the game, my wife and sons will be at a beachfront condo (picture from the living room above). Now that I've spent $320, my wife will surely acquiesce. Sunday, January 10, 2010
See You In San Diego!  I have no idea how I'm going to pull this off, but I'm planning to buy a ticket to next Sunday's game and hope for the best. My flight is scheduled to land at noon. Then, along with two small children, I'll have to wait for our luggage, get a shuttle to the car rental location, rent the car, put in the car seats, and drive to Qualcomm Stadium - or as close as I can get to the stadium. My wife will then have to drive the rest of the way with my boys. I'll let her in on this as the flight starts its descent. Kickoff is at 1:40 PST. I am going to really regret this after the game. No idea at all how to get - without a car - from Qualcomm to condo we're staying at in Pacific Beach. I was going to fly out this Friday, but decided it was too risky on erev shabbos. The Jets were 4-5 then. Saturday, January 09, 2010
Week 18 1. Mark Sanchez was outstanding and should not have been shackled the way he was. Indeed, the Herm style ultra-conservative offense unnecessarily allowed the Bengals to stay in the game. If not for Shayne Graham, the Jets might have found a way to lose. 2. Shonn Greene, Jerricho Cotchery and Dustin Keller were excellent. 3. The announcing on NBC was possibly the worst I've ever heard. It was a pathetic performance by a major network covering a playoff game. 4. The defensive line and linebackers missed a number of tackles. On Cedric Benson's long TD run, you could see a big play coming the way the defense was setting up to aggressively overplay a 2nd and 1 run. 5. Terrible penalties on the Jets opening drive of the 3rd quarter to blow a field goal. It had already been bad enough that Sanchez was not allowed to throw on that drive, with the Jets settling for three. 6. Kickoff coverage continues to be poor. 7. The Bengals stink (Carson Palmer really looked shaky), so tonight's win should not make anybody think the Jets are a serious contender. Nevertheless, Jets playoff wins are rare - tonight's is the ninth in their tortured history - and must be enjoyed. 8. I didn't see Braylon Edwards' dropped TD pass, which I believe occurred in the 1st quarter. If the Jets have any chance to win any more games, Edwards can't drop any more touchdown passes. 9. This will probably be my final postgame Jets post of the season, as I'm scheduled to fly to San Diego next Sunday morning. I will then be in LA the following weekend for the conference championship games. 10. I was originally planning to fly out early Friday morning, but then decided (because of shabbos starting at around 4:30) that it isn't a good idea to fly cross country in the winter on a Friday. If the Pats lose and I am landing in San Diego just before kickoff of Jets vs. Chargers, I won't be happy. If the flight is delayed, I will be even less happy. If New England loses, I will immediately try to formulate a plan to be at Qualcomm Stadium next Sunday. Tuesday, January 05, 2010
A Tale Of Two Coaches 2006 - Eric Mangini takes over as Jets head coach. Jets improve from 4-12 to 10-6 and make the playoffs. 2008 - Mangini's Jets falter down the stretch, finishing 9-7. Mangini is fired the morning after the season finale. 2009 - Rex Ryan takes over as Jets head coach. Jets again finish at 9-7, and make the playoffs. Ryan is feted as a much needed change from Mangini - a tender tough guy who will soon lead the Jets to the Super Bowl. Monday, January 04, 2010
The Day I Became A Jets Fan Originally posted on November 23, 2005 and reposted in honor of the Jets' playoff berth. On December 27, 1981, I became a Jets fan. Please don't misunderstand. By then, three weeks before my ninth birthday, I already was an avid - okay, an obsessive - fan of the New York Jets. I had gone with my father to two Jets games in the 1981 season, the second of which was on a schoolday, with my father coming to pick me up at school and brazenly telling the rabbi that he was taking me to a football game. On December 27, 1981, the Jets hosted the Buffalo Bills in their first playoff game during my lifetime. The first game I went to that season was against the Bills. The Jets won 33-14. In my parents' living room, there is a family portrait. The time on my brother's digital watch says 11:58. The picture was taken in a studio around eight blocks from my house, on none other than December 27, 1981. Game time was noon. I remember my brother assuring me that I wouldn't miss a thing, that since it was a playoff game, there would be player introductions before the game that would delay kickoff. I ran home as fast as I could. I arrived home at 12:03. It was 7-0 Bills. Bruce Harper had fumbled the opening kickoff, and the Bills returned it for a touchdown. Later in the 1st quarter, Wesley Walker was wide open but dropped a sure TD pass. Early in the 2nd quarter, Mark Gastineau sacked Joe Ferguson, but instead of falling on the ball, kicked it around again and again, with the Bills recovering after a loss of something like 35 yards. Before long, it was 24-0 Bills in the second quarter. The Jets got to within 24-13, but a 4th quarter Bills touchdown made it 31-13 with ten minutes left. I understood that the Jets would fall short. Over the next half-hour, I would learn that nothing is so simple and painless when it comes to the New York Jets. Led by QB Richard Todd, the Jets mounted a furious comeback. First, Todd completed a touchdown pass to Bobby Jones. The Jets stopped Buffalo in three plays, and the Jets scored another touchdown with a little more than 3 minutes to go. And then the defense again stopped Buffalo in three plays. The Jets had the ball at their own 20 yard line with 2 1/2 minutes left to play. They drove right down the field. A 29 yard pass to Mickey Shuler. On 3rd and 20, Todd completed a 26 yard pass to Derrick Gaffney. But then on 3rd and 15, Todd was intercepted. The game was over. But a holding penalty was called, giving the Jets an automatic first down! The Jets had first down at the Bills 11. The Shea Stadium scoreboard displayed, in huge capital letters: "WE CAN DO IT!" Todd passed to Derrick Gaffney, who looked to be open right at the end zone. Seemingly out of nowhere, Bill Simpson intercepted the pass at the 1 yard line. There had to be another penalty. The Jets couldn't lose. The game couldn't be over. It was. For the first time in my life, on December 27, 1981, I experienced the pain of being a fan of the New York Jets. Week 17 1. I've often been down on Brad Smith, but he came up huge again last night. 2. I was right about the Jets using Shonn Greene early. He was great on the very long drive that should have resulted in a TD but stalled at the Bengals two. 3. Thomas Jones, in contrast, may be starting to slow down. 4. Kerry Rhodes seemed to be in on a number of plays. He should have had a TD return on his fumble recovery. 5. Mark Sanchez was much better than his stat line indicates. 6. The Jets need David Harris to recover quickly from his ankle injury. 7. The only downside from last night's game was the special teams coverage, which allowed several long returns. 8. Actually, there was another downside to the Jets rout for me: With the Jets up 27-0 at the half, my ride to Manhattan (where I parked my car) decided to leave early! I wasn't going anywhere. Fortunately, I was able to catch a post-game bus to the Port Authority bus terminal. In the meantime, I watched the rest of the game from the ride's vacated seat on the 45 yard line. 9. During the course of the game, Jets Meadowlands highlights were shown on the big screen. Alas, there really aren't (weren't?) very many such highlights. 10. Since Bill Parcells joined the Jets, they have gone to the playoffs six times in 13 seasons. During those 13 seasons, the Jets have had nine winning seasons, three losing seasons, and one 8-8 season. Unfortunately, except for Parcells' 1998 team, the Jets still have not been real Super Bowl contenders. 11. The Bengals are clearly the weakest of the four AFC division winners, and the best possible first round draw for the Jets. That said, I expect the Bengals to play much better on Saturday. 12. After the Jets lost to Jacksonville and fell to 4-5, I decided it was safe to make vacation plans and fly out to San Diego on January 17. Hopefully, the Jets will make me regret doing that. It will drive me nuts, though, if the Jets are at the Chargers on the 17th (as will happen if they win and Baltimore beats the Patriots) and I have to watch on TV a few miles from the stadium. 13. At halftime, a lot of old Jets appeared. But where was Keyshawn Johnson - the star of Parcells' teams? Saturday, January 02, 2010
The End Of An Era After 16 seasons in section 119, tomorrow night will be my last game - not only in Giants Stadium - but, at least for now, as a Jets season ticket holder. I'm excited about going to tomorrow night's game, even though it will be around 20 degrees and very windy, and I'll probably arrive home close to 2 a.m. And even though my gut tells me that unless the Bengals rest their starters - not just Carson Palmer, but most of their starters - the Jets will lose. Though I think it's a great place for watch a football game, even after all these years, Giants Stadium doesn't have much sentimental value to me - in sharp contrast to the way I feel about Shea Stadium. But I will miss the season tickets, the habit of going to just about every home game. I'm glad that my last game will be a meaningful one - even if it's just to make or miss the playoffs. Tomorrow night will be memorable. Over the years, there have been more bad memories than good ones, like Dan Marino's fake spike in '94 right near my seats. A loss tomorrow will be talked about years for now by those who will freeze for hours and scamper exhausted into work on Monday. Hopefully tomorrow will join my good memories of Giants Stadium - like the Jets vs. Jacksonville playoff game 11 years ago, the Jets vs. Packers game in 2002, the Monday Night Miracle win over the Dolphins in 2000, and the victory over the Raiders on the 10th of Teves fast day in 2006. | "
